We’ve just been alerted by AT to the fact that they are planning to mend another gap in the cycle network – in this case, a section of Kirkbride Road and McKenzie Road northwest of State Highway 20A, in the Mangere / Mangere Bridge area.
The route is already used by quite a few riders – from sports cyclists on a longer loop, to people working in the airport area. And if you’ve ever visited the famous Strawberry Farm, you’ll know exactly where we’re talking about.
The northern part of McKenzie Road already has cycle lanes, and the area around the Kirkbride Interchange (currently being motorway-sized by NZTA) will get cycle paths and lanes soon. So this is a glaring gap along the route, and it’s great to see it being fixed.
It’s another piece of the puzzle to also help eventually connect the Te Ara Mua cycling upgrades around the Mangere Town Centre to the Mangere Bridge area.
The works aren’t providing protected lanes (see the detailed plans here) – but they are removing a painted flush median and (low-occupancy) on-street parking to make space for paint-buffered cycle lanes, so we feel this is a pretty good deal for a fast/cheap project that doesn’t have any Urban Cycleway Programme millions behind it.
Removing the flush median should also mean – we hope, as do the designers – that traffic speeds along this stretch will be more like what the posted speed limit actually says.
We’re still looking at the detail (we think the Kirkbride / McKenzie intersection could use some more slowing-down-by-design, for example), but we definitely suggest you add your voice to support this plan. Consultation closes by 21st April.
