is wellington city parking really that f**ked up

[russd7]

just watched an article on Fair Go about a guy who got a ticket for parking in a pay car park and actually paying due to the fact that all the free bike parks were full, council response was they don't want bikes using car parking spaces even if they pay because it upsets car drivers.

is this for real, time for a mass park up in wellington

[caspernz]

Haha, yeah just saw that. Giggle inducing unless it affects you I guess...

Spent 10 years in Welly and the local buzz was that the parking laws as well as wardens were...ah let's just say enthusiastic :rolleyes:

[Scuba_Steve]

I've been told it goes something like bikes aren't allowed to park in pay & display parks as to free them up for cars (& also cause tickets are hard to keep attached in the wind) in exchange we get provided with so many free bike parks & that there's a bylaw to such effect.
Haven't looked into it myself, not that interested as I have no real interest in paying for parking on a bike.

[Ocean1]

The local authorities managed to assemble enough reasons for me to avoid the place decades ago. They've added to the list considerably since.
Fuckem.

[pete376403]

500 free bike parks for the approx. 2500 bikes coming into the city daily. Yep, that sounds like it would work.

[swbarnett]

500 free bike parks for the approx. 2500 bikes coming into the city daily. Yep, that sounds like it would work.
Whereas up in Aucks, if the park outside my office building is full I just go around the corner to the one I can have all to myself. Been parking there for about a month now and only ever seen one other bike in there (and even then only once).

[aws]

I love the bike commuting scene in Melbourne. I believe that it is illegal to park your bike in a carpark unless the footpath is too full to accommodate your bike [emoji16]

But I don't see why a biker in Wellington who is paying well above their share of license fees isn't entitled to park in a valid parking space.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[russd7]

I love the bike commuting scene in Melbourne. I believe that it is illegal to park your bike in a carpark unless the footpath is too full to accommodate your bike [emoji16]

But I don't see why a biker in Wellington who is paying well above their share of license fees isn't entitled to park in a valid parking space.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

apparently it upsets car drivers

[GazzaH]

boo hoo

It's just the council wankers, earning a crust

[BMWST?]

i beleive its only pay and display that you cant park a bike in the space .

[riffer]

Wow. Much uninformed opinion here eh?

The fact is, there's a council bylaw in effect. And it stems from back when we negotiated with the Council that in return for us not taking up the vehicle parks with motorcycles (a number of us actually did that as a protest) we got 500 free parks for bikes.

Of course, they've mucked around with that (at one stage about five years back I led a delegation of grumpy bikers to Council chambers and successfully argued that it was not in their interests to try and screw us further) but generally they've kept their promise.

No other city in New Zealand has as many free official parks for bikes as Wellington.

Could there be more? Sure, but that's a battle for another day. There's not enough parks full stop in Wellington.

But try and find out a bit more about it before going off half cocked folks.

Cheers

[Ixion]

Just for the record, Auckland Council provide 590 dedicated marked free motorcycle parking spaces on street and in Council parking buildings. (I just now added them up). Plus an unknown number (but quite a lot) in Council open air parking areas. At present , this seems adequate. A couple of years ago, we were getting complaints that bikers couldn't find a park in the "official" places, so we talked to Auckland COuncil, and they provided more , both on street and in buildings. We'll talk again if the problem re-surfaces

And , of course, you can quite legally and officially park a motorcycle in a pay and display area (or at a parking meter), provided you pay the same rate as a car. It seems to work OK - we suggest taking a photo of the pay and display ticket , and using a rubber band to attach it (as Council suggest) The Wellington exclusion seems silly and petty , and surely must be exceedingly inconvenient.

Most private car parks (supermarkets , shopping malls, Airport etc ) also provide dedicated motorcycle spaces.

Speaking for myself, I find the long skinny parking strips on each side of the road more convenient. Footpaths, I think people call them, but I've no idea why.

[RDJ]

The local authorities managed to assemble enough reasons for me to avoid the place decades ago. They've added to the list considerably since.
Fuckem.

Indeed. And they are accelerating said additions...

[Paulo]

Wow. Much uninformed opinion here eh?

The fact is, there's a council bylaw in effect. And it stems from back when we negotiated with the Council that in return for us not taking up the vehicle parks with motorcycles (a number of us actually did that as a protest) we got 500 free parks for bikes.

Of course, they've mucked around with that (at one stage about five years back I led a delegation of grumpy bikers to Council chambers and successfully argued that it was not in their interests to try and screw us further) but generally they've kept their promise.

No other city in New Zealand has as many free official parks for bikes as Wellington.

Could there be more? Sure, but that's a battle for another day. There's not enough parks full stop in Wellington.

But try and find out a bit more about it before going off half cocked folks.

Cheers

Yeah good on you guys for doing that! but the fact remains there is a woeful lack of parking for bikes especially since everyones riding a scooter these days , My Girlfriends given up riding her motorcycle into the city as there is NO parking anywhere near the terrace, all full by 8am So basically there is a problem, The council need to realize that every person on two wheels is significantly helping the issue of congestion in the city and need to be a bit more accommodating. We are collectively the solution not the problem.

