Keep Wellington's motorcycle parking free - sign the petition!

**Scuba_Steve** · 14th January 2011, 07:35

Originally Posted by GOONR

Stuff Article

Brent's upgraded to a GN250 I see, Duke & KTM not enough power for you?

There a bit behind the times too we're up over 2500 sigs

**Genie** · 14th January 2011, 07:42

Originally Posted by davebullet

WCC are reviewing the use of on-road motorcycle parking, which may include the introduction of fees / charges.

Do your bit by signing the "keep it free" petition:
http://www.wellington.govt.nz/haveyo...ep/details/147

Here is a link to the policy:
http://www.wellington.govt.nz/plans/...ing2007-09.pdf

The Policy was drafted September 2007 with an implementation timeframe of 3 - 5 years. The motorcycle section in question is on pg 28 which states:
"f. Review the provision for motorcycle parking,
including investigating issues such as quantity of
spaces, location, parking price and motorcycle
parking provision in town and suburban centres"

PS: Kudos and credit to BRONZ for organising this.

EDIT: Even if you aren't a Wellingtonian (I don't blame you, honest) - sign the petition. If parking fees for motorcycles goes ahead here, you can guarantee one council will set a precedent for other councils "justifying" fees to be a nationwide thing.

Done....and dusted.

**cheshirecat** · 14th January 2011, 07:55

This comment last from a UK forum. I was there in May and saw one of the protests and it certainly made a positive difference when they got the cabs and buses on their side.
My 2c I think any public protest should be in the form of general extortionate parking fees. There is no strong argument for any vehicle parking charges other than a tax.

Here's his quote.

"Learn from the No To Bike Parking Tax campaign, both their good and bad points:

"Start on your legal fund now if you haven't already.
Take action directed at hitting the council in the pocket, i.e. help other road users to avoid being charged or fined.
Find allies where you can (e.g. commercial drivers) but don't waste your time trying to get general road users on your side.
Don't protest in a way that pisses off other road users - they'll turn on you rather than on the Council.

Best of luck with that."

**DougieNZ** · 14th January 2011, 08:19

An interesting debate.

I hate to go against the tide here - but - is the current siituation actually benefiting all motorcyclists in Wellington? Try coming in to town (CBD) on your motorcycle during the day at present and finding a park. Bloody near impossible. So we have motorcyclists (who are also ratepayers by the way) who cannot co me in to town during the day and find a motorcycle park. They cannot park at all in fact because they can't park in a car space either. Is this of benefit to ALL Wellington motorcyclists?

Should anyone be able to demand to park a motorocycle on the street all day for free if this impedes other motorcyclists from coming in to town? Should we be able to demand free parking or more free motorcycle parks?

I have seen threads in here complaining about cyclists using roads and making demands for cycleways when they do not pay anything for the priviledge... Pots and kettles?

I favour a time limit system retaining free parking in town. I don't believe it is unreasonable to charge long term parkers $2 per day (car parkers pay $15-30 in the CBD) for parking all day in the city in a space specifically set aside for them - and thus freeing up sone time restricted free parking for shoppers and short term parkers.

Whatever the solution it needs to be good for all motorcyclists. I believe the status quo is not.

**oneofsix** · 14th January 2011, 08:26

Originally Posted by DougieNZ

An interesting debate.

I hate to go against the tide here - but - is the current siituation actually benefiting all motorcyclists in Wellington? Try coming in to town (CBD) on your motorcycle during the day at present and finding a park. Bloody near impossible. So we have motorcyclists (who are also ratepayers by the way) who cannot co me in to town during the day and find a motorcycle park. They cannot park at all in fact because they can't park in a car space either. Is this of benefit to ALL Wellington motorcyclists?

Should anyone be able to demand to park a motorocycle on the street all day for free if this impedes other motorcyclists from coming in to town? Should we be able to demand free parking or more free motorcycle parks?

I have seen threads in here complaining about cyclists using roads and making demands for cycleways when they do not pay anything for the priviledge... Pots and kettles?

I favour a time limit system retaining free parking in town. I don't believe it is unreasonable to charge long term parkers $2 per day (car parkers pay $15-30 in the CBD) for parking all day in the city in a space specifically set aside for them - and thus freeing up sone time restricted free parking for shoppers and short term parkers.

Whatever the solution it needs to be good for all motorcyclists. I believe the status quo is not.

Step back a bit. The Council have passed a by-law to stop bikes using pa n display, not sure the by-law is legal but it there. The council have forced bikes to stop parking in out of the way places on footpaths, even tried ticketing bikes on private property that borders footpaths. The council has reduced bike parking. unlike in Palmy were space not suitable for cars but not otherwise illegal is disignated for bikes the Welly council paints yellow lines so bikes can't use it. There isn't enough public transport nor car parking to handle the bikers if they don't ride in. And now the bikers are the bad guys?

**BMWST?** · 14th January 2011, 08:37

Originally Posted by rustic101

Not disagreeing as I'm Blue through and through...

What I bloody do object to is paying for that bloody stadium.. Every time I've been to a rugby game I have to pay full price I mean wtf I'm already paying part of my rates to the GWCC solely for the steal monster..

ditto mate ditto.....and the price of the beer!

