Bike Racks Full at Devonport Ferry

It doesn't seem that long ago, that there were no bike racks at Devonport Wharf for Devonport Ferry users. We had to fight quite hard on Council and Devonport Community Board to get some installed.

These photos are of bike (and scooter) parking at Devonport Wharf. There are now four bicycle racks. And you can see that the main ones are full. "Build them and they will come", seems to be a truism for bike racks at ferry terminals.


The most reliably used bike racks are those under weather cover - rain and UV cover.

There is a lesson here for Auckland Transport - and Auckland Council. Build bike racks at commuter ferry terminals. Build lots of them. I have been very gratified by the rapid rate at which new bike parking capacity gets filled up at Devonport. I think we are only just scratching the surface of bike-to-ferry demand in Auckland.

I've included - at the end - a couple of pictures of bike racks from my travels. The first is a railway station bike rack is at Malmo in Sweden. City population is 300,000....

And the last is of bike parking (out of the weather) at a suburban station in Sapporo Japan, under the overhead railway line... Examples we can learn from I think, in Auckland.

Singapore - Urban Design 3 - Chinatown

I always like to explore the indigenous bits of cities I visit. Maps of Singapore for tourists and from hotels, emphasise the location of Chinatown, Little India, and even a bit of Arabia with souks and the like. Parts of it can be a bit touristy, but the markets are real enough, and it's all lively and thriving. These destinations are very attractive with tourists and visitors, and are a big part of keeping this multicultural place alive and kicking. Well - that's how it seemed to me as an outsider...

And I liked seeing the bikes and the three-wheelers used to move goods. Singpapore does have it's share of big motorways and road congestion charge systems. At the conference I heard from a member of the Transport Council how they want to get the peak am mode share of public transport up to 70% from 63%...

Here, mum buys the kids some Chinese sweets and ice-creams from the local sweet shop. Plenty of other bits and pieces to buy too.

Great places to sit - with the climatic conditions well provided for. Heat of the sun and torrential downpours alternate. Lot of style.

I liked the chinese laundry effect. Boy - a lot of people live out this way. This is Chinatown.

A very people-oriented public space. No cars here - even though this is a very car-oriented city. Cars have their place - but there are also rigorously protected areas for people. Auckland could learn a lot about vehicular delineation from Singapore.