Mass Rapid Transit Talking Points 2026

(:title Mass Rapid Transit Talking Points 2026:)

Don’t be too ambitious to start with — make the first MRT (mass rapid transit) line something that will rally the maximum possible support and minimise opposition — such as: Ferry Terminals, Rail Station, City Centre to Hospital Parkway and Newtown — keep it as a core (busy all day, every day) line 1, with lots of potential for extensions to new constituencies in future — sell it as something that will help the motorist.

Carpe diem

Start small

Be useful to many people Make high ridership the primary criterion of success — it has to be accessible, popular and seen as a success — forget about the economics — make it about transit-oriented development, affordability and integration with the rest of the PT system — it needs to be free if another PT ticket is purchased, services must be very frequent, fast, high quality, reliable, and interchange needs to be seamless. It may take a change of government to implement, but make sure the project is ready to fast-track when the planets are aligned.

Set quality standards

Scale over decades

Find people who deliver

Meeting with Greater Wellington March 2026

First, well done, keep going and don’t give up �– there are genuine affordable modal alternatives between the car and heavy rail �– buses are essential and will always be needed but they (alone) can never fill the “missing mode” gap.

Don’t be too ambitious to start with - make the first MRT line something that will rally the maximum possible support and minimise opposition �– such as: Sea Terminals, Rail Station, City Centre to Hospital Parkway and Newtown �– keep it as a core line 1, with lots of potential for extensions to new constituencies in future �– sell it as something that will help the motorist.

Make the primary criterion of success high ridership �– it has to be convenient, popular and seen as a success �– forget about the economics �– make it about transit-oriented development, affordability and integration with the rest of the PT system �– it needs to be free if another PT ticket is purchased, services must be very frequent, fast, high quality, reliable and interchange needs to be seamless. It may take a change of government to implement, but make sure the project is ready to fast-track when the planets are aligned.

Resist pressure to compromise service quality (frequency, speed, ride quality, capacity, etc) to reduce build costs. Learn from similar projects overseas - for a given budget, it is better to build a shorter line to a higher standard than a longer line to a lower standard. For example, set a goal that MRT vehicles can travel at 50 kph - non-stop - between stations. If the first line is a success, you will get money to extend it.

In NZ implementation speed is a critical factor. Starting actually building something inside 3 years should be your priority.

Revisions to discount rates for cost–benefit analysis help planners take a longer term view of infrastructure project business cases. The new rules mean on-street light rail (capacity 3000–9000 passengers per hour) becomes more cost-effective than a 2-lane busway (capacity 2000–5000 passengers per hour) for the N–S corridor.