Getting around

Getting around

Whenever I fly back to Wellington airport, I consider my options for getting to Mt Victoria.  When you’re tired and just want to get home, you definitely want something quick and reliable.

As a result, I often resort to jumping in a taxi and then (ironically) end up snarled in traffic heading to the tunnel, along with a whole lot of other individuals sitting in taxis and Ubers.

I know that if the Airport bus stopped in Mt Victoria, I would probably take it.  One of the advantages it has, is that it can go through the bus tunnel, avoiding the traffic jams that usually affect the Mt Vic tunnel.  It’s also a lot cheaper than a taxi or Uber.

I’m not the only one who feels strongly about this – going by Facebook comments on the discussion in the Mt Vic Noticeboard, lots of other residents feel similarly.

It feels like a no brainer that the bus should stop somewhere in Mt Vic.  There’s a large catchment of people here that would take it, and it only has to stop if there are people waiting, or people wanting to get off.  I get that it’s an ‘express’ bus, but it still has to be useful for the people that want to use it, and it seems a massive missed opportunity that it goes all the way through Mt Victoria without stopping.

It’s great that the Mt Victoria Residents’ Association is pushing for the Greater Wellington Regional Council to think about this.   

Speaking of roads, it will be interesting to see how the road works at the Kent Terrace and Courtenay Place intersection affect traffic.

I don’t use my car much, but it took me a whopping 20 minutes to drive to the supermarket on a recent weekend, a drive that usually takes 7 minutes, due to the work happening on Wakefield Street.  Silly me for going mid afternoon on a Saturday, but it certainly made me thankful I don’t usually rely on a car to get around.

Let’s hope the Wellington City Council and Wellington Water are able to coordinate these two projects to minimise the inconvenience to motorists.

Transport is certainly an issue that can inspire or rile people, whether it’s cycleways, parking or roadworks. No doubt it will feature heavily in the upcoming local body elections.

If you feel like you could make a contribution to our city, consider standing for election! You’ll need to get your nomination in by the end of July.