Wai Horotiu Queen Street Valley Pilot

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Looking at Lower Queen Street towards the Ferry Terminal at peak hour


Engagement on this project closed on 30 October, 2020. See the comments and ideas shared on our Social Pinpoint map.

About this project

The Wai Horotiu Queen Street Valley pilot aims to improve Queen Street for everyone through working with the Queen Street community to shape a more vibrant, user friendly street environment that people want to spend time in. One of the main ways we are doing this is by reallocating space on Queen Street (and other city centre streets) to people walking, cycling, using public transport, and delivering and servicing homes and buildings.

The Wai Horotiu Queen Street Valley Pilot is one piece of the puzzle to transform our city centre, and was set up now to align with the next phase of CRL construction happening in mid-2021, which will see more buses temporarily diverted down Queen Street.

The pilot gives us the opportunity to test ways to make Queen Street better, while there are already changes that must be made to Queen Street, to allow for these additional buses.

The pilot will trial changes to the streetscape that can then inform future stages of improvements based on feedback from the community.

Over the second half of 2020 we gathered feedback from a wide range of community members on what they would like to see for Queen Street. This feedback has informed the improvements we are trialing on the street this year.

What's involved?

Streetscape improvements: We are beginning on Monday 10 May to deliver these improvements in a staged basis, starting in the northern end of Queen Street, between Customs Street and Shortland Street, including the Fort Street intersection.

Last year, COVID-19 emergency works were put in place along Queen Street by Auckland Transport to allow physical distancing during the pandemic. This included temporary footpaths, hit sticks, and painted asphalt to determine the new space given to pedestrians.

Our streetscape improvements will replace these emergency works with more space for pedestrians, native trees and shrubs in proper planter boxes and decent street furniture will help change the look and feel of the area.

These measures will be trialed before permanent changes are made once we receive feedback from businesses, shoppers, visitors and residents.

The pilot is the first in a series of stages to transform Queen Street, and in tandem to this work beginning soon we are also working on a long-term development strategy for Queen Street that’s in line with the City Centre Masterplan

Have your say on how traffic uses Queen Street -

Auckland Transport has also asked for feedback on a proposal to create targeted bus lanes in two sections of Queen Street, this consultation closed on the 7 May.

This is needed to support a temporary increase in bus movements along Queen Street with the next phase of City Rail Link (CRL) construction. This will see the Wellesley Street intersection reopened to buses in mid-2021, while the Victoria and Albert Street intersection simultaneously closes to all traffic until late 2023.

While a response to CRL construction, these proposed network changes are also a major part of the Queen Street pilot because they would remove end-to-end car traffic from Queen Street. This improves bus reliability for the tens of thousands of Aucklanders who travel to, from and through the city centre by public transport each day.

This is part of the long-term shift away from general traffic driving through Queen Street, allowing us to prioritise space for people and public transport. To find out more about this consultation visit AT.govt.nz/haveyoursay.

To find out more please read our most recent newsletter.

*Feature image is an artists impression of Stage 1 of Queen Street improvement works.



Engagement on this project closed on 30 October, 2020. See the comments and ideas shared on our Social Pinpoint map.

About this project

The Wai Horotiu Queen Street Valley pilot aims to improve Queen Street for everyone through working with the Queen Street community to shape a more vibrant, user friendly street environment that people want to spend time in. One of the main ways we are doing this is by reallocating space on Queen Street (and other city centre streets) to people walking, cycling, using public transport, and delivering and servicing homes and buildings.

The Wai Horotiu Queen Street Valley Pilot is one piece of the puzzle to transform our city centre, and was set up now to align with the next phase of CRL construction happening in mid-2021, which will see more buses temporarily diverted down Queen Street.

The pilot gives us the opportunity to test ways to make Queen Street better, while there are already changes that must be made to Queen Street, to allow for these additional buses.

The pilot will trial changes to the streetscape that can then inform future stages of improvements based on feedback from the community.

Over the second half of 2020 we gathered feedback from a wide range of community members on what they would like to see for Queen Street. This feedback has informed the improvements we are trialing on the street this year.

What's involved?

Streetscape improvements: We are beginning on Monday 10 May to deliver these improvements in a staged basis, starting in the northern end of Queen Street, between Customs Street and Shortland Street, including the Fort Street intersection.

Last year, COVID-19 emergency works were put in place along Queen Street by Auckland Transport to allow physical distancing during the pandemic. This included temporary footpaths, hit sticks, and painted asphalt to determine the new space given to pedestrians.

Our streetscape improvements will replace these emergency works with more space for pedestrians, native trees and shrubs in proper planter boxes and decent street furniture will help change the look and feel of the area.

These measures will be trialed before permanent changes are made once we receive feedback from businesses, shoppers, visitors and residents.

The pilot is the first in a series of stages to transform Queen Street, and in tandem to this work beginning soon we are also working on a long-term development strategy for Queen Street that’s in line with the City Centre Masterplan

Have your say on how traffic uses Queen Street -

Auckland Transport has also asked for feedback on a proposal to create targeted bus lanes in two sections of Queen Street, this consultation closed on the 7 May.

This is needed to support a temporary increase in bus movements along Queen Street with the next phase of City Rail Link (CRL) construction. This will see the Wellesley Street intersection reopened to buses in mid-2021, while the Victoria and Albert Street intersection simultaneously closes to all traffic until late 2023.

While a response to CRL construction, these proposed network changes are also a major part of the Queen Street pilot because they would remove end-to-end car traffic from Queen Street. This improves bus reliability for the tens of thousands of Aucklanders who travel to, from and through the city centre by public transport each day.

This is part of the long-term shift away from general traffic driving through Queen Street, allowing us to prioritise space for people and public transport. To find out more about this consultation visit AT.govt.nz/haveyoursay.

To find out more please read our most recent newsletter.

*Feature image is an artists impression of Stage 1 of Queen Street improvement works.