Support for new Basin Reserve road
Wellingtonians appear open to the idea of a new highway being built near the Basin Reserve.
Feedback from more than 2000 people and 50 stakeholder groups on four proposed scenarios for solving traffic congestion between Wellington Airport and the Ngauranga Gorge was released yesterday.
The feedback showed there was support for road-building outside the historic cricket ground, with 1044 respondents backing one of the three proposals that included tunnels or flyovers near the venue.
Not all of those people explicitly supported a new road, though, and some even opposed it. However, those who were open to the idea said they would prefer a tunnel, rather than a bridge.
Interestingly, 635 of the respondents who supported a specific proposal backed the most radical option, which included a new road near the Basin, duplicate Mt Victoria and Terrace tunnels, another new tunnel under the inner-city bypass and a fourth southbound lane on the urban motorway between Ngauranga and Aotea Quay.
All that work, plus several other changes, was expected to cost up to $2.3 billion.
The scenarios were developed by the Let’s Get Wellington Moving working group, a joint initiative between Wellington City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council and the New Zealand Transport Agency.
The process began after the agency’s Basin Reserve flyover proposal was scuppered by a board of inquiry in 2014.
Let’s Get Wellington Moving programme director Barry Mein said people who backed one scenario did not necessarily agree with all the changes proposed in it.
‘‘It’s important to note that the preferences are not votes. This isn’t a referendum,’’ he said.
‘‘Many people who selected a preference told us what they would change about their preferred scenario.’’
The second most popular option, supported by 560 people, contained no road-building at all. Instead, it focused on better public transport, walking and cycling in the central city.
Mein acknowledged the responses represented a somewhat divided view on the best way forward.
He also pointed out that, since each of the scenarios built upon the ideas proposed in the previous option, there was actually consensus on a wide range of issues.
‘‘By definition, everyone who went for Scenario B, C or D liked the stuff that was in [Scenario] A.’’
There was also ‘‘overwhelming’’ support for reducing the number of cars in the central city. Only a small number of people opposed congestion charging, while most agreed that losing on-street parking was an acceptable trade-off for more vehicle lanes and greater walking, cycling and public transport space.
Light rail was preferred over rapid transit buses as a mass transit option through the central city.
A final scenario is expected to be developed by May, before further public consultation.
The Save The Basin Campaign group, which led the fight against the Basin flyover, said it was prepared for another fight should another roading project at the cricket ground be proposed.
‘‘We’ve helped to defeat flawed transport projects affecting the Basin before, and we stand prepared to defeat them again. But this time round, we hope that won’t be necessary,’’ spokesman Tim Jones said.
‘‘It’s important to note that the preferences are not votes. This isn’t a referendum.’’ Let’s Get Wellington Moving programme director Barry Mein