Cycling in Wellington

Cycling is a mode of transport which has historically had high levels of modal share in Wellington, New Zealand. However, the dominance of the car in the city and broader changes in transport patterns have made it a very marginal transport mode by the 21st century. Following a national decline in utility cycling levels post-WW2, cycling as a mode of everyday transport within Wellington began a slow resurgence in the 1970s, and the 2000s saw renewed advocacy and new infrastructure projects.

==History== === 19th century: Early days === thumb|A line of men and women cycling south along Lambton Quay, organised by the Wellington Cycling Club, c. 1902{{sfn|Cox|2025|p=27}}{{sfn|Main|1972|p=79}}The bicycle was first introduced to Wellington in 1869 with the arrival of the velocipede.{{sfn|Toohey|2024|p=12}} In August of that year, a former Wellington Fire Brigade captain rode his velocipede to a blaze, demonstrating its potential as a fast and practical means of transport in an urban setting.{{sfn|Toohey|2024|p=22}} Throughout the 1870s, the velocipede dominated streets until it was eventually superseded by the penny-farthing.{{sfn|Main|1972|p=79}} Wellington had cycling clubs relatively early in New Zealand, with the Wellington Bicycle and Tricycle Club launched in 1881.{{sfn|Toohey|2024|p=55, 62}} By the early 1890s, women were also riding bicycles and soon formed their own clubs.{{sfn|Toohey|2024|p=119}} A report from 1896 noted that as many as 150 women could regularly be seen cycling in Wellington.{{sfn|Toohey|2024|p=119}}

The 1890s saw the arrival of the "safety bicycle," which used a chain drive rather than pedals fixed directly to the front wheel, as on the penny-farthing.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |date=15 December 2021 |title=Street Smart: A brief history of our streets |url=https://wellington.govt.nz/news-and-events/news-and-information/our-wellington/2021/12/street-smart-history-of-our-streets |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=Wellington City Council |language=en-NZ}}</ref> Coupled with the newly developed pneumatic tyre, this design made cycling faster, safer, and much more suitable for women and children, quickly establishing the bicycle as an affordable means of personal transport around Wellington.<ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Safety bicycles {{!}} Bicycles {{!}} Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/23419/safety-bicycles |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=teara.govt.nz |language=en}}</ref> In 1897, the Wellington City Council passed a by-law to curb ''"scorching"''—the practice of cycling fast along city streets by having a maximum speed around corners of 8 miles per hour.{{sfn|Kennett|2004|p=17}} That same year, letters to the editor of The Evening Post expressed concern that mixing pedestrians, cyclists, and horse-drawn cars on the same roads, without any form of separation, was becoming increasingly dangerous.{{sfn|Cox|2025|p=260}}

thumb|Photograph of the Wellington Cycle Corps, c. 1912By the late 1890s, public pressure grew for the City Council to provide separate cycle tracks, eight to nine feet wide, along routes such as Clyde Quay, Thorndon Esplanade, Thorndon Quay and a track from Hutt Road to Ngahauranga.<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 May 1898 |title=ACCOMMODATION FOR CYCLISTS. Volume LXVII, Issue 3429 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM18980510.2.7 |work=New Zealand Times |pages=2}}</ref> In 1899, the City Engineer submitted a proposal to the City Council advocating for the construction of a cycle-track along Kent and Cambridge Terraces.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Proposed cycle track at Kent Terrace - City Engineer |url=https://archivesonline.wcc.govt.nz/nodes/view/41816 |access-date=2025-08-19 |website=Archives Online |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2 May 1899 |title=CYCLING IN WELLINGTON. THE PROPOSAL FOR A STREET TRACK. |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP18990502.2.4 |work=Evening Post |pages=2}}</ref> During this period, cycling had become firmly woven into city life: Oriental Bay was a favourite route for riders, and in winter the Basin Reserve served as a popular place for beginners to learn to cycle.{{sfn|Cox|2025|p=260, 381}}

Women cyclists were often hindered by restrictive dresses, though some—controversially—began adopting knickerbockers or bloomers, influenced by the rational dress movement.{{sfn|Cox|2025|p=260}} By the 1900s cycling had become a major fad in Wellington, embraced by both men and women.{{sfn|Cox|2025|p=27, 260}}

In 1901, a proposal was made to establish a legal framework for cyclists to contribute financially to the construction of a cycle-track connecting Wellington to Lower Hutt. The proposed annual contribution from each cyclist was five shillings. This proposal received unanimous agreement from almost all cyclists in Wellington.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Boyack |first=Nicholas |date=23 May 2019 |title=After more than 100 years, pathway linking Wellington and Hutt has the green light |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/112939254/after-more-than-100-years-pathway-linking-wellington-and-hutt-has-the-green-light |access-date=10 August 2025 |website=www.stuff.co.nz}}</ref> That same year, the City Council accepted a tender to construct a cycle track on Clyde Quay, with work scheduled to begin in 1903.<ref>{{Cite news |date=3 April 1901 |title=LOCAL AND GENERAL, Volume LXXI, Issue 4322 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM19010403.2.18 |work=New Zealand Times |pages=4}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=30 December 1903 |title=LOCAL AND GENERAL. Volume LXXV, Issue 5160 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM19031230.2.18 |work=New Zealand Times |pages=4}}</ref> When the track was eventually completed, however, pedestrians would use it, leading to conflicts and accidents between them and cyclists.<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 January 1905 |title=Advertisements Column 6, Volume LXIX, Issue 11 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19050114.2.24.6 |work=Evening Post |pages=4}}</ref>

In 1903 the Hutt Road Improvement Act was passed, recommending a 15-foot-wide cycle track along Hutt Road to connect Wellington with the Hutt Valley.{{sfn|Tripp |2020|p=[https://www.epa.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Documents/Fast-track-consenting/Te-Ara-Tupua/LP01_Te_Ara_Tupua_Hutt_Cycle_Network.pdf#page=2 2]}} The Railway Department undertook the construction; however, instead of building a segregated cycle-track, they created a 20-foot-wide shared path for both pedestrians and cyclists.{{sfn|Mackay|1913|p=[https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/imageserver/parliamentary/P29pZD1BSkhSMTkxMy1JLjIuMy4zLjE1JmdldHBkZj10cnVl#:~:s#page=2 2]}} Construction commenced in December 1903.<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 December 1903 |title=Advertisements Column 9, Volume LXVI, Issue 144 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19031215.2.2.9?items_per_page=100&page=2&query |work=Evening Post |pages=1}}</ref>

The bicycle was adopted as a practical means of transport; by 1905 police were using bicycles.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bicycles for work and leisure {{!}} Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/bicycles/page-3 |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=teara.govt.nz |language=en}}</ref>{{sfn|Kennett|2004|p=26}} Tall bicycles were built for use by street lamp lighters.{{sfn|Kennett|2004|p=33}}thumb|In between the railway and the Hutt Road was the original cycle-track, c. 1930sWhen the Great Depression hit, both bicycle and motor car sales were down, but the bicycle quickly recovered.{{sfn|Kennett|2004|p=62}} By the 1930s, cycle touring had become a popular pastime among Wellingtonians.{{sfn|Kennett|2004|p=24}}

