1. To what extent do you agree with the proposed aim of the draft Walking Policy - to create New Zealand's most walkable city?
I strongly support the aim of the policy to create New Zealand’s most walkable city, but the results of my survey indicate that some people favour flatter cities such as Christchurch, Palmerston North and Hamilton as better candidates for the title.
However, a large number of people already consider Wellington to be a walker-friendly city. When asked what they enjoy about walking in Wellington, the following comments were made repeatedly:
- the compactness of the central city area
- interesting terrain and interesting nooks and crannies
- good views
- clean streets
- the waterfront route from the railway station to Te Papa
- the city to sea walkway and the promenade around the bays
- good public transport to combine with walking for longer journeys saves looking for and paying for carparks.
2. To what extent do you agree with the seven objectives (shown in Table 1) of the draft policy?
The seven objectives are:
- To promote the benefits of walking and encourage more people to walk
- To improve pedstrian safety throughout the city
- To improve the experience of those walking through or about the central area
- To improve the experience of those walking to and from public transport stops
- To increase the number of commuter trips taken by foot to and from the central area
- To increase the number of short walking trips to and from suburban centres
- To increase the number of short walking trips to and from educational centres.
I agree with these objectives, however if the order these are presented represents their importance then improving pedestrian safety should be #1, followed by improving the experiences for pedestrians.
Some of the comments received about safety issues and poor experiences include:
- phasing traffic lights so that pedestrians can get from one set of lights to the next without arriving just as they go red (Willis St is the best example of this frustration.)
- better phased traffic lights so that pedestrian aren't left waiting forever.
- providing more protection from the weather in the central area
- better street lighting around Brooklyn / town belt
- adequate footpaths, so don't have to walk on the road (especially in the Kaiwharawhara area)
- the pathways need to be kept maintained (ie. upgraded/repaired as required and/or free of clutter)
- stopping cars parking on foot paths
- skateboarders and cyclists on the pavements
- rubbish on the pavements and walkways area from commercial businesses. That also includes shop signs and the like spilling out onto paths.
- slippery tiles in Cuba St
- bus drivers who ignore red lights, particularly at the Manners St/Willis St/Boulcott St junction
- some areas are harder to get to on foot. For example, there is no easy way to walk up to Brooklyn (no clear pavement on part of the road), no easy way to walk from CBD to Newtown (the short way has limited pavement).
- at night there are large number of youths on the street, causing trouble and just being a general nuisance
- hoardings which clutter the inner city footpaths and the apparent lack of monitoring by the council.
- courier cyclists using the inner city footpaths.
3. There are a number of policies proposed (shown in Table 2) that will assist in achieving the aim and objectives of the policy. Do you agree these are acceptable?
I agree that these policies proposed are acceptable as most relate to making Wellington a safer and more pleasant city to walk around. However Policy 3.2 and 6.2 refer to ‘active frontages’ but no proper explanation of what this means is given in the draft policy document. Page 13 of the policy states that these “encourage connectivity with street edge and its users” – this is meaningless and detracts from the quality of the document.
4. (a) There are a number of possible actions that could be taken (shown in Tables 4, 5, 6, and 7) under each of the objectives to help deliver the aim of the draft Walking Policy. Do you agree the list of proposed actions is acceptable?
The tables list many possible actions which range from adopting guidelines to ensure the design of safer areas for pedestrians through to those with more immediate impact such as providing new pedestrian crossings, preventing inappropriate parking on footpaths, providing better surveillance at night time, and managing speed limits in the central area.
While it is necessary for the Council to be future focused and ensure that new developments provide for pedestrian safety, the survey comments listed in number 2 above indicate that there will be a significant positive impact to many people of the more immediate actions.
Actions such as providing journey planning seem to be relatively unnecessary as most people are able to plan their journey adequately anyway – effort is better spent on providing better footpaths and signposts so that walkers have more opportunities to expand their journeys.
4. b) Funding to implement the proposed actions will be sought through the Council's Long-Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP), and the Council may not wish to or be able to fund all of the initiatives. In order for the Council to determine which projects are most important we have prioritised the actions. Do you agree the priorities given to the actions are acceptable?
Most of the actions listed as priority A do not require any real effort from the Council and consequently will have little noticeable impact on pedestrians. I believe that most people would expect that the Council already embraces best–practice guidelines and standards relating to pedestrian safety, and continues to monitor and implement new practices as they evolve.
Based on my personal view and the comments received from the survey, the actions that should be given funding priority include:
- Provide new footpaths (3.2)
- Promote road safety campaigns ( 1.13),
- Provide traffic signal improvements (3.3, 2.3)
- Provide for safe pedestrian crossings (2.1, 3.4)
- Enforcement action against inappropriate parking (3.5)
- Actively manage speed limits (3.7)
- Provide increased surveillance in areas of high night time activity (3.6)
- Provide signage on main existing walkways (3.1)Provide street improvements (3.8, 3.10, 3.13)
2 comments:
What do you enjoy about walking in Wellington?
