Wellington.Scoop » New colorful bus boarding platforms installed in Newtown

WCC News
The first of several new bus boarding platforms made from recycled plastic will be assembled on Riddiford Street over the next few days, like a giant 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle on its nationwide debut.

Modular platforms are part of the bus and bike upgrades that are starting to take shape between Newtown and the waterfront, and are an innovative way to make changes required at certain bus stops.

Accessible curb-height platforms will allow people to safely board and alight buses and cross the new bike lanes to the trail.

Mayor Andy Foster says Wellington already has the greatest use of public transport in New Zealand, alongside walking and cycling. But Wellingtonians have made it clear for many years that they want it to be easier and more convenient to get around in a zero or low carbon way.

“This includes our commitment to prioritize public transport in key locations and to establish a network of safe cycle paths and city-wide connections as quickly as possible.”

Wellington City Council transition program manager Claire Pascoe says the colorful new platforms are an example of the types of adjustable materials used along the route so people can experience the new layout and then give their notice.

“On this route, we can’t wait to hear what people will think in a few months time once everything is in place between Newtown and the waterfront.”

Claire says one of the main reasons the platforms were selected is that they were designed to make areas where bike paths and bus stops intersect as safe and accessible as possible. They have been tested around the world and have won awards for their durability and affordability.

Cyclists will ride on low ramps above the platforms, and there will be signs and red markings to indicate where they should slow down, take extra care and yield to pedestrians.

The platforms come as pre-made components – individual building blocks – so installation involves linking them together and bolting them to the ground.

They can be disassembled and reassembled elsewhere if needed, or when replaced with more permanent street upgrades. They can also be reconfigured to create platforms of different sizes and possibly recycled.

Five new bus platforms will be assembled along Riddiford Street and Adelaide Road between Mein and Hall Streets and the Basin Reserve as part of the installation of the new cycle and 24-hour bus lanes and 7 days a week.

The first and longest platform will be assembled outside Wellington Hospital in two sections.

Starting today, Fulton Hogan contractors will position and bolt over 1000 pieces into place to create the 70m long platform.

“We will work during off-peak hours and start at the less busy end of the bus stop while workers follow the instructions and get used to assembling them,” Claire explains.

“There will be temporary changes in place at the bus stop during assembly work, but people will still be able to get on and off buses here. Everything is going well and if time permits, the installation should only take a few days.

Another platform will cross the road, two more on either side of Adelaide Road near Drummond Street and a fifth on the city side near the basin.

ZICLA platforms, which use a system called Vectorial®, are manufactured in Spain and have been successfully used around the world in recent years, including Washington, New York, Los Angeles and Portland in the United States, Canada, in Spain, France, and Ireland.

This will be the first time they have been set up in New Zealand.

Content sourced from scoop.co.nz
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