The Auckland Harbour Bridge has had on-gain, off-again plans for a cycling trial. Photo / Brett Phibbs
The Auckland Harbour Bridge has had on-gain, off-again plans for a cycling trial. Photo / Brett Phibbs
The on-again, off-again trial to close a vehicle lane on the Auckland Bridge for cyclists and pedestrians could be on again after the threat of legal action.
After ruling out a trial over the Waitemata Harbour in December last year, the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi will reconsider its decision on a trial at its next board meeting on August 18.
This follows pressure from Transport Minister Michael Wood to provide access for cyclists across the Waitemata Harbour and the threat of legal action against Waka Kotahi for not trialling bridge space for active transport.
Waka Kotahi plans to run a series "events" for cyclists and pedestrians over the coming summer, but cycling groups are unhappy with this approach and calling for a trial that could lead to a permanent closure of one or two lanes for active use.
A concept drawing for the $785m walking and cycling bridge alongside the Auckland Harbour Bridge that got axed after public opposition last year. Photo / Supplied
The bridge currently carries 170,000 vehicles and 1000 buses every day.
A spokesman for the transport agency said it had been advised by the cycling group, Movement, that it may seek a judicial review of the Waka Kotahi decision not to run a trial for walking and cycling on the bridge.
"We have advised Movement that our board will consider their request that Waka Kotahi reconsiders its decision on a trial at its next meeting, and provide an update following the meeting," he said.
A lawyer's letter to Waka Kotahi chief executive Nicole Rosie on July 1 said if Waka Kotahi reconsiders its decision not to run a trial and engages with genuinely independent experts to explore ways to carry out a trial then it will drop the legal action.
Movement spokesman Bevan Woodward was hopeful Waka Kotahi would reconsider a trial sought by Michael Wood.
The transport minister requested work on trialling the use of lanes on the bridge for walking and cycling after plans last year for a standalone $785m walking and cycling bridge across the harbour were scrapped following public opposition.
Allowing cyclists to cross the harbour has become a headache for Wood since hundreds of cyclists pushed past a police barrier and rode across the bridge in May last year to protest at the lack of action for a cycle lane trial.
Last year, cyclists broke through a police cordon to "liberate" the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Photo / Dean Purcell
Last December, Waka Kotahi chairman Sir Brian Roche told Parliament's transport and infrastructure committee it was not practical to use a lane for cyclists and pedestrians, but a senior manager, Brett Gliddon, said lanes could be opened up for summer events.
Woodward said "events" over the bridge were nothing more than a costly "PR gimmick" that won't test anything.
"The whole purpose of a trial is it is a trial. It may work really well or it may not work and we would obviously have to stand by the results," said Woodward, the driving force behind the now abandoned SkyPath walking and cycling project attached to the harbour bridge.
He said a trial could involve allocating the most eastern lane on the bridge for cycling, walking and micro-mobility with anti-jumping fencing and separated from traffic by lightweight barriers.
The biggest problem, Woodward said, would be demand, but that could be managed by ticketing. A trial could take place over a long weekend and, if that went well, could be extended for a whole week.
Movement spokesman Bevan Woodward. Photo / Greg Bowker
The Waka Kotahi spokesman said it had confirmed a series of events during the summer of 2022/23 to provide safe access over the Auckland Harbour Bridge to people on foot or riding bikes.
"An event supplier has been confirmed, and planning is currently in the early stages. As part of the planning for these events, Waka Kotahi will ask motorists to travel at times outside of the events or via other routes so the events are managed safely. Dates, times and an exact route across the bridge have yet to be confirmed," the spokesman said, adding it is intended the events will be free and ticketed to safely manage people on the bridge.
Bike Auckland chairman Tony Mitchell was a "little bit pessimistic" about Waka Kotahi reconsidering a walking, cycling and micro-mobility trial across the harbour bridge.
He said if Waka Kotahi was serious about reviewing its position, the transport agency would have spoken with Bike Auckland "and we have heard nothing".
Mitchell said Bike Auckland has data on capacity, safety, designs and costs to support a trial.
"We hope it's a genuine discussion about how to liberate a lane. We believe it is time to do so," he said.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Auckland Ratepayers' Alliance said a bridge lane closure would unfairly punish those for whom cycling isn't a realistic option and the cycleway must be ruled out.
"We hope that commonsense prevails when the Waka Kotahi Board meets on August 18. Otherwise, the Ratepayers' Alliance will be mounting a vigorous campaign to keep the Harbour Bridge for motorists."
National's transport spokesman Simeon Brown said the Waka Kotahi board should rule out reconsidering its earlier decision not to hold a trial.
National transport spokesman Simeon Brown. Photo / Mark Mitchell
"It would be highly disruptive to traffic and those people who use the bridge every day.
"It is the most critical piece of transport infrastructure in Auckland and should be retained for moving people in cars, buses and freight vehicles," Brown said.
The harbour crossing has become an issue in the Auckland mayoral contest.
At an Auckland University Debating Society mayoral debate on July 26, Manukau councillor Efeso Collins was the only candidate who supported sectioning off a lane of the harbour bridge for cyclists permanently. The other candidates opposed to closing a lane for cyclists.
And at a mayoral debate in Takapuna last month, all seven candidates threw their support behind speeding up work on a second harbour crossing. Collins was the only candidate not to support road as well as rail for the new crossing.
