Pressure builds for two lanes of Auckland Harbour Bridge to be car-free once a month

Monday, 19 July 2021

Cycling protesters push past police barrier to ride on harbour bridge. (First published May 2021)

The chance to bike or walk across the Auckland Harbour Bridge could soon be a reality, despite the government’s $685 million cycle bridge still being six years away.

A local politician will lodge a notice of motion on Tuesday calling for Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to action a “monthly open day” on the bridge.

This would see two lanes on the bridge dedicated to pedestrians and cyclists for one day a month, if approved.

Bike lobbyists barged through a police barricade in May and cycled over the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Waitematā Local Board member Graeme Gunthorp said is giving the notice of motion to advocate for an initiative that will be good for business, people and the community, he said.

* Auckland Harbour Bridge: Waka Kotahi plans 'season' of walking, cycling access

The Liberate the Lane protest in May resulted in one arrest, but five days later the government announced a $685 million cycle bridge will be built.

* Why does it take so long to build a cycle lane?

A local board member has lodged a notice of motion calling for two lanes on the bridge to be given to cyclists once a month.

Waka Kotahi is not required to follow it, but the proposal will be passed on to all councillors and local boards.

“It’s an idea that’s been not only trialled, but put into permanent effect in a number of other cities,” Gunthorp said.

The Northern Pathway is six years away, and cyclists want a way to commute across the Harbour in the meantime.

“Bogota, Colombia, is probably the best example, where once a month they’ll open lanes to pedestrians and cyclists, and it seems to be a roaring success.”

The Colombian capital shuts down 120 kilometres of roads from 7am to 2pm every Sunday, so cyclists and pedestrians can claim them. It’s a tradition that dates back to the 1970s.

Bike lobbyists barged through a barricade and cycled over the Harbour Bridge in May, forcing two lanes to be closed.

Bike Auckland is the lobby group behind the Liberate the Lane protest, and spokeswoman Barb Cuthbert said she welcomes Gunthorp’s motion.

“I think it’ll be really useful. Various people have said the Harbour Bridge is too steep to ride, which isn’t the case,” she said.

“But there’s nothing quite like giving people the experience. I think all of these are really useful steps to deliver change.”

Bike Auckland has advocated for a three-month trial of dedicating two lanes on the Harbour Bridge to cyclists and pedestrians.

Gunthorp said Liberate the Lane proved there is a “groundswell of support” for the opportunity to cycle or walk over the bridge.

Waka Kotahi spokeswoman Deborah Hume said the transport agency is continuing to look for short-term solutions to be able to provide walking and cycling access across the harbour.

“This includes detailed assessments of operational, health and safety and wider network impacts of all options – including using lanes on the Auckland Harbour Bridge – as well as investigating other ways of safely crossing the harbour, including ferries,” she said.

“Waka Kotahi shares the desire of the walking and cycling community to complete a dedicated facility across the Waitematā Harbour as a key section in Auckland’s walking and cycling network.”

The government announced a new $685 million cycling and walking bridge will be built on the eastern side of the Harbour Bridge in June.

The build will take five years to complete and construction will begin in mid-2022.