Tamaki Drive goes T2

-- Back in the vehicular firing line

It was a cycle commuter haven – a warm current running parallel to the impatient line of cold hard nose-to-tail steel. The 2km bus/commuter lane between the Tamaki Yacht Club and the perilous Ngapipi Road intersection was a fine place for the rush hour cyclist.

For sure, an ear was kept out for an infrequent Nifty-Fifty and a bus or two, which I must say always treated cyclists with great care.

And what a place, that lane, to safely observe the habits of queue humping drivers: texting so few young female drivers can resist; the middle-aged accountant’s deftly folded newspaper for hands-free steering wheel presentation; and the constant detainment by one’s own rear view mirror reflection. And of course Lipstick. Apply it at 25kmh, no problem.

Driving sins they are, but more threatening to front running drivers than to cyclists minding their own business in the neighbouring lane.

But the 2km burst of rush hour cycling freedom has been snatched away.

The big white T2 tells me the lane is now accepting rush hour cars (for two hours, 7-9 a.m., and only cars carrying at least one passenger) and rabid taxi drivers.

Now what for the work-commuting cyclist? Back in the vehicular firing line, that’s what.

For long stretches there is no shoulder for safe passing.

Cars freshly liberated from their jam will revel in the clear space of T2.

In this lane cars will travel much faster – the press release says “several minutes faster”. All 250 of them every hour.

Please be nice.