The shared path and wayfinding signs are being delivered in partnership with Let’s Get Wellington Moving.
Contractor JFC will be working in the Coutts Street and Tirangi Road area for the next few months installing new crossings, safer bike connections, and other street improvements that were approved in May by Koata Hātepe, the Council’s Regulatory Processes Committee following public consultation earlier in the year.
Work will initially be at the intersection of Te Whiti Street and Coutts Street, and near the Airport tunnel in Coutts Street.
A second contractor, Downer,will be working in the Kemp Street and Tacy Street area. Work here includes more safe crossings and the shared path adjacent to the sports centre car park, which is under way and will help provide a safe connection through from the Cobham Drive crossing/Tacy Street to Kemp Street and Rongotai Road.
Once the changes have been made, we’ll be asking for further feedback on how they’re working as people get used to the new street layouts. In places where adaptable materials have been used, tweaks can be made to iron out any minor issues and make improvements. We’ll also be gathering data on things like numbers of people on bikes, vehicle speeds, and how safe people walking and cycling feel before and after the new layout.
To avoid disruption during the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Wellington City Council’s Chief Planning Officer Liam Hodgetts says only essential work could happen in the central city and on key routes.
“This created opportunities to work with our contractors to make progress in other parts of the city.”
The street improvements are part of the Kilbirnie connections project – one of many projects under way to develop the city’s bike network. They complement improvements that have already been made in the Kilbirnie area over the last few years, including the development of Tahitai, the coastal bike and walking route from the east to the city, and the connection to Newtown via Crawford Road.
Traffic management will be put in place at times when required, including stop/go signs.
Ninety percent of the funding for the Kilbirnie connections project is from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s Transport Choices programme. This package is included within the Government’s Climate Emergency Response Fund (CERF), formed out of the Emissions Reduction Plan and Budget 2022 to make it easier for people across Aotearoa New Zealand to participate in a low carbon transport system.
Find out more about the ways we are making Kilbirnie, Rongotai and Lyall Bay easier and safer to get about on foot, bike, scooter and bus, and sign up for e-newsletter updates at transportprojects.org.nz/kilbirnie
Street changes in the Coutts Street/Tirangi Road area over the next three months include:
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raising the crossing on Coutts Street near Mamari Street and installing a new raised crossing across the entrance to Te Whiti Street
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making the Te Whiti Street intersection with Coutts Street safer by only allowing left turns in and out. Emergency vehicles and people on bikes will still be able to turn right into Te Whiti Street
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creating a safer, lower speed area at the roundabout by installing speed humps on the Coutts Street and Tirangi Road approaches
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installing separated bike lanes on both sides of Coutts Street from the roundabout to connect with the existing lanes on Te Whiti Street
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installing painted bike lanes from the roundabout to the airport underpass
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changing angled parking spaces to parallel parks near the underpass and changing restrictions from a 10-hour maximum to four hours to assist businesses and discourage long-stay airport parking
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installing separated bike lanes on each side of this section of Tirangi Road (no changes south of Leonie Gill Pathway)
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installing two raised dual crossings across Tirangi Road – one at the Leonie Gill Pathway and the other near the roundabout.
Street changes in the Kemp Street/Tacy Street area over the next two to three months include:
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installing a new raised crossing on Kemp Street near Ākau Tangi linking with the existing path to Rongotai Road and new path connecting to Cobham Drive
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creating a new 30km/h safer speed zone on Kemp Street with street changes to encourage safer speeds including a new speed hump near 31 Kemp Street
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creating a new 30km/h safer speed zone on Tacy Street with street changes to encourage safer speeds Installing a new raised pedestrian and bike crossing at the entrance to Tacy Street (south side of the Kemp Street intersection) plus two new speed humps (north of the Kemp Street intersection and near no. 36).