===20th century=== thumb|Construction of the pedestrian and cycle subway, c. 1957 From the 1950s, the government invested heavily in motorways. In 1957, Wellington Mayor Frank Kitts announced the construction of a combined pedestrian and cycle subway beneath the Wellington Airport.{{sfn|Cameron|1959|p=[https://wellington.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/11677?highlights=WyJjeWNsZSJd&type=all&keywords=Cycle#idx101417 66]}} The structure was designed to provide a safe and direct link between Coutts Street in Kilbirnie and Miro Street in Rongotai, two areas that would otherwise be divided by the runway expansion.{{sfn|Cameron|1959|p=[https://wellington.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/11677?highlights=WyJjeWNsZSJd&type=all&keywords=Cycle#idx101438 87]}}{{sfn|Cameron|1959|p=[https://wellington.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/11677?highlights=WyJjeWNsZSJd&type=all&keywords=Cycle#idx101486 135]}} The subway measured 798 feet in length and 22 feet 8 inches in width.{{sfn|Cameron|1959|p=[https://wellington.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/11677?highlights=WyJjeWNsZSJd&type=all&keywords=Cycle#idx101417 66]}} Within this space, a raised pedestrian footpath 5 feet 3 inches wide was provided alongside a 9-foot cycleway at a cost of £NZ81,000.{{sfn|Cameron|1959|p=[https://wellington.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/11677?highlights=WyJjeWNsZSJd&type=all&keywords=Cycle#idx101416 65]}}{{sfn|Cameron|1959|p=[https://wellington.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/11677?highlights=WyJjeWNsZSJd&type=all&keywords=Cycle#idx101394 43]}}

When Robert Muldoon opened a section of the Wellington motorway in 1978, 75 protesting cyclists rushed into the Terrace Tunnel.{{sfn|Kennett|2004|p=39}} The oil shocks of the 1970s triggered the first of several bicycle resurgences.{{sfn|Kennett|2004|p=5}} In 1993, 34 percent of people in the Wellington Region had tried cycling at least once over the previous 12 months.{{sfn|Kennett|2004|p=50}} In June 1995, Transit New Zealand built a cycleway costing $160,000 under the over bridge on the Ngauranga Gorge road at the Newlands intersection.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 June 1995 |title=Newlands cycleway |url=https://wellington.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/6274?highlights=WyJjeWNsZXdheSJd&type=all&keywords=Cycleway%20#idx39069 |work=City Voice |pages=2}}</ref>

In November 1996, the Cycling Action Network (CAN) was founded in Wellington, becoming a leading national voice for cycling advocacy.<ref name="Chainlinks2006-6">{{cite web |date=November 2006 |title=10 Year Anniversary Issue |url=https://can.org.nz/system/files/CL-2006-12-10yr.pdf |accessdate=23 February 2018 |work=Chainlinks |publisher=Cycling Action Network of New Zealand |page=4 |issue=6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Episode 4 – New Zealand planning for walking and cycling – historical outline {{!}} Living Streets Aotearoa Inc |url=https://www.livingstreets.org.nz/node/5086 |access-date=10 August 2025 |website=www.livingstreets.org.nz}}</ref> Since then, CAN has championed safer, more accessible cycling infrastructure across Wellington and New Zealand.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wouldn't it be nice to have... |url=https://www.can.org.nz/nice |access-date=10 August 2025 |website=Cycling Action Network |language=en-NZ}}</ref>

In June 1995, Transit New Zealand proposed a two-way off-road cycle path running from Cambridge Terrace to the Terrace Tunnel as part of stage two of the Wellington Inner City Bypass project.{{sfn|Transit New Zealand|1995|p=[https://wellington.recollect.co.nz/assets/display/9413-500?u=f67bd0969f6c1198e15152dc29371f03 25]}}<ref>{{Cite journal |date=March 2005 |title=Construction Newsletter |url=https://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/projects/wicb/resources/pdf/Newsletter-200503.pdf |journal=Wellington Inner City Bypass |issue=2 |pages=[https://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/projects/wicb/resources/pdf/Newsletter-200503.pdf#page=2 2]}}</ref> The path was eventually completed in 2007, providing a link for cyclists through the bypass corridor.<ref name=":7">{{Cite journal |date=February 2007 |title=Construction Newsletter |url=https://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/projects/wicb/resources/pdf/Newsletter-200702.pdf |journal=Wellington Inner City Bypass |issue=13 |pages=[https://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/projects/wicb/resources/pdf/Newsletter-200702.pdf#page=1 1]}}</ref>{{sfn|Engineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau|2010|p=[https://www.techlink.org.nz/Case-studies/Technological-practice/Materials/Print-PDFs/techlink-tp-wgtn-bypass.pdf#page=1 1]}} The cycle path alternates between shared and separate leading to pedestrian conflict.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Alastair |date=29 July 2008 |title=Issues with Wellington Inner City Bypass and cycling. |url=https://drupal.can.org.nz/system/files/InnerCityBypassCyclistIssues20080729.pdf |website=Cycle Aware Wellington}}</ref>

Mākara Peak Mountain Bike Park opened in 1998,{{sfn|Kennett|2004|p=184}}<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Stephenson |first=Sharon |date=5 March 2021 |title=Three of the best mountain bike tracks |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/experiences/cycling-holidays/124408671/three-of-the-best-mountain-bike-tracks |access-date=30 April 2021 |website=Stuff |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Caleb |date=20 July 2020 |title=Times Changing at Makara Peak |url=https://spokemagazine.com/content/times-change |access-date=30 April 2021 |website=Spoke Magazine |language=en-NZ}}</ref> when the Wellington City Council set aside 200 hectares of retired farmland in Karori southwest of Wellington, for its development. Work on the park began almost immediately, driven largely by volunteers who planted trees, removed pest animals, and carved out new tracks.{{sfn|Kennett|2004|p=185}}

===21st century: Renewed Interest=== In early 2001, the City Council planned to install a 2-metre cycle lane on Thorndon Quay, and around 200 people submitted their views, with about 80 opposing it.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cycle Aware Wellington - Windy Wheels newsletter |url=http://www.mountainbike.co.nz/politics/caw/ww_0203.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040129002553/http://www.mountainbike.co.nz/politics/caw/ww_0203.html |archive-date=2004-01-29 |access-date=2025-08-18 |website=www.mountainbike.co.nz}}</ref> In April 2002, 40 car parks were removed between Tinakori Road and the railway station to paint a cycle lane between parked vehicles and the traffic lane.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chipp |first=Jim |date=11 March 2002 |title=Lane gives cyclists safe passage |work=Cook Strait News |pages=10}}</ref> By the late 2010s, there was a growing political and institutional appetite in Wellington for a substantially expanded network of separated cycleways.{{sfn|Wellington City Council|2014|p=[https://wellington.govt.nz/-/media/parking-roads-and-transport/parking-and-roads/cycling/files/wellington-cycleways-programme-master-plan-2015.pdf?la=en&hash=7245A6BADB3B299E2032917C7117FA88BA11C10B#page=10 7]}} The City Council announced in December 2013 that it would triple the cycling budget from $1.5m to $4.5m.<ref>{{Cite web |last=City Council |first=Wellington |date=4 December 2013 |title="Transformative": Wellington's cycling budget to be tripled to $4.3m next year |url=https://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=62632 |access-date=10 August 2025 |website=Wellington.scoop |language=en}}</ref> The city's 2015 cycling master-planning laid out a long-term vision. Still, early projects (notably the Island Bay cycleway) generated public controversy and legal challenge, slowing delivery.{{sfn|City Council|2023|p=[https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/assets/Bike-Network-plan/BikeNetworkProgressReport-2023.pdf#page=9 16]}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 May 2019 |title=Island Bay Residents' Association v Wellington City Council |url=https://law.app.unimelb.edu.au/climate-change/case.php?CaseID=838&browseAlpha=1&utm|access-date=10 August 2025 |website=law.app.unimelb.edu.au}}</ref>

