4 Nov 2011

Majority in favour of car ban in Queen Street

3:20 pm on 4 November 2011

A survey of Auckland motorists has found more than half support the busiest section of Queen Street, becoming a pedestrian mall.

The idea has been mooted in the Auckland Council's Draft City Centre Master Plan.

The Automobile Association says it sought the views of 1800 of its Auckland members before lodging a submission.

The AA found 55% of those surveyed supported removing traffic from Queen Street, from the waterfront to Aotea Square.

But the AA says its support for a city centre where pedestrians are prioritised, as proposed by the council, depends on sufficient parking being provided on the edge of the CBD.

The council's proposals include reducing car parks in the city centre, lowering speed limits, giving more priority to cyclists and pedestrians, and turning parts of some roads into parks.

The AA's survey, which was conducted in the first half of October, has a margin of error of 2.3%.