5 February 2019
Withheld under section 7(2)(a)
Dear Withheld under
section 7(2)(a)
I would like to acknowledge the multiple information requests you have made relating to:
Information regarding the traffic signal timings at the Victoria Street and
Karo Drive intersection.
Information describing the speeds that cyclists are traveling on Wellington
Roads.
Street cleaning on the cycle lane on Victoria Street.
I have investigated and discussed with our Network Operations team to understand the
traffic signal timing at the Victoria Street and Karo Drive intersection and what must be
considered for all road-users including cyclists.
Intersections and roundabouts are often difficult and dangerous for cyclists to negotiate.
There are a number of ways that Council has been making safety improvements to key
cycling routes and the central area to help make cycling a safer option. This includes:
Traffic signal timings
As part of the 2008 Cycling Policy which I have attached, objection 1 is to improve cycle
safety throughout Wellington. On page 6 policy 1.1 and 1.2 explain proposed actions in
relation to make the city as safe as possible for cyclists by introducing
traffic-calming measures as required to moderate motorist’s speeds.
Motorists that travel at lower speeds than the design speed will more likely be able to stop
during the amber/orange phase before entering the intersection. Motorists are required to
comply with the Land transport (Road User) Rule 2004 including Part 3.2(4) of the Rule.
We have followed a design speed of 40km/h for motorists passing the limit line at the end
of the amber/orange phase at the Victoria Street and Karo Drive intersection. This is to
reduce motorist’s speeds in key locations to reduce potential conflict between motorists
and cyclists.
Cyclists travel at a lower speed than 40km/h and many cyclists will be able to stop safely
prior to entering the intersection when the amber/orange signal is displayed. However if a
cyclist enters the intersection during the end of the green period and at the start of the
amber/orange period, the design speed of 20km/h for cyclists will allow the cyclists to clear
the intersection.
The all-red signal timing for this intersection is 2.5 seconds and it has been based on
clause 6.4.2 part 7 of the Austroads Guide. I have attached the Austroads Guide as
requested. As previously discussed, the length of time between the amber/orange and the
all-red signal is 5.5 seconds. The time phase complies with the national standard.
After reviewing all the information, I am comfortable with the traffic signal timing at Victoria
Street and Karo Drive intersection and I agree that the time phase does not need to
change at this time.
Stop boxes
There are a number of locations in the CBD where Council have installed advanced stop
boxes including the Victoria Street and Karo Drive intersection. These boxes are marked
at the traffic signals and allow cyclists to go ahead of the vehicle queue to get a head start
when the lights turn green. You can read about Council’s objectives to improve the
experience of cycle trips to and from the central areas in the 2008 Cycling Policy on page
15.
Street cleaning
Council provides regular sweeping of cycle network and cycle-friendly routes. As
previously discussed, the Victoria Street cycle way is swept every fortnight and on request.
Personal Responsibility
There are many kinds of road users therefore it is important that we understand how to the
share the road. People can refer to the official New Zealand road code to learn about
sharing the road as we all need to take personal responsibility when using the road.
Council is creating cycle awareness which you can view on our website at this link:
https://wellington.govt.nz/services/parking-and-roads/cycling. You have requested information relating to the traffic signal timing through multiple
questions and I have answered each question with the relevant documents. The response
I sent on 10 January 2019 to the request for information or policies describing the
minimum/average/maximum speeds of cyclists, relates to the guidelines Council refers to
when implementing and designing cycle ways. The NZ Transport Agencies cycling
network guidance is what Council rely and refers to and this is what I provided as it relates
to cycle way design.
The Cycling Aspects of Austroad Guides is used as a reference when determining the
traffic signal timing. As previously discussed, the Victoria Street and Karo Drive
intersection is categorised as mixed environments, therefore the recommended design
operating speed for cyclists is 20km/h. The Austroad Guide is used to determine all traffic
signal timings.
In response to your request to have any evidence of any cyclists travelling at the speed
lower than 20km/h on any intersection without the Council’s control, unfortunately we do
Wellington City Council | 2 of 3
not hold this information, therefore under section 17(e) within the Act that the document
alleged to contain the information requested does not exist or, despite reasonable efforts
to locate it, cannot be found.
To answer your question about any submissions from public and internal employees
regarding cyclist speeds under 20km/h, in order to collate this information we would have
to go through each submission individually. Under section 17(f) of the Act, this information
requested cannot be made available without substantial collation or research. The time
and resources it would take to collate this information would require staff to go through and
read each submission and ascertain if it refers to cyclist speeds.
However we have submissions online from our various Cycling Projects that you will able
to view at this lin
k: http://cycleways.wellington.govt.nz/current/. It also includes cycle count
date that you may find useful.
In future, if you are able to refine your requests by including timeframes and specific
Teams/employees within Council, it is easier for us to retrieve the information.
Right of review
If you disagree with my decision you have the right, under section 27(3) of the Act, to ask
the Ombudsman to review and investigate my decision. Further information is available on
the Ombudsman website, www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
Thank you again for contacting us and I hope you find this information useful.
Regards,
Ana Nicholls
Assurance Advisor
Wellington City Council | 3 of 3
