WCC to debate "Daft Parking Policy" 1st May (again)

**skid** · 21st April 2007, 19:14

Alert! Alert! Alert!

Sorry for the dramatics, but I wanted to let the group know about an important development at council.

I saw Councilor Bryan Pepperell today and he told me that the council will meet again this week to consider charging for motorcycle/scooter parking (again). This is a completely daft plan and will be counter productive to Wellingtons traffic woes.

All those on two wheels need to let the dozy buggers know that it is not going to fly.

I am going to find out where to submit to and I will post a link. Please post a submission and get all your friends to as well. Even car drivers as if all scooter/motorcyclist suddenly began taking their cars, there would be even more hell on the roads.

Thanks, and I'll post again soon.

**Crasherfromwayback** · 21st April 2007, 19:19

Yeah as Phil said in that email we got at work today........we'll simply tell them that if they want to charge us for parking our bikes......we'll simply park the fuckers in car parking spaces and pay the meters. That'll cause no end of problems for a town already struggling for car parks!

**Grub** · 21st April 2007, 23:40

.... get 100 bikers on the 1st of May to arrive in town at 0630 and park one bike in each space down Featherston St and feed the meters until 0830 when all the city breakfast cafe customers would have to have found somewhere else?

Legend has it that this happened in Masterton in response to the local cop ticketing bikes parked between cars. I would love to see it make the point to the council about how stupid this is.

I remember last time we responded to this porposal, the councilors were a bit stunned at our organised email campaign. This time it might be a very good idea to get the Greens involved. The proposal bascially meant that it cost the same to park a bike as it does a car ... so why take a bike to work? Imagine the implications for road congestion and carbon emissions.

Argggh ... can Kerry Prendergast really be this stupid?

**Shadows** · 22nd April 2007, 00:00

Originally Posted by Grub

I wonder if we could... get 100 bikers on the 1st of May to arrive in town at 0630 and park one bike in each space down Featherston St and feed the meters until 0830 when all the city breakfast cafe customers would have to have found somewhere else?

Build it and they will come.

**Shadows** · 22nd April 2007, 00:05

Originally Posted by Grub

can Kerry Prendergast really be this stupid?

Tip of the iceberg I'm afraid.

**RantyDave** · 22nd April 2007, 00:17

Originally Posted by Grub

.... get 100 bikers on the 1st of May to arrive in town at 0630 and park one bike in each space down Featherston St and feed the meters until 0830 when all the city breakfast cafe customers would have to have found somewhere else?

Argggh ... can Kerry Prendergast really be this stupid?

I'm in.

And yes. Yes, she can and is.

Dave

**James Deuce** · 22nd April 2007, 00:18

Sorry, I'm not following.

When, where, how?

**ajturbo** · 22nd April 2007, 01:06

yes.. doug and i will be there..

**Grub** · 22nd April 2007, 14:54

Originally Posted by Jim2

Sorry, I'm not following. When, where, how?

Well Jim, I started just asking if we could do this thing and it seems that we are! That's pretty cool really. The idea was for a single motorcycle to occupy every parking space in Featherston St from 0630-0830 to make sure it has the maximum visibility and the maximum embarrassement for the WCC.

MAybe we need to strategise this a bit now and decide if May 1 is the right day or the day before which is Monday April 31. Mondays are slow news days so if we alert the Greens, TV3 and the DomPissed then it will all hit them the day of their deliberations. Hopefully it will sink the idea once and for all as well as send a message to any other local body contemplating the same thing. Because, believe me, if the WCC win this one, every other Council will follow.

I'll count the parks in Featherston St tomorrow and see how many have to be filled

**Swoop** · 22nd April 2007, 15:45

Originally Posted by Crasherfromwayback

Yeah as Phil said in that email we got at work today........we'll simply tell them that if they want to charge us for parking our bikes......we'll simply park the fuckers in car parking spaces and pay the meters. That'll cause no end of problems for a town already struggling for car parks!

You are on the right track... but do the councillors really want to improve the parking in Wellytown?
If they did, it would mean that there would be less complaining and therefore less public exposure for them and their "importance" which is associated with their ivory tower positions. (Less mana.)

**Colapop** · 22nd April 2007, 15:47

I may have to go across the road and have a talk to my local councillor - Andy Foster... True, he lives across the road...

**MotoGirl** · 22nd April 2007, 16:37

Originally Posted by Grub

Because, believe me, if the WCC win this one, every other Council will follow.

Grub, you are correct in saying that if WCC gets away with it, other councils will follow. I've heard this same comment from a friend of mine who works there.

**Grub** · 22nd April 2007, 17:04

Yes, wouldn't surprise me to find this originated within Local Government New Zealand and the WCC volunteered to make it happen for one and all.

Nasty has provided some additional info that's important
- Parking charges begin at 0800
- Many people overnight park free on Featherston St but move at 0800
- We need to be there at 0630 to secure the spots but don't have to pay until 0800
- We need a number of bikes at 0800-0830 to back-fill the vacated spaces
- Paying for the first two hours 0800-1000 ($8-10 worth) will cause a major disruption and make a substantial point
- I will give up a morning's work to feed meters until 1000 so people can go to work and come back at morning tea time for their bikes.
- The last WCC proposal (which KB helped to stop) meant that motorcyclists would be paying $8 every day for parking in the central city.

If we get the numbers, it would be worth everyone's investment of $10 for one day's protest to stop having to pay for it every day.

**James Deuce** · 22nd April 2007, 17:10

Be prepared for "people" to attempt to move bikes, knock bikes over, and start messy confrontations. There are all sorts of service contractors using Featherston St from 6:30am - 9am.

They won't care about your point, most people are in a rush and have a job to do or get to.