The NZ Transport Agency will be working closely with Wellington City Council to progress the capital’s cycling programme, taking account of recommendations from an independent review of the Council’s delivery of Urban Cycleways Programme (UCP) projects published today.
The review was commissioned by the NZ Transport Agency as part of its responsibility of managing and supporting the successful delivery of the Urban Cycleways Programme on behalf of the Government. The review was undertaken by Morrison Low Management Consultants.
The key recommendations from the review include re-commissioning the Council’s cycling programme, including a review of the Island Bay cycleway.
NZ Transport Agency Central Regional Director Raewyn Bleakley says the agency is committed to working collaboratively with Wellington City Council to refresh and deliver a strong cycling programme that benefits communities and the whole city.
“We are committed to supporting Wellington’s long-term cycling programme to ensure Wellington has a world class integrated transport network and a more vibrant, liveable city. Delivering cycleways is an important part of an integrated transport network.”
Ms Bleakley says that the review recommendations make simple, common-sense.
“They are sensible, pragmatic and future focussed. Although the Island Bay cycleway is not part of the Urban Cycleways Programme, we will work with Wellington City Council to share best-practice consultation, design and planning from the UCP and other cycling projects. Cycleways are key steps towards world class cities and we want to support the Council in how it plans and delivers its network.”
Ms Bleakley says that the next steps in the re-commissioning phase of the review will take place over the next six weeks. This will scope and confirm Wellington’s cycling programme approach, including the process for reviewing Island Bay.
“We look forward to supporting the next steps of the review to reaffirm what we need to do and what this will look like. Running parallel to this, we are confident that there are opportunities to make early progress on improving cycling in Wellington and that these can happen as we work together to re-commission the programme which will include a focus on engagement with the community,” says Ms Bleakley.
The Urban Cycleways Programme is a three-year programme of shared investment of $333 million from the Urban Cycleways Fund, the National Land Transport Fund and local councils, to build key, high-value urban cycling projects throughout the country to improve cycle safety and support more connected cycle networks.
Since 2006, the number of people commuting by bike in the capital has almost doubled.
The report from the Review of Wellington City Council’s Urban Cycleways Programme is available on www.nzta.govt.nz/wcc-ucp-review(external link).
Wellington City Council Urban Cycleways Review – key findings
