Why we proposed making changes on Thorndon Quay rather than a route closer to the harbour
- It's direct –Thorndon Quay/Hutt Road is the quickest and most direct route for people cycling from the northern suburbs to Featherston Street and the central city.
- Demand – in the morning commuter peak, 80% of riders using the Thorndon Quay route continue along Featherston Street to the central city, with only 20% turning down Bunny Street to the quays.
Challenges to developing an alternative bike route closer to the harbour
Limited space
- Space along the quays is limited, with land at a premium.
- The existing road along Aotea Quay and Waterloo Quay is used by more than 30,000 vehicles a day. It's congested at peak times and is not safe for cycling.
- At present, there is no space within the existing road corridor to build a safe, separated cycleway. However this could change through the wider Let's Get Wellington Moving project.
Land ownership
- The land on Aotea Quay and Waterloo Quay is owned by CentrePort and KiwiRail.
- KiwiRail is developing a new transport logistics hub in their rail marshalling yards and the amount of rail freight is increasing.
- CentrePort has long-term plans to further develop the port and ferry terminal area.
- To date, neither has been willing to make land available for bike facilities.
Earthquake resilience
- The port precinct was damaged in the Kaikoura earthquake, and the transport network is also vulnerable.
- The Council is now working with CentrePort on a resilient wharf as part of the city’s response to a major quake or similar event. How a cycleway could potentially fit with these plans will be a part of the wider discussion.
Infrastructure challenges
- Connecting the Hutt Road cycleway to the harbour/Aotea Quay area would be challenging because the route needs to go over or under the rail yards and motorway interchange (the southbound off-ramp and northbound on-ramp by the ferry terminal).
- The majority of people using a quays route would still need to cross back into Featherston Street and other locations in the central city.