Five Thorndon Quay judder bumps become two under proposal

Wednesday, 7 August 2024

The Thorndon Quay Hutt Road Collective has petitioned the council, seeking a halt to all roadworks until an independent review is complete.

A Wellington City Council committee will tomorrow move to change five controversial Thorndon Quay and Hutt Rd raised crossings to two.

The council’s Regulatory Processes Committee will meet on Thursday with the Thorndon Quay crossings high on the agenda. While committee chairperson Sarah Free will move the amendment, it has been devised with Mayor Tory Whanau.

Free said she was hopeful there would be “good agreement“ for the changes around the committee table. According to the council, the changes would save $125,000 and would avoid an extra $300,000 cost if all raised platforms were installed.

Council staff’s preferred option is to proceed with five raise crossings

The Thorndon Quay project, including new bus and bike as well as pedestrian crossings, has been beset by controversy, including the council building new infrastructure over “must-do” pipe work, businesses complaining of massive loss in trade due to works, and Transport Minister Simeon Brown labelling the speed bumps “crazy”.

Councillor Diane Calvert, centre, says the changes are a case of political expediency and stay to close to the status quo.

Under Thursday’s amendments, planned crossings outside Hirepool and Bordeaux Bakery will still have signalised crossings but will not be raised, a raised crossing outside Gun City will be cancelled entirely, and raised, signalised crossings will remain outside Pipitea Marae and Co Kids childcare.

Whanau said the council was balancing the city’s bus network transformation and “ramping up pedestrianisation”.

“My preference was to make changes without any additional cost or delay to the overall project, which is now in the construction phase,” she said. “I think this amendment has found that balance and I will be supporting it.”

Mayor Tory Whanau: ‘I think this amendment has found that balance.’

But Diane Calvert, who also sits on the committee, said the proposal “focuses on political expediency and trying to remain as close to the status quo despite the significant concerns raised”.

“It does not lead us to make the best decision we can,” she said, and the decision should be pushed to a full council meeting.

Greater Wellington Regional Council transport chairperson Thomas Nash confirmed the council, which was in charge of buses, had issues with raised humps on busy arterial routes.

They created more wear and tear on buses, as well as slowing them and making for a less-comfortable ride, he said.

Councillor Sarah Free, who chairs the committee and who will move the amendment, was hopeful to get good agreement from councillors.

Whanau’s planned changes were a “good compromise” and had his backing.

A crucial amendment was a direction to get staff to work with the regional council and bus companies to develop guidelines for traffic-calming measures on major Wellington City bus routes.

Under the now-ditched Let’s Get Wellington Moving programme – a $7.4 billion capital transport overhaul by the city and regional councils with Waka Kotahi NZTA – Nash had warned of the issues with raised crossings for buses.

But the five raised crossings remained when the city council took the project in-house.

Nash said the new proposed guidelines would prevent future issues. “I’m confident in the future we can do things more simply and smoothly.”

Regional council chairperson Daran Ponter said the amendment was “positive news for bus commuters and for our buses”.

The Post on Wednesday revealed that, without NZTA funding, the cost for five humps had climbed an extra $312,500.