Petition for cars to be removed from Auckland's Queen St

There's a fresh push to remove cars from Auckland's Queen St to make it more friendly for pedestrians, shoppers and cyclists.

Other high streets around the world and the country have done so with success, but Covid-19, construction and cars are making Queen St undesirable for many.

A petition has been launched to get Auckland Council to bring plans to pedestrianise Queen St forward.

"Queen St Waihorotiu deserves to be a destination, not just a thoroughfare," Auckland Central MP Chlöe Swarbrick said.

She's calling for the mayor to take action on this critical part of the country's economy.

"As soon as people get out there and start enjoying these spaces it's hugely beneficial to local businesses, to all of our wellbeing and it has the impact of also reducing air pollution and noise pollution."

Auckland's city centre business association says a change needs to be gradual.

"There's absolutely no debate about the value of a people-centric city, the challenge is how you get there and when you get there and how you make the city function as you move towards that," Heart of the City's Tania Loveridge said.

"We need to have a street that works for things like deliveries, there's a whole lot of construction still underway with the City Rail Link and also in the midtown, and until those works are complete there's limitations for what can happen to Queen St for things like buses."