Active Transport Trial Queens Drive

[devoniakruimer]

Active Transport Trial on Queens Drive Brings More Choice for Dunedin Residents

Ōtepoti Dunedin – Spokes Ōtepoti Dunedin welcomes the Dunedin City Council’s proposal to trial changes to vehicle access in parts of the Town Belt, calling it a practical step toward safer and more flexible transport options for the city.

The trial will transform sections of Queens Drive and Braid Road into shared routes for people walking, cycling, and using other non-motorised transport, with motor vehicles excluded.

Access for residents and emergency services will remain in place. The trial period will allow the community to evaluate benefits using real data, including counts of people walking, cycling, and motorised traffic, safety outcomes, and public feedback, before any long-term decisions are made.

This initiative follows the adoption of the Town Belt Reserve Management Plan, which prioritises improved safety, better access to green spaces, and support for active, low-carbon transport. Queens Drive is well-suited for active transport and Council reports note that it is not a critical traffic route and that vehicle speeds and pedestrian conflicts have been ongoing concerns.

For many people, especially children, older residents, and those new to cycling, safe routes like these can make all the difference. They enable healthy choices that are better for the community - making walking and cycling the easy option for everyday trips. Trials like this help answer a simple question: What happens when we design streets for people first?

Whether you walk, bike, drive, or use multiple transport modes, a safer and more flexible network benefits everyone. Additional benefits include improved access to our wonderful Town Belt, better connections between suburbs, and reduced pressure on narrow residential streets.

This is about creating a city where people have genuine choices in how they travel. Active transport isn’t for everyone all the time, but it should be safe and practical for anyone who wants that option.

References:

1. Dunedin City Council (2025) Council Agenda Report: Town Belt Active Travel Trial — considered at the Dunedin City Council meeting, 11 December 2025.
   Agenda of Council - Thursday, 11 December 2025

2. Dunedin City Council (2025) Town Belt Reserve Management Plan — adopted August 2025. Town-Belt-Reserve-Management-Plan-2024.pdf

3. Otago Daily Times (2025) “Town Belt proposal: Car-free area to be considered” Town Belt proposal: Car-free area to be considered | Otago Daily Times Online News

[bobthecoder (Rob Orchiston)]

Please see DCC Facebook post on the Town Belt Active Transport Trial. Spokes members really need to get behind this one and encourage our connections to play around on this new ammenity which Opened to Active Users yesterday. There has been a number of negative commentaries in the ODT Letters to Editor about the trail. Hopefully Spokes members can add to the dialogue in the media.

Dunedin City Council

Please be sure to comment on

https://www.dunedin.govt.nz/community-facilities/parks-and-reserves/town-belt-active-travel-trial

with your thoughts on the trial and maybe it will become a permanent fixure if it is a great success and we can be vocal enuff with our responses to DCC. Please be sure to add your voice to the commentary during the feedback period: 26 January 2026 to 5pm Sunday 19 April 2026:

https://www.dunedin.govt.nz/dcc-consult/consultations/town-belt-active-travel-trial-feedback

Here is another map of the pathway, please get out and use it (safely)

[NathanK (Nathan Kershaw)]

I’ve just ridden it - at the Southern end is an ideal venue for coffee-outside, eh @Robyn?

[NathanK (Nathan Kershaw)]

Don’t miss the launch event for this 2026-02-13T03:00:00Z→2026-02-13T06:00:00Z:

Town Belt Acitve Travel Trial Launch Event

Come and join a family-friendly celebration of active transport in the Ōtepoti Dunedin Town Belt. It would be really good if lots of us could make it to this (sorry about the late posting!) The launch event will take place from 4pm – 7pm and marks the start of a three-month trial closure of Queens Drive, creating a safer, more people-focused space for walking, cycling, recreation, and enjoying the Town Belt. To celebrate the opening, the afternoon will include food trucks, busking performer…

[Robyn (Robyn West)]

Coffee?
Ok.
Saturday 21st, 10-11.30

[Katie-Eglesfield]

Hey All! Thankyou for broadcasting this on the Spokes Forum. Here is the link on how to give feedback- the QR codes on the signs onsite will also take you here. We encourage you all to let us know what you think! Town Belt Active Travel Trial feedback - Dunedin City Council

[jon.dean]

Hi all,

Grant Miller from the ODT just called me to ask for comment and photo etc…

FYI: The trial will not be expanded into a permanent thing from what I understand.

I’ve suggested Devonia (or someone in authority) would be appropriate.

[NathanK (Nathan Kershaw)]

Press Release - Spokes Dunedin Urges Councillors to Reconsider Town Belt Report Ahead of Key Vote

Ahead of tomorrow’s Dunedin City Council meeting, Spokes Dunedin is calling on councillors to reconsider the report’s recommendation to leave Queens Drive unchanged and instead take bold leadership on active travel and community wellbeing in the Town Belt.

While the Otago Daily Times and Stuff report that public submissions leaned against permanent vehicle closure, Spokes Dunedin emphasises that high initial pushback is entirely predictable for any trial altering driver routes. Crucially, as noted in the council’s own findings, the consultation process was not designed to be statistically representative of the entire Dunedin population. Relying purely on raw submission totals risks allowing vocal initial pushback to dictate the future of Dunedin’s public health and urban spaces.

Nearly 600 submitters actively backed permanent car-free spaces in the Town Belt, and hundreds more reported the area felt nicer and more inviting during the trial. Furthermore, the trial delivered clear, tangible wins: pedestrian and cycle traffic increased, vehicle-cyclist conflicts dropped, and illegal fly-tipping dropped dramatically.

“Tomorrow’s vote is a defining test of vision for our council”, says Nathan Kershaw, Secretary of Spokes Dunedin. “The Town Belt is a premier ecological and recreational reserve, not a shortcut for motor vehicles. We strongly urge our councillors to look beyond short-term resistance, reconsider the report’s recommendation, and choose a path that prioritises the health, safety, and outdoor recreation of Dunedin families for generations to come.”

Spokes Dunedin asks councillors to reject a return to the status quo and direct staff to explore refined, permanent options for safe active transport through the Town Belt.