Island Bay cycleway: four new options outlined

Four options for future configurations of the Island Bay cycleway have been unveiled today (Thursday 27 July) and the community is being asked to make its views known on the different designs.

The options have been drawn up following almost a year’s work by local residents, interest groups, traffic engineers and Wellington City Council as part of the ‘Love the Bay’ process that followed controversy and disagreement over the cycleway built along Island Bay’s Parade.

Details about the proposed options, including images, will be available on the City Council website from this Saturday 29 July. From Monday 31 July you can give feedback online at wcc.govt.nz/theparade or email your thoughts to theparade@wcc.govt.nz

Wellington’s acting Mayor, Councillor Paul Eagle, is urging Wellingtonians – particularly residents in the Island Bay area – to get involved in the two-week consultation on the options which begins on Monday 31 July.

“The Love the Bay process has been a good example of getting the community genuinely involved in important and high-impact decision-making that affects the community. Now it’s time for the wider community to say what they think of the designs.”

Councillor Diane Calvert, the City Council’s Community Planning and Engagement Portfolio Leader, share’s Cr Eagle’s views. “Considerable hours of discussion, debate and analysis have led to the final four options up for consultation. They all deserve consideration so we are providing as much detail and clarity as possible for people to have an informed say.”

Councillor Sarah Free, the Council’s Public Transport, Cycling and Walking Portfolio Leader, adds the Council has committed to improved cycling facilities across the city and that the new Island Bay options are just part of a “great range of cycling initiatives” that are under way or starting around the city.

The four options:

The four design options incorporate extensive community engagement, the results of the Love the Bay project, transport engineering practice, NZTA guidelines and Council strategies, including the Urban Growth Plan, Cycling Master Plan and Framework, and Long Term Plan.

• Option A - roadside cycle lane - original layout with enhancements
• Option B - one-way Separated kerbside cycleway - road level - current layout with enhancements
• Option C - one-way separated kerbside cycleway - above road level
• Option D - one-way separated kerbside cycleway - above road level, with angle parking.

Each design summary includes an indicative cost for implementation. These costs are estimates for the purpose of guiding your preference and will be refined once detailed design is completed. The costs reflect community feedback to address safety concerns, environmental considerations, landscaping, and broader urban design opportunities along the length of The Parade.

Option A – roadside cycle lane - original layout with enhancements
Prior to the construction of the Island Bay Cycleway, The Parade south of Medway Street had kerbside parking, a cycle lane next to the parking, and traffic lanes separated by a central flush median. Option A proposes a layout that, as close as safely possible, reflects the original design. Changes have been made to reflect the requirements of the 2016 post-construction safety audit and peer review, and current NZTA and engineering safety guidelines that the original design did not include. It is these requirements that preclude a return to the exact original layout. Changes also extend the cycle treatment along the length north of Medway Street to the Dee Street roundabout, which the original design did not include. No reduction in the current pedestrian footpath width is expected.

This option requires the conversion of the angle parking to parallel parking within the shopping area between Medway Street and Avon Street, and removal of the flush median.

Removal of some 40 parking spaces in the residential area is designed to address the safety issues identified with visibility and vehicle manoeuvring to and from The Parade at driveways. Within the shopping area, the conversion to parallel parking will remove some 17 spaces in order to support a consistent cycleway design along The Parade.

The indicative cost for Option A is $4.1 million.

Option B – one-way separated kerbside cycleway – road level - current layout with enhancements
This option retains the status quo layout of a kerbside cycleway at road level. Design refinements include a raised concrete traffic island between the cycleway and parked vehicles, parking removal to address safety concerns at driveways, and extension of the cycle treatment along the entire length of The Parade to the Dee Street roundabout. No reduction in the current pedestrian footpath width is expected.

Removal of some 40 parking spaces in the residential area is designed to address the safety issues identified with visibility and vehicle manoeuvring to and from The Parade at driveways. This option requires the conversion of the angle parking to parallel parking within the business area between Medway Street and Avon Street, and removal of the flush median.

Within the shopping area, the conversion to parallel parking will remove some 17 spaces in order to support a consistent cycleway design along The Parade.

The indicative cost for Option B is $5.2 million.

Option C – one-way separated kerbside cycleway – above road level
This option also provides a separated kerbside cycleway, with the cycleway above road level, either at mid-height between the roadway and footpath or at footpath level. A kerb will separate the cycleway vertically from the roadway (and footpath if at mid-height), and horizontal separation for cyclists from parked vehicles is provided by a 1.0m safety strip. Kerbside parking removal to address safety concerns at driveways, and extension of the cycle treatment along the entire length of The Parade to the Dee Street roundabout is proposed.

