Queen St: Council sticks to 'plan A' to upgrade struggling street

Wednesday, 19 May 2021

Mayor Phil Goff says most people who had their say about the Queen St redesign were in favour of the changes.

Contentious last-minute changes to the upgrade of Auckland’s Queen Street have been scrapped, with Auckland Council continuing with a design that’s under a High Court challenge.

The plan to trial a more pedestrian-friendly layout on a lower section of Queen Street has sparked anger between those who took part in the year-long design process, and a business group opposing it.

Days after the council began work on the new layout, it launched a “quickie” 48-hour consultation, comparing its design with ideas proposed by the Save Queen Street group, which has mounted a legal challenge.

Councillors closely involved in the process were taken by surprise and were not in favour of the survey, while the mayor Phil Goff was aware of the proposals, and wanted engagement with all stakeholders but did not how they might be presented to the public.

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The council’s survey drew a narrow majority favouring the project and a “clear preference” for the council’s original design over late alternatives proposed by Save Queen Street.

An artist’s impression of proposed upgrade of Auckland's Queen Street between Shortland and Customs Streets.

The council’s original plan was backed by 48.5 per cent surveyed, compared to 40 per cent for the Save Queen Street alternative. The balance favoured something different.

One of the issues was council’s preference for a single lane of general traffic, in which buses would stop at the kerb, rather than pulling into a bay.

Save Queen Street has argued that would disrupt traffic flow between Shortland and Customs Streets, but the council and Auckland Transport said it gives priority to quicker journeys by bus.

Businesses say 90 Queen Street shopfronts are now empty.

Chairman of the planning committee, Chris Darby, is pleased with the outcome of the survey, despite not knowing it was being done.

“City centre residents and workers, business and property owners, students and visitors have been clear in the survey. They’ve told us to stick to plan and get on with the trial to transform the ‘golden mile’,” he said.

Waitematā and Gulf Ward councillor Pippa Coom had also been taken by surprise with the council survey, but said an upside was it clarified some of the arguments being advanced by Save Queen Street.

Coom said moving ahead with the original design is a move based on the principles backed by the co-design group, which had included stakeholders and residents.

“Fewer private vehicles and through traffic on Queen Street means improved air quality, less noise and less congestion,” said Coom.

Save Queen Street failed in the High Court in Auckland to win an interim injunction halting the trial of the new layout, which began being built on May 10.

The group is still intending to challenge the validity of the decision-making by the council, in a substantive hearing at a date yet to be set.

Save Queen Street argues the changes made by the council starting during the Covid-19 lockdown, to create more pedestrian space and restrict traffic, have contributed to the economic harm felt by retailers.

The group said foot traffic is down 40 per cent, and 90 shopfronts are now empty, something which the council attributes to the loss of overseas tourists and foreign students, and a trend to work more from home rather than in city centre offices.

The Queen Street pilot is expected to be completed by the end of June.