Wellington City Council's proposed upgrade of Hutt Rd, which includes a new cycleway and transit lane.

The "illegal" parking spaces along Wellington's Hutt Rd are safe – for now – after the city council approved a plan to build a new cycleway, but not at the expense of exiting car parks.

Councillors voted unanimously on Thursday to approve the first stage of a $9 million project to widen and upgrade the existing cycleway on Hutt Rd.

It means most of the construction work can go ahead as planned, including relocating street lights on the existing cycleway, building new bus priority lanes and a new pedestrian and cycle crossing at the Ngauranga intersection.

SUPPLIED An artist's impression of how the new Hutt Rd cycleway would have looked if councillors had not voted to delay some aspects of its construction.

But it will mean the existing shared path cannot yet be converted into a two-way cycleway and dedicated pedestrian path.

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* Businesses says changes to Hutt Rd are needed

The council has also put off plans to create a T2 transit lane on Hutt Rd and stop cars from parking on the footpath as they do now.

MONIQUE FORD/FAIRFAX NZ A cyclist rides along the existing Hutt Rd cycleway.

The practise is technically illegal but the council allows it because it has been happening for so long and there are few other places to park around the businesses on Hutt Rd.

Some businesses rebelled against the transit lane plans because it would have reduced the parking spaces available from 171 to 82, and 73 of those would not be useable while the transit lane was operating between 7am and 9am.

Councillor Andy Foster, chairman of the council's transport and urban development committee, said alternative parking solutions will now be looked at.

Creations of the T2 lanes would also be "some years away" and subject to the New Zealand Transport Agency creating an extra southbound lane on the urban motorway.

Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown said a staged approach to building the Hutt Rd cycleway was a sensible way forward and would ensure the project became reality.

"The upgraded path will mean safety is improved and it will be a much more pleasant ride, walk or run for those who already use it," she said.

Hutt Rd is one of the busiest cycling routes in Wellington, with more than 400 riders an hour during peak times.

It also has a poor safety track record with 26 reported crashes involving cyclists between 2009 and 2013.

Councillors also voted unanimously on Thursday to get things moving on developing the Great Harbour Way cycleway, which is intended to run along the edge of Wellington Harbour from Pencarrow to Red Rocks.

Detailed design work for Hutt Rd will now get under way, and construction could begin within months.