It takes a (Devonport) village …

Aug 09, 2022
It takes a (Devonport) village …

Bike Auckland

People on bikes in Devonport

It’s been a while coming, but at last we’re about to see improvements in Devonport’s Town Centre for walking, scooting and cycling. The benefits will be felt by more than just the locals as people bike through the Town Centre from Takapuna and further north to board the Devonport Ferry.

We’d really love your feedback because, (as often happens with cycling projects) there are some peripheral issues that could delay and even defeat these long awaited improvements.

Consultation closes on 14 August. If you are short on time we have the highlights here….

Please help by spreading the word that there’s nothing “controversial” about the project and it’s worthwhile supporting.  Our pointers for submitting are:

At Question 1:

  • State your overall support for safe speeds, pedestrian crossing improvements and protected bike lanes

At Question 2:

  • Support Option 2

At Question 3:

  • State that you support Option 2 because otherwise this section would actually be a “paint only” cycle lane, that drivers would cut across like they do everywhere else 
  • State that you support a wider footpath to the school

At Question 4:

  • State that you support the cycle lane and pedestrian crossing at Calliope Road, whether or not the right turn bay on Victoria St can be retained
  • Add any local comments or things that are important to you!

It’s an easy 2 minute job, and you’ve joined the cause for a better Devonport village!

Or read on for more details about the proposed changes for the Devonport Town Centre…

As one of Auckland’s more iconic suburbs, Devonport is well known, and has a lot of history. North Head / Maungauika was an early Maori settlement and the sheltered nature of the local bays later made it similarly attractive for a European naval base and an early residential settlement. But its position across the harbour from the growing City Centre meant that it was somewhat isolated – and once the harbour bridge bypassed it to the west, both transport and development on the North Shore spread up the Bays.  While skyscrapers eventually rose on the south side of the Waitemata, Devonport, in looks and character, stayed a village – with all the pros and cons.

Nowadays a lot of people move to and through Devonport – the ferries draw big crowds, (even post Covid) walking, driving, busing and cycling through to get aboard. Locals from the surrounding suburbs visit the shops and cafes, and now that things are opening up slowly, tourists will also return.

With so many people traveling on the main street getting across the road can be tricky, especially for older people with walkers and families with young children. (If you need a reminder about dangerous driving on Victoria Rd, think about how often verandah posts are knocked out by drivers losing control on the top section of the street!)  Cycle lanes on Lake Road still leave a lot to be desired and don’t extend all the way to the village down Victoria Road. Without this concern from locals about unsafe road conditions we would see a lot more people confident to walk, ride to school, shops, cafes or the library. (One of our favourite memories from lockdown was the number of times we saw bands of young families heading up Victoria Rd on bikes, with the parents at the front, young children following and even preschool children tagging along last, like a family of ducks.)

Devonport safer streets submission photo

Plans to improve things have been on the shelf for many years. In fact, some people have been very dedicated in shoving them back onto those shelves several times, but at last we’re seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Auckland Transport is now consulting on a project called Devonport Town Centre safety improvements (at.govt.nz)

What is proposed?

There is a nice summary video with three local women – the chair of the local business association, the school principal and our own former Bike Auckland chair, Barb Cuthbert – talking about the project. 

Devonport town centre safety improvements – YouTube

The key proposals can be summarised in three ways – safer speeds in the town centre, better pedestrian crossings, and cycle improvements for Victoria Road and connections along the waterfront.

  • A 30 kph speed limit. At this speed, crashes for everyone will be much less common. But most importantly, if they do happen and involve people on bikes and foot, they are much more likely to walk or bike away. Auckland Transport is also proposing traffic calming to make sure speeds are more consistently at those safer levels.
  • Better crossings – There are already quite a few crossings in the village centre, but many of them aren’t up to modern standards. Auckland Transport is proposing to upgrade the crossings, making them more visible, raising them, which makes it easier to cross (including for the elderly, or parents with prams), and helping slow drivers down.
  • Cycle improvements – While Auckland Transport isn’t proposing bike lanes in the lower section of Victoria Road near the wharf, some (mostly) protected bike sections lanes are proposed on Victoria Street from just before the turn-off to Kerr Street near the school and at the intersection with Calliope Rd. These are crucial, as this is where drivers tend to put their foot down and cut corners.

