Wellington wants to be a cycling city but can't get around red tape and lobbying

Monday, 22 June 2020

Deemed essential parts of the road network by proponents and an 'unhealthy obsession' by others, Wellington has a fraught relationship with cycleways in the city. So, what's the problem? Damian George reports.

Auckland's bright pink Te Ara I Whiti is the pinnacle of urban cycleways.

Also known as The Lightpath, the wide, curvy path blends in effortlessly with its busy motorway surroundings in Spaghetti Junction.

It is also looked upon with envy by other cities, none more than Wellington that would dream of having such a flagship asset that is almost universally loved.

**READ MORE:

* Plans for temporary cycleways to encourage social distancing scrapped after move to level 1

* Wellington City Council approves new $37 million cycleway plan for capital

* Wellington reveals plans for a $7 million 'great harbour cycleway'

* Island Bay cycleway likely to change after damning report for NZTA

**

Instead, the best known of the capital's biking project is the much-maligned Island Bay cycleway, a debacle that has been bubbling away for four years.

First built in 2016, the 'compromise' solution to appease locals is yet to be completed, and the cost of the project has blown out by millions.

So why can't Wellingtonians get on the same page when it comes to inner-city cycleways?

For many, the Island Bay project - heavily criticised for not adequately involving the local community - is the symbol of what can go wrong when local voices are not heard. There have been marches, protests and legal proceedings.

It has made communities wary and served as one of the catalysts for the latest cycleway proposal backlash - from eastern suburbs residents in Evans Bay.

The 1.6km cycleway was awaiting further work and due to be discussed at a later date, but was re-pitched as a temporary social distancing measure as part of the city council's coronavirus response.

For hundreds of residents, that meant an attempt to fast-track the project before people knew what had hit them, and a revolt was launched in the form of a Government petition.

The project was pulled when New Zealand moved to coronavirus alert level 1, but will be back on the table in August.

For Stacey Clyde, managing director of the High Five early childcare centre on Evans Bay Parade, the proposal to remove 154 car parks along the road presented a major problem.

'All my teachers commute from Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, and from right across the other side of Wellington. A lot of them don't have time to bike to work.

'And me and the other managers also need cars during the day to pick up supplies.

'Because we’re teachers, we don’t have time to ride bikes with our supplies.'

Clyde was dismayed residents were not involved in the initial design proposal.

And it is a concern shared across the board, from Mayor Andy Foster to cycling advocates.

Former deputy mayor Paul Eagle, now MP for Rongotai, says the glitch in the feedback process is one of the main reasons more cycleways have not been built in the capital.

'The council has had an unhealthy obsession with cycleways in the absence of looking at all modes,' Eagle said.

'Even in public participation, it's been 'cycling, cycling, cycling'.

'Pedestrians, commercial vehicle operators, are asking, ‘What about us? We just want a fair bite of the apple'.'

Commuting by bike was viable in some parts of the city, but not everywhere, he said.

'Wellington is not The Netherlands, we're not Copenhagen.

'If you want to get people in love with cycling, get them riding from Red Rocks to the airport. You would get a lot more support for that - that would have been built by now.'

Instead, the council had taken an attitude of, 'Let's have a fight [with residents]', he said.

About 15 cycleways of various lengths had been built around Wellington during the past decade, but Foster agreed more could have been done.

Consulting on cycleways as separate projects, rather than as part of wider street developments, was a major part of the problem, he said.

'It makes absolutely no sense to consult separately on a bike lane and a bus lane on the same street.'

The council had learned - 'somewhat painfully' - from Island Bay, and had made a greater effort since to consult earlier with residents.

In any case, there remained an unhealthy divide.

'There are some passionate cyclists who can’t understand why other people can’t see that, and other people who have an almost visceral dislike of cycling, for whatever reason.'

The battleground 'almost invariably' came down to car parks, Foster said.

Cycling Action Network project manager Patrick Morgan, who is pushing for a city-wide cycleway network, agreed the flawed consultation process had hindered progress.

'I actually think there’s something in that. That should have been an essential element of the [latest] proposals.

'It’s one of the ways to take the heat out of the cycleway debate.'

The council was moving in the right direction but 'nowhere fast enough', he said.

Central government regulations were also part of the problem, with lengthy consultation required to remove 'sacred car parks'.

'This is the most bike-friendly council Wellington’s ever had, the government would love to spend money on cycling in Wellington, and there is increasing public support.

'Unfortunately the local government system is set up to confound progress.

'It’s an impossible load for the council to deal with car park by car park.'