Thomas Nash

Building communities in our most connected places makes sense, but often seems harder than it should be. So I’ve been working on a research project for Massey University documenting new or improved communities built up around public transport hubs in the UK - transit-oriented developments. 1/

The plan is to present my findings in New Zealand in June and to have some more columns over the next few months introducing some of the case studies along the way. Really interested to hear thoughts, comments, feedback, examples of projects and any people to interview in the UK. 9/

Building communities in our most connected places makes sense, but often seems harder than it should be. So I’ve been working on a research project for Massey University documenting new or improved communities built up around public transport hubs in the UK - transit-oriented developments. 1/

City Rail Link will give New Zealand its premier transit-oriented development with the 21-storey Symphony Centre above the new Te Waihorotiu station - part of the country’s first underground railway and set to be its busiest station. There are many more opportunities for such developments. 7/

Building communities in our most connected places makes sense, but often seems harder than it should be. So I’ve been working on a research project for Massey University documenting new or improved communities built up around public transport hubs in the UK - transit-oriented developments. 1/

King’s Cross is the obvious UK example and London has many more good examples, but my hunch is that examples from smaller cities and towns outside London will be more comprehensible to New Zealand decision makers. Mainly because they avoid the “New Zealand isn’t London, is it?” objection. 5/

Building communities in our most connected places makes sense, but often seems harder than it should be. So I’ve been working on a research project for Massey University documenting new or improved communities built up around public transport hubs in the UK - transit-oriented developments. 1/

So far the case studies I’m looking at are Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge and Stockport in Greater Manchester. These places all have compelling stories to tell about past and ongoing developments around upgraded or new railway stations. 3/

Building communities in our most connected places makes sense, but often seems harder than it should be. So I’ve been working on a research project for Massey University documenting new or improved communities built up around public transport hubs in the UK - transit-oriented developments. 1/

Big moment this morning to help sign the contract with Alstom for 18 new five-car trains to serve people in the lower North Island from 2029. This will allow us to quadruple rail services to Palmerston North, double services to Masterton and open up for more development around railway stations. 1/

The new trains, named Tūhono for their role in connecting and uniting people in the lower North Island, will be the first battery electric trains in the Southern Hemisphere. Alstom will also support local jobs and local business and help develop capacity for NZ’s rail industry. 3/

Big moment this morning to help sign the contract with Alstom for 18 new five-car trains to serve people in the lower North Island from 2029. This will allow us to quadruple rail services to Palmerston North, double services to Masterton and open up for more development around railway stations. 1/

Our annual public transport satisfaction survey is out, with bus network satisfaction and bus patronage at record highs, as a result of record high reliability. Satisfaction with rail is down, with the state of the government’s ageing rail assets driving lower reliability and lower patronage. 1/

We have a lot of work to do on the Metlink side too, as the public transport authority. In particular providing much better bus replacement services (we now have a detailed plan in place for this), continually improving our operational communications and ensuring strong workforce planning. 4/

Our annual public transport satisfaction survey is out, with bus network satisfaction and bus patronage at record highs, as a result of record high reliability. Satisfaction with rail is down, with the state of the government’s ageing rail assets driving lower reliability and lower patronage. 1/

Once the government brings its tracks up to a standard that will allow us as the public transport agency to run punctual, reliable passenger rail services, patronage will go up, just like it has with buses, and everyone will benefit, including drivers enjoying fewer cars on the road. 2/

Wellington needs council candidates to focus on serious, affordable, high value for money projects they can actually deliver. Bus lanes, especially on the Harbour Quays, are a good example. Saving 10 mins for each of the 70,000 bus trips people take each day through the city is a very big deal. 1/

The Harbour Quays bus route will give Wellingtonians back 700,000 minutes a day overall, that’s 11,600 hours a day at a cost of $10m. This is why the benefit cost ratio will be so high. I wouldn’t be surprised if it works out 10 times better value than any of the proposed urban motorway tunnels. 2/

Very good to have more support for the Regional Council’s existing policy on fare capping. If central government’s ticketing project is delayed any further we should look to deliver this in Wellington now, as Auckland has already done. For now we need the city council to finish the bus lanes job. 1/

Bus lanes keep costs down: faster bus trips mean more frequency for the same cost. Wellington has doubled bus priority measures this term and all candidates need to commit to finishing the job with the Golden Mile, Harbour Quays and route 2 to the eastern suburbs without any further delays. 2/