With the recent announcements about Let’s Get Wellington Moving, the city’s transport system will be transformed in the years ahead. How we manage parking now, and in the future, is an important part of every transport system according to Transport Strategy and Operations portfolio leader Councillor Chris Calvi-Freeman.
The Council is inviting people to have their say through an online forum which begins today. People will be asked to comment on issues like parking designations, number of car parks, and the duration of stay. You can comment by selecting the parking policy project at letstalk.wellington.govt.nz.
Councillor Calvi-Freeman says parking is an issue that people have strong views on, so we encourage comment and feedback. The information gathered will inform the development of a revised parking policy that we will formally consult on later this year.
“We recognise that private vehicles will continue to be a necessary part of the transport mix, and the Council’s role is to make sure transport choices are balanced and integrated to support the city’s growth over the long-term. Parking is one use of public space, and there are many competing demands for this space.
“In many cases demand exceeds supply, resulting in conflicts, poor safety outcomes and inefficiencies. How the Council manages its parking impacts the use of public transport, congestion on the road network, the use of public space, and the amount of carbon emissions,” he says.
The Council has set a vision for Wellington to become a connected eco-city that is people-centred with a dynamic central city. There are a number of initiatives that support this vision and that encourage walking, cycling and public transport over other modes of transport and move more people with fewer vehicles.
The Council manages approximately 11% of total available parking spaces in the central area. Of these, approximately 900 are off-street and 3,200 are on-street. The remaining parking spaces in the central area are managed privately, nearly half of these have restricted access, such as employee parking only.
The Parking Policy Review will consider the on-street and off-street parking policy settings controlled by Wellington City Council in the Parking Policy 2007 and the Mobility Parking Policy 2005.
Councillors recently requested a more in-depth look at parking in the wider Newtown area where transport changes are planned and parking is already under pressure. From late July, there will be opportunities for people who live, or have a special interest in this area, to share their thoughts on how on-street parking in Newtown could be managed differently in the future.