KEY POINTS:
North Shore City councillors have followed their Auckland Regional counterparts by voting in principle for walking and cycling over the harbour bridge, but only subject to more investigations.
Their infrastructure committee offered support to the concept yesterday by 13 votes to none against, although there were two abstentions.
But as the regional council did on Wednesday, the North Shore councillors made their support conditional on an evaluation against other transport priorities of the benefits of enclosed walking and cycling paths on the edges of the bridge, which consultants estimate would cost between $23.8 million and $43.8 million.
The councillors also called for investigations into several aspects of the proposal, including whether the Transport Agency would be responsible for local connections to the bridge links, such as ramps to Northcote and to a pedestrian underpass at Sulphur Beach costing up to $15 million more.
And they want wider consultations with North Shore residents and community boards, particularly in Northcote, before the proposal is included in a work programme being compiled by the Auckland Regional Transport Authority for applications for Government funding.
Although some councillors were reluctant to offer even conditional support at this stage, committee chairman Ken McKay assured them that resolutions on the table would "allow us to change our mind if the results of consultations are not satisfactory".
The North Shore and regional resolutions follow a determination last week by Auckland City's transport committee that walking and cycling links on the bridge, although laudable, would not represent the best use of limited funds.
That leaves the boards of the regional transport authority and the Transport Agency as the only parties yet to consider findings from a $125,000 study of the feasibility of such links.
North Shore Deputy Mayor Julia Parfitt said she was concerned about acting hastily before the final version of the consultants' report was ready, and she feared North Shore may be outvoted on the Auckland Regional Transport Committee by supporters of competing projects.
Councillor Grant Gillon said he supported walking and cycling on the bridge, while fearing he would end up crossing the Waitemata "in my mobility scooter the way this debate is going", although he was concerned about the potential cost to ratepayers of local connections.
Other councillors indicated scepticism about the attractions of the bridge to cyclists and pedestrians, given its 5 per cent gradient, although Dianne Hale said that as an "amateur" cyclist she had no trouble pedalling up a hill of comparable steepness in Old Lake Rd, Devonport.
Councillor Chris Darby said local connections should be the Transport Agency's responsibility and developing such links were a way of moving Auckland forward in anticipation of oil depletion and the cost of the new emissions trading scheme.
Mr Darby said the high visibility of the bridge gave it a high public education value for promoting walking and cycling, and Auckland's transport network could not be completed without filling the gap left when the structure was built 49 years ago.
POWERS THAT BE
There are five parties to a study of walking and cycling across the harbour bridge
Where they stand:
* Auckland City: Decided in 5-3 committee vote not to support the proposal
* Auckland Region: Decided 8-4 to support it in principle, subject to an evaluation against other priorities
* North Shore City: Decided 13-0 with 2 abstentions to support in principle, subject to several conditions
* Auckland Regional Transport Authority: Yet to consider the proposal
* New Zealand Transport Agency: Yet to consider the proposal
