The hot sun beat down on the Nelson St off-ramp on Friday, making for steamy conditions for the Minister of Transport’s event on the off-ramp to announce the first allocation of $$ from the Government’s Urban Cycle Fund. I felt sorry for all the blokes in suits, especially as they were shown up by Simon Bridges, who arrived looking relaxed and dressed for cycling. Once the formalities were over, he approached me, keen to chat. Luckily Max, our cycling design guru, was nearby, so I could introduce him as the source of Cycle Action’s inspiration to get the Nelson St project underway last year. Simon began by expressing admiration for …
BarbC
AT is patting itself on the back for being smart with technology: they’re planning to squeeze an extra lane into a road currently painted for two opposing lanes with long flush medians, by using on-ground lights and overhead gantries to allow cars to drive along the flush median at peak times. Like the ‘zipper’ device on the Harbour Bridge, this reversible middle lane is a technique for accommodating tidal flows of morning and evening traffic. The lucky location for the first trial of this dynamic lane technology, which will run for a year and a half, is the landward end of Whangaparaoa Rd, which runs along the spine of the …
There’s a brand new train station in Otahuhu, and now Auckland Transport is inviting public feedback on a proposal for T3 lanes and a shared path to the station along Walmsley Rd. Here’s the project information page with a link for feedback, which is open until Friday 17 February. You can see the full plans here. As well as adding T3 lanes, the proposal is to widen the footpath along the western side of the road, with the stated goal of: Improving pedestrian and cycle facilities and connection to the new Otahuhu Station. Encouraging more people to walk and cycle (particularly school children). We’re generally supportive of the project, but it must be noted: While the footpath will …
My brother in Wellington wrote to me recently about a weekend train trip to the country with family members, some of whom brought bikes so they could take the scenic route home. The outing wasn’t just fun, but affordable. My brother has a SuperGold Card, and everyone else enjoyed cheap fares designed to encourage more people to use public transport instead of cars for weekend fun. I’m seeing more and more of this multi-modal multi-generational weekend travel around Auckland. Family groups bringing bikes on the ferry to explore Devonport; or taking the train to Onehunga to ride to Ambury Park; or arriving at Britomart ready to ride the waterfront and the Pink Path (or both!). Everyone looks to …
One of the most frustrating experiences with Auckland Transport is the silo planning. While AT’s walking and cycling team has hugely improved in the last year, it seems that large chunks of the rest of the organisation are still working away under the impression that cycling is either a luxury, or somebody else’s job. This at least is our feeling when we see proposals like the big Manukau Transport interchange on Putney Way, right next to Manukau Train Station and the MIT Campus (and the big Westfield Mall). This new bus station is proposed to cost $26 million. But the plans include no cycle facilities to get to it, just …
The lack of good bike parking is a universal bugbear! (See Russell Brown’s great blog post yesterday, about the ups and downs of bike-parking while shopping, with great pics from readers of how good other cities have it). Well, there’s good news from Auckland Transport about better bike parking at crucial transport hubs – we asked Scott Winton from AT to tell us more: New bike shelters have been installed at the Albany Busway Bus Station this week, to be followed by two other locations next month. Glen Innes Train Station and the Half Moon Bay Ferry terminal will also have the sleek new bike shelters installed as part of Auckland Transport’s strategy to make cycling to transport hubs throughout …
Inspired by yesterday’s commuting feature, here’s a handy recipe for how to get almost anywhere in Auckland: 1. bike to train or ferry 2. put self and bike on train or ferry 3. repeat. The easier it becomes to get around the city – what with better cycleways and more bike lanes, speedier and more frequent ferries, and magical new EMU electric trains – the more places you can reach by combining these modes of transport, aka “trip-chaining.” Check out this map we put together a few years ago showing a 3km easily bikeable radius around all train stations and ferry terminals. There’s bike parking at the major stations and ferry terminals, if you plan to park and ride. But what still …
I’ve relied on my bike and public transport to get around Auckland without a car for about 6 years. Whizzing on my bike from my house on Mt Victoria to the ferry, waving to mates doing coffee on mainstreet cafes, is how I start most days. When I’m at our Waiheke place, my ride is a bit longer and even more rewarding – riding from Palm Beach to Matiatia connects me with even more people, sights and sounds. Love it! Chatting to other people with bikes parked beside mine on ferries or on trains teaches me about priorities for Cycle Action’s work. I know most people don’t need or have …
Of all the arguments in favour of encouraging city cycling, perhaps the hardest for some people to swallow is that bikes are good for business. Why? Because many business owners believe that parking and cars – rather than the people who arrive in cars – are the main source of their business. Parking, in particular, is a sacred cow of epic proportions, and it’s an article of faith among some retailers that taking away parking spots to improve safe passage for people on bikes will result in the rapid decline of any nearby business. But the research firmly says otherwise. This article looks at a recent collation of 12 studies on …
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