Relief for some, an 'absolute disaster' say others on approved Wellington cycleway

Friday, 12 May 2023

While some Wellington residents are celebrating city councillors’ approval of the Kilbirnie and Thorndon connections of the Paneke Pōneke bike network, others have called it a “rapid roll out” and a “window dressing” decision.

The contentious decision was made on Thursday afternoon – after the council surveyed thousands of residents and an opposition group did the same in order to lobby councillors.

Wellington City Council cycleway programme manager Claire Pascoe said the consultation with residents had been “a huge effort” – with about 3000 submissions – and staff had made significant changes to the design after hearing from communities.

“A lot of people tell us we’re moving too fast, a lot of people tell us we’re moving too slow,” Pascoe said.

In Kilbirnie, staff made changes to keep 50 on-street parks on Onepu Rd, with a buffered, painted cycleway instead of one separated with plastic sticks.

In Thorndon, the council abandoned plans for a separated bike lane on Aitken St in order to keep existing car parks, and keep Kate Sheppard Place as a two-way street.

In April, supermarket giant Foodstuffs threatened legal action if plans for the Wellington cycleway went ahead unaltered.

It wanted the Thorndon cycleway along Molesworth St to move to the left-hand side of the road, to avoid the supermarket entrance. Council staff had planned it for the right-hand side so cyclists didn’t have to cross traffic at the motorway onramp.

Foodstuffs said it was naturally disappointed with the decision and was looking forward to meeting Mayor Tory Whanau to discuss further. It did not say whether it was still considering legal action.

The Thorndon cycleway had proved to be most contentious of the two connections.

The Thorndon Community Group’s survey had different questions to council and suggested 80% of respondents against certain aspects of the plans like removing car parks. The council’s survey had about 70% of respondents in favour of the cycleways,

Alistair Boyce, owner of The Backbencher Gastropub across the road from Parliament, said he was disappointed by the decision.

He believed it was “window dressing” for “the sake of having a complete cycle network” and did not think the local community was being listened to.

Boyce said the current shared route on Molesworth St would be safer than the approved cycleway.

He believed there was just as much traffic coming in and out of the New World than cars turning onto the motorway onramp that would make it more dangerous.

“There’s nothing wrong with cycling,” he said, as a cyclist himself, but the decision was a “rapid roll out” without enough consideration of practicality and safety of cyclists, he said.

He believed it would cut off businesses, schools, churches, and institutions like the National Library and High Court which attracted people of all ages from in and outside the city for whom cycling would not be a viable option.

With construction in the area, cutting down car parks and two bus stops, Boyce said “the whole thing is a conundrum and an absolute disaster”.

“We’re headed towards a total dislocation of the whole Thorndon community.”

Meanwhile, Te Aro resident Linda Beatson said she was relieved and excited to hear the cycleway was approved.

Beatson biked along Molesworth St to get to work and had experienced enough near misses with cars pulling into court or people turning right out of Kate Sheppard Place. Cars also passed her “way too closely”.

They were “unnecessary excitements” travelling to work that she could do without.

Beatson believed the infrastructure was not just for cyclists like herself to feel safer but for those who were concerned the current conditions were too dangerous to get on a bike.

To point to low accident rates when there were plenty of near misses was “a low bar”, she said.

“Personally, I can’t wait for there to be separated cycleways, here is the place bikes belong.”