**coreys** · 14th January 2011, 08:40

With all due respect, a petition isn't worth the paper it is written on.
When i lived in Australia the Victorian government tried a similar thing as what is proposed in Wgtn.
The bikers of Melbourne banded together and rode into the CBD very early on a saturday AM .Each Bike occupied a single car parking space, with courier bikes occupying all loading zones.
The Melbourne MC club explained to the business community that the bikers of Melbourne would continue to do this every Saturday unless the parking rules were left alone... After 'consulting' with business community, The local council decided to NOT vote in parking fees for motorcycles.
If you want change you have to do more then sign a stupid piece of paper to feel good about yourselves.

Grow a pair and organise affirmative action.

**GOONR** · 14th January 2011, 08:43

Originally Posted by coreys

....
If you want change you have to do more then sign a stupid piece of paper to feel good about yourselves.

Grow a pair and organise affirmative action.

That will happen if needed.

**riffer** · 14th January 2011, 08:44

Originally Posted by coreys

With all due respect, a petition isn't worth the paper it is written on.
When i lived in Australia the Victorian government tried a similar thing as what is proposed in Wgtn.
The bikers of Melbourne banded together and rode into the CBD very early on a saturday AM .Each Bike occupied a single car parking space, with courier bikes occupying all loading zones.
The Melbourne MC club explained to the business community that the bikers of Melbourne would continue to do this every Saturday unless the parking rules were left alone... After 'consulting' with business community, The local council decided to NOT vote in parking fees for motorcycles.
If you want change you have to do more then sign a stupid piece of paper to feel good about yourselves.

Grow a pair and organise affirmative action.

Indeed, and this action may come if needed. Of course there is a process to all these things, and if you go off half-cocked and occupy the car parking spaces, which I might add IS ILLEGAL IN WELLINGTON, unlike Melbourne, without following the process, you would find yourself having difficulty in establishing any dialog with Council in the future, and also quite likely end up with a number of people getting arrested.

**BMWST?** · 14th January 2011, 08:46

Originally Posted by coreys

With all due respect, a petition isn't worth the paper it is written on.
When i lived in Australia the Victorian government tried a similar thing as what is proposed in Wgtn.
The bikers of Melbourne banded together and rode into the CBD very early on a saturday AM .Each Bike occupied a single car parking space, with courier bikes occupying all loading zones.
The Melbourne MC club explained to the business community that the bikers of Melbourne would continue to do this every Saturday unless the parking rules were left alone... After 'consulting' with business community, The local council decided to NOT vote in parking fees for motorcycles.
If you want change you have to do more then sign a stupid piece of paper to feel good about yourselves.

Grow a pair and organise affirmative action.

hang on cobber.....the petition is a start....a warning,lets see what the response is first.

**Mokadah** · 14th January 2011, 08:49

Originally Posted by yungatart

You want to get out of Havelock North occasionally. Plenty of free bike parks in Napier

There are none in Hastings district. I did once ask the head of parking why, and he said they were considering it... that was about four years ago. We're expected to take up a full car space and pay full car rates.

Still not sure I understand the compelling argument for bikes having completely free parking though.

I mean it's brilliant and you should fight to keep it, but it sounds like demand far outstrips supply in the Wellington CBD. If you're taking up, say, 20% of the room of a car park, why should you not pay a proportional parking fee?

**thefatboy** · 14th January 2011, 09:42

Originally Posted by bistard

What a load of shit,we went through this a few years ago
One question I had was if they did charge,where would you put the parking label??

Good on you guys for organising the petition

Signed up & have passed on to others

Exactly, some bastard would end up stealing it.......

**thefatboy** · 14th January 2011, 09:48

Originally Posted by Mokadah

There are none in Hastings district. I did once ask the head of parking why, and he said they were considering it... that was about four years ago. We're expected to take up a full car space and pay full car rates.

Still not sure I understand the compelling argument for bikes having completely free parking though.

I mean it's brilliant and you should fight to keep it, but it sounds like demand far outstrips supply in the Wellington CBD. If you're taking up, say, 20% of the room of a car park, why should you not pay a proportional parking fee?

Come on Dude , if you read the stuff , you'd see that motorcycles aren't allowed to park in car spaces in Wellington , the council has a bylaw that says bikes can't use them.

Really stupid , isn't it , if i want to park my bike in a car park and pay for it , why can't I. My bikes pretty big and will fill a fair ammouint of a car space if parked paralell.

**riffer** · 14th January 2011, 09:58

Originally Posted by thefatboy

Come on Dude , if you read the stuff , you'd see that motorcycles aren't allowed to park in car spaces in Wellington , the council has a bylaw that says bikes can't use them.

Really stupid , isn't it , if i want to park my bike in a car park and pay for it , why can't I. My bikes pretty big and will fill a fair ammouint of a car space if parked paralell.

Because they traded off the motorcycles parking in paid parking spaces in return for 500 free motorcycle parks. Please try to keep up.

**bogan** · 14th January 2011, 09:59

Originally Posted by Mokadah

I mean it's brilliant and you should fight to keep it, but it sounds like demand far outstrips supply in the Wellington CBD. If you're taking up, say, 20% of the room of a car park, why should you not pay a proportional parking fee?

Partially because the cost of collection of a 20% fee exceedes the fee collected (well it used to anyway, not sure about now), and partially because bikes should be an encouraged form of transport, less feul use, less conjestion, less road wear etc... Though the later point could be outweighed by the perception that 1 in 18 motorcycle trips results in death