Why you need to complete the roading network

Stuff reports:

The $630 million Kapiti expressway has actually doubled the amount of time it takes to commute into Wellington during the morning rush, some motorists say.

One Kapiti Coast resident believes the morning crawl into the capital is now so bad that she is vowing to use the train instead, even though it will cost her $100 more a month.

Councils across the Wellington region have asked the New Zealand Transport Agency to look into the problem. But there may be no quick fix until construction of the Transmission Gully motorway is finished in 2020.

This is not a total surprise that if you clear congestion from one part of the network it moves to another part. But that is not a reason to improve the roading network. It is a reason to do it properly according to an overall plan.

The overall plan is four lanes from the airport to Levin. That network will make a huge difference to scores of thousands of motorists. The level of traffic going north of Levin is small enough that any congestion at Levin would be quite minor.

But what is needed is to get Transmission Gully done, and also to get a solution to the Basin Reserve. Once you have that, then you get the full benefits.