==Facilities== ===Tactical urbanism === thumb|An uphill in-lane floating bus stop on the Botanic Garden route Rather than seeking only high-cost, fully engineered schemes, Wellington adopted a "cheaper, faster, lighter" approach—described as tactical urbanism. This method uses lower-cost materials deliver routes more quickly, while allowing designs to remain flexible and responsive to community feedback ahead of more permanent changes.{{sfn|City Council|2022|p=[https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/assets/Modules/DocumentGrid/Bike-Network-Plan-Final-June-2022.pdf#page=58 58],[https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/assets/Modules/DocumentGrid/Bike-Network-Plan-Final-June-2022.pdf#page=61 61]}} At the same time, design work and public engagement continued in parallel.<ref name=":4" />

International figures and bodies have highlighted Wellington as an instructive example; Former New York City transportation commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and other city-planning commentators have praised the approach for demonstrating how quickly cities can trial and scale protected infrastructure.<ref>{{Cite web |last=MacManus |first=Joel |date=9 April 2024 |title=Street smart: Janette Sadik-Khan wants New Zealand to embrace the urban revolution |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/wellington/09-04-2024/street-smart-janette-sadik-khan-wants-new-zealand-to-embrace-the-urban-revolution |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=The Spinoff |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=PRESS RELEASE: International leaders shine spotlight on Wellington's street changes |url=https://globaldesigningcities.org/update/press-release-international-leaders-shine-spotlight-on-wellingtons-street-changes/ |access-date=10 August 2025 |website=Global Designing Cities Initiative |language=en-US}}</ref> The shift followed years of frustration over the over-engineered and costly Island Bay cycleway—part of a 2015 cycling master plan—which stalled at the suburb's edge after prolonged controversy and legal challenges.<ref>{{Cite web |last=STEWART |first=MATT |date=20 September 2015 |title=Court action looms over Island Bay's controversial cycleway |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/72227836/court-action-looms-over-island-bays-controversial-cycleway |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=www.stuff.co.nz}}</ref>

In 2021, Councillor Tamatha Paul secured an amendment to Wellington's long-term plan, allocating $226 million over a ten-year period to complete the city’s cycling master plan network.<ref>{{Cite web |title=An Environment Day ode to the Capital and the Greater Wellington Region's commitment to a zero-carbon future |url=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/environment-day-ode-capital-greater-wellington-regions-laurie-foon |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=www.linkedin.com |language=en}}</ref>{{sfn|City Council|2022|p=[https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/assets/Modules/DocumentGrid/Bike-Network-Plan-Final-June-2022.pdf#page=18 18]}} The master plan aimed to create an interconnected network of cycleways linking the city centre with suburbs across Wellington, including Tawa, Johnsonville, Karori, Ōwhiro Bay, Island Bay, Lyall Bay, Seatoun, and Miramar.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gourley |first=Erin |date=11 March 2022 |title=Wellington City Council ticks off plan for 166 km of bike lanes in next five years |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/128014724/wellington-city-council-ticks-off-plan-for-166-km-of-bike-lanes-in-next-five-years |access-date=18 May 2026 |website=Stuff}}</ref>

Alongside the Council’s investment, the cycling network was to be delivered in partnership with Let's Get Wellington Moving, which planned to install up to 33 km of additional cycling infrastructure, primarily within the CBD area.{{sfn|City Council|2022|p=[https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/assets/Modules/DocumentGrid/Bike-Network-Plan-Final-June-2022.pdf#page=62 62]-[https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/assets/Modules/DocumentGrid/Bike-Network-Plan-Final-June-2022.pdf#page=63 63]}}

At the time, Wellington had just 23 km (14 mi) of dedicated cycleways, mainly along the coast.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Campbell |first=Georgina |date=24 September 2021 |title=Analysis: The radical change to increase Wellington's cycleways from 23km to 147km |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/analysis-the-radical-change-to-increase-length-of-wellingtons-cycleways-from-23km-to-147km/XLHPUQZBMN5JYQ4XUO5WMMWR4A/ |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=NZ Herald |language=en-NZ}}</ref>{{sfn|City Council|2022|p=[https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/assets/Modules/DocumentGrid/Bike-Network-Plan-Final-June-2022.pdf#page=43 43]}} Tactical urbanism techniques—designing and engaging with the public simultaneously—cut build times from the usual 3–10 years to an average of 18 months per cycleway.<ref name=":4" />

Problematic sections were addressed with low-cost, adaptable solutions, while permanent stretches received concrete dividers and tree planters. Practical tweaks were also made to accommodate other road users: speed bumps were reshaped for quicker fire truck exits, a loading zone was created for a car dealership, and barriers outside a bus depot were removed to allow easier bus turns.<ref name=":4" />

By 2023, cycleways serving Newtown to Berhampore, the Botanical Gardens, Aro Valley, and Ngaio had been completed.<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 June 2024 |title=How people have been using the Newtown to city bike route |url=https://wellington.govt.nz/news-and-events/news-and-information/our-wellington/2024/09/how-people-have-been-using-the-newtown-to-city-route |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=Wellington City Council |language=en-NZ}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Evaluating the changes |url=https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/current/botanic-garden-to-city/evaluating-the-changes |access-date=2025-09-29 |website=WCC Transport Projects |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=14 December 2022 |title=More sustainable transport options through Aro Valley and Ngaio |url=https://wellington.govt.nz/news-and-events/news-and-information/our-wellington/2022/12/aro-and-ngaio-cycleways |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=Wellington City Council |language=en-NZ}}</ref> Six additional major cycleway projects have been completed in 2024 with Kilbirnie, Thorndon, Karori, Wadestown, and Brooklyn, expanding the network to 73 km, with a target of 166 km (103 mi) by 2030.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Daly |first=Michael |date=23 January 2025 |title=Cycleways predicted to be 'massive' election issue in Wellington, even as construction slows |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360554470/cycleways-predicted-be-massive-election-issue-wellington-even-construction-slows |website=Stuff}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The network |url=https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/current/bikenetwork/the-network |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=WCC Transport Projects |language=en}}</ref> As of June 2025 38% of the cycling network is now in place.{{sfn|City Council|2025|p=[https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/assets/Bike-Network-plan/Bike-Network-Plan-Progress-Report-November-2025.pdf#page=4 4]}}

The first two of the new bike lanes (Newtown to City and Botanic Garden route) cost about NZ$750,000 per kilometre, considerably below the national average of NZ$1.6 million per kilometre, and were delivered in under half the usual time.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=MacManus |first=Joel |date=23 November 2023 |title=Wellington's massive cycling upgrade is ambitious, fast, and surprisingly cheap |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/wellington/23-11-2023/wellingtons-massive-cycling-upgrade-is-ambitious-fast-and-surprisingly-cheap |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=The Spinoff |language=en}}</ref> The Newtown to City route (2.1 km) was completed in under two years with street-changes including bus lanes, separated bike lanes, and relocated bus stops.

