Axel Peter Carl Downard-Wilke (né Wilke; born 1966)[1] is a New Zealand transport planner and engineer known for his advocacy for cyclists in cities.

Downard-Wilke has been a consistent advocate for urban planners to specifically provide for walking, cycling and public transport in cities.

He has been involved in campaigns to improve coverage of New Zealand-related topics on Wikipedia, and has been a member of the management committee of the New Zealand affiliate of the Wikimedia Foundation.

If the loop detected that a cyclist was travelling too slowly to reach the other side during the green phase, the system would delay the light change for a few seconds.

The company had expertise in traffic signals, and specialised in designing streets for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport.

[19] The Transport Agency has subsequently published multiple updates of progress against the action plan developed in response to the Cycling Safety Panel report.

[29][30] In 2018, Downard-Wilke called for a section of Colombo Street, a main road through the centre of Christchurch, to be closed to traffic and converted into a pedestrian mall.

The rationale was to reduce the traffic that was causing congestion on the rest of the street and improve access for buses travelling to the Bus Interchange.

The proposal received 59% support in an online poll by the Stuff website, but Christchurch City Council said it preferred to continue with its current plan and "let things settle".

[31][32] In 2018/19, Downard-Wilke was part of a group advocating for integrated planning for land use and housing in Christchurch, with an emphasis on passenger rail.

[35] Downard-Wilke has pointed out that urban sprawl and the establishment of remote settlements around Christchurch led to many people driving cars into town for work, thereby creating additional transport emissions for the foreseeable future.

[36] He has also highlighted the lack of adequate public transport in Christchurch, describing it as the largest city in Australasia without mass rapid transit.