October 2026 Newsletter

Posted by 977sc on October 16, 2026

https://www.cyclewellington.org.nz/october_2026_newsletter

Calls to action

Brooklyn bike lanes are under attack - say no way to clearways!

Image: the proposed bike lane on Ohiro Rd on the right of this image was removed by Councillors. Not ok.

While pleased that the Brooklyn Road project has been given the go ahead, Cycle Wellington is dismayed to learn that the already modest design has been compromised by a proposal to replace a small section of cycleway with a clearway. This is very disappointing, especially as this has not been recommended by officers or advocated for by the cycling community.

From Cr Laurie Foon: “Wellington City Council decided to make the Brooklyn Hill cycleway section permanent. However, the committee removed the proposed improvements to the Ohiro Road section, between the Brooklyn lights and the top of the hill, in favour of a clearway on the west side on weekday mornings, 7-9 am, essentially for commuter traffic, for 10 hours per week.

It is important to know the Mayor and Councillors made this recommendation, not staff.

To date, staff have not recommended a clear way or part-time cycleway, as I understand it is not considered best practice or NZTA-recommended.

Please could you share here any evidence-based information, global or local, about using clear ways or part-time cycleways, the impacts and experiences of using them as cycleway infrastructure.”

Please let your Councillors know that clearways are unworkable and ineffective at delivering the safe conditions that people on bikes need. Councillors need to hear especially from those who frequently ride at various times of the day (as opposed to just those commuting to work in the central city for a limited time in the morning). This council needs to understand that they can’t use this inadequate and problematic approach now or in the future.

Make sure to enroll and vote!

To get back to making biking better in Wellington in these challenging times, it is imperative that we change the make up of the Government. This coalition, led by the National Party has created a damaging and hostile environment for making streets work for people not in heavy vehicles.

Changes made by the first Transport Minister Simeon Brown, for instance, saw reversion to a provably dangerous approach to traffic speeds around the country. He also produced a strategy that withdrew co-funding subsidies for most projects trying to deliver walking and cycling improvements that local communities were demanding and working on productively.

With a change of Minister, and some welcome, constructive law changes such as 1.5m passing laws, sharing cycleways with micromobility, and more, the worst aspects of Brown’s impacts have not been rectified and there have been no campaign promises to do so that we’re aware of.

Please ensure you and all your eligible family and friends are enrolled to vote (by 25th October) and vote for parties and candidates who will work to get us back on the path to evidence-based, future-focussed, and healthier approaches to transport in Aotearoa.

Have your say on Wellington trails

Feedback closes 30 November 2026

Wellington has some amazing trails for walking and biking, and they could be even better.
WCC is reviewing its Open Space Access Plan. This will shape how Wellington’s track network is developed, maintained and funded over the next 10 years. WCC is asking the community for feedback to help inform the development of the new Plan.

It takes 5–10 minutes to complete - use the guide from Trails Wellington to have your say. Your voice counts.

1000 Signatures for Reclaim Miramar Roads petition

We have achieved our initial target of getting 1000 signatures for the Reclaim the Miramar Bays Roads Petition. Thanks for the support!

The petition calls for WCC to give priority to pedestrians and cyclists on the Miramar Bays road by reserving the seaward lane for walkers, cyclists and the like from Miramar Cutting to Scorching Bay.

The next step is to present it to the Te Hoe Matua | City Strategy and Delivery Committee on Oct 29. at around 9.00-9.30am. Come along and show your support.

Councillor Jonny Osborne will be the Council committee member who will take the supporting action so that council staff will be asked to do exploratory work on how it might be possible to implement the petition.

Upcoming Bikeness

Women’s Learn to Ride Class

10am Saturday 17 October

Te Aro School, 360 The Terrace

Pedal Ready's free class for women runs for 2 hours, away from traffic. Bikes and helmets are provided, and on-site childcare may be available on request. Register here

Cycle Forward - Fundraising ride

Sunday 18 October

Te Ara Tupua

Saddle Club

5pm Friday 30 October

Pukeahu

Join us for a social ride around the central city and beers and chats after. We’ll be doing this each month on the last Friday over summer. Family friendly, but be prepared to ride in traffic on some streets!

Meet at Pukeahu from 4:30pm
Ride start at 5pm
Beers at Heyday Brewery on Cuba Street 6pm

Halloween bike rave

8pm Saturday 31 October 2026

Lady Norwood Rose Garden, Wellington Botanical Gardens

Artwork by Lachie Wheeldon

Come dressed to haunt. Ghosts, ghouls, disco demons and your finest, weirdest, most rave-adjacent outfits are all welcome. Raising the dead with a live set from DJ Nihilo

What to bring

Lights - make your ride glow in the dark.
Speakers with FM receivers
Warm layers - even the undead get chills.
A bike or other wheeled creation.
Your finest Halloween rave outfit.
Your friends and whānau!

Thanks to Bicycle Junction!

2026 Cycle Wellington Annual General Meeting

6pm Tuesday 3 November 2026

Sustainability Trust, 2 Forresters Lane, and online (sign up to our website and we will share the meeting link via email).

Join us at our 2024 AGM. All supporters are welcome to attend. To cast votes on the various resolutions, you need to be a paying member. To become a member, make a donation (preferably $5+ monthly recurring) and follow the link in the email you receive.

At this year’s AGM:

Chair’s Report.
Treasurer’s Report.
Nominations, voting, and appointments
- Secretary (Currently vacant - nominations welcome)
- Chair
- Become a CW officer*
Review of membership fees.

*What’s involved with being a CW officer?

Officers help pursue the Objects in our constitution, and it depends what you want to bring to the effort. It’s great if Officers can make it along to our monthly meetings too.

If you would like to become an Officer, or put yourself forward to contest any position, please email CW or simply attend the AGM and raise your hand when nominations are called.

Public talk by Tom Flood - Reframing road safety

6pm Friday 6 November 2026

Lecture Theatre 1 (LT1), Te Kura Hoahoa - School of Architecture and Design Innovation

Join us in person for our next public talk where Tom Flood, of Rovélo Creative, takes a look at how we can better communicate about road safety and active transportation to cut through and connect.

Tom worked in advertising for many years in Toronto doing work with a wide range of clients including automotive manufacturers. Things changed direction for him after taking his kids to school on their bikes and seeing the imbalance on our streets.

He now develops strategy and creative for clients through Rovélo Creative and gives talks around framing and communications as it applies to active transportation, road safety and road violence.

Get your free ticket.

Recent goings on

Tūhono train interior mockup visit

The Tūhono trains are part of the Lower North Island Rail Integrated Mobility programme led by Greater Wellington Regional Council in partnership with Horizons Regional Council and the New Zealand Government.

The programme has built a scale model of the new trains, and recently invited user groups to inspect and provide feedback. (Wheelchair and mobility device users, bike riders, vision impaired, parents with prams etc).

Greater Wellington staff and CW Co-Chair Linda showed up with a pile of bikes, and proceeded to load them into the carriages. There were some very enthusiastic and excited Kiwirail staff present to get feedback and suggestions on what worked and what could be improved. We succeeded in getting more bikes onto the carriage than the ‘official’ number!

Linda’s folding Tern was fitted into the small spaces (would only go into one if one pedal was removed) but it fitted perfectly into the luggage space on the non-wheelchair carriage.

The wheelchair carriage fits the most bikes - the proviso being that if a wheelchair user entered the train, then bikes would be offloaded. These carriages have more capacity for bikes than the current models, and we are hoping that some of our suggestions and preferences will make it to the final cut.