Otaki Cycling Environment & Access Network (OCEAN)

C/- Harry Hall, 31 Mountainview Road, Otaki 5512

http://can.org.nz/group/ocean

 

27 October 2009

 

Wellington Corridor SH1 Kapiti Coast

Roads of National Significance

New Zealand Transport Agency

PO Box 5084

Lambton Quay

WELLINGTON 6145

 

About OCEAN

OCEAN is the Cycling Advocacy group working for the completion of the North / South long distance Cycle / Walkway between Paekakariki to Otaki and North.

 

General Comments:

OCEAN understands the need to avoid congestion on State Highway One. However, we do not agree that building more roads is the solution. Therefore we do not support any of the three solutions put forward in October 2009 by NZTA.

We support immediate sustainable transport solutions to the congestion and safety concerns.

• Assist Kapiti Coast District Council with funding to construct WLR as designed (Two-lanes with cycling, walking and bridleway pathways) immediately. Then wait and see how much traffic will disappear from SH1.

• In cooperation with the Greater Wellington organize special shopping trains/shopping buses to Otaki

• Increase frequency of bus transport between towns in the Kapiti District and provide smaller buses, which might be on call.

• Do necessary changes to state highway one, such as removing traffic lanes, removing traffic lights, instead provide bypasses and overbridges or roundabouts where necessary.

Later solutions

• Increase funding for public transport to extend electrification to Otaki.

• Shift freight to rail and coastal shipping

Background

All research from overseas shows clearly that building more roads built for the purpose to ease congestion and speed up flow do not work due to more people driving when new roads are built

 

Kapiti people have shown their willingness to use public transport between Kapiti and Wellington (same route as SH1)

WLR, including the bridge, if built now (and it can be done within 2 years) is expected to take 20-25% of motorized traffic off SH1

 

WLR, including the bridge, if built now will increase cycling and walking traffic and therefore decrease health costs

 

WLR, including the bridge, if built now will be a model for the rest of New Zealand and will encourage sustainable solutions elsewhere.

 

Kapiti commuters are taking on the Car-share option and tele-commuting option (working from home). Both initiatives will reduce car-traffic on SH1.

 

Our concerns if NZTA press on with any of the three suggested options:

• Construction of any of the NZTA initiatives may take up to 10 years

• Construction will destroy property along the route – the long time span will hurt business and private residents in their future plans.

• The cost of building this road is beyond understanding, when the facts from other countries and New Zealand point to the road quickly becoming congested and the presence of bottlenecks at each end of the section, is a fact (Pukerua Bay and Levin)

• The fear of losing whatever public transport there is now to Otaki (Capital Connection), as people will get back into their cars using the expressway, and the Capital Connection may not be able to operate economically.

• The cost of emissions of increasing motorized traffic.

• If the bypass at Otaki is constructed as shown in your consultation document, it means that the newly created walking and cycling pathway between Rahui Road and Waeranga Road will be destroyed. We ask that this pathway is re-constructed after the upheaval of the bypass.

Contact for this submission:

Elisabeth Mikkelsen, 5 Kowhai Street, Otaki, E: emikkelsen@xtra.co.nz

P: 06-364-8187 F: 06-364-8185