Lake Road improvements Lake Road improvements
We are planning to improve travel choices and the reliability of travel along Lake Road and Esmonde Road, between Takapuna and the Devonport peninsula.
Project status: General services contract to be let to be followed by detailed design work
Project zone: North.
Project overview
Lake Road is the only arterial road in and out of the Devonport peninsula and, alongside Esmonde Road, serves as the main connection to the rest of the North Shore and Auckland for people living and working in the area.
The local community has raised concerns about the unpredictability of travel conditions along Lake Road during weekday peak times and during the weekends.
We want to improve the accessibility, reliability, and availability of travel choices to and from the Devonport peninsula, and make it easier and more convenient to travel to local shops, parks, beaches, and community centres.
We propose using a mix of new and re-purposed transit lanes (for higher occupancy vehicles and public transport), walking and cycling facilities, and technology solutions to improve available trip information.
Around half of all Lake Road journeys are short trips, that stay within the peninsula. We want to help people making those short trips to have good alternatives to driving. This will help free up Lake Road for people making longer trips by car or who need to drive.
Safety is a major focus for AT, so the improvements aim to make people using Lake Road and Baywater safer, regardless of their mode of travel. With the traffic volumes, we need physically protected cycle lanes, safer pedestrian crossings and safer intersections. Of the 28 serious crashes in the area over the last 10 years, 10 of the casualties were pedestrians or cyclists.
The full project has been consulted on with Mana Whenua and the community at large. This project is jointly funded by the Regional Fuel Tax and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport.
Work on the Bayswater Avenue Cycleway part of this project received Auckland Council funding through the Ngā Tiriti Ngangahau - The Vibrant Streets Programme in March 2022. This work will be progressed first, with work potentially starting in 2023. We will engage with residents and businesses on Baywater Avenue later in 2022 before final designs are completed.
Find out about the Bayswater Cycleway Project.
Benefits
- improved access to local destinations and multi-modal transport options
- more reliable travel times for users of the transit lanes
- more reliable bus services, including those connecting with ferries
- improved travel information
- safer to cycle and walk in the area, and connect to future cycleways (for example, the Northern Pathway and Francis Street cycle link)
- move more people within the corridor
- avoiding an expensive and disruptive road widening project.
Proposed approach
We’re proposing a mix of improvements within the peninsula to improve travel choices and road safety.
These involve localised kerbline changes, but avoids acquiring property or extensive and disruptive construction works.
The improvements we are proposing include:
- new transit lanes targeting the most congested parts of Esmonde Road and Lake Road
- upgrading the existing Lake Road cycle lanes to be safer
- implementing new cycle lanes on Bayswater Avenue and through Belmont centre
- upgrading the environment and public spaces at Belmont centre (with Auckland Council)
- safer and more efficient intersections
- new technology (such as electronic roadside signs) to provide travellers with up-to-date travel information.
Timeline
- Mid 2017: Public consultation on issues in the area
- Late 2017 to early 2018: Completion of the indicative business case
- 2019: Commencement of detailed business case
- March or April 2020: Consultation on emerging preferred options
- Mid-2020: Project paused due to funding constraints
- Late-2021: AT Board endorses detailed business case but work still paused
- Mid-2021: Funding confirmed in Regional Land Transport Plan
- Late 2023 or early 2024: Funding announced and timelines set.
2020 consultation and proposals
We are proposing a mix of improvements within the peninsula aiming to improve travel choices and road safety. These involve localised kerb line changes but avoid any property impacts.
These improvements will give people more travel options to move around the peninsula, and help free up the road for those who need to drive.
The options during the consultation are:
Lake Road improvements: Esmonde Road section
Artist's impression of the Lake Road/Esmonde Road improvements.
Cross-section view of Esmonde Road.
- the safer intersection at Lake Road/Esmonde Road
- separated cycle lanes, as well as new raised tables at side streets for safer cycling movements
- converting the citybound kerbside lane from Lake Road to a transit lane
- improved shared path on the northern side from SH1 offramp to Harbourside Church
- converting the existing citybound bus lane to a transit lane
- extending transit lane to the citybound SH1 onramp
- improved cycle facilities linking to nearby cycling projects.
