Greater Wellington Regional Council has approved the purchase of a substantial amount of land opposite Paraparaumu Station for more park and ride facilities for Kāpiti train commuters.
“Three properties in Hinemoa Street, directly opposite the station, present a very rare opportunity to acquire land in a perfect park and ride location,” says Paul Swain, the Regional Council’s Public Transport portfolio leader.
“Parking at Paraparaumu Station reached capacity several years ago so we have been looking for more land for quite some time. More parking at Paraparaumu Station is even more crucial now that we’ve decided not to build a station at Raumati.
“Kāpiti’s strong population growth, coupled with the increasing popularity of rail commuting brought about by the extension of electrification to Waikanae and significant upgrades to Waikanae and Paraparaumu stations, has created the highest demand for park and ride in the region. Purchase of the land on Hinemoa Street will help ease the strain on existing car parks and local roads.”
The land would provide about 130 more parking spots. Currently there are 581 spots available for parking at Paraparaumu Station.
Paraparaumu is the third busiest station, not including Wellington, on the regional rail network. More than 3300 people start or end their train journey every day at Paraparaumu Station.
Transport Agency Planning and Investment Manager Lyndon Hammond has welcomed the project as part of an ongoing package of public transport improvements throughout the region, with shared investment from Greater Wellington and the Transport Agency.
“The Kāpiti Coast is experiencing major ongoing improvement in its public transport services and infrastructure, through recent milestones such as the new Matangi carriages, the electrification to Waikanae, and real time information.
“Park and Ride facilities help to relieve congestion by providing an easy, attractive option that takes the hassle out of finding a park and using public transport services. This means we can literally get people out of their cars and onto the train, making life easier for everybody.”
Once the land is secured a timeline for the creation of park and ride facilities will be developed within existing budgets.
