FITWellington.MRTTalkingPoints2026 History
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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.