The trial uphill bike/scooter lane on Brooklyn Road was opened on 10 June 2021. This project was part of Waka Kotahi’s Innovating Streets programme which made funding available for local councils during Covid-19 restrictions to try out temporary street changes that could be made permanent later if they were successful.
Installation of the 1.3km protected bike lane happened over six weeks, from Nairn Street at the bottom of Brooklyn hill to Ohiro Road near Tanera Crescent at the top, using adaptable materials and removing some parking.
Community engagement included a co-design workshop and meetings with residents. A technical working group reviewed the design.
Overall, the project was well received, with intensive community engagement happening before, during and after the bike lane was installed. Once the changes were in, people could also provide comments over a six-week period via a public survey about their experience of the bike lane and the new street layout.
Once the bike lane was in, we made a small number of on-the-ground improvements in response to feedback.
Overall, many people told us they found using the new street layout was a positive experience and thought it made travelling between the central city and Brooklyn safer for everyone.
The main response from people using the bike lane was that it should start further down and continue to the Brooklyn shops which would improve safety and encourage a lot more people to cycle on this route.
To help evaluate the project, we looked at vehicle speeds and the number of people riding up Brooklyn hill before and after the bike lane was installed.
Despite the effect of Covid-19 on people’s travel patterns, there was a small (6%) increase overall in the number of people riding on Brooklyn Road on weekdays and a 10% increase on weekends compared to July 2020. Vehicle speeds dropped slightly from 56km/h before the trial to just over 51km/h after the bike lane was installed.
The feedback and survey results were presented to Councillors at the 25 August 2021 meeting of Pūroro Āmua, the Planning and Environment Committee. Councillors then agreed to extend the route from Victoria Street to the Brooklyn shops and formally consult with the public on making permanent changes. They also agreed that permanent changes would include improvements for pedestrians.