Image: “Cyclists Merging” electronic sign near the junction of Woodward Ave and Carrington Rd,
TLDR; a Very Big Project that will be ongoing until the end of 2027. The NW crossing is changing, keep your wits about you. If you ride along Carrington, use alternative routes if possible.
The NW crossing
Even if you have never cycled along Carrington Rd from Pt Chev to Mt Albert or vice versa, if you are a Northwestern path user, chances are you will have crossed it on one of the busiest crossings along this corridor.
In the past week, the raised dual ped-cycle crossing has been closed and a temporary crossing has been marked to the north side of Sutherland Rd. This will imminently change again. The crossing will shift very slightly north out of the domestic driveway, kerbs on both sides of Carrington Road will be removed and lowered to allow better access to a wider crossing that will also be marked in green to show it’s also a cycle crossing. Road markings and signage will be improved for both vehicles and cycles, and the cones will be swapped out for hit posts.
This is what I’m calling the “semi-permanent” crossing: this will remain in place until the new, permanent crossing is built at the end of next year (2027). The new permanent crossing will be in a slightly different location, closer to Sutherland Rd but still on the north side.
Carrington Road corridor
The road is a mess, and will be for a long time because this is also a utilities project where stormwater infrastructure is being upgraded and huge sections will be dug up all the way from Pt Chev to Mt Albert. They are currently working on the section between Fifth Ave (approx) and Pt Chev. The painted cycle lanes have been deleted and lanes are narrowed. Traffic through construction zones is restricted to 30kph, which in theory means cycles can share the lane with cars, though there is no space for vehicles to overtake cyclists. Where the road surface has been scraped to remove markings, the bumpy surface is deeply unpleasant to ride on (at best, with fatter tyres) if not unsafe (at worst, with narrow road tyres).
If you cycle downhill on Carrington Rd, my best advice is to take the lane; currently this will allow you to ride on the smooth asphalt and avoid the bumpy surface. It will mean you hold up cars and buses, but since they shouldn’t be going any faster than 30kph this is entirely right and proper, since there is no room for them to overtake you.
If you cycle uphill on Carrington Rd, taking the lane is still an option but you might reach your threshold for how much you are willing to hold up traffic, like I did. I’m much slower going uphill and I don’t want to be an arsehole. In this situation, I rode on the pavement (which on the uphill side is very wide) and you might choose to do the same. Though please go slowly, give priority and heaps of space to pedestrians and try to avoid it during school drop off/pick up times.
FYI there are two new temporary pedestrian crossings near Tasman Ave and at Farm Rd. These allow access to bus stops but might be useful for access to Farm Rd in particular.
Alternative routes from Waterview path
We (and other parties) are still pushing for the new cycle paths in the ex-Unitec development to be opened before they are officially handed over to Auckland Council in August. Opening this route would help a lot (red line).
Meanwhile, if you are joining the NW from the Waterview path, consider using Great North Rd and the rainbow path up to Carrington Road (green line).
If you want to go cross-country (blue line), you could try the Waterview path to Farm Rd (scooting round near the Unitec Marae), crossing Carrington on the new temporary crossing near Farm Rd to Fifth Ave/Parkdale to join the next map’s green line up to the NW at St Lukes Rd.
Alternative routes to St Lukes Rd
Depending on your starting point and destination, you might also consider using some back streets and join the NW at St Lukes Rd (which has protected cycle lanes on both sides). These streets are usually relatively quiet, though sometimes a bit hillier.
Contact details for the construction
The contractors for the project are Dempsey Wood. If you need to report something urgent, call 0800 395 274. This line is answered during office hours. Outside office hours, call the Auckland Transport 24/7 line: 09 355 3553
If your request/feedback is less urgent, email carrington@dempseywood.co.nz
Project info and newsletter
If you want more information about the specifics of this project, have a look at AT’s project page – this will be updated as the project progresses. If you want to receive the project newsletters, sign up here.
