Wellington bicycle and scooter cordon count

Wellington City has been investing in the rapid rollout of a connected network of “interim” (low-cost) cycleways, pedestrian crossing improvements, and bus stop upgrades. 

Council staff are evaluating the impact of these changes through numerous means, including automated counts and perception surveys. Of these, the longest-running dataset is the annual “cordon” count at central city entry and exit points. The count is conducted by manual morning peak period observations over five weekdays each year.

ViaStrada was selected to manage a micromobility (bike & scooter) only version of the cordon count for 2025. We have been perfecting the techniques for such counts over the previous three years of counts in Dunedin, and our efficient methods minimise errors.

We recruited student surveyors through online job listings and word of mouth. Surveyors received training through online briefings and were supported during the counts by ViaStrada staff. 

Survey sites were selected based on previous data and local knowledge, with standardised screen lines used to ensure consistent counting. We created simple to use data entry forms that reduced the number of pages by about 70% compared to previous years conducted by others.

Data from this year’s survey was combined with records from the past decade, checked for anomalies, and compiled into a master dataset. 

The report recommends considering external factors like weather, evolving working from home patterns, changing employment and economic activity, general traffic volumes, and COVID-19 disruptions when analysing long-term trends.