The Golden Mile - for everybody?
The Golden Mile, from Lambton Quay to Courtenay Place is a key pedestrian area for shopping, walking to work and enjoying the city. It is also the public transport spine of Wellington.
Many people work in the shops and offices between the waterfront and The Terrace. Public transport means that we have more choices about how to come to work. Main downtown streets of successful cities like Melbourne, Zurich and London have light rail, older trams or buses as well as people on foot and bike.
Calming the maximum speed of buses to 30kph will not significantly reduce the average speed but will even out the flow and make the streets safer for walkers and cyclists.
By all means, let's improve the seating, bus shelters, street trees and little parks along the whole route - but don't rush to remove the buses!
With light rail and electric or clean-fuel buses the street environment will be quieter and cleaner. Reliable public transport requires priority at peak hours and I certainly support reducing private traffic along the Golden Mile from 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. Lunchtimes and weekends could be the next phase.
Here's a paragraph from an email I sent in November 2009...Dear Bob
I'm interested in talking with you about the best way to remove private vehicles from Lambton Quay and the rest of the Golden Mile. I have advocated for removal of private cars in peak hours from Courtenay Place last year and was saddened when a couple of elected members chose to revoke their decision to support that proposal.
I hear Sir Bob Jones assumes his pedestrianisation project has my wholehearted support. It does not if it includes removing public transport from the Golden Mile.