Why a $312 million cycleway is a game changer for Wellington
Tuesday, 21 March 2023
Critics love to criticise new cycleways but, as Nicholas Boyack explains, the 4.5km section of Te Ara Tupua, between Petone and Ngauranga,** will benefit cyclists, train commuters, local Māori, tourism and even little blue penguins.**
Game changer is a cliché that gets used a lot. It is, however, an apt description of the $312m shared pathway between Wellington and Petone. The 4.5km section, known as Nga Uranga ki pito-One, is part of the Te Ara Tupua cycle way.
Its most significant impact will be on cyclists wanting to commute from the Hutt Valley to Wellington. They will no longer have to dodge logging trucks, heavy traffic and drivers distracted by cellphones.
As a result only the fittest and most confident cyclists currently take it on.
**READ MORE:
* Work begins on 'revolutionary' harbourside pathway that will link Wellington and Petone
* Petone to Melling shared path starting to take shape
* Beltway cycleway opens in Lower Hutt, connecting Waterloo station to suburbs
* Ngauranga to Petone shared path could decimate national cycleways budget, advocates claim
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Over the years a number of cyclists have died on the route, including Brent Norriss who was hit and killed by a car on State Highway 2 as he travelled home from Wellington to the Hutt Valley.
Cycling advocates predict that the combination of a safe path and the growing popularity of electric bikes will see a massive increase in commuters.
As the chair of Great Harbour Way/Te Aranui o Pōneke, Graeme Hall has battled hard for a safe cycleway from Wellington Airport to Pencarrow.
At the moment Te Ara Tupua has two huge black spots, the sections between Ngauranga, and Petone (Nga Ūranga ki pito-One), and between Seaview and Eastbourne (Tupua Horo Nuku).
Despite a massive recent cost increase – from $30m to $79m - work has started on the Eastern Bays shared path.
At this week's launch, Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry predicted that Lonely Plant would one day recognise it as one of the best rides in the world.
Only time will tell if that prediction is true, but fixing both black spots will be a major boost to the Remutaka Rail Trail, a loop starting in Wellington, taking in the Hutt Valley, crossing to Wairarapa at Cross Creek and returning to Wellington following the coast.
The massive boost it will give to recreational cycling is only a small part of why the launch of the new pathway is so significant. A key aim of the project is to add resilience to the rail network and SH2.
In recent years it has become increasingly obvious that the railway line that runs alongside State Highway 2 is under threat from storms.
The line connects Wellington with the Hutt Valley, as well as Wairarapa. When it is closed by storms, commuters are forced to work from home or use SH2.
tA prolonged closure of the train network would be detrimental to the Wellington economy and would force more cars and buses on SH2.
Waka Kotahi estimates it will take three to four years to complete the project, and it is promising to limit the impact on the rail network.
The cost of the project has skyrocketed in recent years and only time would tell if it can be built within budget.
Local Māori will also see long-term benefits from the project. A steering group formed to oversee it has representatives from Taranaki Whānui, who are keen to re-establish historical links with the western end of the Petone beach, particularly an area known as Honiana Te Puni Reserve.
The reserve serves as a gateway to Te Ara Tupua and two buildings, known as the Tāwharau Pods, will serve as a temporary home for master carvers.
Their carvings will be incorporated into the design of Te Ara Tupua. There is talk of restoring a marae and for Taranaki Whānui the land has a strong emotional attachment.
The reserve is named after Honiana Te Puni, a Te Āti Awa rangatira who signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840. Returned to Taranaki Whānui as part of a treaty settlement, the reserve is currently managed by the Hutt City Council.
Finally, in the long list of winners, is the birdlife. The project has been designed to provide habitat for penguins and other birds, and marine life, including tidal pools and nesting boxes.
One person with an interesting perspective on the cycleway is Mark Renall.
He has ridden to work daily for nearly three decades. He jokes that he has “only once” been driven over, an accident that left him with a broken leg.
As an experienced rider, he accepts there is a “risk” on the current route but said the fitness benefits make the ride worthwhile.
Once Te Ara Tupua is finished, he expects to see a lot more cyclists follow his lead and become daily commuters.
Waka Kotahi director of regional relationships Emma Speight acknowledges it is a difficult environment but is confident there will not be another budget blowout.
By forming a steering group including the contractors, Māori and councils she believes the proposed design would be the right one, reducing the risk of not staying within budget.
Some stats
- It is estimated that 144,000 tonnes of rock will be used.
- There will be 6800 blocks (made in Ōtaki) weighing 2.6 tonnes.
- Two temporary wharves will be built and the rocks will be put into place by a 120-tonne crane.
- Offshore habitat for birds will be built (using 12,000 tonnes of rock) with a barge and a 60-tonne digger.
-The 4.5km path has a budget of $311.9m.