Comments on: Canadian recognition for Basin Reserve roading option without a flyover

By: Alana

Alana — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 08:58:17 +0000

Reid can’t be expected to work for free. Shouldn’t some government body come up with his fee to ensure that all options are covered. I’ve looked today at the slick marketing being done to sooth legitimate concerns about this wall of concrete. But no amount of trees, foliage, and the proposed contortions will “mitigate” the large scale mistake to which NZTA is irrationally attached.

By: Siena

Siena — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 03:13:07 +0000

Richard Reid should replace that former city councillor aka deputy-mayor of Wellington, NZTA board director Alick Shaw who made that anonymous threat to his former employer back in August 2011.

By: Traveller

Traveller — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 21:16:36 +0000

I agree with Maximus. The Transport Agency should renew their relationship with Richard Reid (already proven in Auckland) and involve him as a consultant to show them why a flyover isn’t needed at the Basin Reserve. Think of the money they’ll save.

By: Liz Springford

Liz Springford — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 23:50:50 +0000

Great to have another option on the table rather than slicing our city with an ugly flyover.

I echo Paula Warren’s comment that ‘more traffic doesn’t equal economic growth – it equals inefficient transport’.

The bottom line for all of us is surely decent jobs, warm housing, healthy food, quality education & healthcare, community involvement and knowing that global climate change will be adaptable for us, our kids and grandkids.

Affordable healthy efficient transport choices are essential to our future wellbeing.

By: Cricket fan

Cricket fan — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 20:32:01 +0000

Good stuff. Let us hope this helps bring about a sensible solution to the Basin Reserve/National War Memorial developement – one that is not destroyed by a roaring flyover

By: Alana

Alana — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 09:45:40 +0000

NZTA plans for the flyover keep changing. It seems even they have no idea how they will meld the roads together. I hope the government takes charge of this tangle of bad design and stops it before it begins.

By: Paula Warren

Paula Warren — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 04:34:44 +0000

Almost anything has to be better than a flyover – which seems to be just a way to spend a lot of money to make sure that we generate more traffic, and ensure that everyone can see and hear all those unnecessary car trips through what should be a lovely part of our city.

I have’nt yet seen Richard’s design, but I’ve been impressed with some of his earlier work. I would, however, be concerned if one of the NZTA goals it was seeking to achieve was to increase overall road capacity and car journeys. We don’t need that. Wellington has stable or falling traffic volumes across most of the state highway network, and that’s a good thing.

More traffic doesn’t equal economic growth – it equals inefficient transport.

By: Maximus

Maximus — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 02:48:49 +0000

You might think that the most logical thing for NZTA to do would be to pay Richard Reid and take him on as a consultant directly. Certainly it would be the most cost effective. If they paid Reid just a thousandth of the cost of the guestimated $100million build cost of the flyover, that is only one hundred thousand dollars – an absolute bargain for the nation. Build Cost Benefit ratio of the Reid scheme – the benefits are sky high, compared to the costs.

NZTA – how about it?

By: Elaine Hampton

Elaine Hampton — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 02:29:31 +0000

Looking at the website mentioned above, these urban design solutions to traffic issues are very impressive.

Hopefully a solution to the Basin Reserve traffic issue will be as good.

We look forward to their project being published

By: Margot Boock

Margot Boock — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 01:12:50 +0000

Well done, Richard Reid. It’s great to see some thinking “outside the square”, looking for alternatives to building roads and more roads. More roads means more cars. That’s just not sustainable. We need to be considering options for light rail and public transport, walking and cycling. At the same time it’s imperative we protect our history and our green places in the city