Today’s another Friday, and we are almost at the end of March. Here’s another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week.
This week in Greater Auckland
- On Tuesday, Connor pointed out that people tend to like people-friendly cities.
- On Wednesday, Matt looked at the stadium proposals, and their level of feasibility.
- For Thursday, we had a guest post by Paris Kirby, about Lunar New Years and the future of Placemaking.
This post, like all our work, is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew and made possible by generous donations from our readers and fans. If you’d like to support our work, you can join our circle of supporters here, or support us on Substack!
Eden Park Preferred
The stadium debate at council yesterday resulted in Eden Park being selected as the preferred option.
Eden Park has won Auckland’s stadium showdown with councillors backing the local institution to be the city’s fit-for-purpose main stadium.
Councillors voted 17-2 with one abstention (Mike Lee) to endorse in principle a staged redevelopment of Eden Park as the best and most feasible option it had before it.
That saw the rival Quay Park waterfront stadium proposal miss out.
What’s the point of being a councillor if you’re just going to abstain from decisions like this?
Level Crossing Funding
As well as the stadium decision, yesterday Councillors also agreed to bring forward funding for level crossing removal following the governments $200 million in funding for them announced last month.
The funding will see eight new bridges built to remove all level crossings on the Southern north of Papakura and the Eastern Line. This involves three new road bridges in Takanini to replace four existing level crossings as well as two pedestrian bridges in the area. Also included are three new bridges to provide station access at Glen Innes, Takanini, and Te Mahia.
A few interesting comments from the paper to councillors include:
- On the North Island Main Trunk Line (Southern), train paths north of Papakura will increase from the current 16 trains per hour (tph) during the peak hour to 20 tph when CRL opens and then to 24 tph by 2036. Train paths south of Papakura will be maintained at 16 tph for some time until KiwiRail completes ‘4 tracking’.
- The road network in Takaanini is already congested. When the CRL Day 1 timetable begins operation, additional train paths will see traffic queues extending back onto Great South Road at Manuroa Road and Walters Road during the afternoon peak times. The barrier down time will increase delays on the Great South Road corridor by approximately 2.5 minutes in the peak hour.
The station access bridges are expected to be completed next year with the most disruptive elements of the construction expected to happen during existing planned block of lines – presumably the big planned Christmas/New Year shutdown. At those times they’ll progress the enabling works for the road bridges but they won’t be fully finished till closer to 2032.
The paper to councillors also includes these images of of the proposed changes
The station access bridges for Te Mahia and Takanini both seem fairly straightforward but I noted the Glen Inness changes mean that there will no longer be access to the station from Merton Rd
Ray Delahanty aka CityNerd’s video on Auckland is out
Ray Delahanty aka CityNerd visited Auckland recently and as well as having a Q&A event with us, he took a look around Auckland and his thoughts are now available in video form
Why is Christchurch good for cycling?
Spoiler: its because they are building a network. The Spinoff’s Shanti Mathias took a look at what Christchurch is doing right.
But stable weather and the horizontal streets enabled by the Canterbury plains can only get so many people on bikes. What really helps is extensive cycle lanes. “In Christchurch’s case, the earthquake was an opportunity,” Kingham says. In the middle of destruction, the extensive rebuild “allowed us to rethink and invest a lot in infrastructure”, Kingham says. As Christchurch put itself back together, cycle lanes were added as the streets were repaired.
Cycle advocates, at least, believe Christchurch deserves its reputation as the best city in the country for cycling. Cycle Action Network, a national coalition of bike advocacy organisations, hosted its annual meeting CAN-do in Christchurch last weekend, a group of perhaps 30 that surely represented New Zealand’s largest concentration of people likely to use the term “mode shift” in everyday conversation. Naturally, several hours on both days of the conference were dedicated to exploratory bike rides.
Bike Auckland’s Big Bike Off fundraiser
Currently our friends at Bike Auckland are fundraising for this years ‘Biketober” festival, check it out here if you would like to donate.
