Auckland Transport is proposing a major upgrade of Te Atatu Road south of the motorway. And unlike on so many other roading projects in the past, cycling hasn’t been forgotten – Te Atatu Road is to get continous cycle lanes for the whole project length. On request from Cycle Action Auckland, they are also considering whether a shared, off-road path for school children and less confident cyclists could be included.
However, the project team has so far received far too little positive feedback about improving Te Atatu Road for cycling. If this lack of support continues, the cycling component of the project might be at risk. That is why we urgently need you to give feedback to Auckland Transport. Especially if you are a local who rides on Te Atatu Road – or would want to, if it felt safer – you should support the project.
Please consider giving feedback at such as:
- That you want to see dedicated cycle facilities on Te Atatu Road
- That you want an off-road cycleway, if feasible, for new or less confident cyclists
- Tell them why you support dedicated cycle facilities [i.e. for better safety, to allow children to cycle to school, to be able to get to the Northwestern Cycleway...]
If you have friends or networks in the Henderson-Massy area, please ask them to support this project, so it is not seen as something imposed from the outside. Such a chance for a road upgrade comes by only once a generation – don’t let Te Atatu Road miss out.
[Max is the grandly-named "Infrastructure Liaison" of Cycle Action Auckland. It was that or call himself "The Infrastructure Guy"]
Thanks i'm keen to support this – as a Tat North resident, I appreciate the cycleway we have- however it ends abruptly before the village and leaves cyclists having to cross an extremely busy road at a point with no crossing. I choose to cycle along the road when heading into the Peninsula, yesterday as a car passed me a lady hurled abuse at me ( almost sending me off my bike). 15 cars had passed me quite happily but this one was offended that I was not using cycleway on other side of road. I caught up with her in the village- I wanted to explain how I had every right to be on the road, she gave me further abuse and wouldnt listen to my valid reasons for being on the road. If I had been less confident on my bike her actions could have resulted in an accident – and I'm sure she would have blamed me.
Sad to hear, Simon, that such attitudes still persist – but the best way you can "get back at her" is by getting a few of your local friends from Te Atatu together to write in supporting the cycle facilities!
We need locals, locals, locals (and Te Atatu North locals definitely count!).
Every (well-designed) new cycle facility adds cyclists to the mix, until we are the new normal.
Its impossible to try and reason with some people Simon. Best just to leave them to wallow in their ignorance. Or maybe kick their door when you overtake them at the next traffic lights
Brilliant! We need these kind of projects further south too, every new piece of GOOD cycle infrastructure only makes us safer and encourages more people to get out of their cars, for the benefit of everyone. Please get in behind and support it!
As for your experience Simon, bad luck meeting with someone like that. Hopefully as more people ride, more people will come to associate cycling with someone they care about and treat cyclists as vulnerable yet legitimate road users, as we are.
Regardless of how we are dressed and what we are riding, we are not road cones to be dodged around at speed, and are no match for a ton of metal if a driver misjudges their manoevre.
Cycle Te Atatu road every day, most cyclists i see use the footpath. Lanes on Te Atatu road are too narrow to cycle safely. Will definitely add my feedback