In a front-page story today the Dominion Post raised serious questions about the safety of the proposed Basin Reserve flyover in strong wind conditions. Journalist Tessa Johnstone drew attention to the statement in NZTA’s own resource consent application documents that wind gusts in the middle of the one-way flyover could be “extremely high” and NZTA’s admission that pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and the drivers of high-sided vehicles (e.g. vans and light trucks) could all be affected – with the risks, according to NZTA, running up to ‘complete overturning’ of high-sided vehicles.
NZTA says that it will put up guard rails on either side of the proposed cycleway/walkway. But when it comes to drivers and motorcyclists, NZTA’s proposed mitigation for this problem amounts to putting up warning signs on a route from which they have no escape!
As Cycle Aware Wellington’s Patrick Morgan states in the article, “Signage is not a solution, it’s an admission of failure.”
NZTA tried to downplay this story. They failed, and now one of the many deficiencies of this flyover proposal is out there in the public eye. In Save the Basin’s eyes, the whole flyover project is an admission of the Government and NZTA’s failure to deliver a modern, sustainable transport solution for Wellington. More of the proposal’s many failures will come to light over the next few months.
Snippets
- Even the National Party doesn’t want to live next to a flyover, as you’ll see if you read down to the fourth paragraph from the bottom of this Dominion Post article (see fourth para from bottom).
- The EPA has set an “indicative date” of Saturday for submissions to open on the proposed Basin Reserve flyover. As soon as the EPA is able to be a little more definite, we will bring you news of how to make submissions and suggest some key points for you to make.