Wellington says no to bikes on footpath.

[AnotherLeon]

Thank you for your email today regarding motorscooter parking options in Wellington City.

We have forwarded your email to our Parking Services and Infringement Team. They are investigating the situation and will have an answer for you in the next 3-5 working days. For more information on parking in Wellington, please see our website.

www.wellington.govt.nz/services/parking/


Please also find attached a list of the various approved motorcycle/motorscooter parks in Wellington.

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Hrrrmmmm, ok.

[RantyDave]

Motorcycles are allowed to utilise carparks but they will have to pay like cars do.

If I have to pay I am having the whole fucking slot. The car/carpark ratio can kiss my arse.

Dave

[pete376403]

The latest on the bike-parking issue in Wellington.

Alrighties. I’ve just had a chat with some higher-ups to do with this dilemma.

Apparently, the ratio between cars to carparks is a lot worse than bikes to bike-parks, ie there is a shortage of carparks.
.

In a previous thread about bike parking I recieved a reply from WCC and he claimed that bikes are apparently over supplied with parks vis a vis cars. However the figures they used to justify this were very dodgy

quote:
2. List of areas set aside for motorcycle parking in the CBD.

Wellington has motorcycle parking in streets such as Lambton Quay, Featherston, Ballance, Mercer, Johnston, The Terrace, Grey, Vivian, among others. Unfortunately, at this time, we are unable to provide you a complete list due the ongoing changes happening in the city. In the future, we can create a map of these areas that will be made available to the public.

3. Anti-motorcycle stance of the WCC

In New Zealand there are approximately 36,000 registered motorcycles compared to 2.5 million other vehicles. This is a ratio of one motorcycle for every 70 vehicles. Based on the same proportion of parks for motorcycles as for other vehicles, the city could need to provide one motorcycle park to every 70 on-street car parks. Our Parking Services database shows there are approximately 2500 on-street parking spaces in the CBD. Based on the proportions above, 36 motorcycle spaces in the CBD would represent a 70:1 ratio. We are confident a quick count of our motorcycle spaces would exceed 36 by a considerable margin. Therefore proportionately the city is providing more than adequate parking for motorcycles.

Secondly, Wellington on-street car parks have fees and time restrictions leading to turnover of spaces. The city collects more than $10 million a year from on-street parking meters. However, motorcycle parking is free, there are no time restrictions and turnover of parking spaces is low. In fact, an initial investigation on imposing fees for motorbike parking did not get the support from the Councillors.

Finally, the Council's Infrastructure Unit proactively looks for areas in the city where motorcycle parks can be established in road spaces that are not big enough for a vehicle.

We hope that we have answered your queries regarding motorcycle parking in the Wellington CBD area. Please let us know if you have further clarifications on the matter.

Thank you.

Orencio Gueco
Property and Parking Services
Wellington City Council
101 Wakefield Street
Wellington

Phone: 04-8038287
Fax: 04-8013002

However Grubs reply showed the stats are quite incorrect:
"From LTNZ Statistics http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/sta.../table-39.html

Total fleet by Vehicle type to 30 June 2006
================================
1 Mopeds (under 60cc) 21,000
2 Trailers/Caravans 542,316
3 Tractors 35,240
4 Agricultural machines 1,526
5 Non-highway trailers 1,160
6 Mobile machines 14,364
7 Passenger cars/vans 2,702,485
8 Goods vans/trucks/utilities 493,910
9 Buses 18,854
10 Motor caravans 21,781
11 Motorcycles 83,904
12 ATVs 3,691
13 Special purpose vehicles 2,360
=========================
Total 3,942,591

The point is probably well made by the WCC regarding the proportions although one set of discovered porkies might mean there are others about how many parks are provided."

Feel free to give Orencio a call and let him know how you feel

[Trudes]

So, have I got this right?? Scooters can park on footpaths, but bikes cannot. So how many scooters are taking up bike parks? Last time I parked in town I noticed about 3 scooters in the park I tried to squeeze my bike in. How about we remind these guys that they are allowed to park on the footpaths (if indeed they are), and leave the parks to the bikes that have to park there. (deep breath)

[James Deuce]

Only 50cc/less than 2kw scooters can park on the footpath.

[Drogen Omen]

you are quite right... footpaths are not for bikes...acording to legislation, but then there are not enought bike parks available.

if we are not alowed to park our bikes on the footpath then the council or parkwise or whoever needs to provide some form of motorcycle parking on every street/block in wellington city. this is the fair thing to do so that car drivers and motorcycle drivers are equal.

arguing about congestion... the other benefit to motorbikes is that they are more eco friendly than your avarage gas guzling soccer moms 4x4... like the 2007 black humer driving round wellington with the tiny little 4 foot 5 inch lady i saw driving parking it on willis street the other day... (im supprised she doesnt need a step lader) funiest site ever.

