Ideas aren’t solutions

You have to admire Phil Mauger’s energy in floating ideas to fix problems, like hospital parking on the edge of Hagley Park ( Parking on Hagley berms?, Sept 29).

But perhaps he should filter out ideas, like this one, which are banned by Act of Parliament.

Alternatively, he suggests converting one traffic lane outside the hospital into car parking. Another useful ideas filter would be having relevant facts on hand, like the effects of lane removal on traffic congestion.

Although Mauger proposes removing a lane at the hospital for parking, he opposes removing one in Harewood for a cycleway.

He often says he could design cheaper cycle lanes. Anyone can make a cheap cycle lane, but if it’s too cheap to be safe, the whole project is money wasted.

Sadly this week saw the death reported of another Christchurch cyclist. These debates involve a peculiar mix of personal inconvenience, actual fatalities, and the future of the planet’s climate.

Dave Kelly, Beckenham