This newsitem has 4 comments.

• ‘what about introducing a national ID card that you must wear on a headband. then all you need do is modify the councils mobile parking camera car to photograph J-walkers and then it could send infringement fines via post. ’
• ‘Im not surprised that the accident rate has dropped in London, when the barriers were there pedestrians often climbed/jumped over them in order to cross the street. Installing a trip wire system in Manners st will no doubt increase the number of accidents. Aside from that concern the real issue is if this measure works because then the traffic planners will have proof that all roads should be fenced off from pedestrians so that motor vehicles can move safely, next is the cordoned off bike lane ohh and dont forget that we need to put 5m high fences around every waterway in the country as well because of the chance of drowning….. ’
• ‘When I went to Tokyo last year – people waited to cross the road in accordance with the crossing signs, even if the road was empty and narrow. Hence when I see the way people cross Willis / Lambton quay – its just a sign of the times of how NZ has changed. People especially under mid 30′s seem to expect to do their own thing and are not considerate of anyone else and the expect others such as driver or nanny state to lookout for them. It was interesting last year the Dom Post published a picture of pedestrian accident sites. they were concentrated around intersections rather than in the middle of roads. what this means I am not sure. ’

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• ‘Geez, a Council sticking to their guns on public transport. How refreshing. ’

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This newsitem has 10 comments.

• ‘I think the solution could be as simple as a pedestrian crossing in the middle of the mall. Might slow up the traffic flow but, to be fair, the mall has slowed the traffic flow of pedestrians so you need to look at both parties to the mall. ’
• ‘It’s a simple case of habits being hard to extinguish, I think. All the education in the world will not stop people’s hindbrains telling them there’s no need to look right. Two years from now, everyone will know. ’
• ‘Sonny: I agree with Andrew’s comments about Cave Creek. 14 people dying through no fault of their own is incomparable to 5 people getting injured when they failed to show the most basic caution. Also, looking both ways is not a short view it is the long term solution and judging from the news reports would have prevented every accident. ’

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• ‘What’s more, the change in traffic flows along Willis St between Boulcott and Dixon has increased congestion significantly. I’m sure that the bus travel times for buses coming down that section of road must be much higher. ’

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This newsitem has 4 comments.

• ‘http://thetigereffect.blogspot.com/2010/12/left-right-and-left-again.html ’
• ‘Another woman hit tonight at the Taranaki end of Manners. A fair amount of blood left on the road. These signs they have made saying look left then right are made for the northern hemisphere. It’s obvious you first look at what will hit you then away and then right again before you move. Doing it the other way around means you are starting at and trying to race with the bus on the other side of the road. Who planned the advertising campaign? ’
• ‘Two pedestrians were hit this afternoon on the intersection of lower Cuba Street and Manners Street. The Downer worker monitoring, who is said to have attended the second incident where a boy was knocked down, denied both collisions when first questioned. The boy limped off. His name is known. Two independent witnesses, one King Homeboy, a popular Wellington busker, disagreed with the worker. When the worker was questioned further he admitted the witnesses may be right. The supervisor for Downer was called. A report by the City is Ours Inc is now being compiled and filed with Downer and with the Council. ’

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This newsitem has 10 comments.

• ‘I don’t need to, James. You’ve done it for me. Cheers. ’
• ‘No sign of an Architecture Film Festival. There are some one-off screenings around town on that topic – ask Light House Cuba, maybe? ’
• ‘Where do you find the best toast in NZ? Vogeltown Who would actually laugh at that terrible joke? Marmite. ’

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This newsitem has 4 comments.

• ‘Why did they need bus shelters outside Arty Bees when it had a perfectly adequate verandah. Kirk’s managed to not have any in front of them. When will Council revisit its street clutter, bus shelter and ad shell policy? As a bus user the shelters add little to comfort but greatly impair views of buses coming to the stop. The ones outside the old James Smith in lower Cuba St were a menace. ’
• ‘The pedestrians in the first artist’s conception are only 80% the size they should be, and the trees would take about fifty years to grow that height. The second picture is unattractive but more realistic. Poor Arty Bees, hopefully the increase in browsing by waiting bus users will make up for the noise and crowds ’
• ‘I dont get it – why have cars at all? I think Celia will get a lot of support if this changed to pedestrian only. It might be worth a little bit of a guerilla art attack – lets see a nice big heavy sculpture like object appear there every morning please. Likewise I know lots of student flats with spare roadworks signs and cones – maybe they could be employed…. ’

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This newsitem has 10 comments.

• ‘But no one has been “deaded” as Michael Fowler would put it. Would be interesting to know how often people had been getting regularly hit on Willis street between Lambton and Mercer. Also whether the hits have all been on the old mall or between Victoria and Willis. I’m finding the mall no loss as a pedestrian but am wondering where the pay off in improved public space is supposed to come from. There’s yet to be an identifiable improvement on Dixon or Cuba. ’
• ‘Blood on the bus lanes (as foretold from this streets deadly history). http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=29968 ’
• ‘Is the rather dapper individual a testament to the Great Gaucho Invasion of 2010? ’

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This newsitem has 5 comments.

• ‘So sad to hear the pedestrian street was ripped up. It was our favorite spot to in Wellington when we visited from the States. It felt like such a unique spot, so peaceful, and human-friendly (unlike all other streets which are auto-friendly) ’
• ‘When the first pedestrian is killed in manners mall, prendergast will be the first person I will think of. ’
• ‘Vryn: The newly elected Mayor not only voted for the Manners Mall alteration, she resigned after 7 years as President of Living Streets Aotearoa. ’

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This newsitem has 3 comments.