[Ixion]

Yeah good on you guys for doing that! but the fact remains there is a woeful lack of parking for bikes especially since everyones riding a scooter these days , My Girlfriends given up riding her motorcycle into the city as there is NO parking anywhere near the terrace, all full by 8am So basically there is a problem, The council need to realize that every person on two wheels is significantly helping the issue of congestion in the city and need to be a bit more accommodating. We are collectively the solution not the problem.

Again, just for the record,and not wanting to get into a "my council - your council " war .

Auckland Transpoort actually has a policy on motorcycle parking (or, part of a policy - we are included with electric vehicles and car sharing, all three considered as 'congestion busters'



9. Motorcycle, electric vehicle and car share parking policies
Motorcycles and scooters are an increasingly popular transport choice for commuters travelling to Auckland’s CBD. AT has allocated dedicated motorcycle parking within car park buildings in the CBD in recent times. Use of motorcycles can reduce the amount of congestion of the roads and take up less parking space than cars. Typically four motorcycles can be parked in one car space. Motorcycle parking is sometimes provided within shared space streets to provide activation and a buffer between cars and pedestrians.

...snippy

Policy 9A: Motorcycle Parking, Electric Vehicles and Car Share

In areas of high demand AT will seek to introduce more on-street motorcycle parking facilities. It is important that short stay on-street motorcycle parking is prioritised in order to remain consistent with the strategic objectives.

Dedicated motorcycle parking is provided in all AT car parking buildings. AT will look to continue to provide these facilities. However, charging will be considered if demand increases to the point that car parking is being removed.

https://at.govt.nz/about-us/transport-plans-strategies/parking-strategy/parking-strategy-policies/

[Ocean1]

Wow. Much uninformed opinion here eh?

The fact is, there's a council bylaw in effect. And it stems from back when we negotiated with the Council that in return for us not taking up the vehicle parks with motorcycles (a number of us actually did that as a protest) we got 500 free parks for bikes.

Of course, they've mucked around with that (at one stage about five years back I led a delegation of grumpy bikers to Council chambers and successfully argued that it was not in their interests to try and screw us further) but generally they've kept their promise.

No other city in New Zealand has as many free official parks for bikes as Wellington.

Could there be more? Sure, but that's a battle for another day. There's not enough parks full stop in Wellington.

But try and find out a bit more about it before going off half cocked folks.

Cheers

Fully cocked since ages ago tah.

And the fact that it's a council bylaw that effectively blocks a couple thousand bikes parking in the city every day don't make it any less worthy of the perfectly justified derision the decision attracts, just makes it exclusively the council's fault.

I mean the reason given at the time for bikes not being allowed to use the normal pay/display and metered parks was that cars were either attempting to use the rest of the space or actually getting out and moving the bikes ffs, how pathetic is that?

[riffer]

Oh I agree, it's not really right at all is it?

However, Fair Go presenting it like it's something nobody knew about is bollocks.

Thanks for all the red reps folks. Go park in the car parks. You obviously know better than everyone else. Dickheads.

And in case you didn't realise, we're a minority, and nobody really gives a fuck about motorcyclists. You can piss and moan all you like about fairness but it doesn't mean shit in the end.

[swbarnett]

And in case you didn't realise, we're a minority, and nobody really gives a fuck about motorcyclists. You can piss and moan all you like about fairness but it doesn't mean shit in the end.
While this may be true, what has to be pressed into the thick minds of politicians is that if they don't provide motorcycle parking for those that want it people will just stay in cars. I'm sure TPTB would appreciate a quicker commute in their congestion creators for the low price of a few car park spaces.

[riffer]

While this may be true, what has to be pressed into the thick minds of politicians is that if they don't provide motorcycle parking for those that want it people will just stay in cars. I'm sure TPTB would appreciate a quicker commute in their congestion creators for the low price of a few car park spaces.

I'd need a fucking 50 tonne workshop press to get it into their heads mate.

[swbarnett]

I'd need a fucking 50 tonne workshop press to get it into their heads mate.
Unfortunately I know what you mean. Maybe if the city ever does grind to a complete halt they'll finally get it. We can but live in hope.

In the meantime I'll enjoy my morning slalom (full length of Auckland's Southern) and the bike park I have all to myself only a block from the office.

[Ocean1]

Oh I agree, it's not really right at all is it?

However, Fair Go presenting it like it's something nobody knew about is bollocks.

Thanks for all the red reps folks. Go park in the car parks. You obviously know better than everyone else. Dickheads.

And in case you didn't realise, we're a minority, and nobody really gives a fuck about motorcyclists. You can piss and moan all you like about fairness but it doesn't mean shit in the end.

To be fair the average car driver almost certainly didn't know much about it.

[riffer]

You're not wrong Ocean1. I don't believe the average car driver thinks a lot about motorcyclists.

Many seem to drive that way.