Te Āti Awa Taranaki Whānui has collaborated with the City Council to incorporate a te ao Māori perspective into the city's cycling infrastructure. Bikeways now feature niho taniwha motifs and other cultural markers intended to acknowledge ancestral narratives and local landscape histories.<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 February 2025|title=Cultural and historical sites along bike network: A te ao Māori perspective to the development of the city's bike network.|url=https://wellington.govt.nz/arts-and-culture/heritage/cultural-and-historical-sites-along-bike-network|website=Wellington City Council}}</ref>{{sfn|City Council|2023|p=[https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/assets/Bike-Network-plan/BikeNetworkProgressReport-2023.pdf#page=29 56]}}

Challenges remain. Foodstuffs has threatened legal action over a planned route past its Thorndon store. The city's 10-year cycling budget was cut in 2023 from $191 million to $111 million.<ref>{{Cite web |last=MacManus |first=Joel |date=7 May 2024 |title=Plucky Foodstuffs crushed by the iron fist of big bicycle |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/07-05-2024/plucky-foodstuffs-crushed-by-the-iron-fist-of-big-bicycle |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=The Spinoff |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Laughton |first=Harriet |date=20 September 2024 |title=Capital Conversation: The case for cycle lanes in Wellington |url=https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350420624/capital-conversation-case-cycle-lanes-wellington |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=www.thepost.co.nz}}</ref>

Even so, Wellington's programme stands as a rare case study in how quickly a city can roll out extensive cycling infrastructure.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=MacManus |first=Joel |date=17 September 2024 |title=Windbag: How Wellington's bike network has grown, in three maps |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/17-09-2024/windbag-how-wellingtons-bike-network-has-grown-in-three-maps |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=The Spinoff |language=en}}</ref>

===Cycleways=== ==== Ngauranga ==== {{Main|Te Ara Tupua}}By the 1970s, the cycle-track wedged between the railway line and the state highway had deteriorated significantly. It had been reduced to a single lane and was cut off at both ends by highway traffic lanes.<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last=MacDonald |first=Peter |date=December 1978 |title=Submission to Wellington District Roads Council: Hutt Road Cycle Track |url=https://www.nzlii.org/nz/journals/NZTPQly/1978/53.pdf |journal=Town Planning Quarterly |issue=53 |pages=17}}</ref> The surface of the track is very rough for most of its length, with broken glass and metal scrap appear on it.<ref name=":8" /> Most cyclists elected to ride on the highway shoulder towards Wellington, and had no option but to ride on the shoulder towards Petone.{{sfn|Crosby|1997|p=[https://www.gw.govt.nz/assets/Documents/1997/12/support-of-cycling.pdf#page=52 52]}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Te Ara Tupua. |url=https://isthmus.co.nz/project/te-ara-tupua/ |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=Isthmus |language=en}}</ref>thumb|Looking south at the overbridge, opening day 16 May 2026.|right|250x250pxFollowing severe flooding in 2013 and 2015, it became evident that Wellington required a seawall to safeguard the railway line and highway linking the city to the Hutt Valley.<ref>{{Cite web |title=May 2013 New Zealand Storm ( 2013-05-04 ) |url=https://hwe.niwa.co.nz/event/May_2013_New_Zealand_Storm#:~:text=Areas%20affected%20were%20the%20CBD,Map%20Location:%20-41.3272%20174.8053 |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=NIWA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Jackman |first=Arm |date=5 May 2016 |title=One year ago: Record rainfall causes floods all around the Wellington region |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/79654278/one-year-ago-record-rainfall-causes-floods-all-around-the-wellington-region#:~:text=Semi-Transparent-,Wellington%20flooded,Recommended%20For%20You |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=www.stuff.co.nz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=L |first=Matt |date=10 February 2014 |title=The impact of rail disruption in Wellington |url=https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2014/02/11/the-impact-of-rail-disruption-in-wellington/ |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=Greater Auckland |language=en-NZ}}</ref> In response to these longstanding issues, a solution has now been completed.

The construction of a seawall not only strengthened protection for the railway line and state highway along Wellington Harbour, but also created the opportunity to incorporate a shared walking and cycling path along its top, providing a public amenity at relatively little additional cost.<ref>{{Cite web |last=MacManus |first=Joel |date=20 May 2025 |title=Windbag: Why Wellington's vibe shift is coming in 2026 |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/20-05-2025/windbag-why-wellingtons-vibe-shift-is-coming-in-2026 |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=The Spinoff |language=en}}</ref>

Ngā Ūranga ki Pito One, is a 4.5 kilometres-long seawall and shared walking and cycling path, runs along the harbour front beside the railway line from Honiana Te Puni Reserve to the Ngauranga Interchange.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ngauranga to Petone (Ngā Ūranga to Pito-One) section |url=https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/te-ara-tupua/project-background/ngauranga-to-petone-nga-uranga-to-pito-one-section |url-status=live |access-date=16 May 2025 |website=NZTA}}</ref> Officially opened on 16 May 2026, the project now connects Wellington’s cycling and walking network with the Hutt Valley, providing a safer and more accessible route for both commuters and recreational users.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bishop |first=Chris |date=15 May 2026 |title=Ngauranga to Petone Shared Path (Te Ara Tupua) opens |url=https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/ngauranga-petone-shared-path-te-ara-tupua-opens |url-status=live |access-date=16 May 2026 |website=Beehive.govt.nz}}</ref>

====Island Bay==== In 2014, the City Council planned to upgrade the unprotected bike lane in Island Bay.<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Neil |first=Andrea |date=20 May 2014 |title=Island Bay residents angry over cycle path |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/10061242/Island-Bay-residents-angry-over-cycle-path |access-date=2025-10-13 |website=Stuff}}</ref> In June 2015, Wellington City Council approved its first separated cycleway, authorising construction of a $1.5 million section of the Island Bay–CBD cycleway along The Parade.<ref>{{Cite web |title=News - Safe Island Bay cycling route to proceed - Wellington City Council |url=https://wellington.govt.nz//your-council/news/2015/06/safe-island-bay-cycling-route-to-proceed |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160210164616/https://wellington.govt.nz//your-council/news/2015/06/safe-island-bay-cycling-route-to-proceed |archive-date=2016-02-10 |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=wellington.govt.nz |language=en-NZ}}</ref> The project was selected as a pilot for kerbside protection.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marriage |first=Guy |date=2015-06-25 |title=Island Bay Cycleway: Safety for All Road Users |url=https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2015/06/25/island-bay-cycleway-safety-for-all-road-users/ |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=Greater Auckland |language=en-NZ}}</ref> Construction began on 28 September 2015, with completion targeted for February 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Island Bay Cycleway construction start date announced! |url=https://www.islandbaycycleway.org.nz/blog/island-bay-cycleway-construction-start-date-announced |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160123080919/https://www.islandbaycycleway.org.nz/blog/island-bay-cycleway-construction-start-date-announced |archive-date=2016-01-23 |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=Island Bay Cycle Way}}</ref> The design featured a one-way bike lane on each side of the street, positioned directly against the kerb, with parking spaces acting as a buffer between cyclists and traffic lanes and that it would not go through the shopping village.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-16 |title=Island Bay bike lane data helping improve the city's bike network |url=https://wellington.govt.nz/news-and-events/news-and-information/our-wellington/2024/09/island-bay-bike-lane |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=Wellington City Council |language=en-NZ}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Everything you need to know about the new cycleway |url=http://www.islandbaycycleway.org.nz/about-the-cycleway.html |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=ISLAND BAY HEALTHY STREETS |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Patterson |first=Desiree |date=5 November 2014 |title=Wellington South Coast |url=https://dizzysfoldingbike.blogspot.com/search/label/Cycle%20lanes |website=Dizzy's folding bike}}</ref>

