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Student finds 'free land' for HOVER ParkMassey University Industrial Design student Michael Lewis has built a model of a HOVER Park, but its where he'd put it that will surprise you. His design was unveiled at HOVER's Xmas party in Auckland. |
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Student finds 'free land' for HOVER Park
| 600 parking spaces with no land cost Novel 'park and pool' facility design unveiled. Michael Lewis, a student in his final year at Massey University's Albany Village campus, has built a model of a HOVER Park that would daily help reduce traffic on Auckland's northern motorway by up to 600 vehicles....and the land for the facility is already dedicated to the transportation network. By placing the parking facility over top of the motorway there would be no land cost for the project. Auckland Mayor Dick Hubbard praised the concept at a reception jointly hosted by Massey University and Trip Convergence Ltd. The event, held at the Britomart Pavilion in Central Auckland in conjunction with Massey's exhibition of completed student projects, also doubled as an early Christmas party for the team developing the HOVER system. The Mayor mentioned that he was formerly a food technology student at the University, and enjoyed coming to view the student's works.    Picture 1: From left: Andrew Lindesay, Ingrid Minett, Juliette Lindesay, Phil Norman, Donald Bowie, Mayor Hubbard, Michael Lewis. Picture 2: Paul Minett, Michael Lewis. Picture 3: Paul Minett, Paul Garnham, John Pearce, Michael Lewis. The Mayor is currently campaigning for stadium upgrades for the final of the Rugby World Cup, to be held in Auckland in 2011. He said that it is important to give people lots of choices, and he sees HOVER as an additional choice for commuters. Michael's design was made with the Sunset Road overpass in mind, just south of the Constellation Drive Bus Park and Ride facility on Auckland's North Shore. Cars could enter the HOVER Park from the motorway (upstream) or off the overpass, and fuller cars would exit directly onto the Northern Busway, to which High Occupancy Vehicles have been promised access. The Busway is due for completion in 2008. In the evening returning vehicles would access the park from a newly created exit lane from the motorway. Trip Convergence director Paul Minett said the lack of availability of land is often cited as a reason to not provide parking to get commuters out of their single occupant vehicles. "Michael's 'free land' concept shows that there is plenty of land available, we just have to be creative about how we use it" he said. The Mayor talks about HOVER and the HOVER Park. View more pictures from the Xmas party by clicking here. |
