Controversial crossings set to be asphalted with ratepayer gold

Wednesday, 7 August 2024

Transport Minister Simeon Brown has weighed into the contentious Thorndon Quay cycle lane project as Wellington ratepayers look set to be whacked with an even bigger bill for the already controversial new crossings.

It follows Wellington City Council’s decision to alter the design of the Thorndon Quay and Hutt Road project–originally part of the dissolved Let’s Get Wellington Moving programme–and NZ Transport Agency’s subsequent refusal to part-subsidise the raised asphalt component of five new signalised crossings.

Brown says putting speed bumps along the quay is “crazy.”

The council has previously estimated the total cost of construction for the five planned signalised raised crossings would be $1.4M, with each costing an average $275,000, made up of $120,000 for the lights, $70,000 for electrical ducting and $85,500 for the asphalt platform.

But councillors have since been told that without funding from NZTA for the platform component that $85,500 figure would rise to $125,000, with that amount including the development of a specific ‘recipe’ for the asphalt, tactile pavers to be used on the crossings, construction joint sealants and post construction concrete testing.

It would push the council cost of just the five asphalt platforms to a total $625,000.

A report to be discussed at a meeting of the city council’s regulatory processes committee on Thursday outlines three options to get around the shortfall, including doing away with one crossing completely, reducing the cost by $125,000, and keeping the crossings but without the raised sections, saving more than half a million.

However officers are urging councillors to hold their noses and vote for the third, most expensive one–to continue with the project as is, funding the extra $312,500 for the gold-plated asphalt through debt.

Further questions from The Post around additional the costs, such as whether the total included traffic management and drainage work have gone unanswered.

Brown said because the scope of the project had changed it had to go back to the NZTA Board for re-evaluation “to ensure it achieves value for money and is consistent with the Government Policy Statement (GPS) on land transport.”

The Government had made it clear through the GPS that funding from the National Land Transport Fund would “not be used to fund speed bumps and raised platform crossings which simply slow people down and cause congestion particularly on busy roads,” he said.

“Putting speed bumps on Thorndon Quay, which is a main arterial road in Wellington, is just crazy and will simply frustrate motorists and increase congestion. If [the council] decides to continue with building speed bumps on Thorndon Quay the council must pay 100% of the cost and justify their decision to ratepayers.”

The $45.8m Thorndon Quay project is being built over eight major water mains. At least $5.2m of “must do” pipe work and another $4m-plus of “should do” pipe work lies beneath the works.

It has been criticised by everyone from councillors–“simply crazy”, “madness”– to business owners, who want the project paused while an independent review is done, to bus drivers and truckies. Front line emergency services staff fear the raised platforms will lead to potentially life-threatening delays. Already a leak - categorised as a medium priority - has sprung on part of the newly redone road outside 246 Thorndon Quay.

Thursday’s meeting is expected to be fiery.

Councillor Nicola Young, a staunch opponent of the project, said taking on funding that NZTA had been expected to subsidise was outrage on top of outrage.

“It is outrageous officers are recommending an increase in debt for a project that even NZTA doesn’t want to fund. Wellingtonians are outraged about the rates increases and about the stupidity of the Thorndon Quay project. Council needs to start listening and thinking.”

Colleague Diane Calvert was equally furious saying it was “extraordinary” council officers could make such an ad-hoc recommendation.

“Thorndon Quay has been plagued with poor planning and decision-making and not listening to the public. For some reason, which is not clear in the papers, officers are still recommending carrying on despite safety concerns [from emergency services]and despite NZTA pulling funding.”

She said getting straight answers and relevant, up-to-date information from council officers was like pulling teeth. “And it’s a dog’s breakfast in terms of the fragmented decision making.

Councillor Sarah Free who chairs the committee said it was difficult to know by how much the project cost might rise until final decisions were made.