In 2017, the City Council approved a revised design intended to address issues identified in an independent safety audit.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hickman |first=Bill |date=10 February 2022 |title=The Island Bay cycle way is up for discussion. Again. |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/300510145/the-island-bay-cycle-way-is-up-for-discussion-again |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=www.stuff.co.nz}}</ref> The plan recommended changes to on-street parking along The Parade to improve visibility for both cyclists and motorists, as well as increasing spacing between parking bays to make it easier for vehicles to re-enter traffic from driveways and off-street parking.<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 June 2016 |title=Safety report on Wellington's Island Bay Cycleway finds multiple problems |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/81414213/safety-report-on-wellingtons-island-bay-cycleway-finds-multiple-problems |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=www.stuff.co.nz}}</ref> In November 2021, two redesign options were released: a lower-cost $3 million plan that could be completed within a year, and a more extensive $14 million version projected to take 18–24 months. Both proposals included extending the cycleway through the Island Bay shopping village, addressing one of the original scheme's most criticised omissions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tso |first=Matthew |date=3 November 2021 |title=Options released on safety improvements to controversial Island Bay cycleway |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/126877691/options-released-on-safety-improvements-to-controversial-island-bay-cycleway |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=www.stuff.co.nz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-04 |title=Wellington's Island Bay cycleway still under contention |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/454968/wellington-s-island-bay-cycleway-still-under-contention |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=MacManus |first=Joel |date=11 November 2021 |title=Compromise option chosen for Island Bay cycleway revamp |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/wellington/126948247/compromise-option-chosen-for-island-bay-cycleway-revamp |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=www.stuff.co.nz}}</ref>

In December 2022, the Regulatory Processes Committee of Wellington City Council approved updated traffic resolutions for a redesigned cycle route through the Island Bay shopping village, with works integrated into broader streetscape and landscaping upgrades.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Project timeline |url=https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/current/the-parade/proposal-details/project-timeline |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=WCC Transport Projects |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-04 |title=Island Bay village upgrades |url=https://wellington.govt.nz/your-council/projects/island-bay-village-upgrades |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=Wellington City Council |language=en-NZ}}</ref> The Island Bay cycleway has been integrated into Wellington's wider cycling network, serving as a key commuter link.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-19 |title=Discover Island Bay Cycleway: Your Ultimate Coastal Cycling Adventure - Explore Wellington |url=https://explorewellington.nz/island-bay-cycleway/ |access-date=2025-08-16 |language=en-NZ}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The network: Paneke Pōneke - Bike network plan |url=https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/current/bikenetwork/the-network |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=WCC Transport Projects |language=en}}</ref>

====Hutt Road==== By the 1990s, the designated cycleway along Hutt Road had become increasingly compromised, with sections routinely used as a loading zone for trucks and illegal car parking.{{sfn|Crosby|1997|p=[https://www.gw.govt.nz/assets/Documents/1997/12/support-of-cycling.pdf#page=49 49]- [https://www.gw.govt.nz/assets/Documents/1997/12/support-of-cycling.pdf#page=50 50]}} City Council allows it because it has been happening for so long.<ref>{{Cite web |last=George |first=Damian |date=7 August 2017 |title=Parking ban on the cards for Wellington road as cars continue to obstruct cycleway |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/95510066/parking-ban-on-the-cards-for-wellington-road-as-cars-continue-to-obstruct-cycleway?fbclid=IwY2xjawM8hDFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF5aVh0bXZKRmtleEFjaXBWAR4duvJ3WUkS9C7L6W7qucfkZ4c1F3L2X_eIVFqZrf9Wd-3TI3yZV3m0xMGrKQ_aem_06wWJ-tD2hPypGKxaSyujA |website=Stuff}}</ref> This forced many cyclists to ride on the road itself, despite heavy traffic volumes, as it was often safer and more direct than navigating the obstructed path.{{sfn|Crosby|1997|p=[https://www.gw.govt.nz/assets/Documents/1997/12/support-of-cycling.pdf#page=54 54]}}

On 16 March 2016, the City Council launched a public consultation proposing upgrades to the existing shared path along Hutt Road.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hutt Road |url=https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/current/hutt-road |access-date=14 August 2025 |website=WCC Transport Projects |language=en}}</ref> At the time, the route was widely regarded as outdated and unsafe due to its narrow width, poor surface quality, and numerous driveway crossings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hutt Road Improvements: a longer wait for the right outcomes {{!}} Scoop News |url=https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1605/S00459/hutt-road-improvements-a-longer-wait-for-the-right-outcomes.htm |access-date=14 August 2025 |website=www.scoop.co.nz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=LennyBoy |date=4 March 2019 |title=Photo of the Day: Wellington Hutt Road cycleway |url=https://cyclingchristchurch.co.nz/2019/03/04/photo-of-the-day-wellington-hutt-road-cycleway/ |access-date=14 August 2025 |language=en-NZ}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Staged approach recommended for building Hutt Road cycleway {{!}} Scoop News |url=https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1605/S00393/staged-approach-recommended-for-building-hutt-road-cycleway.htm |access-date=14 August 2025 |website=www.scoop.co.nz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=21 June 2016 |title=Hutt Road – what parking needs to change? |url=https://cycwell.wordpress.com/category/infrastructure/ |access-date=14 August 2025 |website=Cycle Wellington |language=en}}</ref> It carried over 300 daily cycle commuters from Lower Hutt, with a further 200 from Khandallah and Ngaio.{{sfn|Wellington City Council|2016|p=[https://wellington.govt.nz/-/media/your-council/meetings/committees/transport-and-urban-development-committee/2016/05/04/all-submissions-hub-web-v3.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawMKZNZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFXN2hSSDl3N3ZuMk1YVVhzAR7n1EGKFKi4ejkOp6Xmuge-jWdud6kEOHnXpHf9ZoGPe49z8qA-fwB3kZzIuw_aem_FpfnEjsaWQYh7e4fl65pjg#page=110 110]}}

In May 2016, the Council announced that improvements would be delivered in stages.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beernink |first=Ron |date=15 May 2016 |title=Hutt Road Improvements: a longer wait for the right outcomes |url=https://cycwell.wordpress.com/2016/05/15/hutt-road-improvements-a-longer-wait-for-the-right-outcomes/ |access-date=14 August 2025 |website=Cycle Wellington |language=en}}</ref> Preliminary site work for the first phase began in April 2017, with full-scale construction starting the following month.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Project timeline |url=https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/current/hutt-road/project-timeline |access-date=14 August 2025 |website=WCC Transport Projects |language=en}}</ref> December 2018, major works were largely complete across most of the walking and biking paths, except for a key bottleneck—the Kaiwharawhara Stream bridge. Construction on the widening of the bridge began on August 26, 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kaiwharawhara bridge construction details |url=https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/current/hutt-road/kaiwharawhara-bridge-construction-details |access-date=14 August 2025 |website=WCC Transport Projects |language=en}}</ref> The upgraded Hutt Road separated cycle and walking paths officially opened on 11 November 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 November 2019 |title=Hutt Road cycle path officially opened |url=https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/hutt-road-cycle-path-officially-opened |access-date=14 August 2025 |website=www.beehive.govt.nz}}</ref> The redesign included fully separated bike and pedestrian paths, improved lighting, landscaping, and the installation of a real-time cycle counter to monitor usage.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New Hutt Road bridge and pathway blessed – Wellynews |url=https://wellington.gen.nz/newsitem/df65f4bd-c360-47d5-aa10-cfe19006378c |access-date=14 August 2025 |website=wellington.gen.nz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=City |first=Wellington |date=18 March 2016 |title=$9m spend for Hutt Road cycleway – a month of online consultation |url=https://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=87292 |access-date=14 August 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

