Wellington Parking - They are about to clamp down on bike parking

[Hawkeye]

http://www.wellington.govt.nz/news/d...em.php?id=3614



100 new parks in the last year!. None of which are in the area where they are needed. Also If you do the maths (which they obviously haven't), with the increase in numbers of bikes on the road, they would need to provide an extra 170/year to meet the demand.

The very fact that bikes are being parked wherever there is space highlights that none of the 'new' 100 parks are where they are needed ie. in the CBD
Why would I ride past my place of work to go to the top of Willis street etc just to find an empty spot. The CBD is the location where they need to significantly increase the parking spaces.

I would also love to know where these private parking buildings are that cater for bikes.

[Jon Visser]

Hi all,

Yes, we are embarking on a campaign to address the parking habits of motorcycle and scooter riders in Wellington City. Unlike last time, we will not be jumping straight into a "zero tolerance" approach, but have first undertaken to install as many additional on-road spaces as we could and have now embarked on a media campaign to explain how (and where) best to park motorcycles.

Just some statistics to set the scene:
* In 2006 we accommodated about 450 motorcyclists in the CBD per day on 350 on-road spaces (for free) and the remainder parking off-road (i.e. we used to be able to cater for most).
* In 2009 we now have 1000 motorcyclists entering the CBD each day (and still growing rapidly), and have only been able to increase on-road parks to 450 spaces. Therefore more than half will now need to find off-road spaces. It is impossible to locate 550+ metres of additional kerbspace for motorcycle parks without adversely impacting on other road users.
* In comparison, Sydney has about 600 on-road spaces for about 4,500 motorcyclists (CBD).
* We will be using posters, newspaper articles, radio interviews and web pages to communicate to riders how they should be parking. No enforcement campaign will commence until we have had a reasonable opportunity to carry out this media campaign, and even then it will be limited to those who persistently continue to offend after receiving reasonable warning notices.
* We will also continue to review the availability and location of on-road spaces, but one fact that will remain is that there simply isn't the space available in Wellington City to accommodate all bikes like we used to.

To address some of the specific comments you have made made so far:
* 100 additional spaces were placed where we could accommodate them and admittedly not in the high-demand places where illegal parking occurs. However, given that these 100 additional spaces are almost 100% utilised, that is still a significant actual improvement for the riders that now use them.
* Parking buildings - I have just negotiated with most of the (commercial) parking buildings in Wellington City that they will now accomodate motorcycles. This provides riders with access to hundreds of additional parking spaces. Most will be available on a commercial basis (to cover the administrative costs for the security, cover and guaranteed availability of the space that they provide) but there are also a few off-road places that will accommodate bikes for free. Maps showing all appropriate public-access motorcycle parking locations in Wellington City will be provided to all riders parking in the CBD through leaflet drops over the next month, and I will post a URL when these are available on-line. There are also many private parking facilities that riders may be able to negotiate access to, especially if they want to park so close to their destination.

Realistically, as we can no longer provide free on-road spaces for all motorcyclists to use, and we would like to have some empty spaces available during the day for riders to be able to come and go, we need to somehow achieve a significant shift of bikes to off-road parking locations. Motorcyclists (especially commuters) really need to consider how and where they park as all other road users do, i.e. park in an appropriate and designated space (whether using a car, bus, train, motorcycle or bicycle) and walk the remainder of their journey.

I am genuinely interested in the concerns of motorcycle riders in Wellington City and have therefore used my real name for this forum. I am happy to discuss needs and to develop policies and responses that balance the reasonable needs of _all_ road users.

Jon Visser
Manager, Infrastructure Performance
Wellington City Council

[Lurch]

WCC is embarking on a new campaign to clear the footpaths of bikes and scoots. I approve of some of what they are trying to do but am a bit shocked at this comment :

"People commuting to work on motorcycles should be parking in public or private parking buildings so that other motorcycle users who need to come and go during the day have more space available to park on the road"

http://wellington.govt.nz/news/display-item.php?id=3614

[Squiggles]

I am genuinely interested in the concerns of motorcycle riders in Wellington City and have therefore used my real name for this forum. I am happy to discuss needs and to develop policies and responses that balance the reasonable needs of _all_ road users.

Awesome.

[Jizah]

Seriously good post. Thanks for taking the time.

[Badjelly]

Thanks for the post, Jon.

I work in the suburbs and only come into Wellington City occasionally to shop. One thing that strikes me is that it can be harder to find a parking spot for the bike than it would be if I brought the car. There are often vacant pay & display parking spots but nothing for the bike. (Admittedly I have to pay for the car.)

Another thing that strikes me is that there are still quite a few odd little spots here & there (eg. triangular spaces at the either end of a row of diagonal parks) where it would be perfectly safe and considerate to park the bike, but it's illegal. So I think the council could still try a little harder to find bike parking spots.

[Ixion]

Hi all,

..
Just some statistics to set the scene:
* In 2006 we accommodated about 450 motorcyclists in the CBD per day on 350 on-road spaces (for free) and the remainder parking off-road (i.e. we used to be able to cater for most).
* In 2009 we now have 1000 motorcyclists entering the CBD each day (and still growing rapidly), and have only been able to increase on-road parks to 450 spaces. Therefore more than half will now need to find off-road spaces. It is impossible to locate 550+ metres of additional kerbspace for motorcycle parks without adversely impacting on other road users.

