Installation of changes between Avon and Mersey streets is underway to make the shopping area safer and more pleasant for everyone. Find out more
Big changes are planned across the city for a low carbon future and to make sure there is enough good quality housing available for our growing population and generations to come.
These include an updated District Plan, Let’s Get Wellington Moving’s proposals for mass rapid transit between the city and Island Bay, and Paneke Pōneke – our plan to develop a citywide network of safe biking and scooting routes. The network includes the connection between the south coast and city via The Parade, Berhampore and Newtown. We've already installed changes between Newtown and the central city, and planning is underway for the Berhampore to Newtown section.
In November 2021, Councillors agreed in principle that they would like to make safety improvements on The Parade, subject to consultation, to complete the Island Bay section of the south coast to city route.
On 10 March 2022, following consultation on the traffic resolutions (specific parking and other traffic changes) that were required to make the safety improvements, Pūroro Āmua, the Council's Planning and Environment Committee, agreed to proceed with this work.
The expectation is that these changes will be in place until mass rapid transit is built, which could be 10 years away. The alternative option Councillors considered was to build the agreed 2017 design at a cost of up to $14m, knowing it could be replaced by mass rapid transit (light rail or fast buses).
You can read the 10 March Committee report, which includes a consultation summary, and the meeting minutes.
You can also watch a recording of the March Committee meeting.
Shopping centre upgrade
The safety improvements north and south of the shopping area are complete. The Committee signalled its support for the planned safety and other changes in the main shopping centre in March 2022 but held off making a decision on traffic resolutions (changes) for this section so more discussions and planning work could happen, including completing a local area-based parking plan.
Councillors considered the traffic resolutions and community feedback at a meeting of Koata Hāpete, the Regulatory Processes Committee, and made their decisions on 14 December 2022 for a safer bike route through the main shopping area. The bike route will be installed in 2024 in tandem with wider street and landscaping improvements. This will provide a continuous safe biking route along The Parade. Changes include replacing angle parking with parallel parking and some changes to parking time restrictions. Improvements are also planned on The Parade near Mersey Street near the Empire Cinema and Eatery.
Council staff worked with local businesses, Island Bay Residents Association and others from the community during 2022 to co-design improvements to public spaces in the main shopping area, and the area adjacent to the library and Empire Cinema, to make the area safer and more pleasant for everyone. These will complement and tie in with the bike route improvements.
Most changes now complete
In February 2022 we asked for feedback on proposed safety improvements for The Parade.
Thank you to everyone who gave us feedback during the consultations. Councillors made decisions on 10 March 2022. After considering the feedback, and a range of other factors including the need to address identified safety issues, they agreed to proceed with the planned changes. Read the 10 March Committee report, which includes a summary of the consultation feedback on the project as a whole.
The changes north and south of the main shopping area are now complete. Work on improving the shopping area will be completed in 2024.
View the proposals we consulted on
As part of decisions made in June 2020 on the city’s Long-term Plan 2021-2031, Councillors voted to invest $226m in a safe, connected citywide bike network.
They requested a new bike network plan (Paneke Pōneke) to get changes made more quickly – to make things safer and easier for more people of all ages and abilities to bike (or scoot), and to reduce transport carbon emissions as part of meeting the city’s climate action goals.
Let’s Get Wellington Moving has confirmed future mass rapid transit will include The Parade. This will bring significant changes in future years.
In November 2021, Councillors agreed in principle that they would like to make safety improvements on The Parade, subject to consultation, to complete the Island Bay section of the connection from the city to the south coast as part of the citywide bike network.
In March 2022, following consultation on the specific parking and traffic changes (resolutions) required to make the safety improvements, Pūroro Āmua, the Council's Planning and Environment Committee, agreed to proceed with the changes, starting in March/April 2022.
The expectation is that these changes will be in place until mass rapid transit facilities and stations are built, which could be 10 years away. The alternative option before Councillors was to build the agreed 2017 design at a cost of up to $14m, knowing it could be replaced by mass rapid transit (light rail or bendy buses).
2015-2019
The bike lanes on The Parade were first installed in 2015 following community engagement and consultation.
Options for improving the bike lanes and street layout were developed with the community in 2016-2017 (Love the Bay) and a substantial redesign was agreed to by Councillors in 2017. During the design work that followed, detailed topographic information showed that rebuilding the bike paths at footpath level along the length of The Parade, which was a key feature of the 2017 design, was going to be challenging and exceed the available budget.
The improvements being proposed now will help achieve the Love the Bay objectives, which were developed in collaboration with the community to shape the 2017 design brief for The Parade. These changes will improve safety, make the layout cohesive and intuitive for all users, and contribute to a pleasant and welcoming environment.
The project was put on hold due to the funding shortfall. It did not qualify for Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency funding unless it was planned and built as part of the whole southern connection between the city and Island Bay.
In 2018 and 2019, we engaged with people in Mt Cook, Newtown and Berhampore on options for this section of the city to south coast route. This work was also put on hold due to uncertainties over funding and possible mass rapid transit routes (work that was happening as part of Let’s Get Wellington Moving).
Transforming this route is part of:
- developing a modern, sustainable city
- responding to the climate emergency
- making sure our growing population has safe, healthy and environmentally friendly ways to get around.
It’s also a step towards better walking, biking and public transport networks.
Transport is Aotearoa’s fastest growing source of carbon emissions and 34% of Wellington City’s carbon footprint – so changing the way we move is by far the most effective way we can personally take action.