A walking, cycling, and micro-mobility connection over the Waitematā Harbour is crucial to making these modes of transport a real option for people in our city. It is great to see the Government committed to this objective.
However, we can get this connection going much sooner than the Government’s proposal, with little cost, by replacing one or two of the eight vehicle lanes on the current Harbour Bridge with walking and cycling lanes. The Ministry of Transport’s own reports have shown this could be done with little to no disruption, and a whole lot of benefit. It should be trialled over summer 2021/22 and I’m sure the people of Auckland will use the connection between the North Shore and Auckland City in large numbers. Ultimately, the cost of the proposed bridge is not the cost of a walking and cycling connection - it's the cost of keeping all eight lanes on the existing bridge for cars and trucks.