==== Thorndon Quay ==== On 29 March 2017, the first of many workshops was held to see how the City Council could improve cycling along Thorndon Quay.{{sfn|Wellington City Council|2014|p=[https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/assets/Meeting-minutes/29-March-2017-Thorndon-Meeting-Minutes.pdf#page=1 1]}} The objective was to improve safety and reliability, particularly by separating cycling movements from heavy traffic and frequent bus operations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Project timeline Thorndon Quay - WCC Transport Projects |url=http://transportprojects.org.nz/current/thorndon-quay/project-timeline/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121070756/http://transportprojects.org.nz/current/thorndon-quay/project-timeline/ |archive-date=2018-01-21 |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=transportprojects.org.nz |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Why Thorndon Quay Thorndon Quay - WCC Transport Projects |url=http://transportprojects.org.nz/current/thorndon-quay/why-thorndon-quay/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121070802/http://transportprojects.org.nz/current/thorndon-quay/why-thorndon-quay/ |archive-date=2018-01-21 |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=transportprojects.org.nz |language=en}}</ref> By February 2020, the corridor was folded into the Let's Get Wellington Moving.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Project timeline Thorndon Quay - WCC Transport Projects |url=https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/current/thorndon-quay/project-timeline/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120061543/https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/current/thorndon-quay/project-timeline/ |archive-date=2021-01-20 |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=www.transportprojects.org.nz |language=en}}</ref> In November 2022 presented the full street design, traffic resolution, and proposed speed changes. The package included a new two-way cycle path on the harbour side of Thorndon Quay to minimise bus and side-street conflicts, five raised signalised crossings, peak-hour bus lanes in both directions, improved lighting and planting, and revised parking layouts and time limits.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Thorndon Quay |url=https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/current/thorndon-quay/project-details |access-date=17 August 2025 |website=Transport Projects}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=MacManus |first=Joel |date=2024-07-23 |title=Windbag: The pedestrian crossing problem on Thorndon Quay |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/wellington/23-07-2024/windbag-the-pedestrian-crossing-problem-on-thorndon-quay |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=The Spinoff |language=en}}</ref> Funding and approvals followed in mid-2023.{{sfn|Let's Get Wellington Moving|2023|p=[https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/assets/Thorndon-Quay/Thorndon-Quay-Engagement-Report-Engagement-and-consultation-on-the-design-proposed-changes-to-speed-and-associated-traffic-resolution-7-November-to-9-December-2022-prepared-by-LGWM-for-WCC.pdf#page=4 4]}} Construction began in late 2023, staged to manage impacts on businesses and commuters.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 October 2023 |title=LGWM starting work to upgrade Thorndon Quay and southern Hutt Road |url=https://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=156011&utm |website=Wellington.Scoop}}</ref> In April 2024, the City Council announced it was taking over several LGWM projects, including Thorndon Quay.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-31 |title=Wellington City Council taking over some projects from Let's Get Wellington Moving |url=https://wellington.govt.nz/news-and-events/news-and-information/our-wellington/2024/04/council-taking-over-some-projects-from-lets-get-wellington-moving |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=Wellington City Council |language=en-NZ}}</ref> The Thorndon Quay upgrade project was completed on 15 July 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Construction update |url=https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/current/thorndon-quay/construction-update |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250424225207/https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/current/thorndon-quay/construction-update |archive-date=2025-04-24 |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=WCC Transport Projects |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Cycle parking=== The City Council's ongoing efforts to bolster cycling infrastructure include expanding bike parking availability across the city. In 2016, the council added three new bicycle parks, or 'corrals', in Ghuznee, Cuba, and Wigan streets.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New bike parking corrals for central city {{!}} Scoop News |url=https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1604/S00472/new-bike-parking-corrals-for-central-city.htm|access-date=2025-08-20 |website=www.scoop.co.nz}}</ref> By mid-2021, the City Council had installed 52 new bike racks, bringing total rack numbers to approximately 650, with capacity for around 1,300 bikes. The installations also included six new "fix-it" repair stands.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-07-20 |title=New bike racks help meet growing demand |url=https://wellington.govt.nz/news-and-events/news-and-information/our-wellington/2021/07/new-bike-racks |access-date=2025-08-20 |website=Wellington City Council |language=en-NZ}}</ref> The City Council has introduced covered bike shelters to protect against the elements and provide secure storage. In July 2023, they installed one at Freyberg Pool, including relocatable container-style shelters with double-tiered bike racks offering parking for 24 bikes each.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-31 |title=New-style bike shelters for park and pool goers |url=https://wellington.govt.nz/news-and-events/news-and-information/our-wellington/2023/07/new-style-bike-shelters-for-park-and-pool-goers |access-date=2025-08-20 |website=Wellington City Council |language=en-NZ}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Eberhard |date=2023-07-28 |title=New Tilley Cycle Shelters for Wellington swimming pools - Tilley & Patton Street & Park Furniture |url=https://www.tilleystreetandparkfurniture.co.nz/tilley-cycle-shelters-for-two-wellington-swimming-pools/,%20https://www.tilleystreetandparkfurniture.co.nz/tilley-cycle-shelters-for-two-wellington-swimming-pools/ |access-date=2025-08-20 |language=en}}</ref>

Council staff proposed introducing a minimum bike parking requirement for new apartments. The rule would have required developers to allocate 2.5 square metres of space per unit, with access to electricity, enough to accommodate even large electric cargo bikes.<ref name=":5" /> Councillor Ben McNulty moved an amendment to remove the requirement, and a majority of councillors supported his change.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=MacManus |first=Joel |date=18 June 2025 |title=Windbag: The little decisions that make a significant impact |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/18-06-2025/windbag-the-little-decisions-that-make-a-big-impact |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=The Spinoff |language=en}}</ref>

===Proposals=== {{Main|Let's Get Wellington Moving}}

A second Mount Victoria Tunnel was to be prioritised for buses and have dedicated facilities for walking and cycling. Following the 2023 general election, the new government scrapped the initiative and changed these plans into a tunnel for general traffic.