• ‘Very prescient comments, given the lane focus of the 2040 vision proposal. Can you let me know what this week’s lotto numbers are going to be by any chance…? ’
• ‘The laneways in Melbourne can be pretty special, defying the legibility of the otherwise easily navigable grid. Unless you have a pretty good mental gps it’s possible to wander down one and then not locate it again for another month or so – like portals which only seem to open up under the correct cosmic conditions. More likely it’s the mindset of the individual – you either ignore it on your daily rush to catch the train or are actively seeking a different route. Wellington’s smaller blocks and irregular streets don’t seem to allow for many shortcuts, and those that do exist in this city tend to involve a flight of stairs. One of our most promising alleys is now flanked by the soho building – robbing it of any chance to further evolve into something interesting. ’
• ‘I keep hearing stories about how great the Lanes are in Melbourne – but I haven’t been there for years. Are there any any equivalent lanes anywhere in NZ? Or are you proposing that Wellington develop a network of pedestrian lanes? ’

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This newsitem has 10 comments.

• ‘I would be grateful for any description or image of 80 Manners street where RP Moore panormaic photgrpaher had his studio from c 1923-36 Gael newton Senior Curator Photogrpahy National Gallery of Australia ’
• ‘Wow! Great photos. I never knew just how grand Wellington was. It’s sad that I have to use past tense. Just imagine the splendour. If we still had all those buildings (somehow, despite all the earthquakes and all) we would be like Buenos Aires—a pocket of the Old Europe, but in the South Pacific. What a romantic city that would have been. Of course the trams couldn’t have gone down the f… Golden f… Mile. We’ve got heaps of streets here -t ’
• ‘Yeah, I saw that – it has had the guts ripped right out – talk about murder on the dance floor ! A complete rebuild, except for the front facade. everything else demolished. ’

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This newsitem has 5 comments.

• ‘Reminder: Hi Bryan, What happens if Mayor Prendergast is not returned to a Mayoral position, does the directorship on the board of WIA have a vacancy if so who gets it and more improtantly who decides?’
• ‘Please forwar to your networksDemand Golden Mile improvements be NZTA tested. http://www.wellington.govt.nz/haveyoursay/e-petitions/ep/details/137The City is Ours at your service.’
• ‘Sir Robert Jones declared today he is not putting up his Vibrant team in the local body elections because Council has now commisioned planning consultants to look at pedestrianising the Golden Mile. Councillor Pepperell the only Mayoral Candidate opposing the destruction of Manners Mall agrees with Sir Robert as part his SOS Save our Streets campaign from a previous elction year.’

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This newsitem has 3 comments.

• ‘Who really cares about Manners Mall, its such a worthless piece of town anyhow, probably good that the council are going to make it useful by sending buses through it. ’
• ‘I’m still walking down the middle of the mall, to and from work every day – making the most of it while I can, and aside from the occasional hole, it is the least congested part at the moment… ’
• ‘No wonder that Wellington has the lowest local body election participation in the whole country. Why would anyone waste their time exercising their civic right and duty to elect a council of men and women to represent us when those who get elected duly ignore us as soon as they enter the office. What a shame. How do we change that? Could we as the citizens of Wellington sue the council on the grounds of being thoughtless and unsympathetic to the needs of the residents? Because I don’t buy their crap about seeing the big picture and knowing best what’s good for us. -t ’

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• ‘Manners Mall was compensation for the destruction of 50 hectares of heritage land and buildings in Thorndon to progress the Urban Motorway in the seventies. When 3.700 graves were desecrated at Bolton Street Cemetery Wellingtonians cried faul and Manners Mall was born. It is clear from the decisions made by Councillors they are totally ignorant of the past and anyone who believes bus services will improve must be delusional. The proposal suggest some 250 buses per hour at peaktimes are to enter this precinct with the associated fumes and noise making the area unsafe for pedestrians. If any of us had reservations about the Olympics in 2008 and the disruption to the Cities involved with elderly folk disowned from their family homes this is exactly the same, Rugby has taken the heart of our City. ’

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This newsitem has 10 comments.

• ‘In a word, No. Must go see. Mollys normally covered in Toucans and drunken teens. Will hunt for fish. Thanks for the fishing tip. ’
• ‘Has the fish seen its concrete cousin lyingforlorn on the ground outside Molly’s waiting to be cemented into the pavement…??? ’
• ‘Weeg, its what is being called a Shared Space. There is quite a bit of info written about it as a concept, and also a growing number of examples of it around the world. They’re doing it in Europe, in England, and starting also in Auckland and I think Christchurch – this will be the first example in Wellington. I disagree with you on Dixon St though. “impacts too many side streets and access to buildings. ” ? Ummm, no, not really. Going from the east end, there is Egmont St (cars can come and go from the far end, so no real impact there) and then Eva St (cars can access from Leed St, so the impact there is manageable). Cuba St is next, which is already pedestrian. The west side of Dixon St is probably never going to be a nice place for pedestrians – it certainly isn’t now, but that may be to do more with tall buildings opposite causing shadows, as well as bis and taxi areas. I agree that the Oaks would be better off gone – but the key to the park would be to stop it being an island, and to anchor it to the south side of the street. The Oaks move can happen at some stage in the future. The closing off of Dixon St should happen now…. ’

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