the council have lost their Manners

so Wellington City Council have decided – in order to save 2-3mins off a bus trip – to ruin the city centre by putting a bus lane through Manners Mall.  i dont quite see how it will have the amount of benefit required to payback the funds needed for the work – and the customer loss to businesses during the implementation of said route.

now we all know that Manners Mall can be a shithole.
there are often creepy people hanging around and theres been a bit of trouble in that street too.
the fountain was never really filled with water.  it was pee and beer that had been peed out of someone.  but its one of the last street malls that i know of and it has its own charm.

there is a Facebook group that has been started to encourage support and demonstration for keeping the mall – have a look here:  http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=37520787818

there are a couple of different suggestions that make some sense.
an article in the dominion post details them – and the reasons behind them : http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/communities/the-wellingtonian/2489038/Pedestrian-plan-to-make-up-for-Manners

“Many submitters have agreed that if we could find some compensating public space they would be comfortable.”

As a result, the council has come up with a plan for a pedestrian-dominated space in lower Cuba St, effectively extending Cuba Mall and replacing Manners Mall.

In reviewing pedestrian spaces in the area, council officers were struck by the rationale of extending Cuba Mall all the way to Wakefield St.”