Getting real on lake road

It’s likely that the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board will have voluntarily let go of the $47mill funding packet to improve traveler throughput on Lake Road, pushing the project out for at least 10 years. Let that sink in.

Why? Because 4 out of the 6 members voted in last week’s business meeting against the proposed improvement plan that has been engineered, modeled and rigorously consulted upon for the last 3 years. The body of work produced by the engineers at BECA and the Auckland Transport (AT) project team cost ratepayers just on two million dollars. When we hear the old cry of ‘more for the shore’ and ‘where are all our rates going’ I can’t help but point the finger because we seem to have a habit of stopping things in our neighbourhood, despite the battle cry for greater investment.

The primary criticism of the 4 members on the proposal was that it doesn’t “fix” Lake Road. Fixing Lake Road means easing traffic congestion. They felt that the proposed design doesn't do this. And it's true, for some people nothing will change, but for many others it will make a massive difference. 

So what does Auckland Transport's 2020 Lake Road Improvement proposal do?

• Firstly, it’s truthful to its intention: The Indicative Business Case (IBC) 2017 which resulted from extensive public consultation and early evaluation noted in the Executive Summary that the project was to “improve accessibility along the Lake Road Corridor with elements of improvements on Esmonde Road & Bayswater Avenue, and improve the offering for alternative modes in Devonport Peninsula.” Earlier still, the 2016 Strategic Assessment undertaken for the IBC outlined that appropriate investment in public transport, walking, cycling and car share riding will make these modes more attractive to single occupancy motor vehicles. Investment in this area will result in an increased throughput. There is no mention here about the easing of congestion being the driver for this work. When approximately 50% of trips taken on the corridor are local trips that remain on the Peninsula, let’s find ways to get those people out of cars so that those who must use their vehicles, are able to do so more easily.
• It prioritises safety: Safety, both perceived and real, is the single biggest barrier to mode shift. Cycle lanes need to be separated and safely designed so that kids can get to school gates and the newly emerged ebike-elders can move to their desired destinations without being hit by cars. Auckland Transport has a vision-zero road safety goal. One should not lose their life from simply moving around the city, and yet it happens. 40 People lost their lives last year 567 were seriously injured. All the family members associated with those incidents will be hugely impacted. If we prioritise life over anything else, as we recently proved in lock-down, then shouldn’t we too be making infrastructure choices that represent this?
• It provides an 8-12 minute travel savings: If you’ve got a family member or grabbed a mate to make your trip, the new T2/Bus lanes will save you an 8 minute traveling time. You’re right, people in single occupancy motor-vehicles will feel the rage, but maybe that’s the point right now?   
• There’s no major land acquisitions: The IBC illustrated that the appetite to buy up loads of houses along the corridor isn’t there. Nor should it be. Ultimately Lake Road is a residential street. We’re just not interested in making an ugly freeway to Devonport. If that was the intention, then we'd be waiting a very long time for the budget to do so, and let's be real, when houses are compulsorily bought, there is a massive outcry. Let's not go there. 

My decision to support the Lake Road improvement project reflects my decision to be real, and be relevant. No decisions I make at Local Board will be to fix ‘today’s problem.’ Council is slow, so we need to look forward and ensure we’re ahead of the game. When I reviewed the Lake Road upgrade, these points below were front of my mind:

1. Progress over perfection: Our city is growing, our infrastructure failing, there's lots of citizens and their local boards crying out for more. Let's invest the $47mill now and get some progress. It's not going to meet everyone's needs, but it will make a damn good difference for many others. 
2. Cars, as we know them, are not the future: We all know that cars massively contribute to climate change and younger people are making conscious choices to change this trend. When we have options on how to get around, and when those options are predictable and reliable, people will take them. We are now a tech-literate society where car, bike and scooter sharing by apps is second-nature for the majority of people today and for all future generations.
3. E-bikes and e-scooters are the new norm: In 2018 47,000 e-bikes and e-scooters were imported to NZ, up from 23,326 the year before. Infrastructure to meet this demand is so far behind that it has to be prioritized as this transport behaviour, especially after lock-down, continues to shift.
4. Money: Auckland Council (AC) has a half billion hole to fill so all CAPEX projects have been deferred, including this one. By supporting AT to make a few tweaks to the design and ensuring we get behind it, they’ve got a strong case to lift off as soon as the money is there. Problem is, when there are so many infrastructure projects on the list that are backed by Local Boards in other areas, we’re now unlikely to get the cash we needed to progress.
5. Dreams are free but reality bites: I’ve always believed a dedicated bus lane should go the length of Lake Road from Devonport to Takapuna & beyond to the motorway. If we really want to encourage mode shift in an environmental way, then lets make room for electric buses. The biggest problem here is the road itself. No roads are uniform straight lines. Lake Road is very narrow in places (think North bound at the Belmont lights). Some of the intersections are awkward and misaligned (think St Leonards & Eversleigh). We have experts working on the design. They want the absolute best outcome and are as frustrated as we are that there’s no easy solution. The T2 & Bus Lane is not consistent through the corridor. It would be nice if it were, but let's be real, it's not possible with the budget and the space. Why do we think we know better? Unless every resident on the isthmus has a degree in traffic engineering, I don’t think we’ve got much more to add that AT hasn’t already considered. Trust me, I tried! Dynamic lighting, pedestrian bridges, roundabouts, slip lanes – every little thing has been considered. I am not kidding. 
6. Get the kids to school on their own steam: For a small geographic area we have a lot of schools, and to be honest, a lot of parents driving their kids to school, to sports, to clubs and home again. Approx 50% of trips are taken along the corridor within a 3km radius. I know this, because I live here, and I am at times, one of the guilty ones. But if it’s unsafe to let your kids get to school by bike, scooter or foot, then can you blame the parents? What we’re trying to do is offer alternatives.

The fact remains that there’re many, many people that use the corridor. Commuters, visitors and families. They travel by car, bus, bike and foot. We're never going to satisfy everyone, and it wasn’t all that long ago locals were publicly reflecting on the joys of lockdown where streets were made for people. This was our chance to build on that experience and make genuine shifts in our behaviour and our thinking.

Let’s just hope AT doesn’t give up on us just because 4 of my fellow DTLB members gave it the thumbs down. It is time for a fresh approach to Lake Road – let's get it done!

Documents & Links:
1. Recommended feedback on Lake Road_Aidan & Toni
2. Resolved feedback on Lake Road_4 Board Members.
3. Lake Road Improvement Plan info
4. 2020 Public feedback
​5. Indicative Business Case