Biketober is a community-powered festival on wheels held every October. A bigger, bolder and better-than-ever Biketober will change the conversation around cycling, bring local decision-makers on board, and get more people than ever giving cycling for transport a whirl.
We know that Biketober has the power to change hearts and minds. But as a small team, we are constantly stretching our capacity. We need funds to take Biketober to the next level, creating even more of an impact across our region.
James May on Cycling
Former Top Gear presenter James May has some fantastic quotes about the roles of bikes in cities in this article
James May believes much of the anti-cycling opposition out there “smacks of sheer bloody-mindedness” and has been left wondering why councils “are being t***s” when it comes to providing cycle lanes and other cycling infrastructure.
…..
“Obviously I’ve spent a lot of time over the years writing about cars and making TV about them, and I love cars, but I do think in my bones they don’t really belong in towns,” he continued. “Cars are great for going between places, like from London to my pub in Wiltshire. But within London I don’t want to drive the car, and when I’m down in the village in Wiltshire I don’t want to drive around either.
“Bicycles are a genuine door-to-door transport solution. Cycling is fantastic in cities. Even Google Maps will acknowledge that a bicycle is quicker for some journeys than a car. It amazes me that people go to the shops a mile away in the car. The world has proved that bicycles make immense sense in densely populated areas.
“The bicycle is the only thing in physics that seems to give you something for nothing. I’m still amazed by it now. A bicycle massively improves the efficiency of the walking human being, and on the whole they are much easier to maintain and buy than horses. It is no coincidence that lots of the world’s great car manufacturers — Peugeot, Škoda, BMW, Rover — started off by making bicycles.”
…..
“I think the best thing you could do with the driving test is make a part of it on a bicycle”
Paris votes for ‘garden roads’
Rail Users Plan Ahead
Kiwirail are in the middle of their works to get the rail network up to standard ahead of the CRL and so this year, as well as the annual Christmas/New Year shutdowns, they’ll be closing the rail network for two weeks in April – during school holidays from Saturday 12 April to Sunday 27 April 2025. One of the reasons they will have chosen this time period is it contains both Easter and ANZAC day in the same week which means a lot of people are bound to take leave to take advantage of it so travel demand will be lower.
AT have now started to publish details about the rail replacement buses that will be run during that time.
The 12 from 27 April
A few weeks ago Matt highlighted the planned changes to buses in Upper Harbour, including upgrading the 120 to the 12 and giving it a new route along the motorway between Greenhithe and Constellation Station. AT have now confirmed the changes will go live on 27 April. However, the new 12 route won’t actually be all day frequent at first and instead will increase from the middle of the year.
In addition, the 132, peak only service that runs from Te Atatu Peninsula to the city will stop and a bunch of new electric buses, including electric double deckers will be introduced.
- WX1 will have new electric double decker buses with distinctive light blue livery at peak times. Diesel double decker buses will be used at off peak times. By mid-2025 all WX1 buses will be new electric double decker buses.
- From 27 April some electric double decker buses will be used on Route 12 along with double decker diesel buses. By mid-2025 all Route 12 buses will be double decker electric buses.
- From 27 April some electric buses will be used on the 11T and 11W route along with diesel buses. By mid-2025 all Route 11T and 11W buses will be new electric buses
Have a great weekend
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“WX1 will have new electric double decker buses with distinctive light blue livery at peak times. Diesel double decker buses will be used at off peak times. By mid-2025 all WX1 buses will be new electric double decker buses.”
Do the buses need to charge during the whole off peak period?
Probably just easier to park them up for the night and have them on relatively slow chargers rather than a super fast charger
Just thinking that if you had say 10 buses needing 100 kw/h of charge, might be less labour intensive to plug each into a slowish (and cheaper) 10 KW charger for 10 -15 hours.
The alternative to have one or two big 50 or 100 KW chargers, you would have to have somebody working overnight to move them to the charger, plug them in, then move them again once charged and get next set of buses etc.
