Recommendations to the Transport and Urban Development committee - 11.08.16
Wellington’s Mayor, Celia Wade-Brown, says a key part of the programme is a significant emphasis on community engagement.
“More cycling is part of our smart capital’s future. Wellington City is growing and cycling as a viable transport choice will help to reduce traffic congestion and emissions, and contribute to a healthier and more liveable city.”
The refreshed cycleway programme recommendations are based on staged investment in several areas:
- connecting Ngauranga to the Central City/CBD connecting the eastern suburbs to the Central City/CBD, including a connection to the Leonie Gill shared pathway and progress
- toward sections of the Great Harbour Way between Waitangi Park and Cobham Drive and between Cobham Drive and the Miramar Cutting
- integration of cycling consideration in the Central City/CBD area into the Let’s Get Wellington Moving programme
- continuing the associated minor works and engagement and communication programme to get people on bikes. This includes the pursuit of pragmatic and early improvements across the network, such as improved uphill conditions across a number of corridors until the full corridor improvements can be considered according to the wider 20 year programme.
Engagement and consultation plans will be developed for each of these pieces of work with local communities and citywide users.
The programme has been developed following the New Zealand Transport Agency-commissioned Morrison Low Review of the Council’s cycling programme.
TUD Committee Chair Andy Foster says the proposed programme will build on work already done – and be achieved through a closer collaborative partnership between the Wellington community, Wellington City Council and the New Zealand Transport Agency.
“Some of these elements are the same as in the original programme, notably the Ngauranga to central city and eastern suburbs proposals, but we have redirected money that was going into the Central City towards the route round the Eastern Bays and the route from the southern suburbs towards the city,” says Cr Foster.
“This is simply because major investment in the central city has to be integrated into the Let’s Get Wellington Moving programme. We will decide on a multimodal package to address Wellington’s wider transport needs by the end of next year. That will undoubtedly include cycling but it is too late to take advantage of the current tranche of Urban Cycleway Funding.
“The new programme works with local communities to establish a sense of place, people and movement within the context of an integrated and connected transport network,” he says.
“For the refreshed cycling programme to succeed, we have to bring Wellingtonians with us on the journey. And this means much closer engagement with, and listening to, local communities.
“We’re using this approach to re-engage with the whole community in Island Bay and neighbouring communities and work with them to develop their 10-year plan for Island Bay.
On Monday we opened a drop-in shop on The Parade, a relaxed space where locals can come in and discuss anything to do with the suburb.”
“We have also allowed capacity to deliver a range of other citywide improvements as opportunities arrive, particularly some of the uphill routes to our hill suburbs.” He says.
The NZTA’s central Regional Director Raewyn Bleakley says: “What is proposed is a practical and achievable programme that will offer choices for people on how they travel and encourage people of all ages and abilities to cycle.”
At the same TUD meeting, Councillors will also receive an update on the Hutt Road cycleway project and bikes on buses.