Project Watch examines the bike infrastructure being delivered across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. We report on what’s been built, what’s underway, and what’s glimmering on the horizon – because it’s important to count what we’ve won by raising our collective voices.
This is our fourth 2024 Project Watch update. Each update focuses on a different part of the region. Find all Project Watch updates here.
South Auckland is home to our largest bike burbs, Triple Teez (Māngere) and Ōtara Bike Burb! So what’s happening on the ground to provide people with affordable and healthy transport options?
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Nga Hau Māngere replacing the Old Māngere Bridge – completed August 2022
The Old Māngere Bridge was closed for safety reasons in 2018. The new Ngā Hau Māngere is a walking and cycling bridge that helps protect the water it stands in. It connects Māngere Bridge to Onehunga and the southwestern shared path that runs alongside SH20. From there, people can cycle along the Unitec pathway and onto the northwestern shared path to connect to the city centre or west Auckland.
In May, Nga Hau Māngere won the transport category at the NZ Institute of Landscape Architecture Awards.
Māngere Streets for People – currently underway
Streets for People is a Waka Kotahi initiative which enables trialing street improvements using temporary materials – more on Streets for People here.
In Māngere Bridge, Coronation Road currently has a trial two-way protected cycleway linking the new bridge to the roundabout by the town centre. Taking feedback on board from the first stage of the project, a new layout will be trialled for this cycleway in early September which will include a one-way protected cycleway either side of the road leading up to the roundabout. If it is made permanent, this cycleway would provide a connection from Nga Hau Māngere to Māngere town centre via the Māngere West Cycling Improvements project. The Streets for People team has also placed a temporary pump track at Waterfront Road Reserve, between Nga Hau Māngere and the Old Māngere Bridge to activate this space.
In Māngere, the Robertson Road trial is for a two-way protected cycleway alongside Centre Park (the home of Triple Teez!). Feedback from users is currently being assessed, and we are highly optimistic that it will be made into a permanent feature. While it is a short stretch for now, it will ultimately link into the Māngere East and Manukau Preferred Cycling Networks, and the Māngere West Cycling Improvements via the Moyle & Māngere Central Park shared use path upgrade.
A temporary pump track has also been placed right next to the Triple Teez bike hub in the Māngere town centre, at which Triple Teez have been running activities and competitions for kids.
Māngere West Cycling Improvements – construction in November, funding dependent
The vision for Māngere West Cycling Improvements is to create a safe cycle connection to the Airport complex. This is part of an overall strategy to provide more transport options for our region’s largest growing employment area, and second largest employment area overall.
The Māngere West cycle route will give more people safe, affordable, and convenient transport options, especially shift workers who do not have access to public transport. And, with the rise of ecotourism and bike tourism here in Aotearoa, (and a brand new Locky Dock right outside the Auckland Airport Domestic Terminal!) we’ll have more cycle tourists – and their friends and whānau coming to pick them up by bike – cycling to and from the Airport as well!
The latest proposed design was created through a process of community forums, backed by community leaders like Triple Teez. It includes sharrows and speed calming to create a safe route around the Māngere Bridge town centre (people who feel comfortable cycling on-road are likely to simply continue to cycle through the town centre). From Taylor Road the design includes a protected two-way cycleway along the western side of Coronation Road, continuing on the eastern side of McKenzie Road, and then along the eastern side of Bader Drive where it joins the existing shared paths and pathways to Māngere town centre and the Airport. For the length of this project, raised crossings on side streets make for a safer route, with a smattering of crossings across the main roads improving access to and from the cycleway.
When Transport Minister Simeon Brown axed the Regional Fuel Tax, it affected the planned budget for the Māngere West Cycling Improvements. We were heartened to see the project prioritised in the (now-approved) Regional Land Transport Plan, and we are highly optimistic it will secure the funding it needs. If funding is secured, construction should begin in November 2024, and be completed by May 2025.
We are brimming with excitement to see this project moving towards construction – and we know Mr Tee and the team at Triple Teez are super excited too!
Safe and Healthy School Streets – completed early 2024
With funding from Waka Kotahi’s Innovating Streets, Auckland Transport worked closely with 5 schools over 2020 – 2022 to identify safety concerns and barriers to walking and cycling. They trialled changes to the roading environment to increase visibility and safety, and to encourage kids to travel to and from school in active ways. Their successful trials received Climate Emergency Response Funding to make the street changes permanent but Transport Minister Simeon Brown cancelled this funding pot. Even so, Auckland Transport prioritised safety for kids and found alternative funding to deliver safer streets for Māngere Central School, Māngere College, St Mary Mackillop, Viscount School, and Wiri Central School.
