Draft Cycle Network Infrastructure Upgrade Sunday Ride on 21st Sept

NPDC's Draft Cycle Network Infrastructure Upgrade document is comprehensive. To help look at the content, 2 of us went for a ride on Sunday 21st Sept to look at what is proposed for Eliot Street, Coronation Avenue and Mangorei Road. We also looked at the the various works on Mangorei Road subsequent to the audit undertaken last year by one of our members.

Eliot Street:

• From Leach St to Rogan St: Ranked #23rd. The improvements recommended are; Set back the kerb on the west side south of Leach St; Set back the kerb from Pendarves St to Cameron St; Recess the bus stop on the east side between Cameron St and Rogan St; Mark cycle lanes green at major conflict points; Mark cycle lanes south of Leach St.

There appears to be a bus stop north of Pendarves St on the east side that needs to be set back too if used. Cycle lanes need to be continuous from Leach St through to those on the hill leading up to Boys High.

Coronation Avenue:

• From Rogan St to Maranui St: Ranked #17th. The improvements recommended are; Remove parking on the western side of Coronation Av; Construct two recessed bus bays; Reconfigure pavement marking.

Parking should be restricted at all time on the western side. Cycle lanes need to be marked on both sides. Looks like there should be 3 bus bays set back, not two.

• From Maranui St to Welbourne Terrace: Ranked #14th. The improvements recommended are; Narrow flush median over full length to 1.8 m; Narrow traffic lanes to 3.0 m; Mark 1.8 m cycle lanes; Mark cycle lanes green at Cumberland St and where Coronation Avenue veers to right off SH3.

Off-road cycle path just past Welbourne Terrace not well sign posted. How those going into town who come off this path get across Coronation Avenue to the cycle lane on the west side is not clear. How do the school children get across to go to Welbourne and to Highlands Intermediate? Install a new pedestrian crossing on the south side of the Coronation Avenue/SH3intersection? The pinch point as cyclists coming into town on SH3 caused by the southern extent of kerbing needs to be sorted with NZTA.

We then headed back down Coronation Avenue and then went down Cumberland Steet to get to Mangorei Road:

Once on Mangorei Road we headed south for a way. We were looking at the initial cycle audit carried out in March 2007 and the works that have happened since to see what has gone in and what has gone. Apex reviewed the audit and the current NPDC work plans and submitted their findings in a letter to the NPDC late November 2007. A copy of their letter was taken with us on the ride.

• The issues raised for Mangorei Rd south of Cumberland St were to do with glass in the cycle lanes, shared parking/cycle lane and fragmentation of the cycle lanes.

This section of Mangorei Rd didn't make it into the top 38 sections for the first stage of the Cycle Network Upgrade. The initial response from NPDC in May 2007 indicated that these cycle lane issues would be considered as part of the network upgrade. Seeing this stretch of Mangorei Rd didn't score high enough to make the cut off mark of an overall weighted score of 70%, these issues will remain. The uneven surfacing issue raised would be covered in the next scheduled re-seal, likely within the next 5 years.

• From Cumberland St to Kauri St; The issues raised were; Protruding bus stop by the Shell garage on west side; Cycle lane disappears on west side north of the Stumble Inn; Cycle lane narrows on east side near the Shell garage.

This section of Mangorei Rd didn't make it past the cut off point for the first stage of the Cycle Network Upgrade either. However, part of the review of our audit, certain work was indicated that it would be done.

The bus stop has gone. Parking prohibition exists on the east side; A cycle lane from Cumberland St to the Stumble Inn was there, 1.8m if measured from inside white line to face of kerb )1.55 m of rideable lane; 3.0 m traffic lanes put in with 3.1 m for parked vehicles and cycles north of the Stumble Inn. This was to be reveiwed after installation to see if could further mark this zone with 2.0 m car parking and 1.1 m cycle lanes. Not sure if this review has been undertaken, additional marking not in as yet but were seen to be needed during our ride.

Mangorei Road:

• From Kauri St to Devon Street East: Ranked #12th. The improvements recommended are; Recessed parking bays near Awanui St and Turehu St; Re-align the right turn bay into Awanui St; Re-configure the road markings from Warangi St to south of Turehu St; Green cycle lane markings at Devon St East, Northgate, Rimu St and Awanui St.

The audit highlighted issues with the junctions at Northgate, Rimu St, Awanui St, Union St and Kauri St within this section of the road network. Also with the section of road from Te Mete Park to Awanui St on the west side where the cycle lane narrows and vehicles cut the corner. Also on the east side from #129 south the cycle lane and car parking share space, so if vehicle is parked, there is no cycle lane.

Better cycle lane markings are thus also needed at both the Union St and Kauri St intersections on top of what is proposed in the upgrade. This should happen with the next stage of the Mangorei Road Rehabilitation Project in the summer of 2008/2009 = need to confirm that this is happening with the NPDC roading team.

The Northgate intersection is on a State Highway so is the responsibility of the NZ Transport Agency. The proposed changes for this have been reviewed by NTCA and the designers have gone back to the drawing board. In the meantime, the Upgrade Report assumes that cyclists will either take the lane and cross within the existing traffic lanes or dismount and cross using the pedestrian signals.

The current plan appears to give cyclists the following:

• 1.8 m cycle lanes both sides from Devon St East to Northgate.
• Complex intersection at Northgate.
• 1.5 m cycle lane on east side and 0.95 m lane on west side from outside #43 Mangorei Rd to pedestrian crossing outside Girls High.
• 1.2 m cycle lane on east side and 1.5 m lane on west side from pedestrian crossing outside Girls High to outside #63 Mangorei Rd.
• 1.4 m cycle lane on east side and 1.5 m lane on west side from #63 Mangorei Rd to Warangi St.
• 1.6 m cycle lanes both sides from Warangi St to Awanui St.
• 1.5 m cycle lanes both sides through the Awanui St intersection.
• 1.7 m cycle lanes both sides from Awanui St to Kauri St.
• 1.1 m cycle lanes both sides from Kauri St to the Merrilands Shopping Centre.
• 1.6 m cycle lanes both sides from the Merrilands Shopping Centre to Turakina St.
• Intermittent cycle lanes both sides south of Turakina St of aproximately 1.1 m width.

Is this good enough for Mangorei Rd?

Depends on what NZTA come up with for the intersection with Northgate and the cycle lanes immediately south of the interesection. Also the 0.95 m and 1.1 m lanes are too narrow.