Report 1 Bus Priority Plan
5.3 Estimated cost to be $33 million Dollars but is expected to be reduced to $16 million with innovative use of lane lines.
4.3 The ownership and use of private vehicles is growing at such a rate that cannot be accommodated by Wellington's limited roading capacity. Congestion, travel delays and pollution is becoming a major constraint in our ability to grow and prosper.
"The issue of congestion should have been attended to at the beginning of the triennium but Council has failed to deal with this problem and the bypass has done nothing to alleviate it. For the last 10 years I have been calling for a more rational use of private vehicles(including carpooling), a better use of public transport, and encouraging walking and biking. The Mayor and Council have failed to deal with this pressing issue. Now with climate change clearly on the radar of most people's minds, surely the time is right to make a shift away from such heavy reliance on private transport."
Cheers
Cr Bryan Pepperell
…too little, too late
And in an election year?!
It would appear Council Officials have been asked to very quickly ‘come up’ with
an idea to ensure Mayor Prendergast and other Councillors – who until now have chosen to ignore traffic congestion & Public Transport issues, in favour of a motor vehicle attracting by-pass – save their electoral necks from inevitable execution later this year.
Correct traffic management in a city the size and geography of Wellington is not addressed by throwing silly, ill-researched $16 million ‘Band Aids’ with gay abandon
on a wound which has been festering for 40-odd years.
While it is patently obvious a multi-facetted solution must be in place very soon, it must be just that and addressing the problem from one perspective only is not the way forward.
Once $16 million has been spent completely disrupting an already choked arterial system, there can only be one of two outcomes:
Either total gridlock, with motorists unable to move anywhere at anything other than a snail’s pace, or motorists ignoring the proposed system – as often happens in Paremata – the model for this impending disaster.
Central Wellington and parts of it’s suburbs were built before the invention of the Automobile and as a result, it’s streets now have a bad case of ‘Arterial Sclerosis’, unable to cope with the pressure of so many private vehicles.
The answer is not to make the roads wider, or to increase their volume capacity.
There is a good case for adopting a model giving financial incentives to those using Public Transport during rush hours.
Let Council invest in our future with a greater subsidy for buses – new, non-polluting, Trolleys would be a start.
Lower bus fares during peak periods (a system currently used by Trans Metro on the trains) and the introduction of a pedestrian precinct in the CBD are constructive and responsible ways of making leaving the car at home an attractive alternative.
The Inner-City By-Pass debacle has yet to be fixed, allowing better flow of Public Transport but with fewer cars on the road during peak time, life would be a little easier.
While investing in our future, working with Regional and Central Government to improve our commuter rail system would also be beneficial.
…better than dishing out interest free multi-million dollar loans to an aquarium on the South Coast!
Unfortunately, the proposal as outlined, has all the hallmarks of a panicked politician, ready to throw anything at the electorate in the hope they will think she’s addressing the very aspect of Wellington ignored during her 6 year term.
Does this Mayor truly believe Wellington Ratepayers will offer $7 million of their hard-earned cash for the privilege of NOT being able to park in front of their homes?
Wellington City Council
Sharpie
