This guide was originally published in Greater Auckland, and it is republished here with permission.
Construction of the Hobsonville Road Cycleway has been underway since the start of the year. When complete, it will link from the NW Shared Path at Westgate to the North Shore at Greenhithe.
Auckland Transport has come out with a new consultation to further improve three key intersections along the route.
Overall these changes look positive and should be supported.
Make sure to have your say before 10 April.
Brigham Creek Rd
This is an incredibly dangerous intersection that should have been upgraded when Hobsonville Rd was replaced as a State Highway by the motorway in 2011. It’s an intersection that has seen many crashes – Matt was hit by a car here just last year while cycling to work.
AT’s original plan had the cycleway diverting to a raised crossing 50m down Brigham Creek Rd which would have been both very inconvenient for those on bikes, and would have done nothing to address the safety issues that exist for all road users.
Thankfully, their new plan addresses this by signalising the intersection.
Trig Road
Further south, another dangerous intersection – which originally involved a similar kind of approach as proposed for Brigham Creek – is also getting signalised.
It appears AT are squeezing some traffic extra lanes in, meaning the cycleway moves off the road and becomes a shared path.
Oreil Ave
If you cross from the Northwestern Cycleway over the yellow bridge at Westgate, you’ll end up at Oreil Ave – which presents a bit of a hill to climb to get up to Hobsonville Rd, and then the question of how you get to the new cycleway heading east.
AT previously said they were investigating a new crossing near here. The new proposal adds a signalised crossing, but also adds an uphill protected cycleway on Oreil Ave, as well as a raised crossing by the end of the yellow bridge, and speed cushions.
Overall these changes look positive and should be supported.
