Connecting up the Cycle Network
Good news - after some intense debate and many years of consultation the local board has resolved to support permanent street upgrades to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists between the Grey Lynn shops on Surrey Crescent and the Old Mill Road/Garnet Road intersection.
This will mean the temporary crossing outside Grey Lynn School and the speed cushions will be replaced with a raised table, safe cycleway routes to and from the school and towards Western Springs created, a new zebra crossing installed outside Lollipops and the intersections around the Bullock track be made safer for those outside of cars. It’s a win.
The Waitemata Safe Routes project, as it was originally titled, has been kicking around since a street upgrade in 2011 failed to provide an adequate safe crossing outside Grey Lynn Primary. It is an AT project but one in which the local board has taken a keen interest. But it has been slow going.
While other projects have been delivered around the city, including the North-West cycleway and Te Ara Ki Uta Ki Tai, the joyous Meadowbank to Tamaki shared path,* this one has been on a rotation of consultation, temporary measures and design tweaks for a decade, despite strong community support along the way.
This has been frustrating but what has evolved is a plan that is smaller in both geographical scope and ambition with fewer road built outs, fewer planters, fewer carparking spaces removed, and less cost. It is not perfect, and there are some key elements, including the Richmond Road/Surrey Crescent intersection that need to be tackled, but what we have is deliverable and can proceed quickly.
We’ll take it.
While the formal local board endorsement only took place yesterday the project team have been reporting back to us regularly on their progress and has consulted closely with individual people and businesses as well as the local residents’ and business association. And they have made their support clear all along the way. Back in 2018 for a premium upgrade there was 70% support, and earlier this year, 75% support, with 56% making suggestions. Many of these have led to changes in the project to make it safer, or will be borne in mind when further improvements become possible.
One of the over-riding themes has been to get on with it.
“I am a resident of Surrey Crescent in Grey Lynn. I also have two children who attend Grey Lynn Primary School . . . I strongly support the Surrey Crescent and Old Mill Road improvements project.”
“Please go ahead and make progress with these improvements, they’re long overdue. Although this affects me deeply, it’s what the community needs.”
C&R members Sarah Trotman, Greg Moyle and Allan Matson were opposed, suggesting more consultation. Ongoing consultation with people when they have made their views clear and essentially defunding well-designed projects is disheartening, disingenuous and wastes money and good will. Fortunately, the views of Chair Sage and the City Vision team prevailed. If not now, when?
And with Meola Road complete and Great North Road due to be finished by the end of this year, the timing is good. Against the odds in this political environment, Waitemata is joining up its cycle network - aand a connected network is worth more than the sum of its parts.
More people, including little ones, can enjoy getting out and about on two feet or two wheels reducing congestion and emissions. Work begins in September.
* Orakei has had more money invested in cycleways than any other local board area – and we don’t begrudge them a penny