Maybe some combination of both super fast chargers for quick top ups to ~80%, during the day and when being stabled, then have them on small cheap chargers for final 20% top up.
Instead of messing around with level crossings on the Eastern line, I wish they’d fix the ped only part over Purewa bridge (at the intersection of Orakei and Ngapipi road).
That’s a nightmare for peds (despite being clearly labelled as Ped only due to it’s narrow width), bikes fly along there at 40 km/hr + (it’s at the base of a hill). Having been hit there, it’s incredibly dangerous…
Hi Sarge… it is in the planning process. See link below under section 4. It is indeed much needed for everyone… cyclist and ped as you highlighted it is very narrow.
There is no ETA for completion though. I am not holding my breath as that project started more than 10 years ago.. appalling for ~13km of shared path.
https://at.govt.nz/projects-initiatives/east-auckland-projects-and-initiatives/glen-innes-to-tamaki-drive-shared-path#section4
I’ve never noticed the signs, just had to look on street view to check. Between that bridge and the Boat houses has to be some of the worst compromise decisions I’ve experienced.
Agree — ped safely was clearly sacrificed for bikes.
In the meantime, we should at least stop overtaking peds on the *footpath* section. It’s too narrow (you can’t even walk two abreast), and we shouldn’t even be there….
Wait until you hear about cars!
I get it, but as a person who runs on shared paths (and rides on the road), I have way more near misses with bikes than I do cars.
We cyclists need to treat peds the way we want to be treated on the road — which clearly isn’t happening on this section *of footpath*.
That boardwalk section needed a lot of consultation and design work to gain Consent. It also needs Council funding to get it built so that the horrid squeeze on Ngapipi Rd can be relieved.
In the meantime, we should stop overtaking peds on this footpath (when riding). We shouldn’t even be there….
I wonder if the project would have been completed by now if the Outboard Boating boomers and Desley hadn’t gotten their knickers in a massive twist and stymied the original plan for the final section of the shared path to run from Orakei station to Parnell Baths alongside the train tracks.
Using public land that was earmarked for public transport years ago.
And NOT for bloody boat storage.
Wankers.
Bit unfair there — isn’t the decision made by a group of councillors, not a single person?
Anyway, the wanker is the cyclist who hit me on the footpath and rode off — not someone representing what they think their constituents want.
Does anyone know what the stadium vote was actually for? The Council doesn’t own either option and presumably isn’t go to stop either from developing. WTF? Is that how councillors waste their time?
Should sausage rolls or little pies be Auckland’s Main Savoury?
Agree, there wasn’t even a decision to make. In a normal world you’d just go ‘get yourself some tennants, first to build it wins’
Yep – a rare case of Miffy being right. A complete waste of money exercise as the decision is inconsequential.
It can happen. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
The answer is clearly and obviously sausage rolls
Unless sauce is available to the community. Then it should be little pies with potato on top.
I thought it was a good exercise. Sure a new stadium could be built by a private venture, but the council will not be planning for that possibility, they will not be reserving land for it, they will not be making public transport decisions based on the possibility, etc. If the other stadium seemed in any way viable it would be a different story.
The stadium vote was for which project the Council will *support*, on a Platonic level I suppose. And they only voted to support Stage 1 of the Eden Park development.
I actually flipped to thinking this was the right call, given that it involves turning EP into an actual oval for cricket games.
I disagree.
Planning must be about scenarios and their likelihood.
Flood plains, Earthquakes, and sea level rise are obvious examples.
Stadium provision is always going to interface with past and future council decisions. Right down to where the entrances are to be located, to best interface with council roads and transport options. But also the required noise and light migration mitigation measures. Measures that
are dependant on adjacent landuse. Which, in turn is dependant on council zoning.
Roading, public transport provision, and landuse planning are on-going council functions that cannot be effectively pursued without making at least some assumptions about the future.
The council stadium decision yesterday will nudge the scales in one direction , thus slightly reduce council uncertainty. It strengthens one case and weakens the other.