It does make me wonder though, how many of these little bylaws there are that actively discriminate against minorities.

The key thing though, is that we still have too many single occupant vehicles using our roads, and motorcycles go a long way towards making a difference.

I pity the poor buggers when we end up with electric motorcycles - they'll really struggle to find something to hate about us then. ;)

[Ocean1]

You're not wrong Ocean1. I don't believe the average car driver thinks a lot about motorcyclists.

Many seem to drive that way.

It does make me wonder though, how many of these little bylaws there are that actively discriminate against minorities.

The key thing though, is that we still have too many single occupant vehicles using our roads, and motorcycles go a long way towards making a difference.

I pity the poor buggers when we end up with electric motorcycles - they'll really struggle to find something to hate about us then. ;)

Councils are cesspools of incompetence, filled with commercial failures, informed mostly by those particular single issue lobby groups who have all day to bitch at them and no concept of where or how the resources that fund them are produced.

They don't discriminate against minorities alone, they continuously fail to act in anything like the best interests of their rate paying clients. If they weren't the watertight monopolies they are they'd be long, long gone. I gave up any hope of a reasonable return from my contributions years ago.

It's tempting to think the exponential clusterfuck arising from easily projected traffic density increases would incentivise punters to change their habits, eh? I mean given the social welfare spend there's no fucking chance at all of an effective infrastructure fix. But a quick glance at cities a step or two ahead of us indicates that without such intervention it will indeed continue to become much, much worse.

Fuck me, 3 years ago my workshop in the northern reaches of the valley was 4 minutes away, now it's 12. And that's an hour from the epicentre.

More Bourbon...

[FJRider]

I've been told it goes something like bikes aren't allowed to park in pay & display parks as to free them up for cars (& also cause tickets are hard to keep attached in the wind) in exchange we get provided with so many free bike parks & that there's a bylaw to such effect.
Haven't looked into it myself, not that interested as I have no real interest in paying for parking on a bike.

It's in the Wellington bylaws. ... 6.5 No person shall park a motorcycle in any parking meter area controlled by a multiple parking meter, other than in any part specifically set aside for motorcycles.

http://wellington.govt.nz/your-council/plans-policies-and-bylaws/bylaws/wellington-consolidated-bylaw-2008/part-7_-traffic

However ... Bylaws are not part of the land traffic act. And if you dispute any charges the Council "Ticket" you for ... they will need to either take you to court, or hand fine collection to Baycorp (or similar). Remember the "Freedom Camping" bylaw the Central Otago Councils ... have found are lacking teeth ... ;)

[Scuba_Steve]

I'd need a fucking 50 tonne workshop press to get it into their heads mate.
I can give you access to a 100 tonne one :msn-wink:



However ... Bylaws are not part of the land traffic act. And if you dispute any charges the Council "Ticket" you for ... they will need to either take you to court, or hand fine collection to Baycorp (or similar). Remember the "Freedom Camping" bylaw the Central Otago Councils ... have found are lacking teeth ... ;)
Except that's not what happens is it? instead it'll be handed to the courts & they will illegally steal your money... Thus is the way of the corrupt & illegal system

[pzkpfw]

More and more of the car parks in Wellington have that sensor thing in the road that's linked to the nearby pay-here machine.

I think it senses the light blocked by the vehicle on top, or something like that.

Would those things even work for bikes?

(It feels ironic that one reason pay and display doesn't work for bikes is the problem of attaching the printed ticket (and preventing its theft etc.); and the new system, that does away with the printed ticket, still doesn't solve the issue for bikes - even if the council were to change the bylaw on where we can park bikes.)

[FJRider]

Except that's not what happens is it? instead it'll be handed to the courts & they will illegally steal your money... Thus is the way of the corrupt & illegal system

Decide for yourself ... remember that Police have zero interest in parking offences. The Council must instruct THEIR Lawyers to start proceedings against you if they wish to recover unpaid ticket fines. For a $50 parking ticket ... is it really worth their effort .. ??? Also remember NO LAWS WERE BROKEN. Any Court case is a private matter between the Council a the "Parking offender" ...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/87691355/Budget-buster-How-you-can-get-out-of-that-parking-ticket

[SPman]

Why doesn't everyone just park on the footpaths like we used to and they do in civilised cities like Paris & Melbourne....

[Rhys]

Because Wellington City Council will ticket you for that too

[Scuba_Steve]

Why doesn't everyone just park on the footpaths like we used to and they do in civilised cities like Paris & Melbourne....

I do, it's part the bonus of owning a bike right?

[FJRider]

Why doesn't everyone just park on the footpaths like we used to and they do in civilised cities like Paris & Melbourne....

I would hardly describe Aussies or the French as "Civilized"

[riffer]

They are compared to WCC. Riders used to park their bikes on Boulcott Street. Council officers would nail them with tickets, and hand out "failure to display rego" tickets to boot, unless your rego was exactly in the "correct" spot.

Council don't like bikes on the footpaths, even Boulcott Street which is at least 5 metres wide and the bikes only took up 2 metres.