23 May 2000
Wellington City Council wise to question roading project

The Wellington City Council is right to question the wisdom of proceeding with Transmission Gully, Wellington Green MP Sue Kedgley said today.

Ms Kedgley said Wellington's regional transport strategy should focus on efficient, high speed public transport between regional centres rather than roading white elephants.

Ms Kedgley predicted the road would simply generate more traffic. She said the road could both paralyse central city streets with congestion and increase urban sprawl up the Kapiti Coast. "It is bad news in both directions," she said.

"The road would create more problems than it would solve. The huge increase in traffic into Wellington that would be generated by the new motorway has been downplayed by traffic engineers keen to see the motorway proceed," said Ms Kedgley.

But the Chair of the Regional Land Transport Committee Terry McDavitt has now admitted that Transmission Gully will cause a very significant increase in traffic congestion in the city.

"This clearly shows the folly of building roads," she said. "You build one and immediately start creating the demand for the next one."

Ms Kedgley said the economy and the environment of both the city and the region would benefit if the money was spent on high speed public transport between centres. "Road building leads to money being spent on more travel rather than productive investment. Public transport moves people while keeping cities compact."

Ms Kedgley urged Wellington City to stick to its ground over Transmission Gully and suggested they look at their own roading folly , the "bypass", more closely

"Successful regions around the world have cut transport costs by changing the way we travel. Strong, compact regional centres linked by quality public transport are the way of the future," said said.

"The Wellington region risks being left behind if it continues to pursue grand roading dreams rather than learning from the rest of the world".

Ends

Sue Kedgley MP: 04 470 6728, 025 270 9088 Jonathan Hill (press secretary): 04 470 6719, 021 110 1133

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