March 2022 Newsletter
https://www.cyclewellington.org.nz/march_2022_newsletter
Kia ora koutou
Calls to action
Newtown to city and Botanic Garden ki Paekākā to city webinar
7:30pm Tuesday 15th March
Tune in online to learn about important street changes coming via two projects; Newtown to city and Botanic Garden ki Paekākā to city. Vida Christeller, City Design Manager and Renee Corlett, Project Lead will share information about the designs and schedule.
529Garage registration pit stop
4:30pm - 6pm Friday 11th March
Te Papa Forecourt
Stop in on Friday to get a free shield for your bike! Wellington City Council have sponsored 1000 free ‘shields’ as part of a trial period for the 529Garage bike registration app to help deter bike theft. In the meantime - download the app.
Support making the case for a better RiverLink
Riverlink is a big project in central Lower Hutt to:
- Widen the Hutt River to reduce flooding risk
- Build a huge interchange with SH2 at Melling, and a new active transport bridge over the widened river
- Turn the Hutt city centre towards the river
People on bikes will lose out if Riverlink is approved without changes.
Hutt cycling advocates are fighting to make sure the needs of people on bikes are met. We need to get more people biking to cut carbon, cut congestion, and improve health. Let's not miss this opportunity to make cycling better.
We have a volunteer lawyer, but need to pay our transport expert so we can make our case in the Environment Court.
Upcoming bikeness
Picnics in Parks
11am - 12:30pm weekly on Fridays
Changing locations
Every Friday (nearly!) we meet up somewhere in central city Wellington in an on-street parking space. Join us for a chat and coffee, and sometimes: knitting, board games, and puppies, and help passers-by rethink the use of public space. We’re usually near a cafe, so come support a local business for your lunch as well.
Next Cycle Wellington Meeting
6pm Tuesday 5 April 2022
Sustainability Trust, Forresters Ln. and online. Sign up to CW to receive online meeting details closer to the time.
Project updates
Wellington City Council
Bike lanes are coming to Newtown
The first interim bike lane project is already underway in Newtown! As part of creating a better experience for people on bikes all the way from the Newtown shops to the Waterfront, WCC has started work on some of the more demanding items that take more time. The first step is relocating traffic lights at Adelaide Junction. The main installation of the route will take place from April to July.
Once the route is installed, the council will seek public feedback and make further improvements over time.
Cycle Wellington is really excited about these designs, having given feedback through the process so far. There are aspects that remain problematic, in our view, but are confident there will be opportunity for ongoing improvement and refinement.
The tactical urbanism nature of these projects also means major engineering works won’t happen up front. The team are fitting in what they can within the existing carriageway space, for example. Future phases of improvements will involve permanent civil engineering work when there is more confidence about what is and isn’t working along the route.
Brooklyn Road
Council is investigating more enhancements to the Brooklyn Road route, including a footpath on the ‘uphill’ side between Nairn St. and Washington Ave, and potential downhill options for people on bikes. There are also intentions to extend the bike lane to the Brooklyn shops, as well as further into Wellington City to better connect with Victoria Street.
Shelly Bay
The Council has 1 year to come up with alternatives to the current plan for the seaside road from the Miramar cutting to Shelly Bay. They are working to avoid the previously suggested shared path (1.5m) design and instead align the design with the vision of The Great Harbour Way. WCC is working with Tonkin + Taylor.
Owhiro Road transitional bike lane project
As a part of the new Paneke Pōneke Bike Network Plan, WCC are eyeing up implementing an uphill bike lane from the Tip Track to the Brooklyn shops. This will likely go in next summer.
Minor works ongoing and other pieces of work
Some double level bike parking facilities are being planned for the Freyberg and Kilbirnie Pools.
The Newtown Parking Management Plan is still being produced, following the 2020 Parking Policy.
Detailed design of Evans Bay Parade is progressing. Seawall engineering for the remaining gap in the Tahitai path is also ongoing.
Waka Kotahi
Road to Zero campaign launched
Cycling advocates say the new Road to Zero campaign has the right vision and a good strategy, but there's a gap.
"Human mistakes are always possible, but no one should be killed or seriously injured as a result," said Patrick Morgan, from Cycling Action Network.
"The Road to Zero strategy includes safer speeds, vehicles, roads, and driving and riding."
"But there's a gap. It should also have a goal for less driving. Unless we reduce VKT (vehicle km travelled) we can't achieve our safety and carbon goals."
"We need a plan to get people out of cars, and onto public transport, cycling, scooting and walking. We also must reduce the need to travel, so we can cut risk and harm on our streets."
Greater Wellington Regional Council
Bikes on Trains
Do you want better service for bikes on trains? We met with Regional Councillors Daran Ponter, Roger Blakeley and staff to make the case for improved capacity for bikes on trains.
We appreciate:
- free carriage of bikes on most trains
- bike racks on buses (Progress: the whole Metlink fleet of buses now have bike racks!)
- folding bikes permitted on all services
- some train staff permit flexibility in the bikes on trains policy
Where planned rail maintenance interrupts trains, replacement buses will be sourced from Metlink, so will have racks. But where there's unplanned interruptions, sometimes they have to take what buses they can get. Check the Metlink website.
Some improvements that we proposed:
- replace 6 seats opposite the bike space with 5 tilting seats, to double bike capacity
- give train staff flexibility to permit bikes in the pushchair space if not required by others
- install a rail and hooks to make room for more bikes.
NZ Bus
The bus operators at the Kaiwharawhara depot beside the bridge will be installing some lights and a sound alarm to alert cyclists and pedestrians that a bus is
approaching their path and that caution be given.
Cycle Wellington have shared some reservations with NZ Bus about this. We worry that the gate itself creates a major sightline barrier to exiting bus drivers. We do not want such driveway devices to become common along this corridor. We are also concerned that the lights and alarm may mislead cyclists and pedestrians into thinking that they are required to yield to vehicles entering and exiting the yard, which is not the case.
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