That “mostly” protected part is one of the remaining controversial bits, and sadly also one where Auckland Transport has once again put safety to a vote. This is frustrating, but also the key reason why we all need  to respond to this consultation.  

The “controversial” section is the one between Calliope Road and Kerr Street intersections, where the new uphill cycle lane will provide space for people to safely get up the hill. It is crucial that this part is done well, and not compromised for a few car parks.

Now you see it (Now you don’t)

It’s a bit of “spot the difference” picture hunt to actually see it. But In Option 1 the uphill cycle lane is unprotected between the end of the village centre and Kerr Street. In Option 2, three car parks on the east side, wedged between Kerr Street and the pedestrian crossing are removed to find enough space for the protector on the opposite side.

Image of Devonport town centre safety improvements option 1

Option 1 – The start of the cycle lane out of the centre is unprotected? Uhm. No.

Imge of Devonport town centre safety improvements option 2

Option 2 – Ensuring that drivers don’t cut the left turn uphill is crucial.

If this section is built without protection, drivers uphill will cut across the cycle lane all the time, endangering people’s lives, and making this section only a little less unpleasant than it is now.

It is crucial that everyone supports Option 2 at Kerr Street. It involves removing three car parks just above the Victoria Theatre. The simple message is if the village is caring for its community these can’t be valued more highly than road safety, especially at a location where it is lacking. Plus the extra space will allow the footpath to be widened, making for an easier option for those who find the steep path by the Theatre hard to negotiate including kids traveling by scooter or bike to school. It will also avoid the current issue of drivers doing parking manoeuvres right where they cause safety risks.   

Turning (in)to Calliope Rd

In the local media, there’s also been a bit of a stouch about this intersection, because AT has proposed to remove the southbound right turn bay into Calliope Road as part of adding a raised table zebra crossing and cycle lane over Calliope Road. Some drivers are unhappy about this. 

We’re aware of this concern, and agree that the design needs reviewing to make sure it doesn’t cause delays to people in buses  and others aiming to catch ferries. Our intial response is that It may be possible to keep the right turn lane as well as add the safer pedestrian and cycle crossing at Calliope Rd. 

The critical issue is that the intersection has a bad safety record for pedestrians. It’s recognised to be tricky for people biking from uphill from the Village and ferries, as well as children getting to Devonport Primary School, plus locals walking and biking to and from shopping trips. There’s no debate that safer infrastructure is seriously overdue.

Ideally AT would have had more time to think through the proposed intersection design fully to provide for safer movement by people walking, scooting and cycling as well as accommodating traffic heading to the village and ferries. We’re hoping that this can still be achieved. The best way to achieve this is to support the cycle lane and raised crossing at Calliope Rd.

Raise the bar on crossings

Raised pedestrian crossings, where the crossing is at footpath level are really priority; convenience and safety in one package. 

While on a bike, we may occasionally feel a bit annoyed when we are racing to a ferry or other deadline, and have to negotiate a raised crossing. Bike Auckland has always supported them, because they help pedestrians and are a really effective way to reduce excessive vehicle speeds, which makes riding on- road a lot safer and less stressful.

So we are fully in support of raising the various crossings that are proposed to be upgraded.

To sum it up…

The Devonport Town Centre Improvements are not perfect, but they are a really valuable step forwards. Please help by spreading the word that there’s nothing “controversial” about the project and it’s worthwhile supporting. 

At Question 1:

  • State your overall support for safe speeds, pedestrian crossing improvements and protected bike lanes

At Question 2:

  • Support Option 2

At Question 3:

  • State that you support Option 2 because otherwise this section would actually be a “paint only” cycle lane, that drivers would cut across like they do everywhere else 
  • State that you support a wider footpath to the school

At Question 4:

  • State that you support the cycle lane and pedestrian crossing at Calliope Road, whether or not the right turn bay on Victoria St can be retained
  • Add any local comments or things that are important to you!

There – an easy 2 minute job, and you’ve joined the cause for a better Devonport village!

Join us

Bike Auckland is the non-profit organisation working to improve things for people on bikes. We’re a people-powered movement for a better region. We speak up for you – and the more of us there are, the stronger our voice!

Suggest a new ride