Safer cycling networks in Auckland
Date
2020Citation:
Jahanbani, R. (2020). Safer cycling networks in Auckland. (Unpublished document submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Landscape Architecture). Unitec Institute of Technology, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10652/5350Permanent link to Research Bank record:
https://hdl.handle.net/10652/5350Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION:
How can cycling networks become safer in Auckland?
ABSTRACT:
High-density cities worldwide are trying to reduce the amount of motorised transportation mode usage and use a sustainable alternative such as cycling. It is clear that cycling offers significant environmental, financial, and health benefits. This paper is set up to investigate how the cycling network can be made safer in Auckland.
Auckland is the largest urban region in New Zealand and has the challenges of a growing population and, accordingly, ongoing urban growth. A Snapshot of Cycling in Auckland (2017), released annually by the Ministry of Transport, shows the rate of cycling in 2016 was only two percent, in comparison to the other travel modes, such as motorised vehicles, public transport, and so on. In a recent report, The Stuff (Flahive, 2019) comments that Auckland riders had increased by 8.9 percent in a year, compared to the previous 12 months. The increasing trend in biking requires more facilities, safer cycleways, and convenient routes. As well, reducing car dependency can preserve Auckland’s green network and help keep future growth ecofriendly and sustainable.
This thesis concludes with pragmatic solutions to enhance the biking corridor’s safety and make cycling an irresistible option. In this paper, Auckland’s current characteristics and its future challenges and plans are investigated. The project method defines appropriate environmental, social, and technical criteria drawn from the literature relating to New Urbanism and Sustainable Mobility and tests three different case studies. Furthermore, relevant road codes and Te Aranga principles are studied. This paper offers a safe practical design that is evocative of interest in cycling as a prime form of transportation by retrofitting five high-risk zones including intersections, T-junctions, driveways, parallel parking, and bus stops. Moreover, an entertainment/ social zone is promoted to expand social willingness and economic growth.
Project site: Intersection of Great South Road and Kerrs Road