Dear Mr Warburton,
It is with deep regret I write you this letter. The death of cyclist 27-year-old British tourist Jane Bishop on Auckland’s Tamaki Drive is a tragedy for her family, friends and for Auckland.
As you appreciate there are no easy answers to addressing Tamaki Drive’s on-going transport issues. There is no one solution. However this latest tragedy shows us all that Auckland Transport needs to focus its attention urgently on Tamaki Drive, particularly the section between Okahu Bay and Mission Bay. Too many accidents are happening. It is totally unacceptable.
The former Auckland City Council did some significant work on marking out green cycle lanes city-bound, improving signage, as well as taking parked cars off a big part of Tamaki Drive at peak times and creating clearways which are beneficial to buses and cyclists.
Tamaki Drive is Auckland’s most beautiful drive. However it has also become our most dangerous. We have to move beyond the constant blame game towards cyclists or motorists. Auckland Transport must urgently review the amenities it provides the travelling public on Tamaki Drive. It must also move quickly on the completion of any planned cycle-lanes and any other design improvements before we have another fatality.
I appreciate that there may be capital works planned for Tamaki Drive and a ‘Share The Road’ campaign will go region-wide in December. I urge you to now work with urgency on improving Tamaki Drive’s transport amenities. In its current state it is a death-trap. The new council and the new Auckland Transport CCO have to do better.
Cameron Brewer – Councillor for Orakei