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

The new hurdles facing the Thorndon Quay project are troubling. The last thing that this project needs is for any further delays or disruptions.

Last week, Wellington Council was presented with a petition seeking to disrupt work due to unfounded concerns about the condition of pipes in the area.

During the meeting Councilors also learned that following the GPS Transport 2024, Waka Kotahi has reneged on co-funding raised safety platforms, of which there are several in the Thorndon Quay design. The change means the council is suddenly burdened with covering around another $312,500 previously promised by Waka Kotahi for that component of the project.

While the controversy around the funding of the raised safety platforms is not materially consequential to cycling interests for this project per se, it is certainly worrying.

Cycle Wellington strongly supports the Thorndon Quay project and encourages Councilors to ensure the delivered infrastructure does not compromise on safety for people living, walking or cycling in the area.

We strongly support following through on the hard won designs and delivering the benefits from this improved infrastructure for Wellingtonians to enjoy. Our expectation is that there is no further delay to the delivery of the project, and our main concern is to avoid entertaining further disruptions.

We hope people will take note of where this sudden extra cost to this project (and / or potentially worsened safety) really comes from. This is not the Council’s doing; it is the Minister of Transport.

What is truly disturbing is the precedent the Minister is setting by directing Waka Kotahi to actively worsen safety outcomes.

This is a stark departure from guidance in the One Network Framework (ONF) which recognises that streets are not only for helping people and goods move, but they’re frequently a part of places where people live, work and build communities.

Traffic calming infrastructure is a proven approach for encouraging safe vehicle speeds in places where more people are. It is well understood that people’s driving behaviour corresponds to the design of the infrastructure they are moving through. Posted speed limits are commonly breached if the design of a street appears to invite higher speeds.

Streets frequently fail to achieve safe speeds until the design signals what is appropriate to drivers due to its physical features, like bumps, raised platforms, chicanes, narrowed lanes, etc.

It is not news that the Minister does not love the idea of traffic speeds that are actually safe for people. Along with unacceptable speed rule settings, the Minister’s expectations for funding safe street infrastructure in the GPS - the Government Policy Statement is similarly bad:

“The Government expects that investment from this activity class will not be made in traffic calming measures such as raised pedestrian crossings, raised platforms, speed bumps, and in-lane bus stops on state highways and local roads.”

It’s like Thorndon Quay is grappling with a form of identity crisis. It’s unclear whether it is a ‘local road’, or a ‘city street’. Confusion is understandable; to date it has been trying to be both a street and a road, also known as a ‘stroad’. Stroads result in the worst outcomes for everyone.

Interestingly - ‘local road’ doesn’t feature as a classification in the ONF. Perhaps Wellington City Council could still rightly claim the funding if Thorndon Quay was classified as a street? ‘Streets’ haven't been explicitly excluded from traffic calming funding… yet.

We also note that motorists do have a choice of dedicated fast roads to travel in and out of Wellington. There happens to be a full urban motorway nearby with 3 lanes in each direction and Aotea Quay has 2 lanes in each direction too. It does not make sense to expect Thorndon Quay to also continue to facilitate large amounts of fast traffic. It is certainly the best corridor for Wellington to commit to prioritising public transport, walking and cycling journeys.

The design for Thorndon Quay is settled. Whatever the council decides to do in response to the unhelpful interference of the Minister, any unnecessary delays would be hugely unsettling and unfair especially just as we can all see the finish line.