Would somebody, PLEASE, think of the cars?!
Here on Talk Wellington you hear a lot about building cities for people, that are accessible to all. But there’s one group we often neglect.
In a thought-provoking piece, Dima Kronfeld lays down the challenge: how do we make cities accessible to the person-car hybrid, like the charming Montgomery “Lightning” McQueen?
Image credit:
jeff_golden (with edits)
I am a cyclist a semi MTBer and I dive an ICE vehicle.
I support cycle lane development in Wellington and I support the concept of light rail in principle, however I am a vehement supporter of a second Mt Victoria Tunnel for motor vehicles.
I support 2 lanes each way for Mt Vic plus an additional conversion of the existing Hataitai bus tunnel to make it suitable for light rail use as well as bus use.
That would seem to me to be the big picture zoom out, long term best approach to the seemingly never ending debate that is often stamped with the narrative of eco this and green that – all perhaps lofty and admirable aims however……
I do not see how having 2 lanes each way in the revised Mt Vic tunnel is a bad thing, in fact I feel it is totally necessary and yesterday please is good.
It would increase resilience in Wellington across the board, and free up taxi and other commercial traffic flows to the Airport and eastern suburbs well
We need to allow for this traffic and not be continually preventing it happening just because right now,vehicles powered by means other than as an internal combustion engine are still in small numbers – this will change over time to more electric and perhaps hydrogen or other motive means and as the city grows so too will vehicle use. To not provide for this by trying to squash private vehicle use is really narrow minded and draconian.
I don’t agree with that at all.
Auckland is now about to debate yet another multi billion dollar twin below ground train proposal to the Auckland Airport notionally costing over 14 billion hard on the heels of continual billions spent on tunnels for Britomart and service tunnels for electric power and telecommunications.
What has Wellington got in the last 50 years in the way of progression infrastructure ?
I am sick to death of people holding this city growth and development back.
We wanted that second Mt Mic tunnel for cars. We are happy to have light rail (talked about since the early 80s !!! at least) but we are not wanting you to keep telling us no to the 2nd tunnel – forget it
Build the tunnel for 2 lanes each way of cars and refurbish the Hataitai bus tunnel for co light rail and bus use and forget your current set of proposals which I do not support and don’t believe that there are more people wanting light rail than car owners ! that is a narrative sneaked by certain political influences – if you are so confident let us have a referendum that includes the proper questions do you want 4 lanes for vehicles each way or light rail ?
Otherwise I think you are winding us up just like saying lets put a pedestrian crossing in at the ASB Sports Centre location on Cobham Drive when no one seems to agree with anything less than a flyover or other means NOT to STOP or SLOW the traffic flow. That is insane.
It might be cheaper to build but it is a ridiculous idea just as building a tunnel without including 2 lanes for vehicles is.