https://www.cyclewellington.org.nz/september_2021_newsletter

Kia ora koutou -

Welcome to spring! Welcome back to Level 2 freedoms, and farewell to the freedom afforded by much more appropriate levels of heavy vehicle traffic on our city and residential streets under Level 4. We hope you and your bubble members all got some rewarding riding in while the roads were silent.

Our thoughts are also with Auckland as it remains in Level 4. Kia kaha e te whānau!

This month’s CW meeting was held online. It was great to see so many of you there. Thanks to write for the generous use of their Zoom account. Our next monthly meeting will be an Annual General Meeting. More details below. Crossed fingers we can see more of you in person by then. We are investigating how to make the AGM accessible for those who would prefer to attend online.

We are mindful that the upcoming waves of transformation to transportation systems in Wellington will need us to continue to be vocal and active. Just because we’ve had a lot of wins recently does not mean the mahi will quieten down. Quite the opposite, in fact. The amount of change and work ahead is huge. We need to remain vocal about what we support and where we see courageous progress by officers and council, because if we’re not, the nay-sayers will get all the attention. CW are especially excited that more upcoming projects will be incorporating tactical urbanism engagement processes like has been employed for the Brooklyn Road bike lane.

“Once we recognize that urban design is, at its core, the design of human relations, we begin to understand why Americans are suffering a crisis of loneliness and why our lack of beautiful, functional public spaces is an urgent matter of public health.” Ashley via Twitter.

Ngā mihi nui

Linda Beatson and Alex Dyer
Co-Chairs

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Calls to action

Bike Life profile volunteers

Cycle Wellington wants to publish profiles of Wellington’s people who ride bicycles. We’d love it if you can volunteer to be interviewed and share why you ride, what you love about it, and what needs improving for people riding the bike life in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

Fill in this form to volunteer.

Different Spokes Pōneke

Different Spokes Pōneke is a cycling club based in Wellington, New Zealand. Our club is LGBTTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, takatāpui, queer, intersex, asexual, and other rainbow identities) friendly. We are inclusive of all bodies. Everyone is welcome regardless of experience. This group is geared (get it?) towards those under 40 but we welcome everyone. We would like to hold different rides for different abilities and types of adventure.

Want to get involved and help steer the direction of this splendid, majestic, multi-coloured creature on two wheels? We're brand-spankin' new and are open to suggestions!

Got an idea for a ride? Get in touch or post it on the page to get keen beans.

Bike security survey

Help create a better picture of bike security issues in Aotearoa by filling in this new survey.

This collaborative undertaking by cycling advocacy groups across New Zealand seeks to understand how to improve safety and security for anyone using a bicycle.

Pics for CW

Can you help us out? Cycle Wellington needs better pics to use on our website and other collateral.

If you have a great pic of someone riding a bike around Te Whanganui-a-Tara that we can use online and in printed collateral, please email it to us at [email protected]

Please include the name of who we should credit and where the photo was taken.

Speak up about autonomous vehicles operating on New Zealand roads

Te Manatū Waka (The Ministry of Transport) are seeking feedback on the scope and structure of our proposed Long-term Insights Briefing on the impact of autonomous vehicles operating on New Zealand roads.

Residential on-street bike storage

If you know of a good spot where some on street bike storage would be welcome, please submit it using our Minor improvements map form.

View the map here to see locations that have already been suggested.

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Upcoming bikeness

Picnics in Parks

11am - 12:30pm weekly on Fridays
Changing locations

Every Friday (weather and absence of communicable diseases allowing) 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 Annual General Meeting

6pm Tuesday 7th September
Sustainability Trust, 2 Forresters Lane

Next month CW will hold our 2021 Annual General Meeting. All supporters are welcome to attend. Paid supporters are eligible to vote. Along with regular agenda items, during the AGM we will:

• Year in review report
• Review finances
• Nominations, voting, and appointments of committee Officers & Chair/s
  

Urbanerds meetup

5:30-7:00pm Tuesday August 10th
Fortune Favours, Leeds Street

Meet with urbanists from all walks (and cycles) in a fun, informal catch up. To keep in the loop sign up here. Please note that there is a 30 person limit for this event while under Level 2. To secure a spot - please RSVP.

World Carfree Day 2021

Wednesday 22nd September

Have a think about how you, or your friends and colleagues will travel in healthy, sustainable ways on World Carfree day this year. CW recognises that cars are a vital mobility tool for some.

The more people who can employ active transport or public transport, or replace journeys by working from home, the better our transport and city streets environment becomes for everyone. This in turn helps make healthy transport choices more viable, normal, and accessible.

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Project updates

Wellington City Council projects

For more info from Wellington City Council, please visit transportprojects.org.nz.

Evans Bay Stage Two - Niwa to Cobham Drive

Consultation on Evans Bay cycleway phase 2 will now start on 14 September and will be predominantly online.

Cycling Master Plan Refresh

On 23 September this year, Wellington City Councillors will see the refreshed plan, and will be asked to approve it for public consultation. They are likely to say yes. Consultation will open in October and will run for 6 weeks. It will be huge. CW is encouraged by a new sense of ambition in the council following the decision to adopt the most ambitious option for the Long Term Plan.

To better understand what to expect, have a watch of a briefing workshop that describes some of the process and changes:

Waka Kotahi projects

Te Ara Tupua connections

Discussions are progressing for how to ensure there are quality connections for people riding bikes at either end of Te Ara Tupua.

For the Wellington end, this means designing a much better experience than the current situation at the Jarden Mile intersection. Project members are looking to also enhance the pedestrian and walking experience for accessing the Ngā Ūranga railway station as part of this.

RiverLink consent consultation

Our friends in Hutt Valley are working on preparing a submission guide for responding to the resource consent for the RiverLink project at Melling. They are going to need our support to better shape it for people on bikes.

Let's Get Wellington Moving projects

City Streets Indicative Business Case close to being adopted by all partners

Details of the City Streets package were presented to Cycle Wellington supporters online on 20 August. The indicative business case has been signed off by Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council. Sign off from the Waka Kotahi Board yet to come.

 

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Recent goings on

Women & Non-Binary Wednesdays on Facebook

As a part of CW efforts to improve inclusivity, for Wednesdays during the month of August our Facebook page was reserved for posts and discussion by women and non-binary followers. A short survey was run to find out what people thought of it. We are still digesting the feedback, but in summary: most people (87%) gave the trial a thumbs up.

There were also many suggestions for next steps. Watch out for further insights about this and more initiatives to grow our appeal for all ages, abilities, and identities.

Clearways petition presented to WCC

Congrats to Jill Ford for having her petition brought before Wellington City Council. The petition was received, and officers are working to address the issues raised. 

Comments and questions from supporters

“Can we lobby for better cycling on the quays and for the onus to not be on cars moving along the quays and separating the city from on the waterfront?”

“When are Thorndon Quay car parking changes?”

“Some poor treatment of new people cycling can be embarrassing - need to see more supportive and forgiving behaviour from experienced cyclists.”

“An amazing number of people out on bikes around the bays during lockdown Level 4. Brilliant.”