passing cyclists in the lane would have the potential to knock or squeeze the cyclist
out of the lane. As a result all other vehicles including cyclists are prohibited from
using contra flow bus lanes which are appropriately marked as “Buses Only.”
There are currently three ‘bus only’ lanes in Wellington city: Lambton Quay
southbound from Panama Street to Hunter Street, southbound on Willis Street and
the southbound central lane at the southern end of Thorndon Quay. Thorndon Quay
is restricted because any vehicle travelling in this lane must continue through to the
Lambton bus interchange. This is a bus operating area and for safety reasons all
traffic other than buses are excluded. Other bus lanes are usable by cyclists.
Safe and efficient functioning of shared facilities, such as cycle/footpaths and
bus/cycle lanes, requires a sound understanding of rights and responsibilities on the
part of all users. It is proposed to emphasise cycle awareness in bus driver training,
work with cycling groups to promote appropriate use of shared lanes and include
shared facility awareness in future cycling safety campaigns.
There are a number of locations in the city where cyclists could benefit from the
installation of advanced stop boxes. These boxes are marked at traffic signals and
allow cyclists to go ahead of the vehicle queue to get a head start on vehicle traffic
when the lights turn green. This can improve safety for the cyclist as it allows them to
clear the intersection before turning and before other traffic comes at them. It is
proposed to work with cycling groups and individuals to understand where these
could be installed and to prioritise their installation.
To create a demand at a traffic signal a vehicle only needs to stop at the limit line,
where the subsurface detector loop’s magnetic field recognises the mass of metal of
a vehicle and sets the demand. However, cycles don’t have enough mass to always
register the loop. At locations that only get a demand when triggered, this means
cyclists may have to wait until a car approaches or cross against the lights. It is
proposed to mark on the road a small cycle symbol followed by a series of small
diamonds, thus highlighting where cyclists should position themselves to maximise
the effect on the signal loop. This has been used successfully at a number of
locations in the city but it is not widely used and not all cyclists understand its
meaning. It is proposed to work with cycling groups to determine where else this
could be used. It is also proposed to promote where and how the marked loops are
and can be used.
This policy also proposes a number of cycle- friendly routes that do not have the
same status as a cycle route or bus/cycle route but recognise there are a number of
cyclists who use them. It is proposed to make incremental improvements to these
routes but, at present, it is not proposed to dedicate lanes to cycles exclusively.
The draft policy nominates two recreation routes: the coastal route including Happy
Valley Road and the route through Makara and Ohariu Valley, which are used
regularly at weekends for recreational riding. These areas are important for
recreational cyclists and this policy will ensure their needs are considered when
planning and undertaking work along these routes.
Another recreation cycle route is the promenade along Oriental Parade and through
Lambton Harbour. This route is a facility shared with pedestrians and other
recreational users such as skateboarders and crocodile bikes. While cyclists are
legitimate users of this space, it must be recognised that because, of the mixed use,
the area is not suitable for fast cycling.