Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand welcomes Wellington City Council’s decision to scrap all eight raised pedestrian crossings, the proposed speed bumps, and the in-lane bus stops from the Brooklyn Connections – Walk, Bike and Bus Improvements project.

Membership Manager Lindsay Calvi-Freeman attended a meeting in late August with Council officers alongside the Greater Brooklyn Residents Association. Following that meeting, Council announced that the vertical devices and in-lane bus stops would no longer proceed. 

“This is great news,” says Lindsay Calvi-Freeman. “It is a pragmatic and common-sense decision that recognises both safety concerns and the vital role Brooklyn Road plays as the main route to the Southern Landfill.”

The original proposal included eight raised crossings, multiple speed bumps, and two in-lane bus stops, many of which were on the uphill side of Brooklyn Road. For heavy vehicles, particularly landfill trucks and large truck-and-trailer combinations, this would have caused repeated stop-start traffic, higher diesel burn, increased emissions, and unnecessary wear and tear. Buses and other road users would also have been delayed.

Transporting New Zealand says it is pleased that Wellington City Council has listened to industry, emergency services, and the community on this issue.