Transport Bylaw consultation

• There is a cost to providing parking – rather than general ratepayers meeting this cost through rates, it would be met by parking users.
• It helps make more parks available. This reduces congestion and makes it more likely people can find a park.
• It encourages people to find a park that best meets their need. Someone popping in to a shop, cafe, or a meeting might prefer convenient short-term parking, while people that will be parked all day might be happy to walk a bit further or pay for a long-term park.
• It supports the shift to public transport, walking and cycling.

We are proposing to keep fees low, from $1 to $2 per hour. So spare change may be enough for a short visit. The first 60 minutes will be free in some standard parks and the first 30 minutes free in all premium short-term parking (such as Cobham Court).

No. This area is managed by Metlink and Greater Wellington Regional Council.

Paid parking should bring in revenue for the city and make sure that those who use parking are paying for it, and not the general ratepayer. Any net funds generated from parking will help keep rates lower.

We’re aiming to adopt the bylaw in December 2021, after the Council considers submissions and makes its decisions. This means the physical work to install parking machines, signage, and road marking would be done in January, and parking charges should be in place from February 2022.

No.

People driving to Porirua for work need medium to long-term parking (more than 4 hours). The options for city workers are:

• Paid long-term parking. This is something we are looking to increase.
• Parks provided by businesses or through leasing.
• Parking for free outside the city centre and walking. This will still be an option.
• Moving the car several times a day to avoid parking time restrictions. This will be more difficult if we introduce more paid parking.

There will still be some options for free short and long-term parking within a 5–10-minute walk.

Retail customers will probably park where they currently do, and the first 30 minutes parking will be free. By introducing paid parking we should increase parking turnover and make it more likely your customers can find a park close to your business. It should help customers find a park to suit their needs, including some free, short-term parking.

Guidance from research is that consumer spending in an area does not significantly change when paid parking is introduced. While there is a charge that customers have to think about, there is also the benefit that parks are turning over and they are more likely to find a park where they want to park.

Porirua has many attractions for people to come to visit, shop and work. The city centre is convenient for a range of transport options and parking charges will be lower than the rest of the region. We are one of the last places in New Zealand of this size that doesn’t have some form of paid parking.

Certainly that is the focus of Keeping Cities Moving, an NZTA initiative to grow the share of travel by public transport, walking and cycling. Our own transport strategies are looking to that as well. Paying for parking is something that encourages that shift and may encourage people to look at alternatives.

People tend to park where they want to do business and may be happy to pay for that convenience. There is a risk that people will park in areas provided by retail outlets for their own customers. The mall and other outlets have time limits and already carry out their own enforcement. Council would monitor the impact of parking changes on other businesses.

Transport changes and parking charges do change people’s behaviour. There may be some displacement of cars from the city centre to the surrounding streets or other areas. The Parking Management Plan will need to consider the impact of displacement and have flexibility to adapt.

Greater Wellington Regional Council manages the area below the the high tide line and Porirua City Council manages the rest of the beach.

We want the beach to be a safe and enjoyable place for everyone. Council has received many complaints about vehicles making the beach unsafe, going back many years. We think the best way to improve safety for beach goers is to limit vehicle access to the beach.

We know that for some there is tradition and nostalgia associated with cars on Titahi Bay beach, but safety is our number one priority.

Yes, you can still drive on the beach to launch boats, kayaks, jet-skis and other watercraft, at the northern and southern ends of the beach, as shown in the map on page 12 of the Statement of Proposal.

Cars with boat trailers will be permitted to park on the beach within this area.

We hope behaviour will change through public education and clear signage. But if we continue to have problems, the proposed bylaw will give Council parking wardens the ability to issue fines or have vehicles towed. Unsafe driving should also be reported to police.

We do have the option to make changes to beach access points to further restrict vehicle access if necessary. We’d prefer not to do this, as it will cost ratepayers’ money, and inconvenience responsible beach goers.

Council wants feedback on this issue. Boatshed owners are privileged in that they have private property on public land, and we need to be careful when we give private property owners privileges that are not available to the general population. Also, allowing boatshed owners unrestricted access complicates the enforcement of this rule – cars launching boats are obvious, but enforcement officers will not be able to tell which cars belong to boatshed owners, and those that don’t.

However, we recognise that boatshed owners may need to access the sheds to load or unload equipment from time to time. We may be able to manage this through a permitting system for boatshed owners.

Let us know your thoughts in your submission.

Any incidents of dangerous driving should be reported directly to the police. Tell them what you saw, any identifying details and the number plate of the vehicle involved.

Report any other incidents to us by calling our contact centre on 237 5089 or use the free Antenno app.

Engine braking is noisy and at night interrupts people’s sleep. Many places in New Zealand restrict or ban engine braking, including Wellington City and the Kapiti Coast. This means that we will be consistent with our neighbours and the rules will be consistent for anyone exiting Transmission Gully.

At this stage we are proposing to put engine braking restriction on the new link roads between Transmission Gully to/from Waitangirua (Waitangirua Link road) and Whitby (Te Kāpehu).

Council can add others in future if any problems are identified.

• Proposed Transport Bylaw 2021
• General Bylaw part 16 - Traffic (with track changes)
• Draft Transport Bylaw 2021 (clean version)
• Proposed Porirua City Centre Parking Management Plan
• Proposed Parking Plan Maps (GIS portal)