Subscribe to RSSWaterfront Trams Construction Resumes
Construction of the tracks for the Heritage Trams along Wynyard Quarter has resumed - and the tracks have now reached Pakenham Street.
The 1.5km loop will run clockwise along Jellicoe St, down Halsey St, along Gaunt St and up Daldy St. Trams will be in service for the RWC 2011.
The project includes the laying of tracks and road renewal, as well as installing the over-head wires at approximately 6m in height. The tramway will be very similar in appearance to MOTAT’s in Western Springs and the heritage circuit in Christchurch.
Update: The project organisers advise that contrary to earlier reports, they are not leasing 2 SW6 trams from Motot, rather leasing a W2 and X1 from Bendigo.
The full background to the project and construction is in an earlier post here
The intersection at Halsey
16 Comments
I measured it at 150M of tracks last night, which means we’re 10% of the way there. Actually, hopefully that’s 10% of phase 1!
It’s all very nice, but shouldn’t it go where people are? The Chch tram goes thru the Square, shouldn’t this go to Britomart from the beginning?
When the the cyclists start to complain about the tracks in the road?
This is a great news. I hope it acts as a catalyst to go over Te Wero Bridge to Britomart. Wynyard Quarter needs this transport link.
“When the the cyclists start to complain about the tracks in the road?”
Why should we? Tram tracks aren’t dangerous for a cyclist who is looking at the road. I cycled in a tram city for about a decade, and never had a problem, and I can’t recall seeing anyone fall.
Mark,
Neither are cars… but just you wait, the cyclists will moan.
Also, department of labour would have a field day down there with the amount of slack work place protection in place.
“Neither are cars… ”
You mean the 75% of car drivers who are guilty in cyclist-car crashes (NZTA crash stats, not “moaning”) aren’t a danger to cyclists on our roads, as long as they just pay attention? Dream on.
“but just you wait, the cyclists will moan.”
So far, all I hear is others (motorists) moaning about how cyclists might moan. But hey, it’s a free country - if you want to believe that cyclists “moan”, then what I’m going to say here is unlikely to change your mind, because you’ve already made it up.
Drivers are generally at fault by not seeing the cyclist, so therefore the cyclist should make themselves more seen or ride defensively, just like you will when you see rail tracks coming.
And of course motorist’s and cyclists will moan, you are moaning now.
Like you say if the cyclist is watching the road, there wont be an issue, just as if cyclists where more visable to road users
Tram tracks aren’t an issue for cyclists, Melbourne has both the lagest tram network in the world and the highest cycle ridership in Australasia.
My street has tram tracks and I ride up and across it almost daily.
@Nick R, It is the highest in the world now because St Petersburg Remove thiers. (god knows why)
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by greenbranz, AKT. AKT said: Waterfront tram track construction in Auck continues- Todays Photos http://bit.ly/hswFQ4 #auckland #trams #lightrail [...]
Nice blaming the victim there Damian.
As someone who does ride defensively and constantly watches the road, I’ve been hit twice, both times by drivers who simply didn’t look properly leaving me no time to take enough evasive action.
Also, a subtle difference between a car and a pair of tram tracks…. one moves, and quite rapidly at that.
Anyway, my only “moan” about the trams is that sadly its taken the only decent criterium circuit that was close to the CBD away. Then again with the development that was going on there it was going to get shut down soon enough anyway.
I’m more worried about drivers who don’t know how to handle trams around them. Could be interesting!
“I’m more worried about drivers who don’t know how to handle trams around them. Could be interesting!”
What, you wanted those loaned trams back INTACT? Geez, you Aussies are SO uptight about these things…
I think it’s great that trams are making a reappearance in central Auckland, but I’m mystified as to who is going to be travelling on them once the RWC hordes have departed? To my knowledge the track just goes in a loop around the tank farm area, rather than connecting anywhere useful.. or am I missing something?
No the trams are missing the passengers