Motorways’ cost

Your editorial on light rail (August 26) is welcome, but neglects to mention that building the competing urban motorways for Wellington through the town belt will approximately double the costs.

Your quoted figures for light rail from railway station to the airport via the hospital of $450-$650 million are based on recent costs in French cities, some of comparable population to Wellington.

In comparison, the NZ Transport Agency’s ‘‘4 lanes to the planes’’ are projected to cost $1 billion+. The capacity of the twolane car tunnels through Mt Victoria in this plan (about 4000 per hour) is estimated to be about a third of that carried by light rail (about 12000 an hour).

Three times the capacity for about half the price doesn’t sound like a worry to me. All it needs is for the $1 billion+ to be transferred from the planned motorways, which don’t solve congestion, to fund light rail, which does. RUSSELL TREGONNING

Wadestown corridor it passes through vastly more attractive, which is why retail development flourishes around light rail corridors. It would also transform the Golden Mile and get rid of bus and car congestion. And it’s so easy and pleasant to ride, public patronage vastly improves too – and often doubles or trebles.

That’s why cities all over the world are embracing it. SUE KEDGLEY

Oriental Bay use the dedicated bus lane (such as ambulance, fire, police).

But a train can’t leave its track and circulate in the suburbs as a bus can, and emergency vehicles cannot use rail tracks. Therefore, a rail track is not a good option. So the attention should focus on arteries dedicated to the bus network, shouldn’t it? STUART REID

Lower Hutt than do the domiciled experts whose advice they ignore.

Everyone can make mistakes, but this couple from overseas were advised by DOC not to undertake their journey.

Why should this country keep picking up the tab for people who have these attitudes? MARTIN BOND

Brooklyn