The Henderson Streets for People trial has now been completed, with most elements scheduled for removal, and some minor elements to be retained or adapted.
Led by Eke Panuku Development Auckland, in collaboration with Auckland Transport and funded by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, the project trialled a series of temporary changes in Henderson to make it easier and safer for locals to move around the town centre.
The trial tested a number of different ways to make Henderson’s streets better for people walking and cycling, to add colour and vibrancy, and to make the town centre less dominated by traffic, while collecting real-time feedback and traffic data.
Eke Panuku tested quick, temporary changes to see how well they worked, which could be adapted based on feedback collected from the community’s experiences, before assessing their long-term future.
Taking data and feedback collected from the trial into consideration, of the 10 elements trialled, the following will be removed over the next eight weeks:
- The bus lane on Railside Avenue, south of Edsel Street.
- The single lane restrictions on both directions of Great North Road. This will return to two lanes in each direction.
- The temporary shared path on Great North Road. Car parking will also be reinstated.
- The parklet outside 404 Great North Road.
- The removal of the bus lane and shared path on Railside Avenue (between Stevies Lane and Great North Road) – completed in July 2021.
- The reinstatement of the left turn lane from Great North Road onto Henderson Valley Road – completed in July 2021.
The following elements will be adapted:
- The right turn restrictions into and out of WestCity mall on Railside Avenue will be adapted to include more suitable planter boxes.
- The intersection roadway artwork on Great North Road / Railside Avenue / Ratanui Street may need to be adapted to ensure low vehicle speeds.
The following elements will remain:
- The roadway artwork located on Trading Place.
- The roadway artwork located on Waitākere Lane.
- The shared path on Ratanui Street.
The data showed that the changes trialled reduced vehicle speeds and volumes through the town centre, improved the sense of safety for cyclists and pedestrians and had minimal impact on overall business spend. Travel times, however, did increase.
Community feedback stated that some businesses felt financially impacted, and the tactical implementation of these changes resulted in frustration with the resulting congestion.
Henderson will require better and safer connections for walking and cycling to ensure that there are no gaps in the regional cycle network, capitalise on significant investment in rail and support the quality intensification of the town centre. An important outcome of the trial is that the information collected has shown there are options to shift some traffic to the outer ring roads if needed. The trial has highlighted opportunities to better work with the community to talk about future projects and find solutions that better meet the existing and future needs of the community.
About Henderson Streets for People
Since November last year, Eke Panuku and Auckland Transport worked with locals to bring together a range of different ideas to trial, including the establishment of a community advisory group made up of representatives from Te Kawerau ā Maki, Henderson-Massey Local Board, community leaders, businesses, residents and local organisations.
The advisory group helped guide the project to encourage a diversity of local views. These were gathered from co-design sessions held at a pop-up shop on Railside Ave, the Henderson Christmas Festival, Te Puna Market and other events. The ideas gathered were temporarily trialled in Henderson from May to July 2021.
Next steps
- The removal and adaptations of the trial will begin in late August 2021, and may take up to eight weeks to be completed. This is due to the removals being dependent on weather and traffic management approvals being in place. All works will take place at night.
- A full data report will be made available later this month, which will provide a summary of the data gathered.
- Eke Panuku will look to provide further participation opportunities on the future of the Henderson town centre.
Thank you to the people of Henderson, who provided feedback from the co-design sessions through to the completion of the trial.
To sign up for updates visit akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/henderson-streets-for-people
For more information about Eke Panuku’s long-term regeneration plans for Henderson, visit panuku.co.nz/henderson