In this you are correct.
Kick backs from Eden Park to board members (see Stuff for more info) will ensure that the well past it’s used by date monstrosity will be around for another 50 years reminding us all of how bad NZ is at actually thinking creatively and making facilities that people want to visit as icons in themselves (see Sydney Opera House for where a council went out on a limb to support creative design and thinking).
Please can somebody let AT know the rail replacement bus service map for the Southern line, for the April Shutdown, starts and finishes at Papakura, the rail replacement bus service should go all the way to Pukekohe.
AT simply don’t care about rail replacement busses or user experience.
Almost shocked to see CityNerd be so positive about AKL haha
He;s totally right about Ponsonby Road, it took me going to London for a few years and coming back to realise it’s actually a horrific environment
Ponsonby Road is the worst active mode environment in Auckland, nowhere comes close. Where else would we have such a high volume of foot traffic, cyvcle ways that spit you out from grade seperation into 4 lanes of traffic and parking all along.
I physically shuddered at some of his pronounciation. And then I almost cheered when he got ‘Karangahape’ right.
Because Ray couldn’t help but see the W’s in the central city, there are so many. Walking through Vincent St yesterday and seeing not many cars and a lot of road, I don’t know if it is on the less car W list or not if it isn’t it should be.
The thing is parts of Auckland (CBD and West, Southwest highway alignments) are superb for shared/separate paths, but the network gaps let it all down. The worst is the North Shore, but busway aside he didn’t get there, and South Auckland.
I am happy to hear Council being unsilly and choosing Eden Park to be our big stadium. It has two train stations close by and we already have The Arena downtown which is perfect for middle sized events, as proven by Hamilton (theatre), Basketball and Music.
At least two excellent pieces of infrastructure that exist within walking distance for train stations, awaiting the CRL to maximise their potential.
bah humbug
Now for the (like Hagley, in ChCh) temporary test cricket ground at Victoria Park…
I would love to see the Eden park link to the train station developed into a bit of destination walk or set of walks
Paint, planting, signage with a consistent theme, some pop up rest/refreshments, loos and maybe even some electric carts shuttling back and forth for those who might struggle with the walk
Make the walk part of the experience and tie into Hop card usage so that you can use your card to access some extras. Hospitality venues in Kingsland could pitch in and have the Eden park walk lead from local bars/restaurants etc
Still feels like AT are not really fully connected with events.
maybe a Te Toangaroa development that’s more apartments and public space will be a better outcome for the area than a stadium, too
I’d be interested to hear more about their plans to grade separate Glen Innes, Te Mahia & Takanini stations.
It seems like they’re wanting to build lifts at Takanini & Glen Innes while having an over bridge at Te Mahia? Also maybe adding gates at those stations could be a good idea!
I am vastly more interested in why there is not even vague plans for what happens out West.
There are Arterial roads that cross the rail lines…crickets.
Well, in their level crossing removal plan they have a few stages. First stage is church street east & a bunch of pedestrian crossings on the network.
Next stage is takanini and glen innes, and then afterwards it’s west Auckland.
The thing with west Auckland is that unlike takanini, it’s not gonna be as simple as building bridges a lot of the time, it may require the whole road or rail corridor to be moved (like Avondale, glen eden and morningside.) my guess is that it’s gonna have to be a multi billion dollar project involving lots of trenching or elevated viaducts, creating major disruption for years.
Likely much more planning too, but I believe it’ll be announced in the next year or two.
Previously some of the western line level crossings were priorities for several years, refer previous council minutes.
It’s almost as if they’ve forgotten the west connects with CRL, and has the most travel time saving.
I’d suspect they are the most expensive to grade seperate.
Mike Lee – like thousands of Aucklanders – probably doesn’t care either way.
A completely valid stance.
Your right, many don’t care but for those who enjoy sport and big events/music festivals etc, we all know that Eden park will forever be a useless concrete jungle severely limited by the Nimby crowd.
