Introduction:
Auckland Transport has put together a proposed cycle network which will provide safe bicycle routes to and around Henderson. The emphasis on this network is transport rather than recreation, but it will link up with existing recreational routes like the Twin Streams paths. This will be built over time as funding becomes available.
8 key cycling routes have been identified and AT is asking for feedback to help decide which is the priority route to build first. Although this has not reached the design phase, the plan is that these routes are all physically separated from traffic. Once these routes have been built, connecting routes will be considered.
The timeline is long – construction of priority routes would start in 2024, and even then, subject to funding.
Auckland Transport is now seeking your feedback about the plans. Closes Sunday 31st January.
Bike Te Atatū’s feedback:
Bike Te Atatū made a submission on behalf of the group. We said that we liked the plans in general but that the timelines weren’t quick enough – anything that would boost the funding or speed up the construction timeline would be a big advantage.
We made some suggestions about priority routes – Edmonton Road (to join up to the NW cycleway and to take pressure off Henderson creek cycleway), Swanson/Metcalfe Roads (because of a lack of existing facilities) and Lincoln Road (to link to lots of schools). However, we also identified Rathgar Road and Te Atatū Road from Edmonton roundabout to Glendene roundabout as being key routes missing from the plans.
One thing we would encourage you to add to your feedback is to ask AT to improve Te Atatū Road (south)’s existing cycle lanes when they build new facilities for Edmonton Road – these are marked on the map as an “existing cycle facility” but everyone who has ridden them will know that the painted lane (south) and the shared path (north) are woefully inadequate and would be a massive let-down to any new, properly separated infrastructure.
