Banning private cars from Wellington’s Golden Mile is what the AA expected Let’s Get Wellington Moving’s decision makers to opt for and the challenge they will now have is implementing the change in a way that will work well for people.

The AA expects there will be some real complexity in coming up with the specific rules and design for how the ban will work in practice when it comes in in 2024. For instance how the many vehicles delivering goods or used by tradespeople working in buildings will still be able to do their work effectively and how people who struggle to use public transport or have limited mobility will be able to access the area.

“Making this work well for people travelling into and through the city on all types of transport is going to need much better planning, communication and management then there has been so far,” says AA Wellington District chair Geordie Cassin.

“If all this does is push the people driving in the city onto arterial roads and creates more congestion there then it won’t be an improvement.

“It will need to be coupled with real improvements in public transport and dedicated cycling/scooter lanes and be done in ways that look and feel attractive to people. The impact on the central city while construction is taking place will also need to be handled very well.

“The last thing we want is for Wellington’s Golden Mile to end up in the same battles and acrimony that Queen St in Auckland has been stuck in.”

The AA’s surveys of our Members indicate that many Wellingtonians will be sceptical of this move and Let’s Get Wellington Moving has an uphill battle to convince them of how it will improve the city.

When we surveyed about reducing lanes for cars in the early stages of Let’s Get Wellington Moving, 71% did not support the idea and in our annual survey of AA Members concerns around transport earlier this year, 50% of Wellington respondents said they were often annoyed by parking availability in and around the CBD. This was the second highest level in the country, behind only Otago.

“The authorities need to quickly show the public some really good analysis of how this will work and the benefits it will deliver to people in real terms.

“Anyone spending time along the Golden Mile in recent months would say it is struggling for bronze at best right now. There are not many people there full stop and the most common vehicles on the roads are buses, couriers and work vehicles,” says Geordie.

For more information contact:

Dylan Thomsen
Principal Communications Adviser
New Zealand Automobile Association
M. 027 703 9935
E. dthomsen@aa.co.nz