Broken Promises and Distortion of the Facts by the NZ Transport Agency

Here is a summary of the NZTA's broken promises and distorted information in relation to the walkway and cycleway on the Auckland Harbour Bridge...

(1) Reneging on their assurances that the provision of the walkway and cycleway was being future-proofed

In October 2008, the NZTA sabotaged progress on the walk/cycleway by claiming that the walk/cycle way would significantly shorten the service life of the clip-ons due to loading capacity. 

However many assurances had previously been provided by the NZTA (formerly known as Transit) that provision for the walkway and cycleway had been specifically future-proofed, including:

(1a) Transit CEO advised Parliament's Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee  in a letter, dated December 11, 2007: "the work required inside the clip-on box girders to enable the walkway/cycleway will be included in the upcoming upgrade of the clip-ons."

 (1b) May 2008 LTNZ Board Paper (Agenda No. 6c), advised in paragraphs 7 & 8:

"Transit NZ has undertaken some investigation to to ascertain whether whether future proofing for a walkway/cycleway is possible during the upgrade.  While carrying out structural analysis of the AHB, Transit included a loading case involving a cycleway/walkway. The analysis found that a cycleway/walkway, which partly used the existing carriageway and also included a slight extension on the operating width, was structurally feasible."

(1c)  Bryan Jackson, NZTA Board member wrotes in a letter to ARC's Christine Rose, 19 May 2008:

 "...structural elements will be incorporated into the current strengthening works to future-proof the clip-on lanes and allow for future walking and cycling options on the box girders."

"the purpose of the structural upgrade of the clip-on lanes is to ensure they stay in good condition for the next 20 to 30 years. I assure you that these works do not preclude the addition of a walking and cycling facility."

(1d)  The May, 2008 Transit Board Paper 6173 "AHB Strenthening project" states in Item 4:
"Through innovative thinking, further structural elements have been incorporated into the current strengthening works at relatively low cost to future proof for future walking and cycling options"

(1e)  Transit CEO, Rick van Barnevelt writes in a May 14, 2008 letter to Hon Judith Tizard:
"Transit acknowledges that the provision of appropriate access for cycles and walking across the Waitemata Harbour is a priority for the Auckland region"
"Provision of a walkway/cycleways is one proposal that will help the Auckland region increase the mode share of walk and cycling, which is a key requirement of the draft Updated New Zealand Transport Strategy"
"Given the likelihood that the next Waitemata Harbour Crossing will be a tunnel the Auckland Harbour Bridge strengthening project must specifically include the detailed provision for a future walkway and cycleway"
"Structural elements have been incorporated into the current strengthening works to future-proof for walking and cycling facilities on the box girders"  

The NZTA's claim a walk/cycle way would significantly shorten the service life of the clip-ons due to loading capacity is a distortion of the truth, based on this "personal and confidential letter" as requested by NZTA.

(2) NZTA CEO, Geoff Dangerfield spreads misinformation

NZTA CEO, Geoff Dangerfield writes in a letter to the NZ Herald (published May 9, 2009) that a public walk using the clip-on lanes is not possible due to the "swaying motion" created by walkers.

However this is untrue:

(2a) The August 2008 NZTA Board Paper No. 0015 describes how a public bridge walk for the Bridge's 50th Birthday was recommended; it was to use the Eastern clip-on lanes for the walk.

(2b) Furthermore, Geoff Dangerfield claimed that the entire Harbour Bridge would have to be shut down for the public walk. This is nonsense as it is feasible to partially close the Bridge, leaving sufficient capacity to handle weekend traffic. Such a scenario with crowd managementt is described in the NZTA's August 2008 Board paper and we see it in action when each year the 7,500 Auckland marathon runners use the Western clip-on lanes to cross over the Bridge.

(3) Arrogance and lack of respect

On July 29, 2004, Transit was requested by Parliament's Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee to conduct a feasibility studyand report back within 12 months (ie, by July 2005).

 The report was not tabled until 11 December, 2007, that is, two and a half years late.  There was no reason given for the lateness.

Furthermore, it was subsequently revealed that Transit had decided three months earlier at its September, 2007 board meeting that:

"Our message should be that the bridge is capable of including a cycleway/walkway and therefore such a facility does not need to be included in any below harbour crossing. However there is no intention to progress the project further at this stage"

This demonstrates a certain arrogance and lack of respect by Transit/NZTA for those it reports to.

(4)

 At its May 2008, the Transit Board resolved in Item 23C (c):

"That the Board requests the Chief Executive to continue working with Cycle Action Auckland in promoting cycling options, in particular with the proposed celebrations of the 50 year anniversary of the opening of the Auckland Harbour Bridge".

It has been very disappointing to see the NZTA staff ignore this Board resolution. Despite a number of requests to the CEO and his staff,  no communication has been received from the NZTA on this matter.

(5)

Transit's Board Action Paper 6189 ( May 2008) stated under Item 17 "As part of the stage 1 assessment, a workshop is planned with stakeholdsers including Cycle Action Auckland "

However despite our repeated requests, no such a workshop was never held.  

This denied stakeholders the opportunity to have their say and assist determining a feasible solution for walking and cycling access.