Auckland Transport invites feedback from the public on further works to be undertaken in New Lynn following the recent completion of the New Lynn Transport Interchange, the Clark Street extension and the Totara Avenue shared space. The public can provide feedback on both the overall design layout and the proposed parking changes associated with it. The picture below shows Great North Road as it is today.
Overview
The proposed works will improve the pedestrian environments on Great North Road (between the Clark Street Extension and Memorial Drive as shown in the above picture) and Delta Avenue.
The upgrade will be finished to a high standard, similar to the new Totara Avenue West. The project will significantly enhance the New Lynn CBD and is part of a wider vision to transform New Lynn into a vibrant regional town centre.
Construction is expected to start by April 2012 and be completed by August 2012.
Features
Along this section of road, the aim is to provide a more pedestrian-friendly town centre or “high street” environment while maintaining a key arterial road that serves the wider west Auckland area. Below is an artist's impression of the finished work, followed by a cross section indicating how the space will be used.
Click on image for enlarged picture of the Great North Road cross section
See also a close-up map of the redevelopment plan for the Todd Triangle area.
The plan allows for wider footpaths, new seating and additional plantings to create a more pleasant environment for walking, shopping and socialising.
The old brick footpaths, which pose safety risks, will be replaced with modern concrete footpaths that match other redeveloped areas in the town centre. Additional tree planters will be introduced and low impact drainage systems, in the form of “rain gardens”, will help to manage storm water run-off.
Under the proposal, vehicles will no longer be permitted to make a right-hand turn into Memorial Drive.
Footpath widths at this intersection are currently well below the desired minimum width of two metres, so this change will allow the footpath to be widened sufficiently. However, there are still a number of alternative access points into Memorial Drive – from Totara Avenue, Delta Avenue, Clark Street and McCrae Way.
Delta Avenue
The new-look Delta Avenue will be a tree-lined boulevard and a pedestrian-friendly environment for retail and leisure. The footpath on the retail side will be widened from two to four metres to encourage enhanced retail use, such as café-style seating, while the footpath on the Delta Triangle side will be widened from 1.5 to two metres.
Extensive landscaping work - including new trees, seating, footpath surfaces, pavers and efficient LED lighting – will be undertaken.
The plans allow for vehicle access to be created from Great North Road for city-bound traffic, improving accessibility to local businesses and the large McNaughton Way carparking area located behind Delta Avenue.
The existing Delta Avenue/Hugh Brown Drive/Memorial Drive intersection will be replaced with a raised mini-roundabout to improve pedestrian safety and accessibility. The roundabout will feature zebra crossings to give pedestrians priority and increased visibility.
See also a cross section of the plan for Delta Avenue and a close up view of the plan for the Delta Avenue/Great North Road intersection.
Impacts
It is not possible to make the proposed improvements to Great North Road and Delta Avenue and preserve all the current parking arrangements.
The existing inset parking on Great North Road is to be replaced with off-peak “tidal” parking - available outside the peak travel times of 7-9am and 4-6pm, Monday to Friday. Delta Avenue will retain both parallel and perpendicular parking.
However, four existing spaces need to be removed from Great North Road and five from Delta Ave to allow for the planned streetscape improvements.
Changing the parking layout allows for wider footpaths, additional planting and seating and therefore safer, more functional and more attractive public spaces for people to enjoy. It also gives businesses the opportunity to make better use of their frontages.
Auckland Transport believes the improvements this urban renewal project will make to the local environment will offset the loss of parking in this area.
Additional parking is available nearby, including the large McNaughton Way carpark (which offers free, unrestricted parking) and the McCrae Way carpark off Great North Road. A new 299-space parking building will also be built on Totara Avenue in 2012.
Consultation
The consultation period for this project closed at 5pm on 13 January 2012.
If you have any questions about this project, please email us at newlynntod@aucklandtransport.govt.nz or phone 09 355 3553.