Wellington City Council

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Project details

Newtown to city

Projects  > Newtown to city  > Project details  >

He tāone e hāngai ana ki te anamata
Preparing for the future – more choice for more people

These street changes are now complete. The changes are making it safer and easier to walk, catch the bus, ride a bike, or scooter. You can read more about the Newtown to city street changes, including the monitoring and evaluation report on these pages. For questions or comments, you can find the Council's contact details here. 

Ngā panonitanga I Changes at a glance

N2C route2x 1

The route

We’re proposing changes that will make this route safer and more accessible for everyone.

Impacts
  • New street layouts with separated bike/scooter lanes and bus-only lanes where they haven’t been before
  • Two-way bike lane to the Basin Reserve, via Kent and Cambridge terraces
  • Separate bike and bus lanes on both sides of Adelaide Road and Riddiford Street to Mein Street
  • Faster bus journeys with more bus-only lanes and raised platforms at bus stops
  • New signalised crossing between the central medians (at Vivian Street/Cambridge Terrace)
  • On-street commuter parking significantly reduced
  • Loading zone and short stay parking relocated
  • Parking retained outside the Urgent Pharmacy on Adelaide Road
  • Mobility parking unaffected

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N2C bus lanes map2x Adeliade bus lanes2x

Changes for people using the bus

Bus journeys will be quicker and easier between Wellington Hospital and Courtenay Place.

Impacts
  • Separate 24/7 bus lanes along Adelaide Road (both directions)
  • Extended hours for bus-only lanes on Kent and Cambridge (7am–9am, 4-6pm Monday to Friday)
  • Raised platforms at bus stops

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N2C bike lanes map2x Adeliade bike lanes2x Cambridge bike lane2x

Changes for people riding bikes/scooters

There will be a connected route between the waterfront and Wellington Hospital to Mein Street. Also, people riding from Majoribanks Street to the waterfront will have a safe bike lane on Kent Terrace.

Impacts

Waterfront to Basin Reserve

  • Two-way bike lane between the southern end of Oriental Parade and the Basin Reserve via Kent and Cambridge, on:
    • the eastern side of Kent, between Oriental Parade and Majoribanks Street
    • the eastern side of Cambridge, next to the footpath and central median
  • From the Kent/Majoribanks intersection, the bike lane will cross diagonally to the central median (on a separate signal phase) and to the eastern side of Cambridge via the slip lane (near Courtenay Place)
  • Central median turning bays on Kent and Cambridge will be closed to traffic
  • People on bikes will use the existing crossings to the waterfront, and the existing route through the Basin Reserve
  • Shared path on Cable Street and Oriental Parade, connecting to the existing Oriental Parade bike lane

Basin Reserve to Mein Street

  • People on bikes will use the existing signals to cross between the Basin and Adelaide Road
  • Separated bike lanes on both sides of Adelaide Road and Riddiford Street
  • Small section of shared path from Adelaide Road (near McDonald's) to Rugby Street to connect to the separated bike lane, and for people on bikes who want to cross at the signalised crossing

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N2C walking2x Shared path2x

Changes for people walking

Pedestrian safety and accessibility will be improved.

Impacts

  • New signalised pedestrian crossing between the central median islands at Vivian Street
  • Footpaths will be more accessible – people on e-scooters will be able to ride in the bike lanes instead of on footpaths
  • Short section of shared path at the Basin end of Cambridge Terrace near Buckle Street 
  • Small section of shared path from Adelaide Road (near McDonald's) to Rugby Street to connect to the separated bike lane, and for people on bikes who want to cross at the signalised crossing
  • Shared path on Cable Street and Oriental Parade, connecting to the existing Oriental Parade bike lane

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N2C parking2x

Changes for people driving and delivering goods

With separation between bikes/scooters and general traffic, and more bus lanes, this route will be a safer space for everyone. The changes may take some time for people to adapt to but we will be monitoring how they operate once they are installed.

