Kelston - New Lynn walking and cycling improvements

About the project

We are working to deliver safe walking and cycling connections across Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland. With 3.25 million cycle movements recorded in June 2024 across 283 kilometres, we are now filling some of the gaps in our communities out west.

The busy New Lynn transport hub has nearly 3,000 people move through it every day, and with nearby residential areas and schools in Kelston serving approximately 3,500 tamariki we need to bring more transport options to more people. Our proposal for this project includes safe and easy-to-use walking and cycling connections that gets you to your school, your sports field, your workplace, your local shops and all the places you love in a way that is good for you, your whānau and the environment.

New Lynn has access to the city centre, Onehunga and Mangere on separated cycleways, and we know from previous consultation that Westies would like to build on this with more access to neighbourhoods around their local area, opening even more opportunities to walk and cycle.

This project has been brought forward as part of Auckland Council’s climate response and is funded by the Auckland's Climate Action Transport Targeted Rate.

The proposed network

We’ve already established some local cycle paths like Seabrook Avenue and New Lynn - Avondale shared path, and now our team is investigating additional routes to provide safer walking and biking connections in the Kelston, New Lynn and Glen Eden area.

In developing these proposed local connections the team has kept the following at the forefront:

• budget constraints and making use of existing infrastructure to provide cost savings
• generally locating walking and cycling connections away from busy main roads
• re-purposing existing road space only where necessary
• deliverability – how easy it is to build.

The result of all these considerations (and more) is that the proposed connections for Kelston, New Lynn and Glen Eden include the following:

• shared paths in the berm / footpath area
• on-road cycle lanes (protected with a separator)
• improved crossing facilities near schools and local shops
• improvements to the traffic calming measures in quiet streets.

We have developed concept plans of the walking and cycling connections and welcome feedback from the community before progressing to detailed designs.

Project background

In early 2024, we carried out a travel behaviour survey to understand how people in Kelston and New Lynn move around their community. The feedback we received reflected that the Kelston and New Lynn communities would be interested in walking and cycling as a part of their commute if we provided a safer cycling and walking infrastructure. The responses also reflected broader feedback and research on the need for social cycling and walking events in Kelston, New Lynn and Glen Eden.

Click here to find the travel behaviour survey report: Travel behaviour insights survey feedback report

This followed engagement in 2016 where we consulted with the Avondale and New Lynn community about how they felt about cycling in their neighbourhood. The 550 submissions we received contributed towards changes to the cycle network in the area through the Avondale - New Lynn shared path, Seabrook cycleway and separated cycle lanes on Clark Street.

For these new proposed connections, we have worked with the Whau Local Board, Waitākere Ranges Local Board, Te Kawerau ā Maki and key stakeholders to get feedback on the routes and associated concept drawings. We have also worked closely with the Streets for People - Onewherowhero Kelston team who carried out a successful trial to create a safer street environment around Kelston schools’ area that has significantly reduced the number of near misses (i.e. accidents that almost happened). Elements from the trial will be considered in our final design to retain the safety benefits for tamariki.

We also recognise that infrastructure alone is not enough for a community to choose walking and bike riding more. Beyond on-street changes, we are planning to introduce programmes that have proven successful in other areas to support Westies to give biking a go. This includes working with local schools to implement bike trains and walking school buses and breaking down barriers to access with bike skills trainings and supported bike ownership through our bike hubs.

What we want your feedback on

While the plans are quite detailed, we genuinely want to hear from you with your local knowledge to ensure we deliver something that will support seamless and safe travel choices in your community. We welcome feedback on the connections we’ve proposed specific to your neighbourhood, and you can also provide feedback on the whole proposed network.

You can influence the following key elements in our plans that will help shape the final outcome:

Bike parking and wayfinding – if there is a location in or around the town centre or other areas that you think bike parking or wayfinding signs should be included.

Shared paths – these are wide paths designed with enough room for people walking and cycling to share.

Protected cycle lanes – these are bike lanes separated from traffic by rubber or concrete barriers.

Improving safety on streets with low traffic volumes – these streets separate cyclists from the busy main roads. This requires us to clear access and reallocate road space which will remove some on-street parking.

How you can have your say

Complete the online feedback form on this page. The form will be open from 26 August to 23 September.

You can also come and have a chat to our team on the dates/locations below: