TO: CYCLE AWARE WELLINGTON
LIVING STREETS WELLINGTON
TRANSPORT 2000+

The Wellington Regional Land Transport Committee met on Thursday 21 August 2003. This is a brief report as your representative on the Committee. The papers for the meeting can be found on:

http://www.wrc.govt.nz/aw/reports/MeetingAgenda.cfm?MeetingID=4310

Of the agenda issues discussed, the following were highlights:

Regional Emergency Road Access Project: the vulnerability of all transport links and modes in a major event, particularly an earthquake, is well known. This project is assessing the options for re-opening essential, mainly road, links after the big one. It is interesting to note that the possible Transmission Gully Motorway is not mentioned as a lifeline very much anymore - perhaps because the projected route is along a major fault and through some of the least stable country!

Draft Regional Cycling Strategy: the 'biggie' as far as we are concerned. The draft strategy was welcomed by Jane Dawson in public participation, and I was pleased to second its adoption. The activist pro-cycling stance that the draft proposes for the GWRC and the appointment of a Cycling Co-ordinator did not go down well with some of the RLTC, but in the end the draft was adopted with only 4 voting against. It is to be issued for public consultation on 25 August, with submissions closing on 20 October. In speaking to the adoption of the strategy, I reminded the RLTC that active modes would not be encouraged simply by the adoption of a strategy in isolation. The tendency of car growth to squeeze out active modes needed to be recognised and tackled, and yet the RLTC's normal business is the promotion of roading projects which will encourage the growth of motor traffic. I don't hold out any hope that these comments had any effect!

Wairarapa Corridor Plan: unusually, this is one corridor where much of the emphasis is going on using and improving the rail link. Once the current Kaitoke road realignment and work to ease 'Muldoon's Corner' are complete, and the Waiohine River Bridge on SH2 replaced, there is little more that can be done at a reasonable cost to improve road access - and the low population growth rules out grandiose schemes like a Rimutaka Road Tunnel. The railway is therefore favoured for development for both logging and passenger transport access.

Regional Land Transport Strategy Review Plan: the RLTC has to regularly review the Regional Land Transport Strategy. The Committee was not happy with the length of time for the next review proposed in this Plan, but otherwise adopted the proposal. We (Transport 2000+) have been asked to provide input on scenarios for sustainable transport.

Access Planning Manager's report: the Regional Pedestrian Strategy project has been restarted, and the Technical Group will meet on 1 Sept. This will be similar in scope and methodology to the Cycle Strategy. The Telework Kapiti project, to encourage teleworking from Kapiti rather than commuting into Wellington, has collapsed through lack of interest and employer indifference.

Agency reports: I was the only one who did not greet the news that the 'bypass' is delayed by the Te Aro Heritage Trust appeal with dismay!

Mortality due to motor vehicle air pollution in the Wellington Region: this report indicates that the mortality rate for motor vehicle pollution here is much less than suggested by NIWA. I am suspicious that the report is likely, if not actually designed, to induce complacency. I hope to get an expert evaluation of it. The air quality monitoring conducted in Wellington is skimpy, designed to justify the 'bypass' and does not take place where large people numbers and bad air quality coincide - e.g. corner of Willis St & Lambton Quay.

I will be away on my WELL-TRACK study tour (see URL below) at the time of the next RLTC meeting on 13 November. Chris Horne (unfortunately not on email) is expected to be my deputy.

Brent Efford

User rep, Wgtn Regional Land Transport Cttee

www.techmedia.co.nz/WELL-TRACKsite