Major pedestrian upgrade approved with three years of construction on the horizon

Tuesday, 11 July 2023

Device Repair and Advice employee Chris Calavrias says no one likes road works, but sometimes they are necessary to improve an area.

The city is in for three years of major construction work, but a business support package will soon be announced to help alleviate the effects.

The Let’s Get Wellington Moving (LGWM) Golden Mile project will see footpaths widened, car parks removed, a cycleway added, and a permit system where unauthorised cars are banned between 7am and 7pm. The changes will take place on Lambton Quay, Willis St and Courtenay Place.

Yesterday’s approval from Waka Kotahi, to cover 51% of the project’s $140 million budget, locked in the upgrade. The city council already voted to approve its plans and a 49% share of the funding two weeks ago.

Lambton Quay is upgraded with greenery, wide footpaths, bike lanes and bus only access in this visualisation from Let's Get Wellington Moving.

Mayor Tory Whanau has previously acknowledged that the changes to the city will involve disruption and many road cones.

Whanau’s office confirmed a business support package would be announced soon, in collaboration with LGWM, but could not confirm whether it would include compensation for affected businesses.

She said the official go-ahead from Waka Kotahi was “the transformational moment that so many Wellingtonians have been calling for”.

City councillor Tamatha Paul also welcomed the funding as a signal that the upgrade was “a matter of such importance that the national transport agency should contribute financially”.

Untouched World manager Jaks van Rooy in the Willis St store says these types of changes have been very successful in other cities.

The main construction works will begin in April 2024, and are likely to be completed by the start of 2027.

Chamber of Commerce chief executive Simon Arcus said there had been little discussion about a support package for businesses lately.

Mischief Shoes owner Don Wearing, pictured outside his Lambton Quay store, says pretty much every business he has spoken to has some major concerns. (File photo)

He remained concerned about the cost of the programme and the risks for businesses. LGWM should “move the big rocks first”, Arcus said, and start with the long-awaited second Mt Victoria tunnel and transport improvements to Island Bay.

“We have no idea what it’s going to be like for businesses. The disincentives are already really strong to coming into the city to do business.” Older people in particular were more likely to shop at Queensgate or North City where car parking was easier.

Saba assistant manager Liyana Usop in the Lambton Quay store says the shop usually “cranks the music up” if there’s construction outside.

Mischief owner Don Wearing said that if the plan was to be “bludgeoned through hell or high water”, it was crucial project managers worked closely with businesses to mitigate risk.

“Pretty much every business I have spoken to has some major concerns,” he said.

Wearing had a shop in Manners Mall when it was refurbished about 12 years ago and said foot traffic halved during construction.

Three other businesses on the Golden Mile were less concerned about the change.

Untouched World manager Jaks van Rooy supported the upgrade even if there would be some disruption to her Willis St shop during construction.

“I think it is going to transform the way Wellington shops and culture works. It’s been very successful in other cities,” she said.

At Saba, on Lambton Quay, assistant manager Liyana Usop was “pretty neutral” about the Golden Mile revamp and how construction would affect her business.

“They have done construction here before ‒ we just crank the music up,” she said.

Device Repair and Advice employee Chris Calavrias was feeling positive about the change to Lambton Quay.

While no one liked road works, sometimes they were necessary to improve an area.

He was concerned about how couriers would navigate the new layout in order to drop off deliveries, but he believed there would be loading zones to allow this.

City councillor Tony Randle, a critic of the business case for the Golden Mile project, predicted the construction period would be “worse than they think”.

Businesses would leave the city and bus routes would be disrupted during the three- year construction period, he said.

He said it was “no surprise” that Waka Kotahi had ticked the box to move the project along and thought the Golden Mile project was being driven by government with little regard for what the city needed.

“Their vision is for Wellington to become a different sort of city. I believe the city should evolve to be better.”

Additional reporting by Frances Chin