Sometime next month, an independent panel of commissioners will get to decide on SkyPath, the planned shared walking and cycle path under the eastern clip-on of the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
SkyPath is a project of massive public significance. Despite early harbour bridge designs that had walking and cycling provided along with traffic lanes, Aucklanders have been denied walking and cycling between the city and North Shore for almost 55 years. But the opportunity can’t be denied any longer.
A record number of about 12,000 people submitted on SkyPath resource consent application, and of those there were less than 200 in opposition. The SkyPath landing points are the most contentious elements of the proposal, partly because of traffic concerns at the portal ends of the bridge. But SkyPath itself is relatively uncontroversial. It just makes sense to be able to walk and ride the short distance across the harbour. It makes more sense all the time, with the improved pathway connections at either end. The new Waterfront promenade and the planned North Shore SeaPath to Takapuna both support SkyPath in allowing a seamless journey across the bridge to and from further afield and will alleviate traffic pressures at the portals too. SkyPath is already doing for walking and cycling, what Britomart did for rail. Now we just need to be able to ‘get across’. SkyPath is the missing link.
The ‘Get Across’ movement has been going for over 10 years, led by the indomitable Bevan Woodward, a man with a mission, advocating for and representing walking, cycling, better connections and a better, fairer city. Knocked back at every turn, sometimes it seemed like Aucklanders would be relegated to crossing the small gap over the harbour by motor vehicle for ever.
The forerunner to NZTA (Transit) refused to sacrifice access to the bridge deck for walkers and cyclists. Refusing to give up, the SkyPath development team adapted the design into a pathway below the bridge decking, an architectural and access wonder, away from the noise and fumes but allowing great views of the beautiful harbour.
Sometimes the proposal was just completely denied. But ‘NZTA’s’ blunt refusal to allow access led, in 2009, the bridge’s 50th birthday, to one of Auckland’s most audacious acts of civil disobedience when 5000 of us ‘stormed’ the harbour bridge, to make our own way across. In doing so, we proved we were serious, and that the gradient wasn’t too steep for walkers and cyclists, including a whole carnival of protestors; politicians, parents, pets, (yes, pets!!), people in costumes, on bicycles, unicycles and stilts. That day will go down in history as a symbol of Aucklanders taking back their city by foot and by bike.
Every possible government and local government funding source was investigated in the struggle to realise the dream of a pathway across the bridge. Tentative commitment by the former local councils never provided certainty in the face of multi-million dollar costs. Even now, despite government funds for both the national cycle trails and the urban cycleway projects, it’s been left to volunteers to find private investment funders to deliver SkyPath.
The project has met the highest test of all – that of the market, and been found satisfactory. Repeated independent assessments have shown there’s a high real demand that makes the project worthwhile. It stacks up in the benefit-cost calculations to the extent that private investors (the Public Infrastructure Partnership, or “PIP” Fund), have bought into it. It will be one of the first Public-Private Partnerships in NZ transport, and the first for walking and cycling. Other agencies and parties have a strong role to play in either underwriting or supporting the project, and the bridge itself remains an NZTA asset.
SkyPath delivers on many transport, social, environmental, community and aesthetic objectives, and will be an asset to Aucklanders (and beyond) for generations to come. It’s long overdue. There’s plenty of ‘water to flow under the bridge’ yet, with the resource consent hearing, detailed design and other processes to be completed. But the foundations have been laid. The bridge is already there, so is the vision, the need and the funding. We’ve got a world class design and public support. It’s time to get across the Auckland Harbour Bridge, by foot and by bike.
Christine is the Chair of the SkyPath Trust
Christine Rose is employed as Kauri DieBack Community Co-ordinator in a contract role to the Auckland Council. All opinions expressed herein are Christine’s own. No opinion or views expressed in this blog or any other media, shall be construed as the opinion of the Council or any other organisation.
I used to often walk home from my job in North Sydney to my central Sydney apartment. What a wonderful way to finish the day.
The provision of a walk and cycle way on the Auckland Harbour bridge is such an obviously good thing one wonders why we allow the blinkered NZTA petrol heads to have any say.
Take money from NZTA and reinvest in saving our National rail system dying from lack of funding.
Is there a rail link across the Bridge?
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