John Roughan: Canning new Auckland bridge not end of the road for cycle commuters

Cyclists are calling for a three-month cycle lane trial on the Auckland Harbour Bridge. At a 'Liberate the Lane' rally in May, hundreds of cyclists broke police lines and rode over the bridge. Video / Dean Purcell

OPINION:

So it goes on. Shops closed, events cancelled, nowhere to go. Auckland is now 70 per cent fully vaccinated, the level at which Sydney and Melbourne are returning to life. But we know we have the world's most cautious Government. Let's talk about something else.

Let's talk about something grand and lively that enabled many of us to go somewhere every day - the Auckland Harbour Bridge, assuming it's still there.

A few weeks ago Transport Minister Michael Wood read the last rites on the decision to build a companion bridge purely for bicycles and pedestrians, which must rank as the most bizarre decision by any New Zealand government within memory.

At an estimated cost of $785 million, almost nobody in Auckland thought it value for money and it was greeted with a chorus of derision. But what impressed me was that in that chorus – in fact taking a leading part in it – were Auckland's keenest apostles of cycling.

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I am not a cyclist and it annoys me that so much petrol tax revenue has been wasted on dedicated cycleways that are empty every time I see them. But I am grateful and deeply impressed that cycling enthusiasts drew the line at this egregious indulgence of their desires.

Concept drawing for the Northern Pathway.

I don't think the public responsibility shown by those cyclists has been sufficiently acknowledged. It would have been easy for them to get loudly in behind the bike bridge and the Government would have been counting on them to do so. Their numbers might not be electorally significant but they are an articulate and effective lobby.

The cycling and walking bridge announced by Wood and Finance Minister Grant Robertson together on June 4 was not a mere "proposal" as Robertson called it later. It was announced as a definite decision, construction to begin next year. They were committing big money for an economic stimulus and this project qualified as climate-friendly infrastructure.

The derision would have died down in time and it was all too possible we would have seen a white elephant erected across Auckland harbour. It was going to be standing right alongside the lovely old grey elephant that has graced the city for 62 years.

Conceptual drawings of the companion bridge tried to make it almost imperceptible beside the existing structure, but it was hard to believe it would be. More likely, it would visually detract from that icon on Auckland's landscape.

So for all these reasons, I think we owe something to the cycling fraternity who said, "No, thanks," to their own bridge.

They are still pressing for a section of the existing bridge to be permanently set aside for cycling, probably the outer northbound lanes they "liberated" for a morning ride back in May. I think a permanent loss of capacity for cars would cause too much congestion but a proposal has been floated for two lanes to be closed once a month. Something like that could be done.

The Liberate the Lane bike protest in May. Perhaps we could try this every Sunday? Photo / Dean Purcell

In fact it would do little harm to close those lanes every Sunday morning for cyclists to ride across the harbour. Bridge traffic is usually light on a Sunday morning before Aucklanders start returning from weekends away. There's no reason I can see that the northbound clip-on could not be closed to motor vehicles from dawn to midday.
I remain to be convinced there are 5000 commuters anxious to bike across the bridge to work every day, as the cycling lobby claims, but there might be plenty of recreational cyclists on both sides of the harbour who would relish the ability to cross the bridge on a weekend.

It would certainly beat crossing by some sort of special ferry that has been suggested as an alternative. Even a non-cyclist can see how that would reduce the attraction of a ride.
So why not give them a clip-on? (A single lane is considered unsafe by traffic engineers. Cyclists would be too close to cars moving at motorway speeds.) If nothing else, a weekly opportunity would show whether there is really much enthusiasm for biking and walking over the coat hanger.

The bridge is a high and fairly steep hill. Engineers designing a companion were including plenty of resting bays for cyclists who under-estimated the climb. The bridge is also windy, noisy and it moves. If you stall in traffic up there it is not a pleasant place to be.

May's "Liberate the Lane" folk claimed to have enjoyed their ride and I'm sure it was exhilarating coming down. I'm less sure many would want to do it more than once. But cyclists deserve a chance to show I'm wrong.

What better way to celebrate freedom if it ever returns.