Moyle & Māngere Central Park shared use path upgrade – section 3 to be delivered by the end of the year, sections 1 & 2 on hold
For several years the local community with Triple Teez has pushed for an upgrade to the existing shared path from Bader Drive, and for a new connection from the over bridge, to Māngere Central Park. This seemed to finally be within reach thanks to Climate Emergency Response Funding, but the funding was then cancelled by Transport Minister Simeon Brown.
The good news is that Auckland Transport have found alternative funding to deliver some of this project (Section 3 through Māngere Centre Park) and construction should begin before the end of the year. The bad news is that the rest of the project (Sections 1 & 2; Moyle Park and Motorway sections) is on hold while they find the remaining shortfall in funding.
Māngere East and Manukau Preferred Cycling Networks – detailed design in progress
The Māngere East and Manukau Preferred Cycling Networks comes under the ‘Cycleways Programme (lower cost)’ programme which prioritises high-impact projects. The aim for this project is to extend the existing networks in Māngere and Manukau, enabling people to safely cycle around these two hubs.
The Māngere East business case has been endorsed and the detailed design is currently being drawn up for both Māngere East and Manukau Stage 1. Manukau Stage 2 is not far behind. Soon it will be time for another round of consultation!
Manukau
In Manukau the routes provide safe connections to the train station, education, and to kura (schools).
Māngere East
In Māngere East this project could provide safe cycleway connections from Māngere town centre to Ōtāhuhu and to Middlemore hospital, providing more transport options for healthcare staff, patients, and visitors.
A key aspect to note for these routes is the potential for a safe connection from Norana Esplanade along Favona Road and James Fletcher Drive to connect to Ōtāhuhu (route number 6 on the map). This stretch of road is frequented by large trucks, making it a very unpleasant and often dangerous route for people trying to get from A to B by bike. A protected route along this stretch would greatly improve transport options for people living in Māngere Bridge and Favona (with safe access to the train station, town centre, and education facilities in Ōtāhuhu) as well as for people living in Ōtāhuhu (with safe access to the Norana Esplanade, Māngere Bridge, and then across Nga Hau Māngere to Onehunga, and the central cycle network from there).
Protecting painted cycleways in Manukau – ongoing
Over the last year and a half Auckland Transport has been busy adding robust protection to painted bike lanes across our region as part of the Community Initiated Programme – Cycling and Micromobility Design Projects which we’ve joyfully dubbed “the pop up protection programme”. While originally the programme could only add protection to painted cycle lanes, it will now also be providing short connections where there are missing links between existing facilities (including sections of shared paths), and improving intersections on these routes.
In Manukau there are now protected cycleways along sections of Lambie Drive, Cavendish Drive, and the length of Noel Burnside Drive. The most recent section of Cavendish, from Plunket to Lambie, was completed in June. The next stage for Manukau will be improvements along a stretch of Great South Road providing a safer connection to Papatoetoe (this is a portion of route #5 shown in dashed lines in the Manukau Preferred Cycling Network map).
On the Māngere East and Manukau maps you may have noticed some routes marked in dotted lines. These are identifying existing cycleways and shared paths which need improvements. Auckland Transport will be improving those routes via this Community Initiated Programme.
Have you noticed other painted cycleways across the region which have been given added protection? Or, are there some glaring dangerous gaps that Auckland Transport should prioritise for this programme? Let us know where and share your photos!
Te Aka Raakaa – Te Puhinui Stream shared path – in consenting phase
And on the horizon, Eke Panuku has an exciting vision (with Healthy Waters and Waiohua Iwi) to revitalise Te Puhinui stream and link Manukau to Manurewa.
The concept plan for Te Aka Raakaa includes a wide shared path and upgrades to the underpass below Great South Road.
This is currently in the consenting phase, aiming for delivery mid-2026 to mid-2028. When it’s completed, you’ll be able to safely walk or bike from Manukau City/ Wiri via the separated cycleway on the Barrowcliffe-Tuaiwi bridge, all the way to the Botanic Gardens!