The scenery. The generally un-polluted air (ironically, this is probably a by-product of the wind) The closeness of most of the shops, bars, restaurants, and café’s in the CBD and Courtnay and Cuba areas to one another.
What do you dislike about walking in Wellington?
Environmental factors, such as wind and rain. These can be unpredictable, making it so you don't know if you're going to arrive at your destination dripping wet, or with an wind-styled afro. These factors introduce risk that walking is going to be very inconvenient some of the time - making it organizationally and cognitively simpler to plan a more predictable form of transportation (such as driving). As well as occasionally being physically lazy, most people are cognitive misers most of the time. They will often go do things the harder way (physically) to avoid expending mental/organizational effort. For example, most microwaves have a button that makes them go for thirty seconds to a minute with a single push. When confronted with an unfamiliar microwave, many people will push that button many times (i.e. seven or eight times) to avoid having to work out how to use, say four presses, to dial up a longer cook time. Similarly, people needing to heat something for, say, 10 seconds will push the single button that makes it go for 30 seconds, and then stand there watching so they can stop it when it’s been running for 10 seconds. Once this habit has been formed, it becomes less likely that people will stop, think, and learn how to use the microwave - even if it’s the simplest option in the long run. In my opinion, it’s the same with walking. People are in the habit of driving (or bussing or whatever) and its simply more predictable and less mental effort to stick with it. When you walk in Wellington, about half (?) the time it works out well. The rest of the time it would only yield the desired result - i.e. arriving at one’s destination comfortable and presentable (not sweaty, with sore feet, wet, and/or wind mussed) with some prior planning (i.e. a rain coat, possibly leggings, walking shoes, a wind-resistant umbrella). Thinking about organizing all that stuff is just too difficult for most people to want to break their habits for. Whenever I’ve stayed overseas for an extended period of time, I’ve found umbrellas useful. They’re really convenient, and they keep most of the rain off a walker, most of the time. On two separate occasions I’ve brought two nice black fold-away umbrellas at markets when I’ve been overseas and it’s been raining. Upon my return to Wellington, these have gone in the boot of my car. They have only been used once since. It just seems like a waste of money to plan to use them regularly. From memory, about 60 days of the year in wellington there are gusts of wind 80km/ph or above. The Wellington wind is death to umbrellas.
What would you like to see the Wellington City Council do to make walking in Wellington more pleasant?
A campaign to address some of the social factors (i.e. making it more acceptable to arrive at a business meeting wearing comfortable shoes, and sweating slightly). Along with a campaign, there’s also an opportunity to do a promo exercise that also addresses some of the practical problems associated with walking. For example, branded t-shirts for walking to work in are one option. An alternative, slightly more novel option would be branded umbrellas in a range of fashion/brand colors (including, perhaps, black for the conservative Wellingtonian). Heck, they could even be black and gold (i.e. gold with black, and black with gold versions). There is an opportunity for WCC to leverage its bulk purchasing-ability to get some “Wellington-proof” umbrellas made up in a factory in Asia somewhere. Quality control is a potential issue. They could partner with a locally well known brand (like Kathmandu) to source these cheaply. This would also reduce the of winding up with a container load of something that is poorly constructed, and not up to the task. What kind of features would a Wellington-proof umbrella need to have? I don’t know (I design software)! But I’d imagine the required features would be something along the lines of: a strong, flexible frame (i.e. metal-alloy or fiber-glass); wind-release flaps (for those nasty up-draughts); fast drying or hydrophobic fabric; a bright downwards angled LED path-light built into the handle (with the button in a place that’s easily reachable with a thumb); a safety cord attachable to a Velcro wrist band (to avoid umbrella loss in gusts). If the idea took off, and many people start keeping heaps of umbrellas in offices, an area to write the owner’s name might be a good idea. Another option would simply be to have a share pool of umbrellas that people use when they need them, and then leave them in branded umbrella stands at participating work places and café’s and when they don’t.
What do you dislike about walking in Wellington?
IN some of the closer residential streets people have been allowed to build driveways at the beginning of old established footpath shortcuts down to the city. Fine - but frequently the signs indicating these paths have disappeared and the entrance now looks like a private drive. Kelburn and Brooklyn have some examples of this. Others will know of more. I now hate walking down Willis and Victoria Sts - at the southern end these have been turned into a waste land - no character, horrible road crossings and lots of empty buildings (when are those shops and houses going to be let?).
What would you like to see the Wellington City Council do to make walking in Wellington more pleasant?
More signs indicating foot ways at the beginning of streets where there is short cut footpath at the other end would be more encouraging for people exploring ways to get down to town by foot. I'd like to see a walking audit for the central suburbs - with all the little byways examined, signs replaced, steps repaired and lights fixed.
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