Hopefully by the time you’re reading this, the Harbour Bridge is fixed, or at least close to.

I really want to thank everyone for doing what they can to free up space on the road for those who have no other option but to drive. It’s shown, again, how the North Shore community adapts to help others.

Whether you’ve worked from home, taken the bus or ferry, or travelled off peak; it’s making a big difference. Thanks to the engineers, fabricators and workers who worked around the clock to get a temporary fix to the bridge and, while I write, are working on a permanent fix.

We saw a big increase in public transport use in the first week of bridge disruption, about a 100% increase on the ferries, and 15% increase in bus use on the Shore.

In July we made it free to get the bus to the ferry when you tag on with your AT HOP card. For instance if you get the 917 bus to the Birkenhead Wharf or the 814 to the Devonport Wharf and jump on the ferry you’ll only get charged the ferry fare; the bus fare is free.

An additional harbour crossing is still planned. Thankfully a business case is due in the next few months, after we secured $61m in 2018 with the government for design, route protection and other related costs to kick off work. Councillor Chris Darby and I were successful in the Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP) process in moving the crossing forward by a decade – to the 2028-2038 planned period. ATAP 2016 originally had it sitting as a project in 2038-2048.

It’s great to have it 10 years closer. However I wish it could be faster. We’ve been advocating for it for years. It is unlikely to be moved further ahead at this stage due to a range of factors including potential property purchase, consents and design and the large cost. We’ll keep trying and we are stoked it’s finally moving in the right direction.

Construction of the Northern Pathway – Te Ara Pae Moana – starts next year providing a walking and cycling connection. The equivalent cycleway alongside the Northwestern motorway transports over 5000 cyclists a day – if all those people were in cars it is the equivalent of one line of cars from Silverdale to Fanshawe St so will make a difference in the meantime.

The disruption on teh harbour bridge has been hard for our community on top of the Covid impacts. Thank you for doing all you can.