Within two days of the death, the pinch-point problem was solved by the removal of some parking spaces, but council officials had been told about it for years and have yet to explain, much less apologise for, their inaction which in other jurisdictions would see them civilly, if not criminally, liable.
The idea that an audit of such danger spots on popular cycling routes (followed by their immediate improvement) should be simply the first step in setting up a comprehensive system of cycle paths around the isthmus may seem radical to many Aucklanders.
In discussions of public transport, we are accustomed to shrugging our shoulders and saying that this is a car city.
But such a defeatist response ignores such projections as those in a Transport Ministry report published this week, which predicts midday traffic jams within 20 years.
Cyclists, in particular those who commute, are not obscure oddball hobbyists; they are the trailblazers of a transport future whom we should applaud and accommodate. Those riders whose fluoro backpack-covers ungrammatically proclaim they mean "one less car" on the road are stating a literal truth: each cyclist contributes to easing congestion and competition for parking and they deserve to be treated with gratitude.
Yet our roading network is a hostile environment for cyclists. Lane systems that allow traffic either to turn right or go straight ahead make it impossible for a cyclist to choose a line that is guaranteed not to come into conflict with cars. And cycle lanes, where they exist at all, are narrow and not separated from the carriageway by raised kerbing.
It is commonly believed that the great "cycle cities" of Europe, notably in the Netherlands, have always been that way. Motorists are required by strict (and strictly enforced) law to make life easy for cyclists.
But in fact the cycle culture that grew up in the early 20th century, when bikes hugely outnumbered cars, was swept away by a wave of increased car ownership in the prosperous postwar years. It was only furious public pressure after many cyclist deaths, and then the 70s spikes in oil prices, that forced the wholesale building of wide, isolated cycleways.
It is well past time that we followed the Dutch example. It does not require great capital investment, just the appropriation of some existing carriageway, making dual-lane roads single-lane and cutting back roadside parking.
As cycling becomes safer, more people will saddle up. And fragile cyclists in snarls of traffic will live longer.
At the same time, some cyclists would do their cause a favour by displaying a bit more respect for the rules of the road. A bicycle is a vehicle under the law and if a cyclist wants to be defined as something other than a vehicle user, it takes no effort to dismount and become a pedestrian for a few moments.
They don't hold the Tour de France in heavy traffic. Rush-hour cyclists would do well to have rush-hour expectations.