[warhorse]

Only 50cc/less than 2kw scooters can park on the footpath.

Does anyone have official websites stating that scooters can legally park on footpaths? I have spoken to Ocenico at Welling Parking Services and also the Land Transport Authority this morning. Neither could confirm that scooters have the legal right to parking on footpaths. I was ticketed yesterday in Hunter St for my 49cc motor being on the edge of the footpath as the bike park was full

[dave_a]

you can legally park on the footpath as you are classed as a moped

[dave_a]

aslong as you are not blocking foot traffic

[nudemetalz]

I'm still working on getting more info from the people in the know.

[Nasty]

Does anyone have official websites stating that scooters can legally park on footpaths? I have spoken to Ocenico at Welling Parking Services and also the Land Transport Authority this morning. Neither could confirm that scooters have the legal right to parking on footpaths. I was ticketed yesterday in Hunter St for my 49cc motor being on the edge of the footpath as the bike park was full

The following site:

http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/roa...ed-riders.html

But what it says is as important as what it doesn't. it says That the parked moped must not block the footpath - therefore not excluding it from parking on it. The arguement is there to be had. It is based around the language rather than anything else. Make sure that your bike is classed as a scooter and registered as such before taking on an arguement or you will loose.

[nudemetalz]

The following site:

http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/roa...ed-riders.html

But what it says is as important as what it doesn't. it says That the parked moped must not block the footpath - therefore not excluding it from parking on it. The arguement is there to be had. It is based around the language rather than anything else. Make sure that your bike is classed as a scooter and registered as such before taking on an arguement or you will loose.

Well I got it from talking to the people here that no motorcycles or scooters/moped are allowed to park on the footpath.
They will be ticketed if they do.

[Nasty]

Well I got it from talking to the people here that no motorcycles or scooters/moped are allowed to park on the footpath.
They will be ticketed if they do.

awesome ... I love how council works ... opps they are my bosses

[Drogen Omen]

A point which may not have been mentioned in this discussion is that **not all paved areas between the road edge and the buildings are council property**. The boundaries of many buildings extend beyond the frontage of the building.
This means that if you park a motorbike/moped within the boundary of a property, you are technically on private property and the council does not have jurisdiction to issue tickets. In this case, you park at the building owner’s discretion. Arguably, if there is no sign on the building saying you may not park, you can probably park there but you might get towed by the owner.

I too was ticketed by WCC Parkwise last week at a location where I have parked for 18 months. I have never been warned or cautioned by passing wardens and the building owner has not (to my knowledge) denied access.

In the process of finding out about the ticket, I spoke to John ‘We-don’t-give-surnames‘ at Parkwise (04 801355) and Colleen (Thurston I think) 8013554 at the council. Both of them confirmed that Parkwise could not ticket vehicles on private property – enforcement there is a building owner matter. Furthermore, Colleen commented that wardens could/should check the boundaries of properties on the council web site.

Here are some good examples:
Go to the Property Search page on WCC web site: http://www.wellington.govt.nz/servic...ch/search.html
Look up 181 Willis St : http://www.wellington.govt.nz/servic...ccount=1124635
Click on View Aerial Photo. You will see that the boundary extents to some footpath mounted bollards. There are two legal carparks on the pavement inside these bollards.

Other sites of interest are:
- 203 Willis st
- 2 Manners st

To others who may be annoyed at the council’s renewed ‘zero tolerance’ policy on footpath parking, I suggest you lobby in a positive way for improved bike parking. I suspect that antagonizing the council will end up being counter productive. If possible, get permission for a building owner if you can find a good spot on the path to park.

One other thing, in case you weren’t aware, the council bylaws (section 18 – Traffic) do not permit bikes to park on ‘multiple parking areas’ i.e. Pay and Display parks.
However, it is tempting to arrange a ‘one bike per car park‘ protest if the council starts digging it’s heals in

[ThumperNut]

Did someone say that they had advice from the council that motor bikes could use pay and display parks as long as a ticket was purchased? This view was expressed to me by a person I spoke to at Parkwise last week.
If that is the case then the following bylaw sections would seem to apply:

18.4.1 In respect of areas controlled by parking meters:

3. No driver of a vehicle shall park it in a parking space which is already occupied by another vehicle, provided that more than one motor cycle may be parked in a parking space.
4. Where more than one motorcycle occupies a parking space only one parking fee for any authorised period shall be required. However, no motorcycle shall remain parked in the parking space while the parking meter placed at that parking space shows the authorised period has expired.

If that is so, perhaps it would allow several bikers to share a park and take turns (yes it would be a pain) at getting a pay-and-display chit during the day.

However, technically, WCC bylaws do NOT permit motorcycles to use pay-and-display:
18.6.5 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.


My opinions are my own - your milage may vary.