A favourite pastime of Aucklanders is slagging off the council, particularly for lack of meaningful consultation.
Auckland Transport (AT) wants to create a network of cycling routes for the area between Pt Chevalier and the city fringe, to provide safer and more convenient connections into the city centre and neighbouring suburbs.
They have sought feedback at every step of the way. More feedback is invited when AT puts out its proposals very soon. Some work will begin late 2016.
Following the consultation a revised proposal has been prepared. Brochures explaining the proposals will be sent to people living close by, there will be open days and information will be at community centres and libraries.
We can’t ask for more than that. Well done AT.
The main points of the proposal are:
To implement high-quality cycle lanes on busy roads, ideally physically separated from general traffic.
To reduce traffic speeds and volumes on quieter roads to make it safer and more attractive to walk and cycle.
To keep as much on-street parking as possible, but in some locations they may need to remove parking to make streets safer.
Other considerations include safer routes, slower vehicle speeds, improved pedestrian crossings, new and improved bus facilities, new landscaping, new signage and cycle parking.
AT Cycling and Walking manager Kathryn King says that after considering the feedback and following further investigation, some routes have been added to the network with one route removed.
Changes made include replacing Beaconsfield Street with Grosvenor Street as it is a more direct route with a gentler slope, adding John Street, Wellington Street and Hepburn Street. These changes will allow better access to the city centre.
Research shows that many Aucklanders would cycle more if they felt safer. The proposed network of cycling routes for the area between Pt Chevalier and the city fringe will be upgraded to be more appealing to these people, and will mean that over 17,000 households, according to AT figures, are within five minutes ride of a cycle route.
Increasing the number of people on bikes has other benefits too, such as reducing traffic congestion and air pollution from vehicles. One on-going concern around commercial hubs, for example Jervois Road shops, is that AT will take away car parking spaces from their customers.
AT say it aims to keep as much on-street parking as possible, but in some locations they may remove parking, “to keep streets safer”. Parking removal will depend on the road space available and the type of improvements being provided, AT advises.
However, AT insists that on-street parking in shopping centres is of particular importance to businesses, and AT will focus on solutions that retain parking and enhance the streetscapes in these areas.
Ponsonby News hopes that this consultation by AT will carry over to all their plans, and that they will become a much more open and transparent organisation. (JOHN ELLIOTT)