Viewpoint – Going dynamic in the morning

This week the dynamic lane on Whangaparaoa Road starts in the morning peak. 

The evening has been a success with faster flows through Silverdale and on Whangaparaoa Road. Hats off to Auckland Transport for sticking with the project, listening to concerns and making improvements.

How well the morning works will depend on driver behaviour. Cars that ‘merge like a zip’ and with some drivers choosing the left hand choice at the signaled intersection will make for even more efficient flow. Then there’s the prospect of later spend and improvements to the Whangaparaoa Road/Hibiscus Highway intersection and signals to allow for two lanes turning left; already identified as a possible improvement. This project has helped leverage continuing investment.

The Hibiscus Coast is a great place to trial new transport technology – and we benefit from getting the earlier investment ahead of elsewhere. A quickly completed Weiti walkway/cycleway, high-frequency local bus loop, incentivised car sharing, faster/higher frequency ferries with weekend services from Gulf Harbour, refreshed travel plans for local schools, a local bike-share scheme (including electric bikes) are all do-able. Car sharers could have priority parking at the park and ride. We need to make it as easy as possible to car-share with the reward of faster trips.

The capital cost to council for these projects is small. The combined impact on improving mobility is huge. And we have the advantage that the Whangaparaoa/Red Beach/Orewa area will soon be close to fully developed – so that mobility improvements make a noticeable positive impact.

The Hibiscus Coast is separated, suitable size and easily measurable for proof of success.  So any projects can be thoroughly tested with a view to using elsewhere in Auckland; dynamic laning for example.

It’s essential with the upcoming taxes on fuel that the Hibiscus Coast gets its share of the Auckland wide spend.

Our local walking and cycling network requires urgent attention. Cycling on Whangaparaoa Road in many locations is unsafe. A cost-effective solution is to widen the existing footpath where space does not allow a separated cycleway or the cost is too great. The Red Beach Road to Vipond Road stretch has such a combined walkway cycleway. This could have been done at the recent footpath improvements on Whangaparaoa Road by Gulf Harbour.

While we wait for Penlink we can make much better use of the busway, widening the motorway shoulders for buses between Oteha and Silverdale with priority for buses wherever possible at intersections combined with T2/T3 lanes that move more people more efficiently.

The biggest single improvement for the trip into town by car or bus is the massive project already started between Constellation Drive and Oteha – presently a bottleneck and getting worse. The busway extension and improved road links to the west will free up flows, extend the busway to Oteha with a new busway station at Rosedale. Fortunately much of the work is at night together with detours – but this is much more considerate of motorists than allowing work over the day and the peaks in morning and evening.

Mobility around the Hibiscus Coast is getting better in the short term with the prospect of many improvements locally and in the wider transport network that can make a real difference. More local jobs are happening too with the big employment area now open at Silverdale North. If you can live, work and play and get around the Hibiscus Coast you’re onto a good thing.