Councillors sign notice to pause on Golden Mile
Seven Wellington City councillors have signed a notice calling for a pause on the city’s revamp of the Golden Mile.
Councillors Tim Brown, Diane Calvert, Ray Chung, Sarah Free, Iona Pannett, Tony Randle, and Nicola Young have all signed the notice of motion to council boss Barbara McKerrow to be voted on at the next full council meeting on June 6.
The signatories make up just under half the council, which has 16 members including mayor Tory Whanau, who would have a casting vote if the vote was tied.
“We are concerned that the Golden Mile project construction proceeds while bus priority lanes and cycleways on nearby roads are still to be designed,” it says.
“Councillors believe that the [central city] corridor roads, cycleways and pedestrian space must work together in an integrated way.”
It called for the council to complete an integrated transport plan $7.4
– covering private vehicles, buses, bicycles and pedestrians – before any further design on the Golden Mile and before further contracts for construction were signed.
It also called for the council and Greater Wellington Regional Council to look at getting more bus stops along the Golden Mile, while keeping pedestrian improvements. Wellington’s Golden Mile project had been part of the Let’s Get Wellington Moving billion project for the city, which the National-led government ditched soon after getting into office, by then it had already cost $180 million.
But the Golden Mile project – a revamp of the busiest stretch from Courtenay Place to Lambton Quay, involving more pedestrianisation – survived with the city council planning it alone, albeit with 51% government funding.
The notice of motion was moved Randle and seconded by Brown.
Randle believed it was possible to get the numbers to win the vote by the time it came. by