We worked with groups in the community and wider stakeholders to design the improvements along the route. We made changes in response to feedback from the community on the preliminary designs. For full plans, artist impressions, parking impacts and more, see the project details.
We took the proposed plans and community feedback through a traffic resolution consultation. Councillors approved the plans in May 2023.
From November 2022, we began engaging with residents, businesses, organisations and schools about planned improvements for people walking, biking or using buses along these streets. These discussions led to numerous changes in the proposed designs we took to the public for consultation.
Following community feedback through this formal consultation, we took our original proposal along with changes from the community to Koata Hātepe, the Council’s Regulatory Process Committee, for a decision.
The changes we made to the original proposal as a result of community feedback include:
- a one-way bike lane only on the right-hand side of Molesworth Street, rather than the original section of two-way bike lane proposed on Molesworth Street between Lambton Quay and Aitken Street
- this also means that the proposed one-way restriction on Kate Sheppard Place is no longer required and will not go ahead, nor will a proposed section of shared path on the corner of Aitken Street and Molesworth Street
- a separated bike lane on the southern side of Aitken Street will no longer go ahead, preserving the existing angled parking
- bus stop 5112 outside Wellington Cathedral was proposed to be removed but will now be retained
- motorbike parking on the northern side of Aitken Street will be kept
- one of the three proposed diplomatic car parks will be retained as a metered P120 car park.
We will also proceed with a separate traffic resolution to change 11 coupon car parks on Hawkestone Street to P120 car parks, in response to feedback seeking further short-stay parking in the area.
As part of our early engagement, we worked closely with groups in the community and stakeholders to make changes to the original proposed design.
These groups included:
- Apartments
- Archives New Zealand
- Beca
- Bus services
- Cycle Wellington
- Developers working in the area
- Embassies in the area
- Greater Wellington Regional Council
- Let’s Get Wellington Moving
- Living Streets Aotearoa
- Local businesses
- Local schools
- Ministry of Health
- Ministry of Justice
- National Library
- New World
- NZ Police
- Parliament
- Taxi services
- Thorndon Residents' Association
- Victoria University of Wellington
- Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
- Wellington Cathedral