Wellington’s newest bike lane ‘confusing and dangerous’ for some

Wednesday, 19 March 2025

With work on Wellington’s newest bike lane more than half-way to completion concerns are once again being raised about its layout, with one long-time cyclist saying it is so confusing and dangerous she won’t be using it.

The warning comes as work on completing the $55 million city council project to connect the northern suburbs with the city centre ramps up. It includes peak-hour bus lanes, a two-way cycle path and five new signalised pedestrian crossings along Thorndon Quay, one of the capital’s busiest thoroughfares.

But design snafus, including one that looks set to give cyclists free rein to run the red, and a bi-directional section that even long-time cyclists don’t want, are now coming to the fore.

Catharine Underwood cycles Thorndon Quay daily and uses her bike for work, shopping and to attend appointments.

She says she will continue to ride on the road rather than face the “terrifying” prospect of oncoming cyclists in the bike lane, particularly during rush hour.

“It seems that none of the designers have ever tried to cycle in a bi directional cycle lane going in the opposite direction to the masses during rush hour. It is terrifying.

“There’s a lot of talk about cyclists wanting to be separated from cars. I want to be separated from oncoming cyclists.”

There was also the issue of the cycle lane being on only one side of the street, meaning she had to negotiate two lanes of vehicles, concrete parking dividers and oncoming cycle lane traffic, on her outbound journey, Underwood said.

While the council promoted the cycleway network as “connecting” the city to the suburbs, most bike lanes didn’t go where she wanted, or needed to go.

“So none of it makes it safer for me, in fact it makes it more dangerous.”

Meanwhile cyclists appear to be getting a free ride when it comes to the signalised pedestrian crossings. While road traffic will be controlled there are no plans to include signals for bike lane users.

That, according to another cyclist, ultimately means there is no legal obligation for cyclists to stop for pedestrians.

“When a pedestrian has a green traffic light crossing they will assume it is safe to cross the road. When they reach the cycleway a pedestrian might assume that the cyclist will stop —which may or may not happen,” he said.

“Cyclists these days regularly travel at excess of 30km/h on flat roads such as Thorndon Quay so the risk of serious injury to a pedestrian is significant.”

Coincidentally in an email seen by The Post project designers say signals are only needed where traffic volumes were high: “We have much lower volumes of cycles, and it is very tidal. Even at the top end of the growth estimate, we will have about one third to half as much cycle as vehicle traffic.”

The council, meanwhile, said having zebra crossing markings across the cycleway rather than traffic signals was best practice and meant better flow for bikes, and less crossing distance for pedestrians.

The crossings operated the same as a normal zebra crossing where pedestrians needed to look and people on bikes needed to give way, a spokesperson said.

Cycle Wellington spokesperson Patrick Morgan noted traffic calming measures, such as raised platforms being used on Thorndon Quay, were designed to reduce cycle speeds over the crossings.

However he also said those using the bi-directional lane should “ride to the conditions… at a safe and courteous speed”, while others who wanted to go faster could still use the road.

He urged bike riders to familiarise themselves with NZTA’s cycling code. “In a nutshell, it boils down to two rules. First, follow the rules. Second, don't be a dick.”

The Thorndon Quay project has been contentious from the beginning. It was first tied to the failed Let’s Get Wellington Moving (LGWM) project, before being brought in-house by the council.

After criticism of the number of raised and signalised crossings being installed along such a short stretch of road, it later emerged millions of dollars of “must-do” pipe work was buried beneath the new cycle and bus lanes. It has also been blamed by businesses for lost revenue and closures.

Work is expected to be completed by late July.