Transport Agency witness makes revealing admission at Basin Reserve flyover hearing
Landscape architect Gavin Lister, appearing for the New Zealand Transport Agency, has made a revealing admission at the
Board of Inquiry hearing into the proposed Basin Reserve flyover. Under questioning by Board of Inquiry member Mr David
Collins, Gavin Lister said:
"Flyovers are anathema to urban design thinking because of what they represent. They represent a car dominated city, a
sprawling car dominated city which is kind of the antithesis of the compact, mixed use, high intensity city supported by
walkability and public transport"
Commenting on this admission, Save the Basin Campaign spokesperson Tim Jones said "Under detailed questioning from the
Board, Gavin Lister admitted what the Save the Basin Campaign has been saying all along: that the idea of building a
flyover at the Basin Reserve is a relic of the antiquated, car-dominated transport thinking that modern cities all
around the world have abandoned."
"Having made this admission, Mr Lister then made a rather extraordinary turnabout to say that these were exactly the
same reasons the proposed flyover was needed. He did not explain why."
"When the Transport Agency's own witnesses make such trenchant criticisms of flyovers, it's a clear sign that the Basin
Reserve flyover project has been badly thought through and inadequately assessed against alternatives.
"New Zealanders are innovators and forward thinkers. It's time the Government and the Transport Agency consigned
flyovers to the dustbin of transport history and started developing modern, meaningful transport solutions," Mr Jones
concluded.
ENDS