Guest post: An infrastructure tour of Auckland
Posted by Ted Timmons (Contributor) on January 29th, 2020 at 2:25 pm
When I have the opportunity to travel I always keep an eye open to infrastructure that is welcoming, surprising, unique, or very hostile to humans. Over the winter break I was in New Zealand, so I thought I’d give a quick tour of what caught my eye.
There is a lot of public art in Auckland; this was my favorite mural:
A contraflow bike lane. This is going up a hill and the path needed to get creative. In the distance the lane is on the street but has a curb:

Bus lane. This is somewhat common where the bus lane leaves room for turning drivers:
Advertisement
Another view of the green bus lane:
A beautiful sign for common space that is overseen by a waterfront restaurant. This reminds me of Portland’s Street Seats, but is more welcoming because it explicitly invites non-customers:
A human-oriented construction detour sign:
A very explicit “shared zone” sign. It’s clear who is being invited to use this alley:
Advertisement
A less explicit “shared zone” sign:
A subtle cue that bicyclists are welcome on this walkway. It seems useful where sidewalks are meant to be shared by humans on various modes:
Picturesque view with sharrows on the road. This is a relatively low-volume street through office spaces in the heart of the city:
— Ted Timmons @tedder42 on Twitter.
— Get our headlines delivered to your inbox.
— Support this independent community media outlet with a one-time contribution or monthly subscription.
NOTE: We love your comments and work hard to ensure they are productive, considerate, and welcoming of all perspectives. Disagreements are encouraged, but only if done with tact and respect. If you see a mean or inappropriate comment, please contact us and we'll take a look at it right away. Also, if you comment frequently, please consider holding your thoughts so that others can step forward. Thank you — Jonathan