30 September 2005

Annual Report on the Wellington Regional Land Transport Strategy

The latest Regional Land Transport Strategy Annual Monitoring Report (AMR), released by the Greater Wellington Regional Council today, shows that regional public transport patronage continues to grow: in the 2004/05 year peak passenger trips increased by 200,000 and a significant increase of 5% or 800,000 passenger trips occurred during the off peak period.

Greater Wellington Access Planning Analyst Leonie Waayer said the report sets out progress in implementing the Regional Land Transport Strategy (RLTS) in 2004/05.

Detailed information is presented on road and public transport network performance; environmental and sustainability measures; performance compared with other regions and public perceptions of transport-related issues.

She says the data has been collated from all Road Controlling Authorities (RCA’s) which include the region’s Territorial Authorities and Transit New Zealand; contributions have also been made by Land Transport New Zealand, Statistics New Zealand, the New Zealand Police, CentrePort, Toll NZ, Strait Shipping, Environment Canterbury and the Auckland Regional Council. The report aims to identify current trends to inform sustainable and future-focussed transportation planning..

The main conclusions reported this year include:

- The greater Wellington region showed economic growth of 5.5% over the past year; higher than the New Zealand average (3.4%) and that of the Canterbury (5.0%) and Auckland (1.8%) regions

- In the last year the region’s all day average road network congestion increased by 8%

- Greater Wellington’s road safety numbers continue to show no improvement; total road crash numbers have continued to trend upwards from the year 2000 and an increase in total recorded casualties for all vehicle types since 2001 is reported

- Regional fuel consumption increased by 1.6% in the last year resulting in an increased contribution of greenhouse gas emissions also

- Total Mobility passenger numbers have increased 13.5% in the 2004/05 year.
And last but not least the private car continues to be the dominant mode of transportation.

The annual report is available on line at www.gw.govt.nz/amr. Hard copies are available from the ground floor and transport (Level 6) receptions, Greater Wellington Regional Council offices, 142 Wakefield Street, Wellington or from our Masterton Office, 34 Chapel Street, Masterton.

ENDS

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