Hang about. If there are 500 more motorcyclist coming into the city, odds are that each of those 500 used to drive in by car. So that's 500 fewer cars coming in, effectively the provision for car parking has increased at the expense of motorcyclists. Since one car space can hold about four bikes spaces, fairness would indicate that about 125 car park spaces should be converted to bike parks.
..

.. Motorcyclists (especially commuters) really need to consider how and where they park as all other road users do, i.e. park in an appropriate and designated space (whether using a car, bus, train, motorcycle or bicycle) and walk the remainder of their journey.

..

There are differences. Firstly, security. Motorcyclists need/want their bikes to be parked either where they can keep an eye on them OR in a secure place. Otherwise bike thefts go through the roof.

Secondly, a motorcyclist arriving in the city, hopefully is wearing decent protective clothing. Which is heavy, hot, and most definitely not designed for walking long distances in. An expectation that motorcyclists will have a long walk at the end of their journey has serious adverse safety implications, since , inevitably, if motorcyclists (and more so, motor scooterists) have to trudge for several kilometres they will NOT wear that protective clothing. And injury rates go through the roof.

If WCC motorcycle parking strategy relies on parking facilities remote from the journey endpoint then they need to provide secure storage (eg lockers).

Motorcycles represent almost the ONLY solution to city congestion. But if motorcycles are to play their part in freeing up the road space, they must be considered by planners as vehicles in their own right , not as small cars.

[CookMySock]

"People commuting to work on motorcycles should be parking in public or private parking buildings so that other motorcycle users who need to come and go during the day have more space available to park on the road"

That is normal parking policy. Thats what carparks are FOR - to allow customers to get in and out of the town and butter your and my bread - NOT for employees to fill up because they can't be effed walking.

Steve

[Lurch]

If there aren't free bike parks in town that I can use as a commuter I will go back to driving the car even if it's slower.

I have always assumed the council is in a win/win situation by encouraging more commuters to ride their bikes by offering free parking, I mean its cheap for them to offer per passenger and they reduce congestion on their under funded infrastructure. Obviously I am wrong?

[Hawkeye]

And.....

Jon Visser
Manager, Infrastructure Performance
Wellington City Council

has actually reponded on that thread above.

[davebullet]

Jon - firstly thanks for the informative post.

Does the council have a target number of free parks to support riders that come and go?

Is the council going to provide guidelines as to what off-street parking will be tolerated (eg. on the footpath?). I know bikes are not meant to obstruct pedestrians, however, some footpaths are wide and can accommodate a row of bikes and still allow 2 pedestrians to pass eachother easily.

After the marketing campaign, how will warning notices be served. Having never received a ticket on the bike and with Wellington weather, I might not know I have been served.

How will the council monitor "day stayers" and decide on what is a reasonable parking timeframe? (chalk mark on the tyres then after XX minutes a ticket?)

Thanks,
Dave.

[Fatjim]

Ixion, motorcycles aren't seen as a positive replacement option to cars, you know that, I know that, everyone knows that.

Also, many motorcyclists have chosen this type of transport in favour of car pooling and public transport, not just using their own car. I ride because it saves me parking costs, and the commute time is predictable, within about 10%, regardless of the weather/traffic. Not because it saves the environment (which it doesn't), or aids congestion which it doesn't (cause there's not enough of us).

But you're right. If I can't use a parking building I select my parking spot where my baby is least likely to be knocked over or scratched. And it has to be close to were I'm going as riding gear is a curse to walk in.

[Lurch]

I agree Ixion, I'm not going to bring the bike in if I have to park it in a dingy corner of a parking building where it's supposedly secure.

The reality is that many of the parking buildings around town are about as secure as the back streets of Taita at night.

Also I'm not going to get on a bus/walk for 2km carrying my bike gear after parking. I ride the bike because I get to park close to work. No free bike park on the street for me = one more car back on the road.

[Lurch]

Thanks guys, didn't think to check the Rant and Rave forum for a post about this.

[CookMySock]

It is impossible to locate 550+ metres of additional kerbspace for motorcycle parks without adversely impacting on other road users.

Uhh, what other road users? Have all these extra motorcyclists never been to town before, or did they previously drive cars?

That makes no sense. The more parks you have for bikes, the more realestate you claim back. Bikes take 1/4 of the space of one car. Bikes can carry two people - how many cars have more than two people in them?

If you really wanted to resolve some congestion problem, you would be creating much much more parking for bikes, and take advantage of what is obviously a windfall for you - one of having parking being freed up for customers to come in and spend.

one fact that will remain is that there simply isn't the space available in Wellington City to accommodate all bikes like we used to.

Uhh, bikes carry two people, cars carry four-five, one carpark takes one car (five people) or four bikes (eight people), uhh what am I missing?

Realistically, as we can no longer provide free on-road spaces for all motorcyclists to use, and we would like to have some empty spaces available during the day for riders to be able to come and go

A nice idea on the face of it, but how many bike riders actually come to town to run an errand, rather than park there all day?

we need to somehow achieve a significant shift of bikes to off-road parking locations.

Why?

I am happy to discuss needs and to develop policies and responses that balance the reasonable needs of _all_ road users.

Why is a bike a different sort of road user than a car?

Steve