Transport Committee Supports SkyPath

The Auckland SkyPath, the privately-funded proposal for a tolled walking and cycling path over the Auckland Harbour Bridge, has been given a conditional tick by Auckland Council’s Transport Committee, meaning Council will now look at the funding proposal before deciding whether to support the project.

The SkyPath project has already been subject to a number of feasibility studies and engineering reports and has won the support of the New Zealand Transport Agency as its preferred option for cross-harbour pedestrian and cycle access.

The next stage in the process is consideration by Council's Strategy and Finance Committee in May, to establish support for a partial underwrite against revenue projections. The SkyPath will be funded as a Public-Private Partnership, with Morrison and Co'sPublic Infrastructure Partnership (PIP) Fund paying for the construction and operation of the path.The PIP Fund would receive a 25% share of any profits from the proposed path's proposed toll; Council would also receive a share of the profits and take ownership of the pathway after 20 years.

Should the Strategy and Finance Committee also lend its support to the SkyPath, the project would need to gain resource consent and would be opened for public consultation.

The SkyPath promises to be a popular visitor and tourist attraction along the lines of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, as well as providing commuters with an alternative to morning traffic jams. A study conducted by the Auckland Harbour Bridge Pathway Trust, of which HOTCity CEO Alex Swney is a trustee, indicates that750,000 people could use the bridge each year.

For more information about the SkyPath, visit www.getacross.org.nz