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Te Ara Mua Future Streets Te Ara Mua Future Streets

Te Ara Mua - Future Streets project makes it safer and easier to walk and cycle in the Māngere Central area, improving streets, pathways, crossings, and access to the town centre and local schools.

Project status: Completed
Project zone: South

Project overview

The Future Streets project has transformed the streets of Māngere, making changes to roads and connections to provide better infrastructure for walking and cycling.

The improvements also include cultural elements to reflect the identity of Māngere people.

Te Ara Mua - Future Streets project is a partnership between:

  • The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).
  • The Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board.
  • Auckland Transport (AT).
  • The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA).

NZTA has identified Te Ara Mua - Future Streets as a Safer Journeys Signature Project.

Benefits

  • Transform the urban environment.
  • Better walking and cycling infrastructure.
  • Increased public safety in identified risk areas.
  • Promote positive health, recreation, and social benefits.
  • Reduce the social cost of crashes by 50-70% (or $18-25m over 10 years).

Timeline

Construction was completed in June 2017.

Project details

The project focuses on creating a community trail around Mascot Avenue, Pershore Place, Windrush Close and the Māngere town centre. Other work includes improvements to Mascot Avenue, Friesian Drive, Imrie Avenue, Massey Road, and the town centre car park.

Overview map of Te Ara Mua Future Streets

Te Ara Mua Future Streets overview map

Community trail

  • High amenity shared path.
  • Installation of wayfinding signage.
  • Planting and street tree improvements.
  • Reserve improvements.

Pershore Place

  • Replace existing footpath (between the entrances to Windrush and Mascot Parks) with a 3-metre wide shared walking and cycling path.
  • Bands marking 100m distances.
  • Wayfinding dots to mark the community trail.

Artist impression of Pershore Place

Pershore Place

Windrush Close

  • Widen existing footpath (between the entrances to Windrush Park and the reserve that links to the town centre) to provide a 3-metre wide shared walking and cycling path.
  • Partial road closure at the intersection of Ansty Place to form a cul-de-sac, including landscape planting. Access maintained for cyclists.
  • Coloured bands and dots to show it is part of the new community trail and indicating distances.

Artist impression of Windrush Close

Windrush Close

Mascot Avenue

  • Dedicated cycle lane.
  • Footpaths widened into shared paths
  • Raised pedestrian crossings and speed tables.
  • Wayfinding dots to mark community trail.
  • Improved bus stops.
  • Planting and street tree improvements.

Artist's impression of Mascot Avenue


Māngere town centre

  • Raised tables, widened footpath, and planting to emphasise pedestrian connection from reserve to mall.
  • Wayfinding signage to show significant sites, marae, and education facilities in the area.
  • 10 marker posts to identify and locate maunga in Māngere.
  • Designated pedestrian and cycle priority zones through car park.

Artist impression of the town centre

Mangere town centre artist's impression

Massey Road

  • Improved pedestrian crossings.
  • Planting and street improvements.

Public engagement

Background

Māngere Central ranks 4th out 275 Auckland communities for fatal and serious crashes. 26% of all crashes in the area involve pedestrians. The social costs of these incidents in Māngere Central is around $18.2m.

Over 18 months in 2013 and 2014, the Future Streets project team worked with the Māngere community to understand issues with getting around safely on foot or by bike.

Following discussions with the community, the team developed concept designs to improve roads, footpaths and open spaces. The designs include changes to streets, pathways, crossings, and access ways to the Māngere town centre and schools.

In September 2014, the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board committed $1.7m toward the design and delivery of 3 priority projects:

  • Developing Mascot Avenue so that it is more pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly.
  • Improving a connection between Waddon Place and Windrush Close. This is known as the Waddon–Windrush connection.
  • A walking and cycling route that supports the Waddon-Windrush project by providing a new, well-marked route. This will run along Windrush Close through green space and connect with Mascot Road. By linking this route to planned works on Mascot Road an iconic fitness trail could be created. it could also provide a safer pathway for people walking or cycling to the town centre.

In early November 2015, $6.4m funding was confirmed to deliver a community trail and improvements to Mascot Ave, Friesian Drive, Imrie Ave, the Māngere town centre car park, and pedestrian crossings on Massey Road.

Windrush Close pedestrian mall

AT sought feedback on a proposal to partially close Windrush Close and make it a cul-de-sac, encouraging drivers to slow speed and making the road and footpath environment safer for pedestrians and people on bikes. We will also upgrade any sub-standard street lighting as and when required.

Please see the Windrush Close plan for more details of the proposal (PDF 916KB)

Feedback closed on 5 May 2016. We received a majority of supportive feedback from the community and proceeded the proposal to the next stage of detailed planning. The improvements will be monitored as part of the wider Te Ara Mua – Future Streets project area in Māngere.

Responses to comments received

Has the option for speed humps, instead of a partial closure, been considered?

Early in the design process it was identified that Windrush Close had problems with drivers travelling at excessive speed. Vertical displacement devices, such as speed humps, effectively reduce speeds but can be unpopular in residential and local roads for reasons such as noise, especially from heavy commercial vehicles. The partial closure is intended to create a local road feel so that the residents feel safe in their environment.

How will the partial closure effect emergency vehicle access?

Emergency services were consulted and are aware of the closure. Signage at the entry to Windrush Close will reduce the risk of limited access and increased response time for emergency services.

Will the cycle-path be wide enough for cyclists traveling in both directions?

The intention was to have a shared path sufficiently wide enough for two-way cycle traffic but the costs to do this are prohibitive. The partial closure is intended to reduce the vehicle traffic speeds and provide an environment that gives cyclists the confidence to use the carriageway as an alternative to the shared path.

Will street lighting be upgraded?

Street lighting will be upgraded to the latest standards. The partial closure will create an obstruction for refuse collection and the road will be widened locally to allow for this issue.

For more information about this project

Contact Auckland Transport or find out more at www.futurestreets.org.nz