TRANSPORTATION
A Transport Vision for Wellington
If elected I will focus on 7 key transport themes for Wellington these are:
- Ensuring that Wellington is a safe, sociable and friendly city
- Making Wellington accessible for all, including families and children, by ensuring the right balance between pedestrians and all forms of private and public transport.
- Providing an integrated ticketing system for all forms of public transport
- That Wellington continues to be a creative and vibrant city
- Wellington stays a place where business thrives
- Wellington stays a healthy environment with active residents
- Wellington continues to be one of the most liveable cities in the world
-
Parking
The thorny issue of parking prices and availability is interesting, especially now that council has sold all the parking buildings. If you consider the value of the prime CBD land being taken up by car parks in Wellington it is obvious that the land could generate a higher income if used for other purposes.
Current Council policy views parking a car all day in the city as a very poor use of space. By increasing the price of parking spaces they have tried to force people to consider other alternatives to parking all day in the city thereby freeing up the space for those who really need to find a park in a convenient location. The number of private and public parking spaces is not sufficient in the city due to the sale of the parking buildings and the number of apartment buildings approved for construction without adequate allowance for parking.
I think encouraging park and ride in the suburbs, where land is cheaper would be a good move. Doing this in conjunction with high frequency and high quality public transport services has proven to be successful overseas and in New Zealand-Auckland’s North Shore Bus way is a successful example in NZ of park and ride working very well and removing thousands of cars from the road. Additionally council owned car parking could be constructed on the edges of the cbd e.g. in a new facility over the rail yards.
Finally I would return parking enforcement to Council control-this is an enforcement activity, not a source of revenue and should not be contracted to a private company who is only interested in making money. I would liaise with cbd retailers to finalise a parking policy that would stimulate weekend retail activity.
Airport to Ngauranga and Light Rail
This is an important link with access to most suburbs coming off this vital corridor. While there are sufficient roads along this route, they’re congested.
To beat congestion, we need to make alternatives like walking, cycling, & public transport attractive and viable options. It has been proven over and over world wide that increasing motorway capacity encourages new drivers which results in even more congestion.
I believe that a combination of dedicated cycle ways, bus priority, improved pedestrian access and a new high quality public transport service along this corridor are all smart solutions. I would be investigating the feasibility of light rail which has a higher capacity than a dedicated bus lane and would be cheaper than extending the existing rail through the city or building a second tunnel. Light rail would be an ideal private-public partnership project with Infratil involved in these areas.
Light Rail also increases the value of land along the route and has proven in places like Portland to be a major economic and tourist boost. Light Rail mixes well with pedestrians and stage 1 could be constructed from the station to the end of Courtney place. Stage 2 would be to extend the service from Courtney place to the Airport.
Lambton Quay Mall
There is considerable discussion about the conversion of Lambton Quay into a pedestrian mall as the single biggest change to the CBD. This proposal notes that Lambton Quay is already the busiest pedestrian street in NZ and that pedestrianisation could enhance the street making it a pleasant place to stop and dine, socialise and shop. Closing the street to cars could open up space for new development in the form of performance space, mid street cafes and restaurants, squares and parks.
The other perspective is that it would create carnage amongst retailers and businesses in this area, driving shoppers to malls in other areas due to poor access and the reduction in the number of alternate routes across the city.
I would support a proper investigation involving businesses and residents in the proposed pedestrian areas; followed by a BINDING referendum.
Bus
Buses are important in Wellington and should be retained to provide access to the various suburbs. However the bus services along the highly pedestrianised roads are not complimentary.
I would provide a public transport corridor along Featherstone St or Customhouse Quay which would enable public transport to operate in an efficient manner and would remove noise and fumes from the pedestrian areas. Additionally I would phase out trolley buses and diesels for totally free moving electric buses. This would reduce costs (economic and carbon) and remove a lot of unsightly aerial wiring from Wellington Streets.
Cycling
Wellington has a fantastic opportunity to become the best cycling city of NZ and our part of the globe. Despite the poor facilities and the weather, terrain and aggressive drivers Wellington already has a large number of cyclists. In reality the weather and terrain are not much of a problem if the right facilities are in place. European cities with snow and hills often still have high cycling numbers. Improving cycle facilities is a win-win because it is a relatively low cost solution that reduces congestion, improves health, reduces green house gases, is not dependant on oil, is accessible to all and improves the vibrancy of the city.
I will continue to promote continuing the development of these alternatives, remembering that we should not ignore pedestrians.
Basin Reserve
The Basin is a fantastic venue and has heritage and icon status in Wellington. Current plans to build a grade separated flyover will change this forever and are not really essential. Although it would be tempting to support the $400 Million + to build the basin flyover and new Mt Vic tunnel, Wellington will lose the basin as it currently stands. In addition, the traffic system upgrade is expected to hit full capacity again in 12 years; which defeats the purpose of the infrastructure development.
I oppose the flyover and think that it would be better for the city is to promote and support the Light Rail as previously mentioned and to improve the cycle facilities.
Other things on my mind…
If elected I will focus on 7 key transport themes for Wellington these are:
- Ensuring that Wellington is a safe, sociable and friendly city
- Making Wellington accessible for all, including families and children, by ensuring the right balance between pedestrians and all forms of private and public transport.
