Joining everything up bit by bit

On the back of the Manukau Innovative Street Pilot scheme I blogged on yesterday (see: Manukau Innovative Streets (Tactical Urbanism) Project Humble Beginnings as Project begins) more news on two larger cycling schemes it that was before the Auckland Transport Board last week has come out.

The schemes are the Safe and Healthy Streets South Auckland programmes located in Mangere East, and the Our Manukau urban renewal area (led by Panuku).

What the paper to the Auckland Transport Board had to say:

The Auckland Cycling Programme Business Case identifies Māngere East and Manukau as priority areas for investment in cycling, recognising the opportunity for cycling to play an increased role in meeting people’s transport needs in these two areas.

AT is procuring professional services in November 2020 to deliver two Single Stage Business Cases (SSBCs) – the Māngere East Cycling SSBC and the Manukau Cycling SSBC. Each business case will identify a preferred cycling network and recommend a set of cycling improvements to encourage increased cycling in the two project areas. Development of the two SSBCs is anticipated to begin in Q1 2021, with the SSBCs being finalised in late 2021/early 2022.

The two business cases will be delivered under the umbrella of Waka Kotahi’s Safe and Healthy Streets South Auckland programme and will emphasise strong stakeholder and community engagement. A set of tactical improvements is included in the scope of the SSBCs to inform the development of cycling interventions and provide a platform for engagement in the two areas. The Manukau Cycling SSBC will be developed in partnership with the Panuku-led Transform Manukau programme, while Kāinga Ora will be a key stakeholder for both business cases with significant investment planned in Māngere and Manukau. The Māngere-Ōtāhuhu, Ōtara-Papatoetoe and Manurewa Local Boards will be engaged throughout the development of the SSBCs.

Source: AT Board Report – December 2020, Page 26

As noted above the Manukau project involves the Our Manukau area which covers some 600ha and will be in partnership between Auckland Transport and Panuku. The Paper also states Tactical Improvements aka Tactical Urbanism will be undertaken similar to the Innovative Street Pilot (also Tactical Urbanism) currently under co-design in Manukau.

However, the project will fall outside of the Innovative Street Pilot in Manukau owing to time but I am hoping the gains made in the Pilot will be permanent allowing them to be added on to the wider Safe and Health Streets South Auckland Programme. Speaking of which once the drawings come out one of the first things to check will be to see its connections to Airport to Botany Rapid Transit which will have its own cycleway system online as well.

None-the-less active and transit mode investments are proceeding at pace in the South. You never know, moving the office, business or residential abode might just be that tad more attractive 😉