Cycling advocate says car dealer's Basin Reserve plan doesn't make sense

Cambridge Terrace looking towards Courtenay Place. Photo / Google Maps

A cycling advocate has spoken out against a Wellington car dealer's cycleway proposal, saying it doesn't make sense for bikes to share the footpath with pedestrians.

Patrick Morgan from Cycle Wellington told NZME the recent proposal for the Basin cycleway doesn't do enough to keep cyclists and pedestrians safe.

"I don't think cycling belongs on the footpath. Footpaths are for people on foot, and with mobility devices."

His comments follow that of Gazley Motors' Myles Gazley, who engaged engineering consultants Spencer Holmes on his plan for the area, which would have the cycle lanes running down the centre traffic islands between Cambridge and Kent Terraces.

Gazley said using the centre traffic islands was the "most obvious design".

The islands were more than 10 metres wide with 1.9m pavements on either side, he said.

The space was "underutilised" by pedestrians as there were already footpaths on the terraces.

Part of the proposal from Myles Gazley. Image / Supplied

Morgan said Wellington needs "proper" bike lanes.

"The solution is not taking space from pedestrians, it's building protected bike lanes in the street."

The Paneke Pōneke bike network plan, of which the Newtown/Basin Reserve cycleway is part, will expand the existing 23km of cycleways across the capital to 166km.

Cambridge Terrace looking towards Courtenay Place. Photo / Google Maps

Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said the council's planners had considered running the cycle lanes down the centre islands, as Gazley recommends, but decided against it.

It would involve having cyclists riding on footpaths and would mean they needed to cross busy lanes to get on to the island, he said.

The current Wellington City Council plan includes the removal of 50 parks on Cambridge Terrace and a full lane of traffic.