The Surrey Cres road upgrade is complete. Here’s what’s been delivered, what’s still to come, and what to know about parking…
The Surrey Cres road upgrade on Surrey Crescent and Old Mill Road is now substantially complete, and it’s been worth the wait.
What the Project Has Delivered
After years of planning and construction, the improvements are real and visible. Here’s what’s now in place along the route:
- Dedicated cycle lanes on the road and berm.
- A shared walking and cycling path.
- Improved and additional pedestrian crossings along Surrey Crescent.
- A raised pedestrian crossing at the Grey Lynn School entrance.
- Road narrowing outside Grey Lynn School, encouraging slower speeds in the busy school zone.
- A new road surface throughout, creating a smoother and safer travel experience.
- Short-stay parking outside Grey Lynn School during school hours.
These changes make Surrey Crescent and Old Mill Road safer and more pleasant for everyone, whether you’re walking, cycling, dropping kids at school, or just driving through.
A Decade in the Making
This project has had more twists and turns than Surrey Crescent itself. It started life as part of the Waitematā Safer Routes project back in 2014, and has since survived multiple redesigns, Covid budget cuts, funding diversions following the 2023 Anniversary Weekend floods, and more than a few moments where it looked like it might not happen at all.
For the full story of how we got here, read our earlier post: Surrey Crescent Road Upgrade: A Long and Winding Road.
The Grey Lynn Residents Association, alongside Grey Lynn School, Kāinga Ora, Cohaus and Bike Auckland, campaigned hard to make sure the road improvements were combined with the scheduled road resurfacing rather than deferred yet again. That campaign paid off.
It’s here. The Surrey Cres road upgrade is done.
New Native Trees on the Way
Here’s something to look forward to. Six new trees will be planted along the route during the coming planting season, running from May through August.
Five will be native Pūriri, with one Queensland Box rounding out the six. All six will be actively maintained for three years to give them the best possible start.
It’s a small but welcome addition to the streetscape, and one we know many of you will appreciate.
A Few Minor Works Still to Come
The main works are complete, but a small amount of finishing work remains. Road markings, signage and general site clean-up are due to wrap up by Friday 27 March. A minor tidy-up at the Bullock Track intersection will follow in April.
Nothing to worry about, just the last loose ends being tied up.
A Note on Berm Parking
We know parking is a sensitive subject, so we need to give you a heads-up about this one.
According to AT, parking on the berm is prohibited, and it is illegal to block a footpath, cycleway or driveway.
AT tell us that parking enforcement officers will be responding to any complaints from cyclists about obstructed cycleways along the route, so it’s important to be aware of the rules if you want to avoid being ticketed.
If you’re used to parking on the berm, now is the time to find an alternative. AT suggest parking on the road, on your property, or in nearby side streets as options.
We understand this is an adjustment, and we know it won’t be welcome news for everyone. But keeping the cycleway clear is essential for the safety of cyclists and scooter riders using the route.
Get Out and Enjoy It
The best thing you can do now? Go and use it.
Take a walk along Surrey Crescent. Ride your bike down Old Mill Road. Walk the kids to Grey Lynn School via the new raised crossing. See what a decade of community advocacy, patient consultation and persistent campaigning has produced.
A huge thank you to everyone in the Grey Lynn community who submitted, showed up, and kept the pressure on over the years. This one belongs to the neighbourhood.
Thank goodness you have good news, excellent to know thanks
It’s wonderful those roadworks have stopped, OR will stop soon they’ve been extremely obstructive and annoying, REALLY!
I’m disabled I can’t ride a bike, and don’t walk far. A lot of us are like that,ELDERLY, INFIRM, OR DISABLED, remember!
it’ll be good to be able to drive my car in the small area that I MAY drive in, because I also CAN’T GO VERY FAR any more, but at long last I may have a less stressful trip without all that MESSY road-works rubbish in the way, it was ridiculous how long it took to navigate.
I’m sure some people are delighted, people who ride bikes for instance, and I’m not sure who else….
But please stop cluttering up the road with all that nonsense!
I remember roads that had NO markings on them, and people driving simply had to use common sense, and know the road rules, it worked perfectly FINE, and didn’t cost so much, and didn’t make such a HUGE carbon footprint with all the work on the road.
Now Auckland transport are constantly coming up with new ridiculous idea ONLY so they can make more money, it’s atrocious! They’re trying to take a whole street full of houses in Ivanhoe Road, ALL OUR HOUSES, they want to smash all our houses, so they can make a bus lane for crying out loud as if we need another one with hardly anyone here.
It’s not essential, AT are just trying to intimidate us, they are thugs, atrocious behaviour, we will resist them, we will fight them!
Hi Raewyn – this might be some new information for you, but Auckland Transport are a government organisation, which is part of the council group. They do not have shareholders, nor is it owned by any individual – therefor, it doesn’t make money and none of it’s projects generate capital. Charging infringements to those committing parking offences generates revenue, which is then spent on the road etc but they do not ‘make’ money, if they did, the NZTA and council wouldn’t have to fund them for the work they do. Additionally, they do not build houses, I have no idea why you would even think that – the clue is in the name Auckland ‘Transport’ not Auckland ‘houses’.
Lastly, just because you can’t ride a bike there’s no need to be so salty to the kids that might want to cycle to school, now that it’s a lot safer to do so in the Grey Lynn area.