The Waiheke Local Board and Auckland Transport (AT) have worked together to create the Waiheke Island Transport Guide.
Cycle Action Waiheke suggestions:
- Include protected cycleways on both sides of the road, eliminating the confusing stretches where cyclists are meant to cross windy roads to reach a protected cycle path.
- Ensure there are protected cycleways and walkways which enable children to reach local schools. In order for our children to independently walk and cycle to school, they need to be safe. We need to feel confident that our children can safely reach their respective schools by either biking or walking.
- We should have sharrows in all places that we are trying to guide people to cycle, where it is safe for bikes and motor vehicles to share. More signage will help with showing the bike-friendly routes as well.
- We need more bike locking facilities across the motu (island) in places that make sense for cyclists: beachfront, outside of cafés (like Charlie Farleys), and in centres like Surfdale, Palm Beach, throughout Oneroa. We’d like D-stands or staple-parking in a lot more places.
- Signage should be created alongside Waiheke designers to add to the special and unique character of Waiheke – not what AT thinks is the special character of Waiheke, regardless of how good that designer might be!
- The transport design guide should be in line with the Waiheke Pathways plan – some of the cross sections shown in the guide are not compatible with this plan, eg. the causeway
- To achieve Waiheke’s/Auckland’s/Aotearoa’s sustainability goals, we need to move out of our cars and take more trips by active transportation, increasing our enjoyment of the out-of-doors, and enhancing our health. This will not happen without improved bicycling and walking infrastructure.
- More and more people who visit Waiheke will do so on a bicycle, and more and more people who live on the island will chose to cycle.
