Safer Cycling is on the way to Glen Eden following the news that a trial pop-up cycleway on Captain Scott Road has been given the go-ahead.
The project is to be funded through the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Innovating Streets Fund and will be co-designed with the community to provide a safe, dedicated lane for cyclists on Captain Scott Road.
Connecting Glen Eden Train Station with the Project Twin Streams walking and cycling path at Savoy Road will complete the cycling route from Ceramco Park and Kaurilands Domain to the town centre, providing access to the town centre and train station for residents along that corridor.
It will also make it safer for students going to Glen Eden Intermediate and Primary Schools.
Benefits
Waitākere Ranges Local Board Chair, Greg Presland, says that the cycleway will provide people with an alternative to using cars in the area as well as calming traffic on Captain Scott Road.
“What this pop-up cycleway will do is provide people who want to access the train station or town centre with the opportunity to do so without having to use their car, or feel unsafe on a bike with cars speeding past them.
“Residents in the area frequently report fast vehicle speeds and safety concerns on this stretch of road - particularly for school children, and there have been a number of crashes on the road in the last five years.
“It will open up the town centre and bring a whole new experience for school children who haven’t been able to cycle to school to this point.
“Part of the Glen Eden Town Centre Plan is to improve walking and cycling connections in and around the town centre and train centre, so projects like this are very much at the centre of the future vision for the area.
“And the community will be at the heart of this project. Being involved in the co-design process will provide ownership of the project for the people who will use it most. I can’t wait for it to get started.”
Positive move
Ruben Penning, chair of the Glen Eden Residents Association, says that this is a positive move for the area.
“The main thing for us is the access that this link will provide for people to get to the town centre and local amenities," he says.
“One of the goals of the Association is to advocate for the safety of people in Glen Eden as pedestrians and cyclists to be able to move around the town centre, and this fits perfectly with that goal.
“It completes the twin streams pathway that had never been finished, and there is a real need for this type of infrastructure in Glen Eden.
“Lockdown showed us that having the ability to walk and cycle in your local area is very important to the community, as well as people to be able to access local shops and businesses.
“So it really does play into having affordable transport options along with the proven health benefits of cycling overusing a vehicle, reducing congestion, and an important role in the fight against climate change. For all those reasons and more, we hope it will become a permanent fixture in the community.”
Great initiative
Auckland Transport (AT) Chief Executive Shane Ellison says, “This is a great initiative from the Waitākere Ranges Local Board and will complement AT’s upcoming Glen Eden Town Centre pedestrian safety improvements project.
“The Innovating Streets fund gives us an opportunity to make meaningful change quickly. AT looks forward to supporting the local board in delivering these changes alongside the community.”
Ideas will be developed over the coming months with temporary changes expected to be in place before mid-2021. Permanent changes will happen in the long-term if the trials are successful.
