Bike Bright

Community Transport West at Auckland Transport is launching an initiative – Bike Bright - to highlight the need to brighten up as we cycling in the winter months.

They are looking to you for tips (bright ideas) on:

•  Cycle safety
•  Increasing cycling out West; and
•  Any other cycling tips you might have!

Please send them to ctwest@aucklandtransport.govt.nz and receive a bright cycling pack (while stocks last). All ideas received by Mon 6th Aug will also go in a draw to win one of two a great lighting system for your bike.

Alternatively, you can post your ideas to Simon Vincent, Walking and Cycling Coordinator West, Auckland Transport, Private Bag 92250, Auckland 1142.

 

A Bridge In Yellow

Another exciting piece of cycling infrastructure is coming closer. Cycle Action got a sneak peak at the coming walking and cycling overbridge over State Highway 16 at Massey-Westgate.

With this link, West Harbour and Massey communities will lose much of the disconnect that the massive motorway has created between them. Riding to a movie at the Westgate shopping centre will be much easier, as will going to school on your bike. And when the planned extension of the Northwestern Cycleway finally makes its way up to here, the bridge will be ready for it (until then, ride on a little further to the Triangle Road cycle lanes).

While details are still likely to change, the sweeping yellow arc linking Westgate Drive to Oreill Avenue already makes for a stunning vision. Starting around end of 2011 / early 2012, construction is planned to turn it into fact.

 

Taking refuge – upgrades to the new Brigham Creek / SH18 Roundabout

When the new roundabout at the new motorway extension of SH18 (northwest of Westgate, towards Kumeu) was “finished” earlier this year, Cycle Action was, to be a bit blunt, shocked. This brand new, huge multi-lane roundabout had no facilities for pedestrians and cyclists at all.

Compared to the nearby SH16 / Old North Road roundabout, on whose recent construction with shared paths and pedestrian/cyclist crossings CAA had been able to provide some input, this compared very much like “night and day”.

We expressed our concerns to NZTA, noting that the only people who would feel comfortable with this situation would be racing cyclists. But what about other cyclists? What about tourist, touring and family cycling?

It took a while, including several discussions with the project team, but we can now report that NZTA has agreed that they will install pedestrian / cyclist “refuge crossings” over the approach roads, and use the old stub roads – now only used for local property access – to provide detour options around the roundabout, for those of use who prefer their rides with less adrenaline. Construction of the new facilities is hoped to occur this summer.

Waterview – Home Free For Cycling

Some parts of the Waterview Project will also assist Western area cyclists, read the details in the Central area section.