East Street cycle link and safety improvements

Creating a safe environment for people travelling around the City Rail Link (CRL) Karangahape Station construction zone is behind a proposed East Street cycleway link and safety improvements on the surrounding streets.

Auckland Transport (AT) is proposing a range of tactical changes including a cycleway link between Te Ara I Whiti – Lightpath and Karangahape Road, via East Street.

AT Programme Manager, Ian Howell says “With the number of heavy trucks entering the CRL worksite continuing to increase, we want to ensure that people walking, riding bikes, or driving through this area are safe and protected,” he says.

The proposal includes turning East Street into a one way for vehicles northbound between Canada and Galatos Streets and installing a two-way protected cycleway.

Speed tables will be also installed to create a slower-speed environment for all road users. To assist with wayfinding, the colour scheme for the cycleway and slow speed areas will match that of Te Ara I Whiti – Lightpath and the Karangahape Road Enhancements, with their distinctive magenta colouring.

The proposal affects South Street, East Street, West Terrace and Galatos Street and will remain in place until the Karangahape Station is completed in 2024.

Mr Howell says these initiatives will not only encourage safer speeds but will also provide a more predictable and clearer road layout making it easier for people to get around.

“There is a lot going on in this area right now with the CRL works and the Karangahape Road Enhancements project. We are expecting many more people on bikes to be using Karangahape Rd when the new cycleway is completed. The East Street Link will provide a safe way of connecting to Te Ara I Whiti – Lightpath”

Waitematā Local Board member Graeme Gunthorp welcomes the improvements and says, "The East Street link will be a fantastic safe connection from the pink goodness of Te Ara I Whiti to the bustling energy of Karangahape Road and its brand-new cycleway and streetscape."

Consultation will be open until Wednesday, 4 November 2020. If the proposed changes are to go ahead, it’s expected they would be installed by the end of the year.

Find out more about the East Street cycle link and safety improvements.