Some months on since confirmation, the Grafton Gully Cycleway project is now going full-on, with NZTA and designers AECOM working hard to get the design in for construction start late this year.

Stage 1 is to be constructed over the next year, and Stage 2 the year after (roughly speaking, exact dates TBC), but both sections are being designed as one piece to ensure everything works.

Separately, Auckland Transport is to construct the connecting piece to the Waterfront Cycleway / Tamaki Drive (note that the blue section we have shown is likely not exactly the route it will take, though it will go along Beach Road). Once that is done, we will have an almost continuously off-road* cycleway all the way from Henderson in the West to St Heliers in the East!

* The last longer on-road gap in Te Atatu will be closed with a new off-road path during the next years as well. And of course there’s the new Waterfront Cycleway and Waterview Cycleway coming up as well, linking into all this. You may notice we’re excited!

CAA was recently involved in another design workshop meeting for the Grafton Gully Cycleway – and despite the large scale gathering of people from many different authorities (and stakeholders like CAA and the universities), the meeting was very productive. Among the items discusssed were how to “smooth out” the gradient as much as possible, how to best design some of the road crossings, the inclusion of path lighting and the appropriate design for security (especially for at night and to avoid creating any blind corners and entrapment spots). We also discused such more unexpected questions as to whether the cycle path needs to be designed solidly enough to be able to allow motor vehicles (for emergency and maintenance access).

So it’s all looking good, and we hope to give you all a shout-out from the ceremonial construction start in a few months!

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5 Responses to “Grafton Gully Cycleway design proceeding”

1. Steve says:

   August 16, 2012 at 12:46 pm

   I’m so looking forward to not navigating Newton Rd at the start and end of my NW cycleway journeys. Roll on implementation!
   • Max says:

     August 16, 2012 at 9:48 pm

     You’re welcome Steve. Where will you be riding to?
     • Steve says:

       August 17, 2012 at 8:02 am

       Wherever I’m working at the time – currently downtown Auckland. Right now I could use the full length of the addition down Beach Rd to the waterfornt
   • Sam F says:

     August 17, 2012 at 5:03 pm

     Unfortunately the dreaded Newton Road up-n-down is still part of this project; it’s only from upper Queen Street on that anything changes…
     • Max says:

       August 18, 2012 at 1:40 pm

       Yes, that’s true, Sam. We hope to progress that later, and tie in Ian McKinnon Drive better. But the priority was (quite correctly in my opinion) put on sections that don’t have any off-road facilities at all.

       It’s easier (and safer) to get novice cyclists to go up hills on a cycleway, than to get them to go onto a busy, fast road, like Upper Queen Street, or Symonds Street.