9 Jul 2018

Transport solutions: Advice from Vancouver's Dale Bracewell

From Afternoons, 1:20 pm on 9 July 2018

Transport continues to be a major discussion in most of the country. 

Train commuters in Wellington region.

Commuters catch a train into Wellington.  Photo: SUPPLIED / GWRC

It's not just Auckland's fuel tax or light rail, Wellington is also looking at how it can develop a transport system that's good for the city, for those in cars and out. 

Part of the 'Let's Get Wellington Moving' initiative is learning how other cities around the world have improved their transport. 

Vancouver's transport manager Dale Bracewell has given a presentation in the capital about his experiences.  

He tells Afternoons' Jesse Mulligan Wellington has a real opportunity to look at the opportunities available. 

"Like an airport light rail, but also thinking about communities or the hospital along the way, that could be a really important point to bring even more people to take public transport.

"In the downtown realm, really building upon that amazing waterfront, and a real connected set of protected bike lanes or cycle tracks as being part of Wellington's future again for those that would be able to make that more of a daily choice or at least done more often.

He says Vancouver genuinely believes in community engagement and had found a good way of approaching it that New Zealand cities could learn from.

"A first phase where we don't even bring out design options, do a listening and learning,

"Then a second phase bring as many options that still achieves he sustainable transport goals of the city.

"Then once we've gone through that phase a final phase where we establish a recommended design but still allow the community to provide opportunity to be able to then minimise any impacts that they see if the council decides to go ahead with the project.

"I think cities like Wellington and Auckland want to grow best by better and light rail or other kind of heavier capacity light rail.

"The key take away from me would be certainly keep going in the direction of light rail or any other kind of rail - heavy, reliable, capacity, fast, frequent capacity - parts of the network."