The long mooted eastbound bus lane for Park Road made an appearance in Auckland Transport CEO Shane Ellison’s Business Report in July:
Inner Link (Park Road): Proposed eastbound bus lane design is in progress. Initial consultation with key stakeholders is under way. There is a risk that construction of this project will be delayed until 2020 because of a clash with the construction site for Auckland University’s new clinic facility.
While GRA was given an informal heads up about the options being considered earlier in the year, we’re surprised to learn that it has entered into the design phase, given the lack of public consultation.
The New Zealand Transport Agency Investment Programme tabled for approval at the same meeting revealed two items of interest to Grafton. The SH16 Gladstone to Alten Road ($3m) project:
Investigate options for missing link Grafton Cycle way to Gladstone. Connection of existing infrastructure. Gladstone Road/ SH16 intersection is likely to signalised with provision of cycle lanes to Quay Street (currently investigating options with AT/ Ports and AMA). Opportunity to connect to Grafton.
The cycle way investigation is funded, while the Grafton bus to rail improvements ($6m) is not
Improved interchange from bus to rail at Grafton rail station, including kerb realignments and potential land purchase.
All the land between the station and Khyber Pass Road is owned by KiwiRail. It would certainly be good news if the Grafton cycle way got hooked up to it’s neighbours instead of languishing in the too hard basket.