That’s the advice from Wellington City Council’s Public Transport, Cycling and Walking Portfolio Leader, Councillor Sarah Free. She says big changes are proposed for both the Johnsonville and Kilbirnie hubs.
Greater Wellington Regional Council today began public consultation on options at each site as part of its region-wide overhaul of bus routes and timetables. The consultation will run until 14 July.
Consultation documents containing maps showing each option, together with pros and cons, can be found at:
- the Kilbirnie and Johnsonville libraries
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- at www.Metlink.org.nz/bus-hubs
Copies can also be mailed out (call 0800 801 700).
Cr Free says commuters, residents and other interested parties should make their views known on all relevant issues including their preferred hub layouts and designs of bus shelters – especially given that some bus users will have to change buses at these locations once the Regional Council brings in planned new bus routes from mid-next year.
“We want to get the optimum outcome – which is why we are seeking people’s views.”
Greater Wellington will also talk to resident associations and at local schools.
Greater Wellington’s Sustainable Transport Committee Chair, Barbara Donaldson, says Johnsonville’s hub is in the carpark of the local mall, which is about to be redeveloped, so there is no choice but to move.
She adds: “In Kilbirnie, buses arrive and depart from three stops on Rongotai Road and one on Bay Road. This layout causes congestion in the town centre and offers little space or shelter for waiting passengers.
“In each suburb, we’ve developed three location options. All are viable, so it’s a matter of which mix of advantages and disadvantages appeals to more people.
“Some might want a more compact layout so it’s easier to get on and off connecting buses. Others might favour easier access to shops and facilities. Still others might want a layout that offers the fastest, most direct route for buses.
“In Kilbirnie, for example, we could have all the stops on Evans Bay Parade, or all on Rongotai Road, or divide them between the two.”
Facilities at five other bus hubs will also be upgraded at a total cost of $3.5 million, but their locations will remain unchanged. They are in Newtown, Courtenay Place, Miramar, Brooklyn and Karori Tunnel.
The cost of relocating the hubs will be met by the Regional Council and includes building new shelters, widening footpaths, removing parking spaces where necessary, installing new curbing and altering road markings.
Consultation runs until 14 July. The results will then be reported back to both councils.