Removal of some 40 parking spaces in the residential area is designed to address the safety issues identified with visibility and vehicle manoeuvring to and from The Parade at driveways.

This option results in a reduction in the existing pedestrian footpath width to 2.4m on the west side of the residential area. Within the shopping area, the west side pedestrian footpath reduces to 5.2m width, the east side increases to 3.5m width. This option requires the conversion of the angle parking to parallel parking within the business area between Medway Street and Avon Street, and removal of the flush median.

Within the business area, the conversion to parallel parking will remove some 17 spaces in order to support a consistent cycleway design along The Parade.

The indicative cost for Option C is $6.0 million.

Option D – one-way separated kerbside cycleway – above road level, with angle parking
This option is similar to Option C, providing a separated kerbside cycleway, with the cycleway above road level, either at mid-height between the roadway and footpath, or at footpath level. A kerb will separate the cycleway vertically from the roadway (and footpath if at mid-height), and horizontal separation for cyclists from parked vehicles is provided by a 900mm safety strip. Kerbside parking removal to address safety concerns at driveways, and extension of the cycle treatment along the entire length of The Parade to the Dee Street roundabout is proposed.

Removal of some 40 parking spaces in the residential area is designed to address the safety issues identified with visibility and vehicle manoeuvring to and from The Parade at driveways.

This option retains the existing eastern side kerb line and footpath widths. This option results in a reduction in the existing west side pedestrian footpath width to 1.6m, and provision of a 1.0m flush median between traffic lanes within the residential area. Within the business area, the west side pedestrian footpath reduces to 3.4m width, and the majority of the western kerbside angle parking remains between Medway Street and Avon Street.

Within the business area, the retention of angle parking, and provision of a consistent cycleway design along The Parade will require the removal of 2 spaces.

The indicative cost for Option D is $6.2 million.

Where did these designs come from?
All of the feedback obtained through the Love the Bay drop in sessions, workshops, and other channels were used to develop a set of design statements describing what is important to the community and how people interact with The Parade. Along with engineering best practice, the design statements were used to develop these design options. The designs retain the status quo with refinements, return to the previous layout with refinements, and introduce two other options. Refinements to the current and previous cycleway designs have been included to address safety and broader urban design ideas arising from engineering practice as well as community input.

The high level designs here are intended to convey the general layout of the road. During the community feedback process a number of issues have been raised, including parking, locations of bus stops, and costs for each design. Given their significance, these topics are more fully discussed online at wcc.govt.nz/theparade. Detailed designs for the entire length of The Parade will be developed after the Council decides on an option.

What happens next?
The results of this consultation will be presented to the City Strategy Committee on 14 September. The Council (Mayor and Councillors) will consider the consultation feedback along with the outcomes of the Love the Bay process, NZTA guidelines, budgetary implications, and council strategy when making their decision.

The Council will then agree on the preferred option with the intention for implementation to begin before the end of this year. This will require detailed design and construction plans for the entire length of The Parade. When making changes to road layouts like this, the detailed plans must first be approved by the Council and accompanied by public consultation. The diagram below outlines the indicative timeline to undertake design and construction.

Indicative timeline
• 14 September - City Strategy Committee receives consultation feedback and makes decision on preferred option
• October - detailed 2-D designs developed
• mid-November to mid-December - consultation on road changes
• February 2018 - Council committee meetings and processes
• March-April 2018 - Construction and engineering plans developed, safety audit conducted
• May 2018 – Procurement
• Late May - construction under way.

Go to www.wcc.govt.nz/theparade to find detailed design reports for each of the options, frequently asked questions, and information about other designs that were considered.

Tell us what you think by 9pm Sunday 13 August. This will be your last opportunity to have a say on your preferred option for The Parade. You can give feedback online at wcc.govt.nz/theparade or email your thoughts to theparade@wcc.govt.nz.

The designs will also be on display at the Love the Bay drop-in shop at 132 The Parade throughout the consultation period (31 July-13 August).

Monday - 4-7pm
Tuesday - 11am-4pm
Wednesday - 11am-7pm
Thursday - 9am - 3pm
Friday - closed
Saturday - 10am - 4 pm
Sunday – closed.

Councillors will be on site at the shop at appointed times if you would like to discuss your preferences with one of them directly. Visit wcc.govt.nz/theparade to see when councillors will be in attendance, frequently asked questions, detailed design reports, or to make an online submission.

While we encourage and appreciate comments and discussion on social media, these will not be taken as formal submissions. Please also make a submission online at wcc.govt.nz/theparade or using the enclosed paper form to ensure your view is heard.

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