- Providing an integrated ticketing system for all forms of public transport
- That Wellington continues to be a creative and vibrant city
- Wellington stays a place where business thrives
- Wellington stays a healthy environment with active residents
- Wellington continues to be one of the most liveable cities in the world
-
Parking
The thorny issue of parking prices and availability is interesting, especially now that council has sold all the parking buildings. If you consider the value of the prime CBD land being taken up by car parks in Wellington it is obvious that the land could generate a higher income if used for other purposes.
Current Council policy views parking a car all day in the city as a very poor use of space. By increasing the price of parking spaces they have tried to force people to consider other alternatives to parking all day in the city thereby freeing up the space for those who really need to find a park in a convenient location. The number of private and public parking spaces is not sufficient in the city due to the sale of the parking buildings and the number of apartment buildings approved for construction without adequate allowance for parking.
I think encouraging park and ride in the suburbs, where land is cheaper would be a good move. Doing this in conjunction with high frequency and high quality public transport services has proven to be successful overseas and in New Zealand-Auckland’s North Shore Bus way is a successful example in NZ of park and ride working very well and removing thousands of cars from the road. Additionally council owned car parking could be constructed on the edges of the cbd e.g. in a new facility over the rail yards.
Finally I would return parking enforcement to Council control-this is an enforcement activity, not a source of revenue and should not be contracted to a private company who is only interested in making money. I would liaise with cbd retailers to finalise a parking policy that would stimulate weekend retail activity.
Airport to Ngauranga and Light Rail
This is an important link with access to most suburbs coming off this vital corridor. While there are sufficient roads along this route, they’re congested.
To beat congestion, we need to make alternatives like walking, cycling, & public transport attractive and viable options. It has been proven over and over world wide that increasing motorway capacity encourages new drivers which results in even more congestion.
I believe that a combination of dedicated cycle ways, bus priority, improved pedestrian access and a new high quality public transport service along this corridor are all smart solutions. I would be investigating the feasibility of light rail which has a higher capacity than a dedicated bus lane and would be cheaper than extending the existing rail through the city or building a second tunnel. Light rail would be an ideal private-public partnership project with Infratil involved in these areas.
Light Rail also increases the value of land along the route and has proven in places like Portland to be a major economic and tourist boost. Light Rail mixes well with pedestrians and stage 1 could be constructed from the station to the end of Courtney place. Stage 2 would be to extend the service from Courtney place to the Airport.
Lambton Quay Mall
There is considerable discussion about the conversion of Lambton Quay into a pedestrian mall as the single biggest change to the CBD. This proposal notes that Lambton Quay is already the busiest pedestrian street in NZ and that pedestrianisation could enhance the street making it a pleasant place to stop and dine, socialise and shop. Closing the street to cars could open up space for new development in the form of performance space, mid street cafes and restaurants, squares and parks.
The other perspective is that it would create carnage amongst retailers and businesses in this area, driving shoppers to malls in other areas due to poor access and the reduction in the number of alternate routes across the city.
I would support a proper investigation involving businesses and residents in the proposed pedestrian areas; followed by a BINDING referendum.
Bus
Buses are important in Wellington and should be retained to provide access to the various suburbs. However the bus services along the highly pedestrianised roads are not complimentary.
I would provide a public transport corridor along Featherstone St or Customhouse Quay which would enable public transport to operate in an efficient manner and would remove noise and fumes from the pedestrian areas. Additionally I would phase out trolley buses and diesels for totally free moving electric buses. This would reduce costs (economic and carbon) and remove a lot of unsightly aerial wiring from Wellington Streets.
Cycling
Wellington has a fantastic opportunity to become the best cycling city of NZ and our part of the globe. Despite the poor facilities and the weather, terrain and aggressive drivers Wellington already has a large number of cyclists. In reality the weather and terrain are not much of a problem if the right facilities are in place. European cities with snow and hills often still have high cycling numbers. Improving cycle facilities is a win-win because it is a relatively low cost solution that reduces congestion, improves health, reduces green house gases, is not dependant on oil, is accessible to all and improves the vibrancy of the city.
I will continue to promote continuing the development of these alternatives, remembering that we should not ignore pedestrians.
Basin Reserve
The Basin is a fantastic venue and has heritage and icon status in Wellington. Current plans to build a grade separated flyover will change this forever and are not really essential. Although it would be tempting to support the $400 Million + to build the basin flyover and new Mt Vic tunnel, Wellington will lose the basin as it currently stands. In addition, the traffic system upgrade is expected to hit full capacity again in 12 years; which defeats the purpose of the infrastructure development.
I oppose the flyover and think that it would be better for the city is to promote and support the Light Rail as previously mentioned and to improve the cycle facilities.
Other things on my mind…
- Population growth doesn’t have to mean an increase in cars. Vancouver has kept the same number of cars in the city despite massive population growth by focussing on funding to improve public transport and has not built any new motorways.
- Copenhagen is consistently voted one of the most liveable cities in the world. Copenhagen has more than 1 million residents yet in the CBD there are less car parking spaces than the Wellington CBD. The improvements to Copenhagen have mostly occurred in the last 30 years and have been gradual and piecemeal. Wellington already has a great waterfront and could easily be a leader in public transport policies in New Zealand. In 30 years time Wellington could be known world over as the most liveable city.
- An integrated ticketing system should be a major priority for the City in order to have an efficient public transport system.
