New plans for Beach Road - your opinion counts

Auckland City Council is inviting public comment on a draft design for the estimated $6.8 million upgrade of Beach Road from 2 April 2008.

Arts, Culture and Recreation Committee chairperson, Councillor Greg Moyle, says the upgrade will create a safer, better-connected pedestrian route between key destinations, such as the Vector Arena, the Britomart Transport Centre, Parnell Rise and the CBD.

"In recent years, the number of pedestrians on Beach Road has greatly increased due to the growth in nearby residential and business development, and the opening of Vector Arena," says Mr Moyle.

"The upgrade focuses on improving the street for pedestrians - making it a greener, safer and more enjoyable environment to be in."

The section of Beach Road being upgraded runs from Britomart Place to Churchill Street. It is a key project in the council's 10-year action plan for making Auckland's CBD a high-quality, people friendly environment, and is the second phase of improvements in the area, following a lighting upgrade completed last year.

Councillor Moyle adds that the council is committed to listening and working with the public to help deliver improvements to Auckland's CBD.

"In planning the upgrade, we asked street users, nearby businesses and residents what they valued about the street. They told us Beach Road needed more pedestrian crossings, more trees and smoother footpaths with a tidier finish. This feedback helped develop the project's draft design," he says.

People can view the draft design for the Beach Road upgrade and submit feedback at an information display at Vector Arena during the following times:

Saturday, 5 April, 10am to 4pm
Thursday, 10 April, 11am to 2pm and 4.30pm to 7pm
Saturday, 12 April, 10am to 4pm
Wednesday, 16 April, 11am to 2pm and 4.30pm to 7pm
Saturday 19 April, 10 am to 4pm.
Those who are unable to visit the display can get information about the draft design and a feedback form from:

our website
Auckland City Council's customer contact centre on 379 2020
the Auckland Central City Library or council service centres.
All feedback must be received by 5pm on Wednesday, 23 April.

The council's Arts, Culture and Recreation Committee will consider the feedback, along with advice from the council's officers and specialist advisers, and approve a final design concept.

Physical work to the street is expected to begin in January 2009