A more people-friendly Tyler Street is on the horizon as the Creating Safer Streets – Tyler Street Pilot gets underway.
The pilot is part of Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency funded Innovating Streets Programme which is creating safer and more livable streets throughout New Zealand.
The pilot project has the potential to transform Britomart’s Tyler Street by trialling more space for pedestrians and by creating a more attractive environment for business owners, workers, residents, and visitors to enjoy.
Auckland Council Project Lead, Claire Davis, says Tyler Street in the busy Britomart precinct was an obvious choice for an application to the Innovating Streets programme
“Tyler Street is a very popular street and has so much potential. We’re excited by the prospect of increasing pedestrian space and opening the street up to make the retail and hospitality businesses more visible and enticing for people moving through the area”.
The pilot project will work with the Tyler Street and Britomart community to understand the opportunities and problems on Tyler Street before deciding on the improvements to trial there.
“We will use a tactical urbanism approach for this project, which means we can test the different layout solutions and street activities that the community has helped us come up with and we can change or tweak the project based on their feedback. This learning is used to inform a future, more permanent solution,” says Davis.
Britomart Group marketing manager Jeremy Hansen says the people-focused approach of the Innovating Streets programme fits perfectly with the ethos of the Britomart precinct.
“Britomart prides itself on being pedestrian friendly, with Takutai Square and Te Ara Tahuhu, our pedestrianised walkway through The Pavilions, at the heart of the precinct. Now the shared spaces of Galway Street are nearing completion, we thought it was timely to examine the potential of Tyler Street, home to some of Britomart’s most-loved eateries and boutiques.
We’re excited at the chance the Innovating Streets programmes gives us to work with our community and, through a co-design process, examine ways Tyler Street can work better for everyone”.
Waitematā and Gulf ward Councillor Pippa Coom has confidence in what Tyler Street can become through the pilot.
“We know the potential of this street to be more welcoming to pedestrians, because of the success we have seen on World PARK(ing) Day, when metered car parking spaces on Tyler St were used to create temporary parklets.
“World PARK(ing) Day is an annual global event aimed at raising awareness of the important role that public open space plays in improving the quality of our lives. This day gives us a glimpse of a more welcoming and vibrant street, and what we can begin to work towards through the pilot,” says Cr Coom.
A tactical urbanism approach has been used successfully in other city centre street upgrades such as High Street and Sale Street and provides a faster and more cost-effective way to improve streets for the community. The Tyler Street pilot project will be completed by June 2021.
To find out more about this project or to be involved in the brainstorming and designing with the community, then sign up to the pilot project database at AK Have Your Say.