Impacts
  • New street layouts with separated bike lanes and bus lanes where they haven’t been before
  • On Adelaide, separate lanes for general traffic, bikes and buses (painted median removed)
  • 24/7 bus lanes on Adelaide, in both directions
  • Fewer lanes for general traffic on Cambridge
  • Extended hours for bus-only lanes on Kent and Cambridge, 7am–9am and 4pm-6pm, Monday to Friday
  • All parking removed on the south-eastern side of Kent Terrace, between Oriental Parade and Majoribanks Street
  • Slip lane at the end of Oriental Parade closed to through traffic (apart from residents) and parking removed 
  • All parking removed on both sides of Adelaide between Girton Terrace and Hospital Road
  • All parking removed on Riddiford, between John and Mein streets
  • Riddiford St loading zone (near John St intersection) relocated to inside Hospital driveway entrance, 50m on left. 7pm-7am loading zone and P10 retained at current loading zone location.
  • Parking changes will be made on side streets to mitigate the removal of parking.
  • No right turn for vehicles from Cambridge Terrace into Pirie Street – drivers will have to turn at the Basin or Elizabeth Street
  • All three turnarounds closing between Kent and Cambridge Terrace

Read more about the parking changes

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Current vs proposed bike lane Port2x v2

Changes to improve the Mein Street intersection

We’ve heard feedback from people that the current bike lane installation from the hospital entrance on Riddiford Street isn’t working well leading up to the Mein Street intersection from the hospital. We’re proposing changes to this area to make it easier for everyone approaching this intersection.

The changes proposed:

  • Relocate the bike lane to the left hand side of the road from the hospital emergency entrance, with cycle lane dividers
  • The final signal phasing and timing will ensure this is a 'protected phase' to avoid conflicts between left turning vehicles and people on bikes riding straight through the intersection
  • Remove an additional six parking spaces on Riddiford Street outside Newtown School to allow the separated bike lane to continue straight at this intersection and merge safely with vehicles.

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Te ara
The route – the most important connections

Newtown is only 2km from Wellington central, making it about a 10-minute bike or bus ride into the city. 

Newtown through to the city is a key area for growth and intensification under the 2021 Spatial Plan and the proposed District Plan. Street improvements like these will support our growing neighbourhoods so we can cater for more people moving around in the future without our city grinding to a halt.  

These improvements also support Wellington Hospital’s Travel Action Plan, which aims to provide more transport choices for the 5000+ staff travelling to the hospital, freeing up parking spaces off-street and in the surrounding area, for people who need it most.

Overall, the changes along these streets will make things safer and easier for people using this busy route and provide more options for how people can get to and from work, school, or tertiary study, drop kids at day care, visit local shops, Wellington Hospital and related health services, or sports and recreation. 

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From the end of 2021, we began engaging with residents and businesses about planned bus and bike improvements along this route.

Following discussions with groups in the community and stakeholders, we included the following changes in our designs:

Changes along Riddiford Street, Mein Street and Hall Street:

  • Improving the bike lane from the hospital leading up to Mein Street by relocating the bike lane to the left-hand side of the road with cycle lane dividers
  • Changing the signal phasing and timing so there is a 'protected phase' to avoid conflicts between left-turning vehicles and people on bikes going straight ahead
  • Removing an additional six parking spaces on Riddiford Street outside Newtown School to allow the separated bike lane to continue straight at this intersection and merge safely with vehicles
  • Relocating loading zone for businesses on corner of Adelaide Road and Riddiford Street to the Hospital car park entrance, with P10 loading during off-peak hours 7pm-7am in the lane
  • Removing an additional six parking spaces on Riddiford Street outside Newtown School to allow separated bike lane straight to intersection
  • Changing three unrestricted parking spaces to P30 parking spaces on Hall Street to better accommodate people visiting Wellington SCL
  • Changing five pick up and drop off parking spaces to P10 parking spaces outside Newtown School on Mein Street
  • Changing 17 P60 parking spaces to P120 parking spaces on Mein Street to better suit hospital visitor and appointment times

