The 'trucks crossing' sign is the only sign of crews moving in to start work on Thorndon Quay. Photo: Jemima Huston / RNZ
Businesses along Wellington's Thorndon Quay have been given less than a week to prepare for a year's worth of disruption while a cycleway is installed.
The Thorndon Collective has fought the installation of the cycleway for two years, arguing against plans to reduce car parks and create a two-way cycle path on their doorsteps.
Group member Steve Piper, director of childcare centre CoKids, said he first heard the work was due to begin when his staff had a visit from a contracting crew from Downer. They informed one of his staff members that work would begin this coming Tuesday, and substitute parks would be provided 50 metres down the road while the work was done.
That was expected to take a year - and Piper said for parents dropping off and picking up kids, those car parks would not cut it.
"They started showing us these plans, and we're going, 'No, sorry, you can't, that's not enough warning ... to let our customers know they may have some parks 50 metres down the road - they may have'."
He said it was not nearly enough warning, and the parks they were offering would not cut it with a roll of 100 kids needing pick-ups and drop-offs near-simultaneously.
His business began with 18 parks, which fell to eight last year when the angled parks were changed to parallel parks, to increase visibility and safety for cyclists.
CoKids in Thorndon. Photo: Google Maps
A newsletter sent to businesses by email on Thursday said crews would begin moving gear to sites "from late October".
"Works will start from early November and will mean a significant upgrade for the area including new bus stops, new pedestrian crossings and traffic signals, a cycle lane, improvements to seating, planting and lighting, and priority bus lanes in peak times," it read.
"Some sections of street parking will be closed so that we can fence off safe working areas."
Thorndon Collective spokesperson and executive director at The Woolstore Management further down the road, Paul Robinson, said it would have a huge affect on businesses.
"We haven't received a work programme, and we haven't received a business continuity plan that shows how businesses are expected to continue operating while the work is carried out," he said.
Let's Get Wellington Moving has been contacted for comment. As of Friday morning, it still had not provided a response.
Businesses claim lack of consultation
Simply Steel owner Kishor Chhiba claimed businesses have been left out of the loop.
"We don't really understand how long this disruption is going to take, where it's going to start, or how it's going to finish. We don't know any of that and that's going to make things very difficult for us.
"They haven't actually approached me and said to me, 'Hey is it going to be easy for you?' Not at all. I can tell them now, it's not going to be easy. I've got trucks going in and out all the time and it's going to be a nightmare for cyclists, buses and cars."
Chhiba has considered moving out his metalworking premises on Thorndon Quay to save his business.
He said a recent change to car park access had already affected trading, and he was worried the Let's Get Wellington Moving initiative would make things worse.
"I can't even figure out how I'm going to load and unload my goods if there's a bike lane here and I've got a vehicle right outside. I don't even understand how I'm going to do this."
Kishor Chhiba, owner of Simply Steel. Photo: Jemima Huston
Bordeaux Bakery's director Tony Bates was also fed up with what he claimed was a lack of communication from the councils and Waka Kotahi.
"They have repeatedly ignored us, despite us submitting on traffic resolutions, on petitions where we've been talking to councillors. They just don't talk to us."
He said parking was reduced on Thorndon Quay with the change from angled to parallel parking two years ago. That had a dramatic impact on his business, reducing trade by 10 to 15 percent, Bates said.
"Then you compound that with Covid and with the cost-of-living crisis. It's a nightmare scenario, it really is".
The Let's Get Wellington Moving website said once the cycleway was completed, there would be 260 parking spaces in off-peak hours and around 130 spaces at peak. But during the construction period some sections of street parking would be closed.
Consultation and work on options for daycare parking
Let's Get Wellington Moving said it had been "well signalled" that construction along Thorndon Quay is set to begin.
In a statement, programme director Sarah Gardner said the upgrade would bring new traffic signals, footpaths, pedestrian crossings, cycle lanes and bus lanes to the road.
There had been extensive consultation with local businesses, residents and other stakeholders since November and December 2022, Gardner said.
For about 18 months, construction crews will work in sections along the route for eight to 12 weeks at a time, and businesses will be advised when the works are coming to them.
Gardner said a phone number and an email contact would be provided to affected owners to discuss any queries.
During construction, two lanes will be open for traffic during the day with space for pedestrians and cyclists. After 8pm, there may be a single lane with stop/go instructions.
Gardner did not confirm on which part of Thorndon Quay and Hutt Road "some sections of street parking" would be closed for "safe working areas" during construction.
As for access to CoKids Day Care, she said Let's Get Wellington Moving was cooperating with a separate contractor working on a nearby apartment building for the next 12 months.
Another four 10-minute on-street car parks close to CoKids had been added this week to ensure there were still eight on-street parking spaces, she said.
WellingtonNZ is developing a business support programme to help businesses affected by construction across the inner city.
