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One of the biggest issues with the yet-to-be-completed cycleway is the mobility parks outside the Medical Centre. The design just doesn't work. At the moment a driver with mobility issues is forced to get out into traffic and a passenger with mobility issues has to get out into the buffer zone and then cross the cycleway. The former is a bigger problem than the latter but it's still not ideal overall. Here's a suggestion for a very simple and obvious solution. Move the entry point to this section of cycleway from it's current position so that it is 20m further south (from point A to point B in the photo). The mobility parks (and the single parking space behind them) can then be moved across so that they are directly adjacent to the kerb. This will allow passengers with mobility issues to get out directly onto the pavement. Re-paint the buffer space on the other side of the car-parks so that drivers with mobility issues can also get out into a nice, wide protected space that is separated from traffic. People on bikes will simply carry on cycling for another 20m in 30 kph traffic before they enter the cycleway. They have already biked through approx. 100m of 30 kph shared space at that stage so another 20m seems like a reasonable compromise to make. This solution involves nothing more than a new paint job so it should also be cheap to do.  The Medical Centre could also choose to be part of the solution. They have parking space at the rear of the building and more of that could possibly be made available to their patients (one of the parks is already marked as a mobility park). A slightly more radical idea is for the Medical Centre and the owners of 163 and 163B The Parade (home to Brew'd and South End Motors) to agree to remove the fence between them and operate a single shared driveway. That would create room for additional parking spaces on either side.
Regan D.
13 Comments
Jo
18/1/2016 04:58:06 pm
It would be a boon for the community if New World's big new car park could be designated for community parking too, not just for NW shoppers. There could still be a limit of say 120 mins, but it could benefit other businesses as well. I wonder if the council could have made that a condition of the construction? It's so close to things like the docs and the community centre. Maybe the owners would be open to it, for community good?
Regan
20/1/2016 10:35:34 am
Hi Jo, yes possibly a missed opportunity there but NW might not have found the purchase of the neighbouring property to be as attractive with those conditions attached either. Of course, it's still something NW could choose to do, formally or informally.
eleanor
24/1/2016 05:22:38 pm
I suspect it's something that New World HAS actually chosen to do in an informal way (but not overtly said as much).
Chris
26/1/2016 07:37:03 pm
Looks like the good folk of island bay are rebelling big time against the cw design, dead in the water I would say
annette moffat
19/1/2016 09:03:46 am
good creative thinking - who is the author ?
Regan
20/1/2016 10:32:54 am
Hi Annette, sorry, forgot to add my name to the end but fixed now. That's generally the case unless otherwise stated.
Andrew
19/1/2016 03:38:39 pm
I'm afraid that this idea is too far fetched.
Regan
20/1/2016 11:08:03 am
Hi Andrew, I don't expect private landowners to do anything - it's just a suggestion. The point is that there are a number of possible solutions available - some public, some private. The idea of removing the fence between the two driveways would have merit regardless of the cycleway. It serves no real purpose and a shared driveway could create additional parking for both properties.
Nicci
19/1/2016 09:40:40 pm
I think the mobility parks should be reduced from two to one. As I understand it, only one was proposed. Then the medical centre suggested two (for reasons I haven't heard) and the community working group (by then, down to just one person?) endorsed it. I don't think such a significant change was fair to bring in at such a late stage. I like the ideas that you have suggested, and wish that the Council was prepared to engage meaningfully with issues as they arise. To me, it's been disappointing that it won't at least acknowledge a problem as a problem - and say - yes, we know that it is a problem. We're not sure what the answer is. We'd like to hear what everyone thinks - and here's how/where you can give us your comments in a structured way and we will consider them by doing x/y/z. I think one of the reasons that people are fomenting so much is that they simply have no legitimate way of expressing their concern that leads to a demonstrable consideration of those concerns. If the Council had a website of feedback listing topics for review, where you could add comments and suggestions alongside the topics (of which the first would be medical centre parking) and others could see them and add to them we might get start to get somewhere, instead of random Facebook outbursts, that generally don't impart issues and information. At the moment, issues and information are obscured by emotion and abuse, which continues to build as there seems no clear outlet for people to have meaningful dialogue with the Council. Or if there is, I've missed so please let me know.
Vanessa Rosti
20/1/2016 07:02:02 pm
Nicci
Regan
21/1/2016 11:45:04 am
Hi Vanessa, the Island Bay Cycleway Working Party actually consisted of four community stakeholders, three councillors and one council officer (with support from other council officers). The recommendations made in regard to the Medical Centre were:
Phil
21/1/2016 01:51:52 pm
Vanessa, why do you have to make your comment so personal? Publicly vilifying someone just because they hold a different view to you is a bit pathetic. If you disagree with someone, fine, but try debating what is being said rather than attacking the person saying it. I have been following this for a while and it's clear that Mr Dooley has never pretended to represent the whole community, but ironically that's exactly what you are trying to do right now!
Janet lucas
3/2/2016 01:10:15 pm
Thanks for the update on the road works. I just want to say the road workers are a credit to the council. It has been a stinking hot summer and they have worked tirelessly in Island Bay. Please let management know that they are great bunch of guys and their work is much appreciated... Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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