Lake Road improvements / Esmonde Road to Belmont centre
Artist's impression of the Lake Road /Jutland Road improvements.
- new electronic roadside signs with up-to-date travel information.
Esmonde Road to Jutland Road
- separated cycle lanes, as well as new raised tables at side streets for safer cycling movements
- converting curbside lanes to transit lanes.
Jutland Road to Takapuna Grammar School
- separated cycle lanes, as well as new raised tables at side streets for safer cycling movements
- northbound transit lane
- investigating underground powerlines.
Takapuna Grammar to Egremont Street
- separated cycle lanes, as well as new raised tables at side streets for safer cycling movements
- parking largely retained
- investigating underground powerlines.
Lake Road improvements / Bayswater Avenue to Albert Road
Bayswater Avenue
Artist's impression of the Bayswater Avenue improvements.
Cross-section of Bayswater Avenue.
- shared path
- safer pedestrian and cycling facilities near Bayswater School.
Bayswater Avenue to Old Lake Road
Update: This part of the project will be advanced ahead of the rest of the project. The project team is looking to engage with directly affected businesses and residents before finalising designs.
The project will now be completed in 2 stages:
Stage 1:
- a separated bi-directional cycle lane
- parking retained where possible.
Stage 2:
- new raised tables on side streets for safer cycling movements
- other speed-calming measures
- cycling connections to Belmont and Marine Terrace.
Find out about the Bayswater Cycleway Project.
Seabreeze Road / Lake Road
Artist's impression of the Seabreeze Road / Lake Road improvements.
Cross-section of Lake Road from Seabreeze Road to Albert Road.
- new signalised pedestrian crossing
- separated 2-way cycle lane, as well as new raised tables at side streets for safer cycling movements.
Belmont centre improvements
Artist's impression of Belmont improvements.
Belmont is the largest centre along Lake Road south of Takapuna. It has around 40 shops and services in a configuration that has been largely unchanged for decades. It’s located on a busy and at times congested intersection, that many people, including students from 4 local schools, travel through every day.
In addition, since 2016 the Auckland Unitary Plan has enabled further commercial and residential development in and around Belmont Centre, which could see it redevelop and grow in the future. The centre needs improvements to encourage and best accommodate any potential future development.
AT has been working with Auckland Council, the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board, and a group of local community stakeholders on improvements at Belmont centre. This is a key project identified in the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board Plan. The improvements in the design concept proposal for Belmont aim to make the centre more of a destination and community hub, with better public spaces.
The upgrade will be delivered in conjunction with Auckland Council and the Local Board. Any changes or development on privately owned land or to buildings will be up to the owners and occupiers.
Proposed features
- Rose Gardens park experience extended towards the street edge
- footpaths are retained on the west side and widened on the east side
- new and additional public spaces and potential for new landscape features
- parking is retained on both sides of Lake Road and other streets, reduced on the east side of Lake Road
- north and southbound cycle lanes through the centre, 2-way cycle lane on Bayswater Avenue
- shorter pedestrian crossing distances at the intersection, new crossings at School Road
- existing buildings retained or redeveloped with active ground floor frontages.
Download a map of the Belmont centre improvements (PDF 950KB).
Public consultation
We want to ensure these proposals make access to the peninsular safe and easy. Your feedback will help us decide on the final design of the project.
Feedback closed Sunday 26 April 2020.
Public feedback report 2020
Feedback is now available on the 2020 Lake Road improvements consultation.
Download the Lake Road improvements public feedback report 2020 (PDF 2MB, 64 pages).
Previous consultation
Feedback report
Download the Lake Road improvements feedback report (PDF 1.3MB, 77 pages).
Indicative business case
Download the Indicative business case draft report (PDF 1.4MB, 74 pages).
Detailed business case
Download the detailed business case (PDF 22MB, 415 pages).