Reimagining Wellington's Streets for a Thriving City

Someone sent me a news article this morning:

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/community/593857/human-chain-bike-lane-fills-wellington-street-objecting-proposed-cuts-to-infrastructure

Having ridden Wellington's streets almost daily for the best part of 50 years, I think I've earned the right to comment. I've seen the shifts in planning, the good intentions, and the unintended consequences.

If I had my way, most of the cycleways in Wellington would be removed. Wellington will never be the Amsterdam of the South. Our wind, rain, narrow streets, and rugged terrain make that impossible. That is not ideology. It is geography.

Wellington is not a place for casual cycling for most people. That comes down to more than just the weather. Outside the immediate central city, and even within it, many roads are narrow, steep, and at times poorly maintained. Surfaces can be uneven, broken, or slippery. Add sudden wind gusts funnelled through streets and over ridgelines, along with driving rain that reduces both visibility and traction, and you have conditions that demand skill and constant attention. Even braking on a bike, especially in wet and windy weather on uneven surfaces, is not as easy as it sounds. It is a skill that takes time to develop. Get it wrong, and the consequences are immediate.

A fall from a bike is not a theoretical risk. It is part of cycling over time. For a young, fit person, that may mean a few bruises. For an older or frail person, it can mean a broken hip, hospitalisation, and a loss of independence that is never fully regained.

We also need to be realistic about injury risk. Even with the best helmets, riders remain vulnerable to life-changing brain injuries, and damage to the neck and spine. Helmets help, but they do not remove risk, especially on hard urban surfaces.

Wellington will never be Amsterdam. Until we accept that, we will keep designing streets that don’t work for the people who actually live here.

I want to be clear. I am not against cycleways. Well-designed routes in the right places make sense. The dedicated link between Wellington City and the Hutt Valley, although expensive, will be valuable. The same applies to the bays. These are logical routes that suit the terrain and how people ride.

Nowhere to park for anyone!

That is very different from forcing cycle lanes into already constrained inner-city streets.

When Wellington is wet, cold, and windy, which is often, cycleways are largely empty. Meanwhile, nearby roads are congested. That is not an efficient use of limited space.

For Wellington to thrive, we need practical access. That means on-street parking. Central Wellington is already struggling, and the removal of thousands of car parks has real consequences. Small businesses rely on convenience. If customers cannot park, they go elsewhere.

Removing on-street parking tends to favour large operators. Supermarkets and malls have their own parking lots and are largely unaffected. In some cases, they even benefit. Small businesses, especially in the central city, do not have that buffer. For them, the loss of parking is often the tipping point.

Residential parking is another pressure point. Its removal creates real hardship for older people, for mothers managing children and groceries, and for anyone with limited mobility. It makes life harder for couriers and tradespeople, who are forced to double-park or circle the block, and if that fails, out come the orange road cones.

If cycleways make life harder, increase congestion, and drive customers away, then we need to ask a simple question: are they helping the city, or harming it?

That brings us to a point that is often overlooked. There is an energy cost to all of this.

I've read the views of people such as Patrick Morgan and I agree with some of what is being said. Safer cycling and reduced emissions are worthwhile goals. But we need to be grounded in reality and ask the harder questions. Do cycleways of this type reduce carbon emissions?

On the surface, it seems obvious. Fewer cars should mean lower emissions. But once you consider the full system, the answer is far less clear. Before further investment in cycleways, we should be asking:

• Does reducing traffic lanes increase congestion?

• Does it lead to more idling and stop-start driving?

• Are drivers spending more time circling for parks?

• Is there a greater reliance on courier services instead of local shopping?

• Are delivery services being disrupted?

• Is access reduced for families, older people, and those carrying loads?

Each of these carries an energy cost. More congestion means engines running longer. Stop-start driving increases fuel use. Circling for parks wastes fuel. Greater reliance on deliveries adds more vehicles to the roads. When viewed in total well-intentioned, though they may be, some cycleway developments may be increasing carbon emissions rather than reducing them. At the very least, we should not assume the outcome. We should measure it properly.

Good intentions are not enough. If Wellington’s cycleways are increasing congestion and emissions while hurting small businesses, then it’s time to rethink the plan.

One of Wellington's greatest strengths is what I call Mountain Bike Heaven. Across the wider region, we have an exceptional network of off-road trails. These get people active, out in nature, and away from traffic. They suit our terrain and offer a far safer and more enjoyable riding experience. That is where Wellington excels.

Rather than trying to replicate a European model, we should build on what already works here. What I would rather see is:

• Smooth, efficient traffic flow

• Accessible on-street parking

• Encouragement of modern, fuel-efficient vehicles

• Strong public transport options

• Continued investment in off-road cycling and walking networks

Wellington is a unique environment. Steep hills, tight streets, and unpredictable weather shape how people move. In those conditions, high-protection transport such as cars, buses, and taxis will remain the most practical option for most people.

That is not a failure — it is reality.

If we want Wellington to thrive, we need to design for the city we have, not the one we wish we had.

At the end of the day, this is not about being for or against cycling. It is about building a city that works. A city where people can move efficiently, where businesses can survive and grow, and where families, the elderly, and the less mobile are not pushed to the margins. If we care about Wellington's future, we need to look at what is happening in our streets. We need to make decisions based on reality, not on what we want.

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