Raumati South Station? Not on the WRC Plan, so go ahead and comment on the Plan

We received an email the other evening from the Raumati South Residents Association regarding the Wellington Regional Councils Transport plans.

Basically, get online to the WRC web site and ensure you have your say regarding a station at Raumati South.

Here's the email that explains what to do:

From:

RSRA Incorporated
Sent:

Saturday, April 14, 2012 9:05 PM

To:

undisclosed-recipients:

Subject:

Raumati Rail Platform - help make it happen in our Regional Transport Plan

　

Greetings,

　
The draft programme is out for consultation, and has not included completion of the Kapiti railway i.e. the　building of Raumati train Platform. Don’t stand for this! There is almost nothing of relevance to Kapiti in the draft plan!
　

Make a comment in the link set out below; then forward this email on to your networks and invite them to do the same.

　

Feedback on the draft can be given on line at　　 www.gw.govt.nz/have-your-say 　　but only up till 4^th May 2012.

　

Open the link above and then click on the section for draft Regional Land Transport Programme.

　

There are PDFs of the relevant documents and below those is the Have Your Say on line submission form link.
　

The structured feedback form asks for overall 　‘Yes’ or ‘No’ votes on supporting:

1. the Projects GW outline; and
2. the Priorities GW outline

Under 1. Projects

- there is a Box for writing in Changes you’d like to see: Please feel free to use the following summary recommendation to copy and paste into the Box; or to devise your own:

　
"I would like to see included in the Projects – the completion of the Kapiti railway line project through construction of the Raumati platform for use by commuters and to create a much needed public transport access to Queen Elizabeth Park."
　

Under 2. Priority Rankings, there is a Box for writing in Priorities you ‘d like to see:

Please feel free to use the following summary recommendation to copy and paste into the Box; or to devise your own:

" Completion of the Kapiti railway project through the construction of Raumati platform is a longstanding priority that was deferred in 2009 solely due to budget miscalculations for Waikanae. This last part of the Kapiti railway project requires Top priority so that Raumati people, like all other communities the track runs past, 　can use the train and also to offer a public transport access option to users of Queen Elizabeth Park who presently must use private transport to go to the Park."

3. Then there is a third box 　- Any Other Comments – this is a good space to copy and paste 　all or any parts that you support of the following section summarising the ideas that the community has presented to GW over many years; and/or add your own comments:

"BUILD RAUMATI PLATFORM TO COMPLETE THE KAPITI RAILWAY LINE

1. GW has omitted from the draft programme, the full completion of the Waikanae/Western line railway plan – on the Plan now for more than 20 years.

2. Raumati is the only community on the Western line without a platform. Please finish the project and don’t leave things on the western line incomplete.

3. The case for Raumati Platform as a commuter station has been long established – it didn’t go ahead in 2009 as the government funds allocated for it, were used for Waikanae instead, when GW ran into trouble there.

4. Two petitions for the platform have been presented over the years with more than 3000 signatures on each.

5. The case still stands – Raumati population = 8,000 +; only a 8% pick up rate on public transport by Raumati people as opposed to 21+% in Paraparaumu and Paekakariki where stations are available.

6. In addition to the commuter population’s needs, GW’s programme should be serving the recreational needs of people using QE Park, especially as a Heritage Trail is planned with the northern (Raumati) end of the Park being a part of this, with linking walkways and cycleways.

7. QE Park has a northern entrance on Poplar Avenue; and this could be accessed by people using public transport by alighting from the train at Raumati Platform.　 Paekakariki station is too far from the Park to be of use, leaving private transport the only option for regional visitors to the Park.

8. The siting of a platform is entirely 　independent of the ongoing Expressway debate. The NZTA interchange at Lower Hutt was built around the rail system design; and this approach should be replicated in Raumati, if an Expressway ever proceeds. GW should take a leadership stance on this.

9. The platform should be sited on the eastern Railway side of SHI with an overbridge to Parking on the West side. This is the same as Paremata, Pukerua Bay and Plimmerton etc whose communities enjoy overbridges to/from their platforms over SH1. The Platform would then be a 7 day a week platform catering for commuters, transport between our villages and recreational users through 　also providing a long awaited public 　transport option for visiting QE Park.

10. Let’s just get on and do it – "it’s only a Platform" – as Regional Chair Fran Wilde once said – let’s make it happen and include the completion of the Kapiti railway line in this 2012 -15 land transport programme, with further detail to be developed in the specific Rail　Plan."
　

If you like, also go to www.gw.govt.nz for the email address of each Regional Councillor –and send them a personal copy of the points you want to make!

　

Let’s make it happen – after all - its only a Platform!

　

With thanks,

Cheryll Read

For Raumati 　Public Transport Action Group