Auckland Harbour Bridge - Proposed Walk- and Cycleway - Updated Proposal

Updated Proposal

Because of the costs associated with the proposal, and the increasing information about the problematic state of the clip-ons, the GetAcross campaign in late 2009 proposed an alternative solution, in which a single, shared walking and cycling path would be slung under the eastern clip-on. As confirmed by NZTA, this clip-on has significantly more remaining load capacity (it is used by fewer heavy trucks, being the route of (often empty) trucks returning to Ports of Auckland) and as the proposal would not require widening, the costs for the single path have been preliminarily assessed as being of the order of NZ$12 million.

The group proposes to raise the majority of the funding via a loan backed by small tolls, of the order of NZ$1 for regular users. NZTA noted that it would be considering the proposal, should funding be able to be secured by the campaigners.

In 2011, the proposal got new public support when Auckland Mayor Len Brown agreed that a walk- and cycleway was a desirable goal, and instructed Auckland Transport to add it to its strategic priorities. The walk- and cycleway is also to be included in the city centre masterplan. Three major CCOs - Auckland Transport, the Waterfront Development Agency and the Tourism, Events and Economic Development Agency have also indicated support for the proposal, as has the Heart of the City (Auckland CBD) business association.

In August 2011, an editorial of the New Zealand Herald gave conditional support to the newest proposal, noting that a toll-based funding model and the partially enclosed weather-protected design of the $23 million proposal by Hopper Developments would appear to cover most concerns. The new proposal is shown at GetAcross.

Read more about this topic:  Auckland Harbour Bridge, Proposed Walk- and Cycleway