Dogs, Bikes and Bagpipes out in the Sun at Bayswater

May 13, 2013
Dogs, Bikes and Bagpipes out in the Sun at Bayswater

BarbC

BayswaterCyclists, walkers, scooting kids and all breeds of dogs came out in force in glorious sun yesterday, for our Mother’s Day celebration of the amazing progress on the Bayswater shared bridge project. The new bridge is a Auckland Council and Local Board project to replace the historic very narrow pipe bridge, which will be demolished this Friday.

Buzz and chatter drowned out birdsong as locals lined up free barbeque sausages cooked by our new Devonport Community Constable, Jackie Strickland and 3 of her road safety colleagues in blue. Kiwivelo’s highly skilled Lance and his off-sider were on hand for free bike fixes, managing to keep up with the constant flow of families who cycled to the event. We even had a local cyclist playing the bagpipes!

Auckland Transport’s Zane Bray, (always an organised, cool dude), arrived with boxes of  bike safety giveaways – bells, back pack covers, slap-bands and puncture repair kits.  It’s worth noting that cyclists were very appreciative of this practical and worthwhile initiative – many asked for their thanks to be passed on to AT. Gay Richards from North Shore Living Streets and Bayswater Community Committee led guided walks around the temporary foreshore path which is available for the next 3 months, while the new bridge is built.

The bridge contractors, Brian Perry Civil, were present to receive accolades for being well ahead of the construction programme, and for allowing ‘kids’ of all ages a rare chance to see bridge construction at close range. They will bring a second crane onto the site for the job – so get down there, if you enjoy seeing big construction machines at work.

The Bayswater Dog-walkers gang were resplendent in new tee-shirts for our new joint pilot project ‘All on the Same Path’. We’ll tell you more about it once the new wider bridge is in place. In the meantime, the dog-walkers, led by Chris Mullane, will be giving out bike bells, so cyclists using the route are equipped to give courteous ‘tinkles’ as they approach walkers on the path.

You didn’t have to be a mother to feel special yesterday at our Bayswater event. Best thanks to the weather for really turning it on!

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