Let's Get Wellington Moving was intended to construct bike lanes in the CBD, while the Wellington City Council would handle the suburban routes. Since LGWM was shut down, that part of the network has languished.<ref name=":0" />

===Criticism=== While cycling infrastructure in Wellington has expanded over recent years, cycleway projects have drawn significant criticism from small businesses due to the removal of on-street parking.{{refn|group=nb|Attributed to multiple sources:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Rachel |date=9 May 2024 |title=Julie Anne Genter and the 'ghost cyclists': Is there anything to see here? |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350270195/julie-anne-genter-and-ghost-cyclists-there-anything-see-here |website=Stuff}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Clark |first1=Poppy |last2=Utteridge |first2=Phoebe |date=15 September 2024 |title=Swapping car parks for cycleways: Business destroyer or new opportunity? |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350412553/swapping-car-parks-cycleways-business-destroyer-or-new-opportunity#:~:text=Wellington%20Chamber%20of%20Commerce%20CEO%20Simon%20Arcus%20told%20Stuff%20it,won't%20shop%20there.%E2%80%9D |website=Stuff}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gourley |first=Erin |date=20 May 2022 |title=Unhappy businesses going to court over Wellington cycleway |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/128694201/unhappy-businesses-going-to-court-over-wellington-cycleway |website=Stuff}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stephenson |first=Fiona |date=31 May 2016 |title=Cycle lanes are good for retail |url=https://sustainable.org.nz/learn/news-insights/cycle-lanes-are-good-for-retail/ |website=Sustainable Business Network}}</ref>{{sfn|Jeffries|2022|p=[https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/assets/Courtenay-Place-Revitalisation/Documents-/2022-Documentation/Golden-Mile-Developed-Design-Engagement-Report-Mid-Year-2022-1.pdf#page=6 7]}}}} Some business owners blamed cycle lanes for closures,<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=MacManus |first=Joel |date=28 December 2024 |title=The mystery of the killer bike lane |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/wellington/28-12-2024/the-mystery-of-the-killer-bike-lane-2 |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=The Spinoff |language=en}}</ref> and others objected to the loss of on-street parking outside the Botanic Garden.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Calvert |first=Diane |date=8 February 2025 |title=When debate turns personal |url=https://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=167776 |website=Wellington.Scoop}}</ref> Several commentators have questioned whether Wellington's hilly topography and climate make cycleways impractical or ill-conceived.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moller |first=Gary |date=29 August 2024 |title=Time to scrap many of Wellington's cycleways |url=https://betterwellington.org.nz/gary-moller-cyclist-time-to-scrap-many-of-wellingtons-cycleways |website=Better Wellington}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=28 February 2014 |title=Wellington's bike-topia needs scrutiny |url=https://www.nzinitiative.org.nz/reports-and-media/opinion/wellingtons-bike-topia-needs-scrutiny|website=The New Zealand Initiative}}</ref> Luke Pierson{{who|date=August 2025}} argued that cycling in Wellington would not be widely adopted by anyone outside an "elite" demographic.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{citation |last1=Pierson |first1=Luke |title=Meet Wellington's new elite – cyclists |date=6 September 2024 |work=The Post |url=https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350406322/meet-wellingtons-new-elite-cyclists |access-date=10 August 2025 |language=en |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Canadian filmmaker James Cameron made complaints about the Newtown-to-city cycleway.<ref>{{Cite web |last=MacManus |first=Joel |date=4 March 2025 |title=Windbag: Why reviewing the Glenmore St cycleway isn't such a bad idea |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/04-03-2025/windbag-why-reviewing-the-glenmore-st-cycleway-isnt-such-a-bad-idea |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=The Spinoff |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=MacManus |first=Joel |date=21 February 2025 |title=A vision of the 90s: James Cameron's Vision for Wellington event, reviewed |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/21-02-2025/a-vision-of-the-90s-james-camerons-vision-for-wellington-event-reviewed |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=The Spinoff |language=en}}</ref> Councillor Ray Chung has been a vocal critic of speed bumps, raised pedestrian crossings, and cycle lanes.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=MacManus |first=Joel |date=6 August 2024 |title=Windbag: Why firefighters often oppose pedestrian safety measures |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/06-08-2024/windbag-why-firefighters-often-oppose-pedestrian-safety-measures |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=The Spinoff |language=en}}</ref> Firefighters also warned that the Island Bay cycle lane would leave less space for cars to pull over in emergencies.<ref name=":2" /> Newstalk ZB host Mike Hosking has been a vocal critic of Wellington's cycleways, frequently questioning both their cost and the number of people using them.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hosking |first=Mike |date=2025-09-22 |title=Mike's Minute: Cycleways – hype over reality |url=https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/opinion/mikes-minute-cycleways-hype-over-reality/ |access-date=2025-09-22 |website=NewstalkZB |language=en-nz}}</ref>

==Integration== ===On public transport=== Bikes are permitted on trains when space is available, but staff may refuse carriage during busy periods. Folding bikes are allowed on trains at any time. On the Hutt Valley, Melling, Kāpiti, and Johnsonville lines, each two-car train can accommodate up to three bikes in designated areas.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Green |first=Kate |date=15 November 2021 |title=It's the age of the multimodal commuter. But how easy is it to take a bike on the train in Wellington? |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/126919207/its-the-age-of-the-multimodal-commuter-but-how-easy-is-it-to-take-a-bike-on-the-train-in-wellington |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=www.stuff.co.nz}}</ref> On the Wairarapa Trains: Bikes can be carried in the luggage car.<ref name=":3" /> Metlink buses are equipped with front-mounted bike racks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wellington bike racks on buses back in action » Metlink |url=https://www.metlink.org.nz/news-and-updates/news/wellington-bike-racks-on-buses-back-in-action#:~:text=Cyclists%20can%20once%20again%20use,Metlink%20group%20manager%20-%20Samantha%20Gain |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=www.metlink.org.nz}}</ref>

On 8 November 2024, a complete ban on front-mounted bike racks on buses began nationwide. This followed an initial nighttime ban that came into effect on 2 November.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mathias |first=Shanti |date=3 December 2024 |title=Why can't bikes go on buses in New Zealand? |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/03-12-2024/why-cant-bikes-go-on-buses-in-new-zealand |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=The Spinoff |language=en}}</ref> The provision was suspended due to NZTA concerns over "ensuring bike racks do not obscure bus headlamps, enabling full visibility in all weather conditions and during hours of darkness, including when travelling through tunnels."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dyer |first=Alex |date=1 August 2025 |title=July 2025 Newsletter |url=https://www.cyclewellington.org.nz/july_2025_newsletter |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=Cycle Wellington |language=en}}</ref> On 1 July 2025 bike racks on the front of Metlink buses cloud be used again by cyclists.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |first2= |date=30 June 2025 |title=Bike racks back on all Metlink buses |url=https://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=171886 |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=Wellington.Scoop |language=en}}</ref>

==Statistics== Cycling in Wellington has declined significantly from its historic popularity. By 1986, only 1.4% of residents were travelling by bike.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bicycles {{!}} Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/bicycles/print |access-date=2025-08-18 |website=teara.govt.nz |language=en}}</ref> In 1996 it had raising to 1.9%.{{sfn|Wood|1999|p=[https://viastrada.nz/sites/default/files/Wood-thesis.pdf#page=17 9]}} Between 2001 and 2006, it accounted for just 2% of travel in the city.{{sfn|Greater Wellington Regional Council|2014|p=[https://www.gw.govt.nz/assets/Documents/2022/03/StateofCyclingReport2001-2012.pdf#page=11 11]}} By 2013, however, the cycling mode share had risen to 4.3%, reflecting a modest resurgence in its use.{{sfn|Wellington City Council|2014|p=[https://web.archive.org/web/20210302031511/https://wellington.govt.nz/-/media/parking-roads-and-transport/parking-and-roads/cycling/files/cycle-network-strategic-case-040815.pdf#page=5 5]}}

In the 2020s, Wellington began to see sharper increases in cycling volumes as new infrastructure projects came online. The Newtown to City route experiences significant usage: monthly bike trips increased by ~62%{{refn|group=nb|From ≈around 5,990 to nearly 10,000.}} between July 2022 and July 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 September 2024 |title=WCC reports 62% increase in bike trips on Newtown to CBD cycleway |url=https://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=164091 |website=Wellington.Scoop}}</ref> The Botanic Garden to waterfront route, which saw a ~27.5% increase in biking / scootering usage and 74% of users reporting feeling safer post installation.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 May 2024 |title=Botanic Garden completed route improving pedal power |url=https://wellington.govt.nz/news-and-events/news-and-information/our-wellington/2024/05/botanic-garden-bike-route-improving-pedal-power |website=Wellington City Council}}</ref>

