Orange cones, orange cones, orange cones, reduced traffic lanes, cycle challenges! If you use Tamaki Dr you’ll be well used to the disruption, particularly along the stretch from the Ngapipi Rd bridge to the port entrance. We’ve all been impacted heavily over the last few years and it’s not over yet. While these have been challenging times of a different sort, I know that this work — whether raising the road to help prevent future flooding or widening Ngapipi bridge to improve safety at one of the worst intersections — is necessary and eventually will be worth it in the long-term.
With the orange cones gone from the north construction side, what looked like the completion of the Ngāpipi bridge to Solent St cycleway should have been a cause for celebration. It was to be a safe separated cycleway constructed in such a way as to not compromise vehicle traffic or pedestrians. The reality was, within days of what felt like a soft opening just before Christmas, both Twitter and my inbox were flooded with feedback from justifiably angry members of the public. Keen cyclists had tried out the brand new $14 million cycleway, only to find it unpleasant to ride on, unreasonably bumpy and therefore not really as safe as it should have been. After all this time and money spent, was this really the best Auckland Transport could deliver?
I sought an explanation, and almost more importantly an assurance that mistakes would be rectified without further ratepayer spend. Auckland Transport staff explained firstly that this was never a finished product – AT had yet to carry out their quality assessment and sign off on the project. Secondly, they explained that owing to the narrow width of the cycleway, the contractors had opted to lay the tarmac by hand rather than by machine, as they’d done successfully elsewhere. Other sections along the cycleway including the section approaching Mission Bay were agreed to have been completed satisfactorily, with a smooth riding surface.
AT has worked closely with cycle stakeholders such as Bike Tamaki Drive and Bike Auckland to identify the areas which need fixing. The good news: because the project has not yet been signed off, and the work was not considered up to the required standard, the cost of correcting the problem will be met entirely by the contractor.
It was agreed that where connections were poorly completed the asphalt will be repaired to provide a smoother surface. In areas where there are serious bumps, the tarmac will be fully replaced and resealed. This work is scheduled for completion no later than the end of April meaning the whole path will be ready for the Easter break. It wouldn’t have been possible to make these improvements sooner without requiring a new traffic management plan which would have been more inconvenience, something we can all agree was to be avoided!
It’s simply not good enough that mistakes were made which further delay completion of this vital piece of infrastructure and return Tamaki Dr to its full capacity for road vehicles (more on vehicle lane widths to come). However, I am pleased that Auckland Transport didn’t just leave the job as it was, but listened and responded to the feedback received and worked in collaboration with elected members and stakeholders to ensure the right outcome. Crucially, I’m satisfied with a result where the problem is fixed at absolutely no cost to the ratepayer.
Finally, a big thank you to everyone who took the time to participate in our Long-term Plan 2021-31 Recovery Budget consultation. The week-long move to alert level three on Sunday February 28 meant that unfortunately not all ‘in person’ events were able to go ahead as planned. Our engagement team were prepared for this eventuality and had planned a programme of online regional webinars along with some on specific topics such as ‘rates’ and ‘water quality’. Additionally, I know many of you took the time to submit your feedback online or via a phone interview. I really appreciate reading your insights and ideas and always ensure they are central to my decision making process, so thank you.