Next part of Victoria Street cycleway opens

Simon Oddie, Priority Location Director City Centre in the new Auckland Urban Development Office at Auckland Council, explains that the Victoria Street upgrade is funded largely by the city centre targeted rate (CCTR), a rate paid by city centre commercial and residential property owners to fund initiatives which enhance and re-energise Auckland’s city centre.

“Anyone coming into midtown now will see that construction fences around these midtown works are diminishing, and the quality of design and careful staging of many layers of renewal are becoming visible,” he says.

“Four years ago, the council group started implementing plans to make moving around the city centre easier and safer for all users. This included dedicated streets for buses, cycleways and walking.

“This opening marks another key step forward, as Victoria Street becomes a purpose-designed tree-lined street with one lane of vehicles in each direction, connected laneways, wide footpaths with places to sit and spend time, and now a cycleway.

“By promoting active modes of transport, we’re giving people real choices in how they move around while making the city centre more vibrant, sustainable, and easier to navigate ahead of the opening of the City Rail Link next year,” Oddie says.

Auckland Transport’s Head of Active Modes Tania Loveridge reports that cycling in Auckland has grown 5% on average per annum over the last 3 years.

“Creating new infrastructure like Te Hā Noa, with this new section of safe and protected cycleway now complete, will help encourage more people to get on bikes,” she says.  

“This is an exciting new link which extends our city centre cycling network and will provide a seamless connection with the northern entrance into Te Waihorotiu Station.

“It’s all part of creating a safe and connected city centre that is easy to get around, regardless of how people choose to travel. Bring your bike on the ferry, train or the Northern Express, or ride in along the many cycle paths linking the region, and re-discover a city centre that’s ready to be explored,” Loveridge says.

Eventually the Victoria Street cycleway, including the newly opened section between Federal Street and Queen Street, will connect Victoria Park with Albert Park.

Construction of the last section between Queen Street and High Street is being co-ordinated with Watercare’s Midtown Wastewater Upgrade works. That section is expected to be operational at the end of 2026.