Wellington mayor Andy Foster. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Wellington mayor Andy Foster. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Wellington mayor Andy Foster is making assurances he wasn't part of any discussions about a controversial pedestrian crossing on State Highway 1 in his capacity as an airport board member.
Let's Get Wellington Moving (LGWM), the city's multibillion-dollar transport plan, announced it will go ahead with an at-grade crossing controlled by traffic lights on Cobham Drive near the airport.
In response, Wellington Airport has launched a legal challenge against the crossing- notifying LGWM it intends to seek a judicial review of the decision.
The airport is concerned the crossing will make congestion worse for 35,000 daily road users and that the views of the community have been ignored.
LGWM is a joint partnership between Waka Kotahi, Greater Wellington Regional Council, and Wellington City Council.
The city council also owns a 34 per cent share in the airport. Infratil owns the remaining 66 per cent.
When asked how the council will handle the airport's legal case given it is a shareholder, Foster told Nick Mills on Newstalk ZB Wellington Mornings the case was against LGWM and more specifically, Waka Kotahi.
"So in a sense we're not directly involved with that," Foster said.
He also pointed out the council was a minority shareholder.
An artist's impression of the crossing. Image / Supplied
"For myself, I'm actually on the board of the airport, but for anything related to this of course I'm conflicted. So I can't participate in those processes."
Foster clarified further that he was not part of any discussions to do with the crossing proposed for Cobham Drive in his capacity as a board member.
"Clearly I have two different roles and they're in conflict with one another," he said.
On the crossing itself, Foster said he understood the frustration of the community over the proposal being an at-grade crossing rather than an overbridge.
But he said the fact LGWM and Waka Kotahi have left the door open to investigate an overbridge was a good thing.
"My preference was always to have a bridge, but we've got a process which at least allows a bridge to be an option for the future and hopefully if the numbers look like they justify that, that's what we get."
"I've stamped my foot on several things in relation to Let's Get Wellington Moving and that [the crossing] was one of them."
LGWM representative Emma Speight has previously said people have been making unsafe crossings because there is no convenient alternative for almost 2km along Cobham Drive.
"These changes will make it safer and easier for people to move around the area, including the increasing number of people walking, running, riding bikes and using wheelchairs on the new shared pathway along Evans Bay."
There have been 528 crashes over the past 10 years along the stretch of state highway between Mt Victoria and Wellington Airport, which have killed two people and seriously injured 16, LGWM has reported.
More than 250 people a day are forecast to use the crossing. The average delay experienced by people driving on Cobham Drive is expected to be about 15 seconds.