==References== ''' Notes ''' {{reflist|group=nb}} '''Citations''' {{Reflist}} ''' Bibliography ''' {{Refbegin|30em}} ''Not by author; sorted by publication name'' * {{cite book |last=Wood|first=Kerry |title=Bicycle Crashes in New Zealand |url=https://viastrada.nz/sites/default/files/Wood-thesis.pdf |year=1999|publisher=Lincoln University |page=123}} * {{cite book |last=City Council|first=Wellington |title=Bike network progress report |url=https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/assets/Bike-Network-plan/BikeNetworkProgressReport-2023.pdf |year=2023 |publisher=Wellington City Council |page=41}} * {{cite book |last=City Council|first=Wellington |title=Bike network progress report November 2025|url=https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/assets/Bike-Network-plan/Bike-Network-Plan-Progress-Report-November-2025.pdf |year=2025 |publisher=Wellington City Council |page=83}} * {{cite book |last=Jeffries |first=Libby |title=Golden Mile Consultation Feedback Report |url=https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/assets/Courtenay-Place-Revitalisation/Documents-/2022-Documentation/Golden-Mile-Developed-Design-Engagement-Report-Mid-Year-2022-1.pdf |year=2022 |publisher=Wellington City Council |page=103}} * {{cite book |last=Tripp |first=David |title=Hutt Cycle Network: Submission on the Te Ara Tupua Petone to Ngauranga Seaward Side Cycle Path |url=https://www.epa.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Documents/Fast-track-consenting/Te-Ara-Tupua/LP01_Te_Ara_Tupua_Hutt_Cycle_Network.pdf |year=2020 |page=12}} * {{cite book |last=Mackay |first=John |title=HUTT ROAD (REPORT OF COMMISSIONER RE ALLOCATION OF COST OF CONSTRUCTING). |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/imageserver/parliamentary/P29pZD1BSkhSMTkxMy1JLjIuMy4zLjE1JmdldHBkZj10cnVl#:~:s |year=1913 |publisher=Government Printer |page=12}} * {{cite book |author= |title=Hutt Road Submissions |url=https://wellington.govt.nz/-/media/your-council/meetings/committees/transport-and-urban-development-committee/2016/05/04/all-submissions-hub-web-v3.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawMKZNZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFXN2hSSDl3N3ZuMk1YVVhzAR7n1EGKFKi4ejkOp6Xmuge-jWdud6kEOHnXpHf9ZoGPe49z8qA-fwB3kZzIuw_aem_FpfnEjsaWQYh7e4fl65pjg |year=2016 |publisher=Wellington City Council |page=1301|ref=CITEREFWellington_City_Council2016}} * {{cite book |author= |title=Inner City Bypass Project Information Brochures |url=https://wellington.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/4525?highlights=WyJjeWNsZSJd&type |year=1995 |publisher=Wellington City Council |page=30 |ref=CITEREFTransit_New_Zealand1995}} * {{cite book |last=Cox |first=Elizabeth |title=Mr Ward's Map Victorian Wellington street by street |url=https://www.masseypress.ac.nz/books/mr-ward-s-map |year=2025 |publisher=Massey University Press |isbn=978-1991309-06-8 |page=560}} * {{cite book |last=City Council|first=Wellington |title=Paneke Pōneke Bike network plan |url=https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/assets/Modules/DocumentGrid/Bike-Network-Plan-Final-June-2022.pdf |year=2022 |publisher=Wellington City Council |page=84}} * {{cite book |last=Kennett |first=Jonathan |author-link=Kennett Bros|title=Ride: The story of cycling in New Zealand |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2D3GrbB131cC |year=2004|publisher=The Kennett Brothers |isbn=978-0958349079 |page=213}} * {{cite book |author=|title=State of Cycling Report: Wellington region 2001–2012 |url=https://www.gw.govt.nz/assets/Documents/2022/03/StateofCyclingReport2001-2012.pdf |year=2014 |publisher=Greater Wellington Regional Council |page=37 |ref=CITEREFGreater_Wellington_Regional_Council2014}} * {{cite book |author= |title=Technological PRACTICE CASE STUDY Bypassing central Wellington |url=https://www.techlink.org.nz/Case-studies/Technological-practice/Materials/Print-PDFs/techlink-tp-wgtn-bypass.pdf |year=2010 |publisher=Engineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau|page=2 |ref=CITEREFEngineering_New_Zealand_Te_Ao_Rangahau2010}} * {{cite book |last=Toohey |first=Michael |author-link=Kennett Bros|title=The Cycling Pioneers |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h4L20AEACAAJ |year=2024|publisher=The Kennett Brothers |isbn=978-0-473-72050-6 |page=138}} * {{cite book |author=|title=Thorndon Quay Engagement Report: Engagement and consultation on the design, proposed changes to speed and associated traffic resolution, 7 November - 9 December 2022 |url=https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/assets/Thorndon-Quay/Thorndon-Quay-Engagement-Report-Engagement-and-consultation-on-the-design-proposed-changes-to-speed-and-associated-traffic-resolution-7-November-to-9-December-2022-prepared-by-LGWM-for-WCC.pdf |year=2023|publisher=Wellington City Council |page=33|ref=CITEREFLet's_Get_Wellington_Moving2023}} * {{cite book |author=|title=Thorndon Quay Workshop 1 Minutes |url=http://transportprojects.org.nz/assets/Meeting-minutes/29-March-2017-Thorndon-Meeting-Minutes.pdf |year=2017|publisher=Wellington City Council |page=8|ref=CITEREFWellington_City_Council2017}} * {{cite book |last=Cameron |first=Ron |title=Wellington Airport Development: Book Two |url=https://wellington.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/11677?highlights=WyJjeWNsZSJd&\ |year=1959|page=173}} * {{cite book |author=|title=Wellington City Cycle Network Strategic Case |url=https://wellington.govt.nz/-/media/parking-roads-and-transport/parking-and-roads/cycling/files/cycle-network-strategic-case-040815.pdf?la=en&hash=33E30269D281408D5468FBFA6D04A495BA224267#:~:text=and%20inconvenient%20is-,reducing%20cycling's%20contribution%20to%20the%20transport%20system,and%2092%20percent%20for%20driving. |year=2015|publisher=Wellington City Council |page=26|ref=CITEREFWellington_City_Council2014}} * {{cite book |last=Crosby |first=Allen |title=Wellington Regional Council Report on Land Use and Urban Design Guidelines for Support of Cycling in the Wellington Region |url=https://www.gw.govt.nz/assets/Documents/1997/12/support-of-cycling.pdf |year=1997 |publisher=Wellington Regional Council |page=71}} * {{cite book |last=Main|first=William |title=Wellington Through a Victorian Lens |url=https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22231261 |year=1972|publisher=Millwood Press |isbn=0-908582-46-3 |page=108}} {{Refend}}

==External links== * [https://www.cyclewellington.org.nz/ Cycle Wellington]

Category:Wellington City Category:Transport in Wellington Category:Cycleways in New Zealand Category:Cycling in New Zealand