17km of temporary cycleways added in Auckland

Electric bike riders have an extra 17km of temporary cycle space installed across Auckland by April 28 that they can navigate.

Auckland Transport (AT) is delivering the first of a rolling set of initiatives for cyclists on 20 roads and popular walkways across Auckland to assist with safe physical distancing when the country moves into alert level three.

Pop-up cycling and walking lanes are planned over 22km.

Tamaki Drive (between The Strand and St Heliers Bay) will be the first to benefit, with the measures installed where the pathways are narrow.

Carparking on the sea side of the road will be temporarily removed and replaced with a wider space for people walking or cycling, giving Aucklanders the ability to stay two metres apart from each other.

AT is trialling these as temporary measures, providing the ability to adapt available space on the road to reflect their use by Aucklanders during different alert levels.

Auckland mayor Phil Goff welcomes the rollout of temporary cycle spaces.

“The lockdown period saw many people get outside to exercise, with the number of people walking and cycling increasing by 100% in some areas,” he says.

“As our roads become busier during level three, temporary cycleways and will help ensure that people on bikes and walking can stay safe and maintain the physical distance requirements that are so important to helping us break the chain of COVID-19 infection.”

AT chair Adrienne Young-Cooper says AT is responding firstly to public health directives on physical distancing in busy areas for people walking and cycling.

“This means some road space will be reallocated to temporarily widen footpaths and widen cycleways or install temporary cycleways.

“So many families and people making essential or recreation trips are choosing to walk and ride bikes in their neighbourhoods because streets are quiet,” she says.

“But as vehicle traffic increases and physical distancing must still be practiced, using the road carriageway or stepping out into the road to distance from other people becomes more hazardous.”

Other initiatives include signs and markings reminding those out and about to maintain physical distancing.

Most pedestrian crossings have switched to automated, reducing the need for people to touch the request button.

Included in the rollout for widened spaces are temporary emergency safe speed limits where applicable.

With more people driving to get to work and freight services returning to normal it is expected that roads will be busier than during alert level four.

Other sites include Queen Street, Quay Street, Customs Street/Queen Street intersection, Ponsonby Road, Oteha Valley Road, Lonely Track Road, Mangere town centre, Otara town centre and Manukau town centre.

AT will continue to roll out temporary measures on a responsive risk-based approach and is responding to local boards’ requests for safety-based interventions.