Traffic relief

Plan needed soon or it’s the end of the road (Dec 4), by Wreda’s Derek Fry, seems quite timely, considering that elsewhere in the paper that day, another item revealed that Wellington jobs were heading north.

The traffic problem won’t be solved quickly; I doubt whether even the impending completion of Transmission Gully will provide sufficient motivation to solve Wellington’s traffic problems in the short term.

This might be an unconventional suggestion, but how about constructing a large parking facility within easy walking distance of Takapu Rd railway station?

A suburban rail shuttle service, Wellington to Takapu Road and return, mornings and evenings, would get people in to Wellington without them having to fight for scarce parking spaces.

A nominal fare ($3 or $4 maybe) would have them fighting for seats on the train instead. And on the return trip the train could take the Wellington workers who are currently moving to work in Porirua.

This is not the solution to Wellington’s self-inflicted traffic woes. It’s a suggestion to help take some of the pressure off while the scrap continues over how best to filter traffic through to the airport. And it’ll cost less when compared with time lost in traffic jams. And it’ll always be there to be used, because they haven’t stopped making people yet – and they’ll all want cars. ROGER BOULD Waikanae