A massive ‘ thank you’ from the SkyPath team to everyone who came on Saturday to the Open Day sessions. It’s hugely affirmative to get your “Just make it happen!” endorsements. It’s also important to get specific feedback on the latest designs, so we appreciate the many helpful, positive comments we received.
There were two sessions on Saturday – at Westhaven and at Northcote Point. We got a good turnout to the Westhaven session in the morning, despite the gusty conditions near the AJ Hackett base. This is where the entrance to SkyPath will be, as it exits on the western side after tucking under the bridge close to the southern abutment. In general the feedback was positive on this plan, which eases concerns about congestion at the bottom of Shelley Beach Rd, while still allowing cyclists and pedestrians to connect to Westhaven Promenade.
The session at Northcote Point was also close to the proposed entrance to SkyPath, under the bridge at Stokes Point. This session attracted a bigger crowd as there is intense interest from the Northcote community about the project. Many Northcote people came along to tell us that they loved the benefits that SkyPath would bring to their community, seeing it as providing a way to get into the city by foot or cycle, and also commenting that SkyPath would bring vitality to the local area and humanise the space under the bridge.
Some residents who live close to the Northcote Point entrance in particular continue to have strong concerns about the impact of SkyPath on their neighbourhood. We respect these residents’ views. SkyPath will bring changes, and we want to work with affected residents to continue the discussion regarding the issues that they feel strongly about and that came up again and again on Saturday.
Parking continues to be major issue for most residents. We talked to many Northcote locals who were concerned that a large number of commuters and families will drive to SkyPath and disrupt existing on-street parking and clog narrow streets.
We’re looking at a range of proposals to respond to these concerns. Improved bus services and additional ferry services to Northcote Point will also be investigated. A residents’ car-parking scheme is another option which will be discussed with local residents and the Council family. The other big opportunity is the NZTA’s project (subject to an investigation and funding) to develop a northern link for walkers and cyclists from SkyPath to Esmonde Rd/ Akoranga Bus Station vicinity, which will open up connectivity for the communities severed by the motorway.
We value all the input we’re getting and want to hear from you all with specific comments on the latest designs. Help us make SkyPath a superb facility by contributing your feedback online at www.skypath.org.nz, or email us at info@skypath.org.nz.
