Auckland's Queen Street is set to receive a makeover, with the lurid yellow markers and stone blocks of the emergency Covid-19 works replaced with greenery and a "pocket park" as the city centre looks towards a post-Covid-19 recovery.
Plastic sticks and temporary footpaths on Queen Street, between Customs Street and Shortland Street, will be replaced with wide boardwalks, seating and native plants in planter boxes, Auckland Council said today in a press release.
A pocket park will also be installed for a pop of colour and a place for people to linger on the corner of Queen Street and Fort Street.
“We want the street to be more people-friendly and attractive, and to become a place to visit, rather than just pass through,” Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said.
“Last year, temporary measures were put in place by Auckland Transport to allow physical distancing during the pandemic. It’s now time for the yellow markers, stone blocks and painted asphalt to be replaced."
Goff said extended decking pavements similar to the ones in place on High Street, "decent" street furniture and trees and shrubs in planter boxes will "help change the look and feel of the area".
The changes will be trialled, with permanent changes to be made once feedback is received from businesses, shoppers, visitors and residents.
“Queen Street has taken a hit from Covid-19, with the loss of tourists, cruise ships and international students,” Goff said.
Goff said while the proposed changes "won't solve all the problems" of the popular thoroughfare, the "council, property owners, businesses and residents will need to work together to help the area recover from Covid-19 and to become an exciting and vibrant place to visit and shop".
The upgrade will build upon the refurbishment of the Chief Post Office as a transport hub, the new public space outside Commercial Bay and the new public space being built over the water next to the ferry building, he said.
Aucklanders are also being asked to give their feedback on a proposal to create bus lanes on sections of Queen Street, which is expected to improve bus reliability while more buses are temporarily using the street during the next phase of City Rail Link (CRL) construction.
Councillor Chris Darby, chair of the Planning Committee said the absence of international tourists and students and a shift towards remote working "meant the number of people visiting our golden mile fell away more dramatically than elsewhere".
“We recognise that the past 12 months have been financially tough and we are working hard with business and the residential community to create a Queen Street that glows again," he said.
“We want to attract people into Queen Street. Rather than a drive-through space we are creating a go-to place, with social life as its anchor. Cities work best when they are created by and for everybody, so we have used a co-design process to understand people’s hopes and ideas for the heart of the city."
Darby called the planned makeover "just the beginning of the staged transformation of Queen Street".
"There’s more to come, as we reinvent and polish up our premier street, continue building the CRL and ensure delivery of the City Centre Masterplan vision."
Waitematā and Gulf ward councillor Pippa Coom says the move is a "significant step" in the creation of a Zero Emissions Area in the city centre by 2030, proposed in the City Centre Masterplan, and the procurement of zero-emission buses from 2025.
“Reducing private vehicles on Queen Street will reduce emissions and improve air quality. It is also exciting to see that by the end of April 2021 the CityLink fleet will be fully electric,” she said.
It is proposed that the transport network changes will be in place for the reopening of the Wellesley / Albert Street intersection and the closure of the Victoria / Albert Street intersection in mid-2021.
Consultation with Aucklanders on the proposed network changes for Queen Street begins on Monday.
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