Is the city’s 20kmh Cable Car a form of rapid transit?
Debate between senior city council staff about whether Wellington’s 20kmh Cable Car is a form of rapid transit led to a seemingly predictable answer – no.
Official information documents show senior city design and place planning staff exchanged emails on the topic over almost six hours before one apologised for even asking the question.
The topic came up following the release of the Government’s national policy statement on urban development, which directs local councils to enable building heights of least six storeys near existing and planned rapid transit stops.
With the council still coming to terms with the new rules, a senior city design and place planning employee raised a question about the Cable Car with other senior staff in July.
‘‘I just had a thought – is the Cable Car considered a type of rapid transit? In which case we would need to consider Kelburn [building height provisions] again.’’
The question led to a lengthy discussion between the other senior staff. According to one email from a senior planning adviser, the Cable Car appeared to fit almost all the criteria identified for rapid transit in the national policy, but fell short on size.
A rapid transit service needed to be frequent, quick, reliable, high-capacity, and operate on a permanent route largely separated from other traffic.
‘‘Where we got to is that it arguably meets all the criteria in the definition to be classed as rapid transit, with a question mark over ‘high-capacity’,’’ the employee told staff.
The staff member who raised the question explained the Cable Car operated in both directions at the same time. She suggested staff consult the council’s transport strategy team to get its view.
‘‘They must have done some analysis at some point, surely. I think it is a fairly popular commute option, so we at least need to consider it.’’
With a maximum of 100 people, it could move only about 600 passengers each direction per hour. The senior planning adviser eventually concluded the Cable Car did not meet the definition of rapid transit.
‘‘Six-hundred people per hour is pretty minimal compared to the average commuter bus route.’’
The employee who posed the question agreed.
‘‘Yes I am comfortable with that position. I am sorry I even asked the question though.’’