Residents welcome to voice their views
Wellington City Council is putting the future of the Island Bay cycleway back into the hands of the community.
The council, Island Bay Residents Association and CycleAware will open a pop-up shop at 132 The Parade on Monday.
It will be a drop-in place for people to share ideas and create solutions.
Earlier this month, Wellington’s cycling mayor, Celia WadeBrown, admitted her council’s handling of the controversial $1.2 million cycle lane, which divided the community, had been a mistake.
Its layout places cyclists between the footpath and parked cars, and has drawn criticism from some who say it has made The Parade too narrow for vehicles, and reduced visibility for motorists entering and leaving driveways.
A damning report by the New Zealand Transport Agency slammed the council’s handling of the project.
An independent safety review also found there were a range of moderate-to-minor problems that needed addressing.
Wellington City Council chief city planner David Chick said his first priority, when he took up his new role 100 days ago, was to fix Island Bay.
After various meetings with the community, the conversation about the cycleway had now developed into ‘‘can we [all] fix it’’, he said.
Previous discussions were confrontational and battle lines had been drawn up. ’’The reason we got to this position is because a solution [for the cycleway] was imposed. I want to have the conversation first and then bring ideas to the table.
‘‘Imposing ideas is the worst possible outcome. I think the way forward has to be let’s work through this together.’’
Discussion with the community would centre around The Parade, but would also focus on a 10-year plan of what residents wanted.
Wellington City Council growth and partnerships business relations manager Phil Becker, an Island Bay resident working on the ‘‘engagement’’ process, said: ’’The council recognised an opportunity to work in collaboration with Island Bay residents.
‘‘There are a number of issues but we also have to look at the bigger picture for the future of Island Bay, beyond the cycleway.’’
He urged the community to call into the shop and estimated it could take two months or longer to gather feedback from ‘‘everyone’’.
‘‘We want the community to use this space. We are hoping for early dialogue and good participation in workshops in order to capture views from both sides.’’
Island Bay Residents’ Association president Vicki Greco said the shop was an effort to find a solution that worked for everyone who used The Parade.
‘‘There are no designs on the table yet, so the community is starting with a blank canvas.
‘‘They get to say what they want for The Parade now and for the next 10 years.’’