Auckland’s 1st Pedestrian Shared Space Gets Final Go-Ahead

Auckland city’s first shared space, which gives priority to pedestrians, has just been given the final tick –and that’s great news.

The council’s approved the final design for the upgrade of Elliott St. Costing $7.2m, the upgrade starts construction next June in time to be completed for the RWC (isn’t everything except electrification!).

To ensure the timeframe is met for Elliott Street, the adjacent Darby Street pedestrian mall plans have been de-coupled and will proceed separately.

The Elliott Street design sees paving across the full width of the street and the removal of kerbing to allow pedestrians to move more easily into and through the area. This also provides opportunities and space for outdoor dining and a variety of other street activities, such as events.

Public feedback has meant some changes:

• an additional tactile indicators to assist the visually impaired,
• installation of six bollards in specific locations to protect canopies from delivery vehicles, allowing general vehicles access to restricted loading bays (6am to 11am) Monday to Saturday, to support local businesses, introducing loading zones on nearby Wellesley Street to support local businesses
• the removal of all the on street vehicle parking though parking for motorcycles and bicycles will be provided for
• rearrangement of the seating layout to provide more choice for users.

The final concept promises “high quality street furniture, vegetation and lighting”  and –“high quality stone paving across the full width of the road reserve on both streets.” The latter will be interesting in view of the questionable Queen St paving and paving used in places like the Swanson St upgrade which is already showing wear.

Only 19% of the 134 who submitted feedback to the council expressed unhappiness.  Predictably there were mainly sad sacks who think Auckland should stay as a polluted car-dominated city.  They were unhappy with the lack of vehicle access and parking available within the area and felt this would have a negative impact on local businesses.

Others felt, the CBD had enough pedestrian priority areas already and a few respondents felt the design was bland.

But one brave person felt the design did not go far enough and suggested the whole area should be pedestrianised.  Good on you. I want to see Queen St for pedestrians only. But this is a practical solution and a good start.

Several expressed concern about vehicles and pedestrians sharing space while others felt the street already operated as a shared space.

Let’s just remind ourselves of the project objectives for the upgrade of Elliott Street and Darby Street:

• integrate the Elliott Street and Darby Street area into the CBD streetscape and open space network
• Provide greater pedestrian priority to the Elliott Street and Darby Street area
• Create a distinctive public space and provide opportunities for the Elliott Street and Darby Street area to be a popular destination in the CBD
• Improve spaces that support business and provide for a variety of activities
• Provide a high quality, attractive and durable streetscape that contributes to a sustainable and maintainable CBD.

So far, so good. The final concept seems to tick the boxes. There’s plenty of evidence to match the claim that, where shared space has been introduced overseas, it has been shown to improve pedestrian safety, calm traffic, attract more people, enhance business and retail activityand encourage diverse outdoor activity.