Park-and-ride charges may be linked to fares
Anew project will be focusing on managing the use of Metlink park-andride sites at the region’s train stations.
The project, initiated by Greater Wellington Regional Council’s transport committee, aims to develop a framework that encourages access to the rail network while ensuring public transport users are prioritised over those who use the free parking for other reasons.
Committee chairman Thomas Nash said the framework would also guarantee a spot for public transport users disadvantaged by the current “first come, first served” model at park-and-rides.
“Metlink passengers currently have to compete for parking space in our parkand-rides with people not catching our trains or buses.
“In addition, we understand that many passengers who live within walking distance of our stations often choose to drive to a station with a park-and-ride. We would like to influence better travel choices as part of council’s emissions management responsibilities.”
At the moment, everyone pays for park-and-rides through their rates, whether they use them or not. Nash said the committee was going to look at introducing user chargers, which it considered a fairer way to manage public parking.
“We’ll investigate managing access to park-and-rides with your public transport ticket and look at combining parking charges with fares for onward train and bus travel. We’ll also work with councils to co-ordinate any parking charges with those on neighbouring streets.
“This project is not focused on generating revenue. Income would only offset the cost of installing and maintaining charging infrastructure. The project is about making the most of park-and-rides to reduce emissions and traffic congestion by encouraging people to get out of their cars.”
Across the 66 park-andride sites in the Wellington region, there are approximately 6140 car parks with total annual operating costs of about $710,000.
Two-thirds of the parking spaces are owned by Greater Wellington or KiwiRail, with the other third owned by local councils and private bodies.
Councillors agreed the project should be designed and delivered in partnership with the region’s city and district councils and mana whenua and that the option of integrating parking charges with fares would be explored.
Managing park-and-ride demand by imposing a charge was initially consulted on for the 2021 review of the Wellington Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP) and has recently been workshopped with the council’s Public Transport Advisory Group.
Further public feedback will be sought through consultation for the 2024 RPTP review. For more information, read Transport-Committee-22-February2024-Order-Paper-v2. pdf or visit gw.govt.nz.