Councillors also approved removing some parking on 15 narrow and winding side streets in Wadestown to improve safety and accessibility, particularly for buses and emergency vehicles.
The parking scheme – which is designed to better manage existing parking pressures and the impacts of car park removal for safety and accessibility – will determine who can park where and for how long in residential streets in two areas of Wadestown.
Koata Hātepe, Wellington City Council’s Regulatory Processes Committee, yesterday endorsed the proposal to introduce the Wadestown east zone where about 30 percent of the parking will become two-hour (P120), 8am-8pm, Monday to Sunday. The scheme would give residents priority over commuters who park in the area.
The Committee also endorsed an amendment to stage the rollout of the scheme in Wadestown west. The staged approach would give time to monitor the parking situation following the removal of parking to improve safe access on side streets. The scheme could then be implemented in late 2025 unless the monitoring shows it should be installed earlier or not at all.
Committee Chair Councillor Sarah Free says she believes thorough consultation has resulted in a good outcome.
“The 2020 Parking Policy gives clear guidance about how resident parking schemes like this one should be structured in future and how permits will be allocated. It also provides leeway to tailor parking plans to suit different communities, which is what we have achieved here.”
Cr Free thanked the 627 people and organisations who provided feedback during the recent consultation, and those who shared their thoughts in person and online a few weeks ago.
“We listened to what people who live in these communities and people who work in the area think about the parking proposal. Then, in discussion with staff, we made the change to delay introducing the scheme to Wadestown west to make sure we optimise the quantity of restricted parking and the timing of the rollout there.”
The parking scheme will mean residents who choose to apply for a parking permit and are eligible to get one should find it easier to find parking on a street near their home. The new scheme should also make it easier for tradespeople and visitors to find short-stay parking spaces.
The Committee also approved better parking access in Wadestown village for shoppers, short-term visitors, and people with mobility permits, and to slightly extend the 30km/h zone at the village that will be combined with planned traffic calming.
On the recommendation of Council staff, Councillors agreed to defer considering the proposed uphill bike lane from Churchill Drive to Wadestown shops until demand increases and while efforts are focused on the central city as prioritised through the Long-term Plan. Cr Free says with the primary routes into the city either completed or nearing completion, having connections in the CBD is the next priority.
“The routes between Wadestown and further out remain important links in the bike network, and as demand increases and the key central city connections are completed, we can come back to this proposal.”
This will be the second new suburban parking scheme that implements the city’s Parking Policy adopted in 2020. The first stage of the Berhampore Newtown parking scheme is operating in Newtown west and Berhampore.
Installation of new signs is expected start in the Wadestown east zone from April so the new parking arrangements in this area can be in operation by mid-2025.