City should focus on long-term vison for iconic harbour cycleway.

Mayoral Candidate Jo Coughlan said today that Councillors should be bold and stick to the long-term vision of a truly iconic harbour cycle way around the Port.
‘We need to focus on the long term vision for an iconic cycleway for the city. We should be careful not to just take a short term view and settle for a second best solution,” said Coughlan.

“A potential bridge around the port is one solution. If we can plug that into the Petone to Nauranga section of the Hutt Road, which is being built, and connect through to the waterfront and Oriental Bay, then we will get an outcome that will serve the city for future generations.

Coughlan has led the charge for a rethink on cycleways in the city since April when she who met with Minister of Transport Simon Bridges to discuss Wellington cycle ways and a range of transport issues.

“I was not happy with the way our cycleways were being rolled out. I asked the Minister if there was a window of opportunity for Wellington to consider alternative cycleway options and consider these along with public feedback, while retaining critical central government funding. He said there was.”

This was reiterated in the subsequent Morrison Lowe Report commissioned by NZTA in response to NZTA’s concerns around implementation of cycle ways in Wellington.

“Councillors voted today to reallocate cycleway money from the CBD to a direct link from the Eastern Suburbs to the CBD.

“Expediting an iconic harbour side cycle way is a great result and shows that common sense can prevail if the right pressure is applied.

“Lessons had been learnt from Island Bay cycleway and councillors are realising there is a finite amount of money available from Government and we have one shot at getting cycle ways right. “

“We have an opportunity to get this right. A thoroughly considered cycleway solution that will work and is iconic, with commuter and tourism values will be a better outcome for the next 100 years than pursuing the current piecemeal approach at any cost,” Coughlan said.

“I am a huge supporter of sensible cycleways. They are great for health, fitness and the environment.

“Other global cities have built cycle ways that differentiate their city from others. We have some great natural attributes for off-road cycling which are world-class. We have an opportunity to build an integrated separate around the harbour cycleway network that will become an iconic part of the Wellington landscape over the next century.

“This isn’t about ideology or party politics. We need solutions we can all be proud of for the next 100 years.”

ENDS

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