Cycle Action’s aim is to make Auckland a great place to cycle. We’d like to see more Aucklanders choosing to cycle for daily transport and recreation.

We believe that cycling has an important part to play in the transport mix for Auckland. Cycling is fast for shorter trips – and two thirds of all car trips in NZ are less than 6 km long – as well as being cheap and energy efficient. It’s an effective way to combat congestion, pollution, and the huge health problems caused by physical inactivity, all at once.

What do we do?

Cycle Action is actively involved in advocating and consulting with local and regional councils and other government agencies (e.g. Ministry of Transport, New Zealand Transport Authority) for an improved cycling environment in Auckland.

We encourage planners and engineers to consider and cater for the needs of cyclists in all roading and transport decisions. Cycle Action is regularly consulted by these bodies on cycling issues and is seen as a key stakeholder in roading, sustainable transport, health and other related areas.

We advocate with local and national Government to allocate adequate budgets to implement vital cycling infrastructure and create a climate of care on our roads.

CAA’s Vision List for the new Auckland Council
We feel that the most important improvements required for cycling in Auckland are:

1.    Community Road Safety – improved traffic environments should be achieved via Council-supported programs in all appropriate areas (especially in residential areas and town centres). These initiatives would combine engineering approaches such as traffic calming, landscaping and “shared space” concepts with community initiatives – aiming to increase street life and slow traffic speeds.

2.    Walking & Cycling Unit – the future Auckland Council / Auckland Transport Agency needs dedicated managers and engineers to ensure cycling is promoted and catered for in the city’s operation and capital works programmes. A dedicated department, at eye height with the roading and public transport units, could push for real change – especially if backed by the mayor.

3.    More cycling facilities – where slow speed environments as in Vision 1) are considered inappropriate, such as on arterials or rural roads, cycling facilities should be improved, such as via wide shoulders or cycle lanes. Where suitable, off-road paths should allow cyclists to travel safely and pleasantly away from busy roads (however, urban off-road paths have uneven safety track records).

4.    More cycle parking - all public buildings and spaces need to provide cycle parking. The future District Plan also needs to ensure that new private development has to provide cycle parking if it provides any car parking. Other cities in New Zealand, like Hamilton, have already introduced such rules.

5.    Priority for network gaps – Auckland’s cycle network still has numerous intimidating gaps (narrow 100km/h roads without alternatives, massive multi-lane intersections without cycling lanes, missing links such like the Auckland Harbour Bridge). These gaps need to be progressively retrofitted, or alternatives provided.

6.    Every road project is a cycling project – the design and maintenance of public roads should ensure that cyclists are able to use all roads safely. Therefore, cyclist concerns need to be considered by Council during all transport projects.

7.   Support flagship projects – Auckland should support such high-profile projects like Auckland routes in the New Zealand Cycle Trail scheme, the planned new NZTA motorway cycle routes, or an Auckland Harbour Bridge walk- and cycleway. Such projects can put cycling “back on the map” in Auckland, as Britomart, the Northern Busway and rail electrification have done for public transport.

8.    Greater network efficiency - greater use should be made of transit (T2 and T3) and bus lanes. Transit lanes will be more acceptable on those roads where motorists would see bus lanes as a cause of further congestion. All such lanes need to be constructed so that they allow safe passing of bicycles by motor vehicles (widths). Lane conversion projects currently often omit this.

9.    Stronger road rule enforcement - all Aucklanders, cyclists and motorists, should be subject to, and benefit from, consistent traffic enforcement. These campaigns should especially concentrate on drunk driving, speed limits, red-light running and parking in bus and cycle lanes.

10. Better education and promotion - Council should support education campaigns about behaviour in traffic as well as promote alternative travel options, from supporting public transport to introducing travel plans in schools and businesses.

11. Support multi-modal transport - making it easy for people to mix cycling with other modes will especially benefit public transport. This entails improving both the ability to take bicycles on ferries, buses and trains, as well as providing secure storage facilities at public transport stops (bike racks and preferably lockers).

12. Work with stakeholders - Cycle Action Auckland has had great success in co-operating with stakeholders, and such links should be strengthened. Auckland Council should have regular contact with cycling and other transport advocacy groups, as well as authorities like NZTA and ONTRACK to ensure that cyclist requirements mesh well with those of other transport users.
The above initiatives will go a long way to reviving cycling as a vibrant mode of transport in Auckland – as has been successfully done in many places world-wide, including Australian cities like Brisbane or Melbourne.

Furthermore, all experience has shown that as soon as cycling becomes more common again, both the risk and the public perception of cycling improves (“safety in numbers”). Cycling initiatives are thus win-win opportunities in the long run.