New Bike Hubs Southside
Bike Hubs help the local community to learn to fix their bikes, and “keep the wheels spinning” (as Mr Tee from Triple Teez would say). They sometimes have second hand bikes available for koha or for sale. And, they are just all round fun places to hang out, with friendly folks available for all bike questions.
Manukau Bike Hub opened just last week, alongside Hayman Park (and its awesome bike track) and Manurewa Bike Hub on Brown’s Road should be open by October.
All up we now have 14 Bike Hubs across the region!
Manurewa Transport Choices – cycling improvements on hold, pedestrian improvements to begin construction late 2024
For Manurewa, it’s a case of good news / bad news, given a recent pause on plans to add physical protection to existing painted bike lanes on Great South Road and Weymouth Road.
This work, which includes intersection upgrades and bus stops, was put at risk late last year when the new transport minister liquidated the Climate Emergency Response Fund. Fortunately, Auckland Transport rounded up alternative funding. Unfortunately, we hear the Local Board has withdrawn support for the cycling elements, which are now “on hold until further notice”.
This is an unfortunate missed opportunity to install fast, affordable pop-up protection for locals on bikes, who really need it. However, work will still go ahead on adding safe crossings to the Weymouth Rd / Friedlanders Rd roundabout (two raised crossings, two at road level), and new traffic lights at the intersection of Weymouth and Coxhead.
Te Mahia Road and Roscommon Drive Cycleway, Manurewa – on hold
The local board has also opposed a protected cycleway along (the currently very dangerous) Te Mahia Road and Roscommon Drive. This is in spite of it being in a catchment with over 20 schools and early childhood centres, and ignoring the high support from locals who want safer streets so that kids can get to school safely.
Waiata Shores pumptrack – complete 2024!
In much happier news, the new Waituarua Reserve Playground at Waiata Shores includes a 120-metre BMX pump track, designed by pro-BMX rider Byron Scott, suitable for biking, scootering, skateboarding and even roller skates. You can read more about it at this NZ Herald article.
Papakura ki Pukekura, extending the Southern Corridor – construction underway, estimated completion 2027
While Papakura ki Pukekura (Papakura to Bombay) is primarily a motorway widening project, it will also be extending the popular Southern Path (which opened in 2021) another 4km south to Drury interchange! This shared walking and cycling path currently runs from Takānini to Papakura along the western side of the motorway. The extension to Drury will create safe access for more people to ride bikes between Marae, kura (school), shops, and mahi (work).
As part of this project, in early July, a safer connection was created from the Southern Path to Papakura with the completion of a shared path for walking and wheeling alongside Beach Road over the motorway overbridge and up to Chichester Drive. Please note, this shared path will continue to be closed at nighttime for the next few weeks to allow for installation of additional features such as lighting.
And out to Pukekohe?
Eventually the Southern Path may extend all the way to Pukekohe thanks to Kiwirail and Auckland Transport who have proposed to set aside land alongside the rail tracks from Pukekohe to Drury for the future development of a walking and cycling path.
With all these projects together, a network is slowly slowly forming, giving people more options to travel by bike easily and safely between Manukau, Manurewa, and Māngere. From there they would be able to follow the cycleways to the Central Isthmus – or they could head South all the way to Pukekohe!
Whangapouri Stream footbridge – investment secured
In Pukekohe a footbridge will be built over Whangapouri Creek. The bridge will be 3.5m wide, and 3.7m above the creek to allow for flooding. This smart link formalises a risky shortcut currently used by children to get to school.
Franklin Local Board approved the investment back in 2022 and added further funding in 2023, showing impressive support for the transport needs of local kids. Councillor Andy Baker, who chaired the local board when it first gave the thumbs up (and who now also sits on the board of Auckland Transport, making decisions for tamariki across the city) said:
“The decision to commit more than $2 million to build the bridge was not without its critics, but it was made because the advice was that the area was too dangerous for pedestrians, especially children. How could we have sat back and kept deferring things, or hoping funding would materialise from somewhere else?”
With the Franklin Local Board also set to implement a local Franklin Paths Targeted Rate, there may soon be an abundance of connections for walking, cycling, and wheeling underway throughout Pukekohe, and the wider Franklin area. We strongly believe the local bike burb Franklin Trails played a strong role in this happy outcome! Ka rawe team!
That’s it for the Southside Project Watch! If there’s anything crucial we missed, please let us know. And as always, keep those wheels spinning for a bikeable supercity!
