We had a great session on the study and its implications for Newtown at the July monthly meeting.  Big thanks to Councillor Daran Ponter and Luke Troy from the Greater Wellington Regional Council for coming along to talk to us.

As highlighted in our earlier story, the big concern was the suggestion that the favoured Bus Rapid Transit option would involve demolition of the pedestrian friendly streetworks as far along Riddiford St as the Constable St intersection.  This was signalled as necessary  to accommodate the dedicated bus lane up the centre of the street.

What emerged from discussion at the meeting was that this last couple of hundred metres of the propsoed priority bus lane past the intersection of Rintoul St was arguably not actually a necessary part of the design at all.  This is acknowledged in a short note in an appendix to the study report.  Based on passenger data, there is little likelihood of the priority ever being extended from Riddiford up Constable to the East.  The more likely future development would be a southern extension along Rintoul St to Island Bay.  This being the case it would seem that the proposed priority lane could actually end at Riddiford and Rintoul with any significant loss of functionality, and avoid destruction of the current mainstreet.

Consultations on the study have now commenced, and run until 30 September.   We need a strong response from Newtown and its friends to make the point that the preferred Bus Rapid Transit is accepted ONLY if the southern leg of it ends at the intersection of Rintoul and Riddiford Streets.  However the focus of this round of consultation is at a very high level and what is to us the headline issue for our suburb is not identified.   We suggest people use any other comments panel at the foot of the online submission form to make our point

You can download:

• a short brochure giving quick over view of the study findings; and
• the more detailed study documents;

on the Greater Wellington regional Council website.

The NRAs response to Wellington City’s draft Local alcohol policy was discussed at the July monthly meeting.  It was noted that the proposed policy included three key points relevant to Newtown.  These were:

• the earlier closing for off licence liquor sales;
• the lower trigger for hearings on licence applications, and
• the midnight closing for local bars.

The first two were consistent with the NRAs earlier submission, and there was support for these.  There was some debate on the third.  Two concerns were raised.  The first was that earlier closing of the local bars might lead to a “midnight migration” downtown of people who had already been drinking when they might have been better left where they were.  The second was a concern at the possible impact on the merging performance and entertainment scene in Newtown.  The NRA Submission reflects this.

The second monthly Keep Newtown Clean day took place this Saturday  3 August.   It was another great effort with a diverse range of people from around town turning up to held clean up tagging around Newtown.  After the blitz on Riddiford St last month, this time the “citizen army” cleaned up most of the side streets off Riddiford and Constable St all the way to the top.  Big thanks to David Wilcock for organising this, and to the council satff and contractors who helped out on the day.  Remember this is now a regular event on the first saturday of every month.   Just turn up outside Newtown New World in your painting gears from 9:00am onwards.