Changes along Adelaide Road and side streets:

  • Changing two coupon parking spaces to P10 parking spaces on Drummond Street for allowing people to be dropped off or picked up from Blind and Low Vision New Zealand and the Blind Foundation, and to accommodate moving cars around for people test driving cars from a nearby business
  • Changing two unrestricted parking spaces to P120 parking spaces on Broomhedge Street to facilitate people visiting the dance studio and the brewery
  • Keeping eight P60 parking spaces outside accident and emergency centre and starting the separated cycleway after the parking area.

Changes along Kent and Cambridge Terrace

  • Changing bus lanes on Kent and Cambridge Terrace to 7am-9am and 4pm-6pm, rather than the originally proposed 7am-7pm, to allow for parking during off-peak bus times.
  • Full time loading zone changed to an off-peak loading zone for businesses on Cambridge Terrace, with bus layover at peak times
  • Providing additional bus layover on Chaffers Street
  • Relocating the taxi stands on Kent and Cambridge Terrace
  • Providing additional four metred parking spaces against closed turnarounds on Kent Terrace

As part of our engagement, we’ve worked closely with groups in the community and stakeholders to make changes to the proposed design.

These groups included:

  • CCS Disability Action Group
  • Cycle Wellington
  • Blind and Low Vision New Zealand
  • Blind Foundation
  • Businesses along the route
  • Fire and Emergency New Zealand
  • Greater Wellington
  • Metlink
  • Local schools
  • Living Streets Aotearoa
  • Taxi companies
  • Waka Kotahi
  • Wellington Hospital
  • Wellington After Hours Accident and Emergency Centre
  • Wellington SCL

Evaluating the changes

Once the changes are in, we’ll be monitoring and evaluating community feedback, local economic data, travel times for buses and traffic and use of short-term parking and loading zones. 

Longer term, we’ll be tracking things like numbers of people riding bikes and taking the bus, diversity of people on bikes (age and gender), whether more people think the changes are positive, and kilometres of infrastructure installed per year and how long it takes to get things in. 

He kōrero atu anō
Find out more

You can read the full set of plans

 

Find out more and read the full set of plans for the Newtown to city project.

View the plans and the traffic resolution (TR173-22)

Webinars

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In this webinar (recorded on 15 March) you can meet the team and learn about important street changes that are part of the city's goal to be a net zero carbon capital by 2050. We talk you through two projects - Newtown to the city and the Botanic Garden ki Paekākā to the city. The Council's City Design Manager, Vida Christeller, and project lead Renee Corlett share information about the designs and when the changes will happen. The webinar includes a question and answer session, how you can provide feedback on the street changes once they're made and how to keep in contact with the project team.

In this webinar (recorded on 2 June) we talk you through the new bus stop platforms for the Newtown to the city and the Botanic Garden ki Paekākā to the city projects. The webinar includes a question and answer session with panellists from Wellington City Council, Waka Kotahi, Metlink, Zicla and International Design for All. 

Riddiford Street

Separated bike lanes on both sides of the road and new bus stop platforms and bus lanes on Riddiford Street (near Wellington Hospital). View towards Newtown. 
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Adelaide Road

Separated bike lanes on both sides of the road and bus lanes on Adelaide Road (near Drummond Street). View towards Newtown.
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Adelaide Road

Separated bike lanes on both sides of the road and bus lanes on Adelaide Road (near McDonald's). View towards the Basin Reserve and city.
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Cambridge Terrace

Two-way separated bike lane on Cambridge Terrace (near the Basin Reserve). View towards the waterfront.

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Supporting documents

Look at the plans, parking management plans, detailed information on the options we considered and more.

Evaluating the changes

We'll be monitoring and evaluating the street changes alongside community feedback.

The options we considered

We developed a list of possible options that could improve this route. We looked at things from a range of perspectives.