Light rail route needs to be locked in now if Wellington wants it in its future - expert

Tuesday, 23 May 2017

An artist's impression of what light rail advocates hoped trams running along Lambton Quay would look like.

An engineering expert has warned of the dangers of earmarking a bus route through Wellington's central city for conversion to light rail, saying the transition may not be as easy it seems.

Fair Intelligent Transport Wellington (FITW) member Kerry Wood, a retired engineer, told Greater Wellington regional councillors on Tuesday that converting the capital's proposed bus rapid transit route, from Wellington Railway Station to the regional hospital in Newtown, to light rail someday could create some problems.

'If you choose a bus route for conversion, you might get into trouble,' he said.

'Light rail needs more gentle curves, more formal stops, and you need to think about where the platforms are going to go.'

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Wood raised his concerns during public submissions on the regional council's draft 2017-18 Annual Plan, which proposes an average rates increase of 5.6 per cent.

He was referring to a suggestion by the Let's Get Wellington Moving working group that a route earmarked for bus rapid transit could be later converted to light rail.

The working group is devising 'scenarios' to solve the congestion between the airport and Ngauranga Gorge. They are expected to be released for public consultation in October or November.

Wood said moving a popular bus route elsewhere when light rail was introduced was also not easy. Other cities around the world that had tried such a thing, had ended up regretting it, he said.

A light rail route was possible in the proposed route but vehicle parking would need to be removed in some areas, such as Riddiford St and Wallace St in Newtown.

Riddiford St, with a narrowed footpath, would have enough room for two light rail lanes, two traffic lanes and one parking lane, meaning the loss of one parking lane, while a number of car parks would also have to go in Wallace St.

That would provide both technical and political challenges, he said.

Wood also warned about drawing inspiration from any one overseas city, although Zurich, Switzerland, was a good model for Wellington.

FAIRER FARES

At the same council meeting, a proposal to subsidise public transport fares for tertiary students met opposition from Wellington businesses, who wanted answers about where the money would come from.

While most of the 1769 submissions received by the council through a Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association (VUSWA) website were in favour of the move, capital businesses were sceptical.

Among those to question the proposal were the Wellington Chamber of Commerce and the Mt Victoria Residents Association.

Property Council New Zealand's Wellington branch also expressed concern, saying tertiary student or off-peak discount subsidies should come from residential ratepayers, not commercial or business ones.

2017-18 ANNUAL PLAN - THE BIG ISSUES

Student public transport discount (1769 submissions)

Proposal: 25 per cent tertiary student discount on all buses, trains and ferries.

Response: Overwhelming support from VUWSA. Concern from Property Council, Wellington Chamber of Commerce, and Mt Victoria Residents Association about how subsidy would be funded.

Rates rise (6 submissions)

Proposal: Increase rates across the region by an average of 5.6 per cent.

Response: Mixed support. Some said council should review its own costs, others supported increase if it was needed to fund infrastructure investment.

MANAGING FINANCIAL IMPACT OF KAIKOURA EARTHQUAKE (13 submissions)

Proposal: Set aside $4m (including $2m through debt funding) to cover loss of quake-damaged CentrePort's annual dividend.

Response: Overall support, provided port retains community and investor value. Some calls for council to ditch the port.

Fairer fares (12 submissions)

Proposal: No public transport fare increase, half-price travel for under-19s, 25 per cent off-peak discount, free regional bus transfers for rail monthly pass holders.

Response: Support for fare freeze, some suggestions on how to encourage family public transport use .