Three stages but one cohesive design for the Project
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Auckland, September 2, 2021
Responding to Aucklanders’ feedback, the Auckland Council will deliver the last three stages of the Wai Horotiu Queen Street Project in one cohesive design.
Essential Vehicles Area
From Customs Street to Mayoral Drive, substantially widened footpaths will give more space for pedestrians to shop and linger, moving Queen Street closer to the City Centre Masterplan vision of a transit street prioritising pedestrians.
For the first time in the history of Auckland’s premier retail street, the part of the widened footpaths next to the road will be allocated for those moving quickly on foot, or slowly by micro-mobility (e.g. scooter) and bike. Fast bikes will be encouraged to use the road itself.
In another first, the new design will stop private cars travelling the length of Queen Street by introducing an Essential Vehicles Area (EVA) between Wellesley and Wakefield Streets. In the proposal, ‘essential vehicles’ include buses, bikes, mopeds, motorcycles, goods and service vehicles and emergency vehicles.
The new street layout will be retrofitted to the northern section of Queen Street between Customs and Shortland Streets to achieve continuity.
Rebalance for people
Auckland Council Director of Infrastructure and Environmental Services Barry Potter said that the goal for the Wai Horotiu Queen Street Project was to re-balance space on Queen Street in favour of people.
“Aucklanders asked us to deliver the balance of the project in a single, unified design, and that’s the solution we are announcing today. It reallocates space to create better areas for people walking, cycling and using public transport, while also continuing to enable servicing and deliveries for homes and businesses. We believe this will be in place until the CRL is completed and pending a future design that might include light rail. We will be constructing in a way that doesn’t dig up the road and allows us to change and remove materials and re-purpose them for future works,” he said.
Vibrant Centrepiece
The Wai Horotiu Queen Street Project follows the new square in lower Queen Street, Te Komititanga, which was the first in a series transforming Queen Street in line with the City Centre Masterplan’s (CCMP) vision. That vision sees Queen Street as a vibrant centrepiece in the Wai Horotiu Queen Street Valley, with pedestrian priority and zero emissions.
Footpaths, up to seven metres wide, will give more space for pedestrians and provide a shared area for those moving quickly on foot, or slowly by micro-mobility and bike, next to the road.
Loading zone designations will better align with business needs. The provision of drop-off and pick-up zones for general use and spaces for mobility cardholders around the Town Hall are also proposed.
The proposed EVA will stop private vehicles travelling on Queen Street between Wakefield and Wellesley Streets, preventing through traffic while continuing to support the efficient delivery of goods. Buses, cycles, mopeds, motorcycles, goods and service vehicles, and emergency vehicles will be able to use the area as normal.
It is proposed the EVA will work alongside turning restrictions and bus lanes to reduce both emissions and traffic volumes in line with the CCMP’s vision for Queen Street to become a pedestrian-priority transit street.
Aucklanders have a say
Auckland Council is also proposing to change the legal designation of Vulcan Lane, and short sections of Fort Street and Lorne Street, to make them pedestrian malls. This will further prioritise pedestrians and reduce traffic into Queen Street.
Aucklanders will have the chance to provide feedback on aspects of these measures when the consultation launches later this month.
Later this month, the Auckland Council and Auckland Transport will share this design with Aucklanders and ask for feedback on aspects of the traffic network changes, such as the proposed time restrictions for the EVA and designations of loading zones.
The work will begin by the end of 2021. By September 2022 it is expected the Wai Horotiu Queen Street Project will be complete.
Source: The Auckland Council
