Good news coming out of the City Centre Integration team for people using Queens Wharf and Quay Street on bikes or foot. Council (together with Waterfront Auckland and AT) have just announced that the current access to Queen’s Wharf next to the ferry terminal is going to be closed, and a new left-in / left-out only driveway will be opened further east.
With right turns being one of the more dangerous manoeuvres – especially for people riding on a shared path like the one running east here – that means that walking and cycling here will be much more convenient and safe, and it should also help make Queens Wharf itself friendlier, which can still sometimes feel rather car-dominated in the southern part. Here’s a list from Council what they intend, and a map showing what will happen:
The changes will involve:
- Removal of the Quay Street right hand turn onto Queens Wharf
- Removal of the traffic lights from the current vehicle entrance onto Queens Wharf which will only be available for pedestrians and cyclists
- Relocation of the vehicle entrance to Queens Wharf eastwards which will not be signalised
- Vehicles exiting Queens Wharf can only turn left onto Quay Street
- Vehicles entering Queens Wharf must be traveling from the west, and must turn left off Quay Street onto the wharf
CAA has previously worked with the various stakeholders and expressed our concerns about how the area was working (or not) for people walking and cycling, and it’s great to see that Council and other stakeholders agreed with us. With the Beach Road / Grafton Gully Cycleway (and soon, the Nelson Street Cycleway!) funneling more people down to the waterfront, we are thankful for these changes!
