In 2004, Cycle Action Auckland members Graeme Knowles and Isy Kennedy took a petition to Parliament to request walking and cycling access on the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
About this time, Bevan Woodward began his involvement, reviewing a number of feasibility studies carried out by Transit. Bevan also invited Andy Smith from Walk Auckland and Living Streets Aotearoa to support the campaign. The major strengthening project of the clip-ons proved to be a crucial opportunity for the Pathway. After much lobbying of Transit, we received this assurance. However in late 2008, Transit advised that the northbound clip-ons did not have adequate capacity for a pathway and refused to look at alternate options for providing walking and cycling access.
Our communications were ignored and so consequently, as the option of last resort, a public demonstration of support was staged in May, 2009. This brought Transit back to the table and after a review by Holmes Consulting Group, in 2009 their State Highways manager confirmed a pathway attached to the eastern clip-on was feasible.
We engaged architects Copeland Associates to work on the design and in early 2010 we surveyed Aucklanders for their input on the design attributes that were important to them. Structural engineers Airey Consultants became part of the team to bring the Pathway design to fruition.
