Train commuters who share a ride to Waikanae Station can now get priority parking but they’ll need to be early birds!
Five spaces, in the parking area closest to SH1, are now reserved for carpoolers between midnight and 9am Monday to Friday, as part of a three-month trial.
Angus Gabara, Greater Wellington Regional Council’s Rail Operations Manager, says parking spots at Waikanae are in high demand so sharing a ride with family, friends or neighbours to the station frees up space for others. “It’s a thank you to carpoolers who enable more people to use the Park & Ride.
“We know from observing people who use the Waikanae Park & Ride that quite a few commuters do currently share a ride to the station so I expect the priority spaces will be snapped up pretty quickly each morning.”
The priority carpool carparking area will be monitored to check the uptake by carpoolers and to make sure it’s being used appropriately.
Melanie Thornton, the Regional Council’s Sustainable Transport Manager, says sharing a ride to the station will save you petrol money. “It takes more cars off the busy roads at peak times so it’s great for the environment too.
“If you’d like to share a ride to the station but don’t know how to find other carpooling buddies, registering with Let’s Carpool is a great place to start. It’s a safe, secure website for people keen to carpool, you simply key in your details, where you’re starting your journey and which station you’d like to carpool to and then run the search.”
Priority parking is also being trialled at Petone Station, in Lower Hutt, for people who share a ride. Depending on the success of Waikanae and Petone, the system may be extended to other Park & Rides around the Wellington region.
