It’s another significant step towards being a city where Wellingtonians can easily access safe walking, biking and scooting routes and it’s easy to get around in zero- or low-carbon ways.
Eighty-seven percent of the 1140 submissions on Paneke Pōneke (the draft bike network plan) supported or strongly supported developing a connected network.
Consultation happened late last year in tandem with the draft District Plan and Let’s Get Wellington Moving (LGWM) plans on mass rapid transit options, as all three are key to changing the way we live in and move around our city as the capital becomes net carbon neutral by 2050.
Mayor Andy Foster says in the decades ahead tens of thousands more people will be living in the inner-city suburbs and within walking distance of the city centre and rapid transit stops.
“Having a well-connected walking and cycling network is a crucial part of building a city fit for future generations.
“These are big changes, examples of positive action to reduce emissions, respond to the climate and ecological emergency, improve people’s health and make sure Wellington remains a world-class city that’s a great place to live.
“Wellingtonians want action on climate change and with 34 percent of our emissions coming from road transport, changing our streets so more trips can be taken by active and public transport is the best place to start.
“This is a good move from a transport and environmental perspective but also from an economic one as it will be easier for people to shop and do business,” says Mayor Foster.
The Council’s Pūroro Āmua Planning and Environment Committee considered some of the additions people wanted and chose to increase the bike network from 147km to 166km, to be delivered by both the City Council and LGWM.
Councillors and the Mayor last week also approved a high-level traffic resolution covering all the streets in the agreed network. This signals ‘approval in principle’ street layout changes needed on these streets.
The Council will still need to make future decisions about specific projects and parts of the network, but this high-level show of support enables faster progress and roll-out of more sections of the network in a transitional way, using easily adaptable materials as planned on two routes from Newtown and the Botanic Garden ki Paekākā to the city.
Pūroro Āmua Chair Councillor Iona Pannett says it was great to add more than 20 additional connections to the network based on feedback from the community.
“Our draft network plan identified routes that would take people directly to shops, schools, through major suburbs and around neighbourhoods, and make it easier for children to ride to school, people to get to work on time, and be safe for older and less confident riders.
“To have had lots of constructive suggestions on how to extend, amend and make the proposed network even better was fantastic.”
Changes to the network plan
Some of the changes approved by the committee include removing the Onslow Road route below Cashmere Avenue School and replacing it with a new route that uses the Bridle Path and connects to Cashmere Avenue via Nicholson Road. The committee also agreed to some more connections including adding:
- Oxford Street and Cambridge Street, connecting Tawa Pool to the Tawa shopping centre
- Westchester Drive west of Middleton Road to connect Churton Park
- Takapu Road rail station to Jamaica Drive to connect the Grenada North development area
- Wadestown centre to Churchill Drive following Wadestown, Blackbridge and Wilton roads
- Old Karori Road, Rosehaugh Avenue, Seaforth Terrace, a path in Ian Galloway Park, Wallworth Road
- Northland Road from Glenmore Street to Northland shops
- Karori Park to Friend Street and Hatton Street
- Birdwood Street, Braithwaite Street and Lancaster Street
- An extension along South Karori Road to connect with the main entrance of Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park
- Upland Road to the Cable Car
- Panama Street from Lambton Quay to Featherston Street to link to the proposed Golden Mile bike lanes
- McKinley Crescent to Mornington Road to Ridgeway School, and Farnham Street and Britomart Street
- Riddiford Street from Wilson Street to Russell Terrace, Russell Terrace to Te Wharepouri Street, and Te Wharepouri Street; Mansfield, Roy and the south end of Daniell streets to better connect the Newtown shops, Newtown Park, the Zoo and South Wellington Intermediate School
- Parts of Taurima Street, Moxham Avenue, Kupe Street and Hamilton Road.