New bike parking corrals for central city

Wellington City Council is installing three new bicycle parks or ‘corrals’ in Ghuznee, Cuba and Wigan streets to meet an increasing demand for places to leave bikes in the central city.

The Ghuznee Street bike park is on the north side of the street near the Cuba Street intersection on an existing no-stopping zone. The Cuba Street corral is taking over an under-used loading zone near the Vivian Street intersection. The Wigan Street corral will be installed outside the Light House Cinema.

No car parking is being lost at the Ghuznee Street or Wigan Street sites. The bike parking corral on Cuba Street replaces one P120 car park and a short loading zone with 14 bicycle parking spaces.

The Council’s Transport and Urban Development Committee Chair, Cr Andy Foster, said while bike corrals are new to Wellington they have been installed in many cycle-friendly cities throughout the world. A trial of bike parking corrals in Auckland in 2013 found that they encouraged more cycling trips to the area, with the potential to generate higher revenue for nearby businesses.

“The Council is keen to encourage more people to cycle in Wellington and there are a number of designated bike-parking areas and facilities, including around 300 bike racks and cycle hoops in the central city and suburbs.”

Cr Foster said there has been increasing demand for bike parking in Wigan Street generated by Light House Cinema, Havana Bar, and university and apartment buildings. In Cuba Street, bikes chained up against sign poles along the narrow footpath had been blocking pedestrians and shoppers. The Ghuznee Street bike park is expected to improve safety and visibility at the pedestrian crossing, where vehicles have been stopping on the no-stopping zone.

Contractors are installing the bike corrals on Ghuznee Street and Cuba Street this week, followed by Wigan Street in the next few weeks. The Ghuznee Street corral will have spaces for 10 bikes and there will be spaces for six bikes at Wigan Street. Corral parking is free of charge.

ENDS

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