Changes to the area have been proposed as part of the $6.4b Let's Get Wellington Moving transport project.
Members of the public were asked to provide feedback on three concepts to change the stretch of road.
The most conservative option would close the Golden Mile end of some side streets to general traffic, relocate taxi stands and loading zones, and scrap up to 120 car parks to make more footpath space.
Bus stops would also be consolidated, but be no more than a five-minute walk for someone on the Golden Mile, to increase space and improve reliability.
The second concept was to go a step further and remove all general traffic and allocate extra space for buses and pedestrians, while the third concept went further to suggest converting 75 per cent of the space into a pedestrian zone, putting in bus lanes, and creating dedicated sections for scooters and bicycles.
According to an engagement summary report, the majority of surveyed Wellingtonians were in favour of the third option, which carries an estimated cost of $80 million.
Some thoughts the changes would encourage pedestrians into the area more, while others worried there would be a negative economic impact for businesses.
Nearly 2000 people responded to the survey, with the majority doing the survey online, and 400 commenting on social media or providing feedback by email, phone, meetings, and pop-in events.
Some respondents said option three would be a "game-changer" for Wellington and would "transform our beautiful city into the modern metropolis we all know it can be".
They said it would turn the area into a "centre for cultural activities" and would help the character of the city to "flourish".
But opposition was intense from some other respondents, with one person calling it "completely insane".
"You may as well burn the city down," they said.
Another said it would "kill the city" and drive people to larger shopping areas with parking.
The majority of the negative comments towards the concept related to a lack of dedicated areas for cycling. People were also concerned it did not prioritise buses enough.
Local business owner Nicola Cranfield was concerned business owners' voices were getting lost in the surveys and were being counted collectively rather than individually.
She said none of the proposed concepts protected businesses from negative financial impact, and that public transport needed to be improved before people's ability to drive and park in the city was reduced.
The preferred concept would make it "really challenging for our businesses to exist".
It was already hard enough to find a car park in the city without removing up to 200 on-street parks.
Cranfield also raised concerns about security for workers walking along the stretch after late shifts, saying cars regularly travelling through provided an "energy" to the area which made people feel safer from crime.
She also felt Wellington simply did not have the population size needed to make pedestrian-only zones successful.
"The spaces that have been created without cars like Bond St and Upper Tory ... I think they've both failed."
She said the areas were empty, had rubbish in them, and generally didn't seem to be used much.
"I"m just not sure what cutting off all those streets is going to achieve when we just don't have the population to fill them."
She said some businesses might have to close, meaning other businesses would have to pick up the slack in the rates bill.
From here, those working on the project will identify a preferred option, which could be a combination of the concepts. Once that option is identified, the public will again be asked for feedback.
