I was in Wellington over Christmas and saw this. It wasn’t a shared space, but the walkway/cycleway around the waterfront where the only vehicles are service vehicles that have to pass through an electronic gate. The reference to penguins is a tip off… I’ve never seen one, but I’m told they’re sometimes seen around the waterfront.
There’s a wee family of penguins living under the wharf by the meridian building – is very noisy some nights. There has been a fair bit of conflict between cyclists and pedestrians on the waterfront so is more about sharing space than a shared space in the stricter transport definition.
On Wellington’s Lower Cuba St “shared space” I can tell you that the danger is not from cyclists. That shared space is straight and smooth for a whole block. No penguins would survive for long there!
Shared spaces in Auckland are a joke. The drainage channel placement clearly defines (for drivers) a pedestrian route and a roadway. Should you dare use the road as a walking route you risk speeding aggressive vehicles, honking of horns to get out of the way, and a generally anxiety inducing experience. The solutions are to a) place the drainage channel in the middle of the ‘roads’ or in a cool zigzag interesting design pattern, and b) remove the physical barriers bars and restaurants bordering the ‘shared space’ place to separate the roadway from the pedestrian realm. These barriers are a complete killer of the idea shared spaces are in fact shared. The barriers clearly reinforce the fact there is a realm for people and a realm for cars.
Thanks for signing up for news from Greater Auckland! Keep an eye on your inbox for regular updates.
Processing...
STAY IN TOUCH
We love being able to keep you in the loop - it means we know theres a community of like-minded people who are keen on making Auckland better on bikes. Sign up for updates about what's happening, and how you can be part of it.
Processing...
In Auckland too please.
I was in Wellington over Christmas and saw this. It wasn’t a shared space, but the walkway/cycleway around the waterfront where the only vehicles are service vehicles that have to pass through an electronic gate. The reference to penguins is a tip off… I’ve never seen one, but I’m told they’re sometimes seen around the waterfront.
There’s a wee family of penguins living under the wharf by the meridian building – is very noisy some nights. There has been a fair bit of conflict between cyclists and pedestrians on the waterfront so is more about sharing space than a shared space in the stricter transport definition.
In Wellington danger comes from cyclists, Auckland has got a long way to go…
On Wellington’s Lower Cuba St “shared space” I can tell you that the danger is not from cyclists. That shared space is straight and smooth for a whole block. No penguins would survive for long there!
Uh, really? You sure about that?
Shared spaces in Auckland are a joke. The drainage channel placement clearly defines (for drivers) a pedestrian route and a roadway. Should you dare use the road as a walking route you risk speeding aggressive vehicles, honking of horns to get out of the way, and a generally anxiety inducing experience. The solutions are to a) place the drainage channel in the middle of the ‘roads’ or in a cool zigzag interesting design pattern, and b) remove the physical barriers bars and restaurants bordering the ‘shared space’ place to separate the roadway from the pedestrian realm. These barriers are a complete killer of the idea shared spaces are in fact shared. The barriers clearly reinforce the fact there is a realm for people and a realm for cars.