IMPROVE TRANSPORT
Mike Turinsky will continue to improve transport for the Botany subdivision. In his 6 years on the Howick Local Board, Mike has worked to improve the safety of our roads and footpaths; including two major projects to provide safe crossings of students to local schools and a push to complete the footpaths along Ormiston Road near the Ormiston Town Centre. He is also providing strong advocacy for the completion of the Airport to Botany Rapid Transit, and for the AMETI public transport fromBotany to Panmure. However, Mike opposed the bus route going through Burswood at the expense of people's houses.
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Transport Community Safety Fund goes to protect primary student in Flat Bush
By Mike Turinsky
In 2019, the Howick Local Board was given a $1 million Transport Community Safety Fund by Auckland Council. This fund is a "use it or lose it" fund, which means the local board must select projects to complete, or the money is returned to Auckland Council. Two projects were chosen, both in the Botany subdivision. In the end, the entire Transport Safety Fund is going to the Botany subdivision projects.
Project #1: New Foot Bridge for Primary Student Safety
In February 2019, we had a brand new primary school open in our area, Te Uho o te Nikau Primary. However, even before the school opened, the administrators knew they had a big problem. Many students would need to cross the Flat Bush School bridge, which is a narrow vehicle-only bridge, without a footpath.
I spoke with the school's principal directly about the issue. I also had multiple conversations with Karen Gibson, the Board of Trustees chair. Parents, teachers, and administrators were saying it would only be a matter of time before a child could end up struck by a car.
After nearly a year of discussions between Auckland Transport (AT) and the Howick Local Board, the Howick Local Board has decided to fund this project. I believe this big problem needed a big solution. The funding will be used to attach a footbridge to the existing vehicle bridge.
As the school's Board of Trustees chair, Karen Gibson said, "We need to see the board moving decisively tonight to remedy the daily situation where five-year-old pedestrians continue to dice with 3m wide concrete trucks on a 7.5m wide bridge as they walk to and from school every day."
STATUS: This project has been completed.