Fears new Wellington cycleway will cause commuter chaos and kill local business

Tinakori Road dairy owner Nimesh ​Patel looks out on a bright, sunny Wellington day and shakes his head.

Since work began on a new bike lane opposite the store in early December he’s been watching customer numbers fall. On some days he’s seen a 15% drop, on others it’s close to 40%.

“And that’s in the busy weeks in the run-up to Christmas,” he says.

The Botanic Garden ki Paekākā to city route is part of a planned western connection from Karori.

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The project consists of a separated cycleway in the uphill direction from the waterfront to the gardens via Whitmore St, Bowen St and Tinakori Rd towards Glenmore St. That is the main commuter corridor to and from Karori, Wellington’s most populous suburb.

The downhill side will see bikes share a lane with buses from the entrance of the Botanic Garden to The Terrace intersection between 7am and 9am.

At least 150 car parks will be removed once it is completed. One of those will be the 10-minute park outside Patel’s dairy, used by his customers and by van drivers delivering supplies.

Several parks opposite the store have already gone – incorporated into the new cycle lane.

The section includes an integrated bus boarding platform, meaning buses which previously pulled over now have to stop in the middle of the road, while passengers have to step out into the shared bike lane.

Patel has run the Thorndon General Store for 12 years, often working 14-hour days. Along with others he fears that once complete, the project will be the death knell of not just his business but of the tight-knit Tinakori Rd community.

”I’m scared about what will happen when they start on the downhill section. Even now the tradies and truck drivers who used to stop on their way to work for their breakfast pie or cigarettes don’t any more. It’s the same with the office workers – they’re not stopping on their way home to get their milk or bread either.”

Thorndon resident Neil Harrap ​cycles into town almost every day. He, too, is noticing the impact of the loss of two lanes, and is predicting peak-hour chaos as the multitudes of public servants and other central city workers return from the holiday break.

“I can understand what’s being envisaged for the city – a future where lots of people will be using e-scooters and skateboards and bikes. The master plan is to try and change people’s transport habits and that is fine, but I find it bizarre that everyone is sort of being forced into it,” Harrap said.

“People will just not bother coming into the city, they will get jobs somewhere else or more people will work from home. And that just diminishes the city.”

Both are worried emergency services will have difficulty negotiating the route once the cycleway is complete.

Another regular cyclist, a Northland resident who preferred not to be named ​, says he has never had issues biking the route.

The area now partitioned off as a cycle lane was a clearway after 4pm when most commuter cyclists would be heading home, “and there was always a decent gap between [parked]cars”.

He supported more initiatives to keep cyclists safe, but not at the expense of increased congestion and inconvenience.

“It is very hard to retro-fit. There needs to be a balance. If you are going to do it then do it in a way that doesn’t cause increased traffic disruption.

“There’s already congestion on the intersection of Bowen Street and Tinakori Road … now there’s the crazy design of that bus stop. That will create an absolute mess during peak hour.”

The impact on families of less parking on families and elderly people visiting the gardens, especially at weekends, was also a concern, he said.

Meanwhile, studies in New Zealand and North America show cycle lanes can be a boon to business and that there is an “insignificant or positive impact on retail businesses” when parking spaces decrease.

Patrick Morgan of Cycling Action Network said the issues were all raised during consultation.

“Improving public transport, biking and scooting means some people can get around without using their car. This eases pressure on parking, and makes room for those who depend on car trips. Overall, most people are better off.”

He noted the new bike and bus lanes are being built using a low-cost, quick, transitional design, and expected the council to make changes in response to feedback.

Wellington City Council’s transitional programme manager Claire ​Pascoesaid in-lane bus stops were best practice design as recommended by Waka Kotahi, and would become increasingly common as cities moved to improve public transport networks and break the cycle of car dependency.

”We recognise people have concerns. But the changes are part of setting us up for the future. Accepting business as usual is not really an option.”

She said 44% of people using the route travelled by bus or bike. Several car parks had been retained following feedback and data was continually being collected to determine the project’s success or otherwise.