National MPs, residents speak in opposition to Wellington’s next cycleway

The proposed cycleway on the roads around Parliament drew a crowd of 50 to the Backbencher Gastropub on Wednesday night, with most of those turning up against the plan.

The Wellington City Council is taking feedback on the plan, which requires the removal of car parks, some bus stops, and would change traffic flows in the area.

National MPs Nicola Willis and Simeon Brown opened the meeting, with Willis saying the proposed changes would have an impact on anyone using Molesworth St to get home at night.

“There’s a little thing called common sense that seems to be missing from transport policy today. And another thing that seems to be missing is this idea of consultation with local communities,” Brown said.

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The meeting was organised by Thorndon Residents’ Association and advertised with posters saying: “Thorndon’s liveability is at risk because of the Wellington City Council’s plans to remove parking, dramatically change traffic flows, and other measures so that protected cycleway lanes can be installed.”

A student was the lone speaker in support of the proposed cycleway at the meeting, although feedback online shows 54% of submissions are strongly in support so far and a further 11% support the plan.

“I came here tonight to say I want to be able to cycle to uni without feeling like I’m going to die … that’s the reality of Wellington roads,” said Tommy Thomson, who studies at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington.

Other residents at the meeting talked over Thomson and questioned him on how many cyclists had died on Thorndon roads, until they were shut down by the crowd and Thomson could continue speaking.

“I just feel like prioritising a few car parks over people’s lives is short-sighted,” he concluded.

Chris Roberts, a resident of the Kate Sheppard Apartments, said the cycleway was poorly designed, giving the example of the bi-directional cycleway proposed for one side of Molesworth St, which is a one-way street connecting to the motorway.

“It just makes no sense whatsoever.”

Roberts urged residents to identify the flaws in the proposed design rather than opposing the cycleway overall.

“If we try to oppose all cycleways, we will fail. This is just a really badly designed cycleway plan,” he said.

The Thorndon residents were “clearly going to be one of the most formidable groups the council will come up against”, said Chamber of Commerce chief executive Simon Arcus.

“Nothing is done to assess how the [cycleway] will affect the economy of the city. The final result is your rates go up because businesses fall over … We cannot take out hundreds of car parks, lose that revenue, and then pretend it’s coming from somewhere else.”

Richard Murcott, chair of the Thorndon Residents’ Association, said key organisations had not been consulted and encouraged residents to submit and have their voices heard.

The association is providing people with paper submission forms along with guidance on submissions, detailing the removal of 140 car parks and looking at accident statistics on the route.

“There are options to make the road work for everybody, and if we don’t get this community working properly, it doesn’t look good for our city,” Murcott said.

Pukehīnau-Lambton ward councillor Nicola Young does not support the cycleway – she attended the meeting on Thursday evening along with Diane Calvert and Tony Randle.

Young said she was hearing from residents of Thorndon who were upset about the cycleway. “Some residents have lived in the area for 50 years and know the area better than the council.”

Young’s council colleagues in the Pukehīnau-Lambton ward, Tamatha Paul and Iona Pannett, both support the cycleway and did not attend the meeting.

Paul said she was “determined for us to all work together to find a solution that protects vulnerable road users and enhances the vibe of the community”.

The Thorndon cycleway will link up with the rest of the Paneke Pōneke network being built on Wellington streets.

“It’s about decarbonising our transport system, making sure kids can ride to school without fear, and letting cycling be a viable transport option in Wellington. This requires a whole network approach and we’re trying to smash that out while incorporating communities’ needs into it.”

Pannett, speaking as a local councillor and resident of the area for years, said Thorndon was a great place for a cycleway.

She emphasised that the council’s plans for the cycleway were “genuinely not fixed”, and community feedback would be taken on board.

“We will be listening to the community, but if we believe in climate change then we need to make ways to travel sustainably.”