Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand welcomes Wellington City Council’s decision to scrap all eight raised pedestrian crossings, the proposed speed bumps, and the in-lane bus stops from the Brooklyn Connections – Walk, Bike and Bus Improvements project.
Membership Manager Lindsay Calvi-Freeman attended a meeting in late August with Council officers alongside the Greater Brooklyn Residents Association. Following that meeting, Council announced that the vertical devices and in-lane bus stops would no longer proceed.
“This is great news,” says Lindsay Calvi-Freeman. “It is a pragmatic and common-sense decision that recognises both safety concerns and the vital role Brooklyn Road plays as the main route to the Southern Landfill.”
The original proposal included eight raised crossings, multiple speed bumps, and two in-lane bus stops, many of which were on the uphill side of Brooklyn Road. For heavy vehicles, particularly landfill trucks and large truck-and-trailer combinations, this would have caused repeated stop-start traffic, higher diesel burn, increased emissions, and unnecessary wear and tear. Buses and other road users would also have been delayed.
Transporting New Zealand says it is pleased that Wellington City Council has listened to industry, emergency services, and the community on this issue.
The Council’s new plan can be viewed here.
About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand
Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter-regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country.
Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion.
For more information please contact:
Dom Kalasih, Chief Executive, 027 441 4309 or email Dom@transporting.nz
Lindsay Calvi-Freeman, Membership Manager, 027 556 6099 or email lindsay@transporting.nz
