Get moving: Big cities have not forgotten cycleway

Q: Can you tell me whether the strategic plans of Auckland and Waitakere Cities to site a walk/cycleway along the western rail corridor will ever come to fruition? Norm Judd, Glen Eden.

A: My apologies for taking such a long time to reply to this, Norm. Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) has been developing a regional cycle network with input from each of the councils as well as other interested parties. The planners hope to include a cycleway along the western rail line, but the blueprint for the whole thing has not yet been finalised. Hopefully it will be signed off by the end of the year.

Currently there are 113km of different grades of cycleway in the region, and the proposed 20-year plan will bump this up to a huge 800km.

Double-tracking of the western rail route has been a bit of a problem in recent times. However, while the contractors have not put a cycleway in during their activities, they have been instructed to at least not put any obstacles in the way of future developments. Hindrances such as bridges, tunnels and cuttings through banks will have to be overcome in the building of the cycleway, and Ontrack, the owners of the rail corridor, will be working on that.

Waitakere City's 10-year transport strategy includes a walk-cycleway connecting Sunnyvale and Glen Eden and another to link Sturges Rd and Sturges train station.

Q: Is there any plan to put a set of traffic lights at the intersection of Upper Queen St and Newton Rd? Dianne Adams, Newton.

A: Yes. Auckland City agrees that lights here would be a jolly good idea, and they should be installed by the middle of next year.

Q: At Auckland Airport when approaching the international terminal forecourt drop-off area, there is a speed limit sign of 10km/h. Coming out of the drive-through there is a sign recommending the corner could be taken at 30km/h, three times faster than the drive-through rate. The next sign, 50km/h, is about 300m further on. What is the real speed limit here? Ian Vaudrey, Howick.

A: It's pretty much as you see it. The speed limit on the forecourt is 10km/h. At the end of the forecourt it goes up to 30km/h (this sign was removed during roading alterations and hasn't been replaced yet) and then, past the pedestrian crossing, the speed limit goes up to 50km/h.