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The GetAcross organisation behind Sunday's Harbour Bridge protest says another crossing might be needed to make their message clear.
Thousands of protesters broke through police barriers to walk and cycle across the Harbour Bridge on Sunday to protest its lack of cycle lanes and walkways.
"There are so many cyclists and so many walkers that are out there in Auckland and want to get across and today's just demonstrating that and letting the powers that be know that we won't take no for an answer," said one protesting cyclist.
GetAcross has been gathering momentum since it was formed 18 months ago and it now has 10,000 members.
However, the New Zealand Transport Authority (NZTA) said the protest has not altered its stance on the issue.
"Currently this structure (Auckland Harbour Bridge) can't cope with any extra weight on it to put a walking and cycling facility on, that decision's been made," says Wayne McDonald, NZTA regional director Auckland and Northland.
NZTA says it will look at a cycleway for the Harbour Bridge once a motorway tunnel has been constructed under Auckland Harbour. That will help divert much of the heavy traffic away but it will not happen for another 30 years.
GetAcross spokesman Bevan Woodward is disappointed in the NZTA's response but said GetAcross will not give up.
He had hoped the NZTA would have realised the strong support for walking and cycling on the Harbour Bridge, and said they should have co-operated with the organisers earlier.
"They really mismanaged the situation today. They were not prepared for it, they would not meet with us before hand to talk about how it could work without inconveniencing the traffic."
GetAcross want to work with the NZTA over the issue in a "positive manner", he said.
While he did not want to protest again, it may be possible.
"If the Transport Agency don't pull their head out of the sand and wake up to the high level of support of this and how vital it is to the Auckland region, then there will be another protest and it will be a whole lot bigger than today. It will make today look like walk in the park. It will be massive."
NZTA and the police were critical of the organisers, "who did not keep their commitment to not force their way on to the bridge", McDonald said.
Protesters were moved on to lanes three and four to avoid a swaying motion on the clip-on lanes, he said.
"We wanted to avoid people trying to move from the clip-on on to the truss section over gaps in the road deck which are dangerous for anyone not in a vehicle, especially small children," McDonald said.
Green Party Co-Leader Russel Norman also attended the protest and said while he was disappointed with in NZTA for not co-operating with organisers, he was happy with police actions.
"At the end of the crossing, people were applauding the Police," Norman said.
"The police were put in a tricky position by the incompetence of the transport agency but they put public safety first .
"It was just tremendous to be there - it was a real celebration of walking and biking, and showed just how Aucklanders could get around if the Government had the gumption and the brains to think beyond building motorways."
The motorway had to be closed in several places to protect protesters, causing widespread congestion.
Some motorists were trapped in the closures for up to two hours, and special arrangements had to made for an oxygen tanker that needed to make an urgent delivery to the North Shore.
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