Update on SH16 Safe Roads Program

There’s a lot of frustration at the traffic delays and lack of progress on road improvements to SH16 so it’s worth giving an update on what is being planned.

The Safe Road program delivering $70 million of road improvements from Brigham Creek to Waimauku is underway. There’s not much to see on the ground as consenting and land purchasing is being done. The key changes are road widening, median barriers, additional lanes from Brigham Creek to the Taupaki roundabout and a new roundabout at the intersection of Coatesville Riverhead Highway/SH16. There have been rumours that this isn’t happening, it is, but it has been delayed due to the additional of walking and cycling lanes to improve safety. Completion date of February 2021. Google ‘NZTA Brigham Creek’ to find more information and updates.

The other large project is connected with the Huapai Triangle Special Housing Area that will be completed in the next six years. This $37million Auckland Transport project and involves additional lanes at Access Rd/SH16 and a “Gyratory” roundabout at the Tapu/Station Rd intersection. Those wondering where the development contributions have gone, this project has effectively used all that money collected over the last decade and more. Physical work on this is expected to start in ten months. If you want to find out more and see the plans, google ‘Huapai Triangle Auckland Transport’.

Even with the $100 million being spent on local roads over the next few years there is not going to be a return to the uncongested roads of the past. While some of this work will ease bottle necks urbanisation brings more people, they bring cars, and that means traffic. It would be disingenuous to pretend that simply building more or wider roads will unlock traffic. Investment in mass public transport and providing more opportunities to work locally will have to be part of the planning over the next few decades.

A new road corridor parallel to SH16 providing an alternative to the current highway is being planned. Work has started on designating the route and discussions with affected landowners. It needs to be emphasised that this project is unfunded in the 10-year transport plan for Auckland. The scale of the investment, in the many hundreds of millions, would mean it would likely be dependent on large scale housing development taking place after 2028 in the future urban land north of Huapai. I think it would be misleading to pretend this could be done quickly given the current issues with funding infrastructure across Auckland. Anyone who has followed the ‘Penlink’ project in Whangaparoa will know what I am talking about.

The other piece in the puzzle is public transport. Neither Government nor Auckland Transport appear to be pursuing heavy rail as an option for Huapai. If decisions were made to move the port to Whangarei the rail upgrades that follow would open the tracks up to public transport, but so far there’s no sign this is happening. The Government has decided to fund Light Rail and the current work is on a route from the CBD along SH16 with the final stop at Kumeu. More information is expected to be released mid-year. Google ‘supporting growth north west Auckland’ to find out more.

The Local Board launched two new bus services from Helensville to Silverdale and Wellsford to Warkworth as part of its Rodney Transport Targeted Rate program. We expect to start a new bus from Westgate to Albany via Riverhead and Coatesville mid-year. Planning work is underway on park’n’ride facilities in Kumeu and Huapai, depending on the final sites these should be delivered within 12 months. Google ‘Rodney Transport Targeted Rate’ for more information.

New Bus Service for North West

Local Board Update. April 2019

Residents in the area now have a new bus service linking them to Auckland’s public transport services. The new service runs from Helensville, stops in Kaukapakapa in Opoto Place opposite the school and in Waitoki opposite the community hall, it finishes in Silverdale terminal. You can find out more times and the route by googling ‘Auckland Transport Journey Planner’ and AT HOP cards which offer a discount of the cash fare, can be bought online, google ‘AT HOP Card’.

This bus service is part of the Rodney Local Board’s Transport Targeted Rate program. At the same time the Helensville Silverdale service launched, a new service from Wellsford to Warkworth started so there are now services linking Wellsford, Omaha, Algies Bay, Warkworth to Silverdale.

In the middle of this year a further service will be added providing another east/west route with buses running from Westgate to Albany via Riverhead and Coatesville. These will be followed by park’n’rides in Kumeu and Warkworth.

The Local Board hopes that this public transport finally gives locals better access to the rest of Auckland whether it’s to get out and about, commute to work or for education and sport.

There’s been a lot of publicity around the proposed speed limit changes across Auckland. By the time you read this consultation will have closed but it’s still worth finding out about what Auckland Transport is doing to improve road safety as Rodney has the highest level of deaths and serious injuries in Auckland.

Vision Zero is a $700 million 10-year program that involves improvements in transport infrastructure AT is working closely with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and NZ Police to make our roads safe for everybody. The intention is to move towards a more forgiving road network, where a mistake made by a driver or road user does not lead to devastating consequences.

You can find out more by googling ‘AT Safe Speeds’.