Very exciting week! More to come, Supermarket break up plans tomorrow! For far too long now Foodstuffs (Pak N Save, New World, Four Square, and Woolworths group been a duopoly, controlling pricing without being tested by competitor. It’s time to brake their ‘subsidiaries’ apart and form a ‘one or two more supermarket retailer’ to really bring innovation and bring prices to affordable level for all people that includes everyone working for Auckland Transport and citizens of New Zealand!
Seperate Four Square (located within few 500 m apart from each other)
Within few 500 m apart from each other:
Mangonui, Horahora, Wellsford, Thames, Hamilton East, Western Heights (Rotorua), Opotiki, Napier South, East Clive, Taradale, Hastings, Opunake, Moturoa, Whanganui East, Paraparaumu, Titahi Bay, Naenae, Aro Valley, Twizel, Hawthornedale, total of 20 stores.
Seperate Countdown (located within few 100 m apart from each other or In same suburb within 700m radius, but use different names)
Within few 100 m apart from each other:
Paihia, Auckland Downtown, Westgate, Manukau, Rotorua, Napier, Whanganui, Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt, Johnsonville, Nelson, Ashburton, Timaru, Dunedin South
In same suburb within 700m radius, but use different names:
Takapuna, Papakura, Pukekohe, Hamilton, Rototuna, New Plymouth Total: 6,
Overall Total: 21
Plan of Splitting them into four seperate subsidiaries:
Pak N Save 59
Four Square 225
Reduction of Four Square 100
Total: 184
Fresh Choice 68
Super Value 9
Gain from Countdown 21
Gain from Four Square 67 (includes franchise stores within few 500 m apart from each other)
Gain from New World 43
Total: 187
New World 149
On the spot 71
Reduction of New World 43
Total: 177
Woolworths NZ 187
Gain from Four Square 33
Reduction of Woolworths NZ 22
Total: 198
Plan of Splitting them into three seperate subsidiaries:
Pak N Save 59
Four Square 197
Total: 256
New World 149
On the spot 71
Gain from Woolworths NZ 21 (stores within few 500 m apart from each other)
Gain from Four Square 15
Total: 256
Woolworths NZ 166
Fresh Choice 68
Super Value 9
Gain from Four Square 13
Total:256
We can’t letting an International player into the market, they’ll will diminish the Kiwi culture of nice greetings, polite, more customer oriented competition and willingness to incorporating Kiwi values. New Zealand is a unique county and like to keep it that way and not bring in Europe or USA. It’s better to split New World & Pak N Save apart for everyone and particularly our Auckland Transport workers who struggle pay check to pay check.
Revised Plan:
Plan of Splitting them into four seperate subsidiaries:
Pak N Save 59
Four Square 225
Reduction of Four Square 92
Total: 192
Fresh Choice 68
Super Value 9
Gain from Countdown 21
Gain from Four Square 66 (includes franchise stores within few 500 m apart from each other)
Gain from New World 28
Total: 192
New World 149
On the spot 71
Reduction of New World 28
Total: 192
Woolworths NZ 187
Gain from Four Square 26
Reduction of Woolworths NZ 21 (includes stores within few 500 m apart from each other & In same suburb within 700m radius, but use different names)
Total: 192
This seems a bit off topic and I don’t understand your maths or what you are even saying.
guy has a habit of posting long and unintelligible “i want muh heavy rail” comments under articles that don’t even mention heavy rail with illogical circular reasoning like “trams would ruin the heritage of dominion road but a busway wouldn’t”
either he’s not the sharpest tool in the sheds or is using AI for his comments
Those James May comments on cycling are great., especially considering his background on Top Gear etc.
“Glen Inness changes mean that there will no longer be access to the station from Merton Rd”.
Funny I’d not really noticed this access before, but closing it is, not much of a loss as you can go up the start of the GI to Tamaki shared path (Te Ara ki Uta ki Tai) and cross into the existing underpass. Well I guess I’m thinking more from a cycling point of view that it’s pretty quick.