Wellington Mayor Andy Foster says the Council is proposing to revoke the current traffic bylaw which is no longer fit for purpose, and create a new ‘stand-alone’ Traffic and Parking Bylaw to protect, promote and maintain public safety on roads or parking areas owned or managed by the Council.
“After extensive community consultation we adopted the new Parking Policy last August, which prioritises safe and efficient movement of people, active and public transport over private vehicles, and the use of public road space based on a new parking space hierarchy. Now the bylaw needs updating to reflect the policy.”
The proposed bylaw:
- enables temporary road changes for pilot/trial schemes such as shared pathways
- makes it simpler for parking officers to remove non-motorised vehicles that park on the street for longer than seven days, including trailers, boats and caravans
- regulates the parking of vehicles for advertising or selling purposes
- manages mobile trading in roads and public places
- prohibits the driving, riding or parking of vehicles on beaches
- restricts the driving, riding or parking of vehicles on unformed legal roads
- amends the definition of taxi to include small passenger service vehicles for services like Uber, Ola and Zoomy
- clarifies that non-compliant skip/bulk bins can be restricted, charged and removed under the Local Government Act 2002
- clarifies the conditions for using public works as a defence for parking offences.
The Council would like to hear the public’s thoughts on these proposed amendments.
They can also share their thoughts on whether motorcycles should be able to park in car-sized parking spaces and their personal experiences of engine braking noise or cruising activity disturbance. Their input will help the Council determine what steps could be taken to manage these issues in the future.
There is also an opportunity to have a say on alternatives to parking on footpaths, an increasingly prevalent problem that creates safety risks for footpath users.
The Council recently revoked a parking on footpath enforcement guideline from 2005 to better reflect current legislation and the new Parking Policy. Suggestions on how to best manage pedestrian and vehicle access and parking on narrow streets are now being sought, says Mayor Foster.
“We have increased traffic on our streets and footpaths but unfortunately we cannot match that increase with a works programme to widen all of our narrow streets. It is our intention in calling for public suggestions to strike a balance that best meets the needs of residents, pedestrians, non-motorised transport users and motorists.”
The Council will work with key stakeholders including resident associations to implement solutions over time. Meanwhile, no changes to current ticketing practice will be made for at least three months, and parking officers will continue to use their powers of discretion under the Land Transport Act 1998.
Full details of the proposed Traffic and Parking Bylaw are available in the Statement of Proposal.
An accessible Word version of the Statement of Proposal is available here and an accessible Word version of the submission form is available here.
Hard copies of the Statement of Proposal and submission form can be found at Wellington City Council libraries.
Wellingtonians can have their say from today 10 May to 11 June 2021 in a number of ways:
Freepost 2199
Traffic and Parking Bylaw
Policy Team 259
PO Box 2199
Wellington 6140
- Drop off a completed submission form to Arapaki Manners Service Centre at 12 Manners Street or at any library
- Make an oral submission - you can indicate you would like to do this when you complete the submission form.