Wellingtonians open to building new road at the Basin Reserve, just not a flyover

Tuesday, 13 March 2018

The Let's Get Wellington Moving team released four options for public consultation in November 2017.

Wellingtonians appear open to the idea of a new highway being built near the Basin Reserve.

Feedback from more than 2000 people and 50 stakeholder groups on four proposed scenarios for solving traffic congestion between Wellington Airport and the Ngauranga Gorge was released on Tuesday.

The feedback showed there was support for road building outside the historic cricket ground, with 1044 respondents backing one of the three proposals that included tunnels or flyovers near the venue.

Wellingtonians are open to the idea of building a new highway near the Basin Reserve, but would prefer to see it in a tunnel.

Not all of those people explicitly supported a new road, and some even opposed it, but those who were open to the idea said they would prefer a tunnel rather than a bridge.

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More than 600 people supported the most radical tunneling option, which includes building a second Mount Victoria tunnel.

* Report lays bare transport woes

* Lobby group fears flyover proposal**

Interestingly, 635 of the respondents who supported a specific proposal backed the most radical option, which included a new road near the Basin, duplicate Mt Victoria and Terrace tunnels, another new tunnel under the Inner City Bypass and a fourth southbound lane on the urban motorway between Ngauranga and Aotea Quay.

All that, plus several other changes, was expected to cost up to $2.3 billion.

The scenarios were developed by the Let's Get Wellington Moving working group, a joint initiative between Wellington City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council and the New Zealand Transport Agency.

The process began after the agency's Basin Reserve flyover proposal was scuppered by a Board of Inquiry in 2014.

Let's Get Wellington Moving programme director Barry Mein said people who backed one scenario did not necessarily agree with all the changes proposed in it.

'It's important to note that the preferences are not votes. This isn't a referendum,' he said.

'Many people who selected a preference told us what they would change about their preferred scenario.'

The second most popular option, supported by 560 people, containing no road building at all. Instead, it focused on better public transport, walking and cycling in the central city.

Mein acknowledged the range of responses represented a somewhat divided view on the best way forward.

He also pointed out that, since each of the scenarios built upon the ideas proposed in the previous option, there was actually consensus on a wide range of issues.

'By definition, everyone who went for Scenario B, C or D liked the stuff that was in [Scenario] A.'

There was also 'overwhelming' support for reducing the number of cars in the central city. Only a small number of people opposed congestion charging, while a majority agreed losing on-street parking was an acceptable trade-off for more vehicle lanes and greater walking, cycling and public transport space.

Light rail was preferred over rapid transit buses as a mass transit option through the central city.

A final scenario is expected to be developed by May, before further public consultation.

The Save the Basin Campaign group, which led the fight against the Basin flyover, said the organisation was prepared for another fight should another roading project at the cricket ground be proposed.

'We've helped to defeat flawed transport projects affecting the Basin before, and we stand prepared to defeat them again. But this time round, we hope that won't be necessary,' spokesman Tim Jones said.

WHAT THE PUBLIC WANT

SCENARIO A (560 supporters)

* High priority public transport lanes

* Improved walking areas along key routes

* Connected cycleways

* Improved Basin Reserve road layout

SCENARIO B (216 supporters)

Scenario A changes plus:

* Tunnels or bridges at Basin

* Second Mt Victoria tunnel with shared cycleway/walkway

* Mass transit public transport

* High priority public transport on Thorndon Quay

SCENARIO C (193 supporters)

Scenario A & B changes plus:

* Tunnel under Inner City Bypass

* Better walking, cycling and public transport across SH1

* Reduced traffic on Vivian St and Kent/Cambridge Terrace

* Public transport priority from Hutt Rd to and city

SCENARIO D (635 supporters)

Scenario A, B & C changes plus:

* Second Terrace tunnel

* Less traffic on waterfront quays

* Improved waterfront access

* Fourth southbound SH1 lane between Aotea Quay and Ngauranga