Kāpiti mayor and councillors share their thoughts on Transmission Gully

Transmission Gully at the Paekākāriki end. Photo / David Haxton

Kāpiti mayor K Gurunathan has welcomed the opening of Transmission Gully and its new name Te Ara Nui o Te Rangihaeata which was gifted at the opening ceremony by Ngāti Toa.

Gurunathan said it was a historic moment for the Kāpiti district and Wellington region as the public finally took to the road on Thursday.

"It has been such a long time coming and will bring major changes to the Kāpiti Coast, most importantly providing the transport resilience we need to be properly connected to Wellington.

The Wainui Saddle area of the Transmission Gully motorway. Photo / Mark Mitchell

"Kāpiti is flourishing — it's a great place to live, it's increasingly popular with families and with our parks, reserves, pathways and beaches, not to mention bustling cafe scene, a wonderful place to visit.

"It's now safer, easier and faster to get here, and with further connections to the north poised to come on stream the future is looking bright for this district."

Ōtaki Ward councillor and transport portfolio holder James Cootes said Transmission Gully is a game-changer for the district.

"We saw the positive impact Mackays to Peka Peka had on Kāpiti both socially and economically, Transmission Gully is a whole new level that opens up Kāpiti to the wider Wellington region, in many ways bringing us closer."

He said a quick trip to Kāpiti for shopping or business suddenly becomes a lot more appealing and will reduce a lot of stress for commuters but more importantly provide a much safer and resilient road now and into the future.

"Transmission Gully coupled with Mackays to Peka Peak and Peka Peka to Ōtaki demonstrates the value in planning for the future and investing taxpayer money in projects that make a significant difference to our communities."

While the delays have been frustrating, James said it has been worth it, but we can't stop here.

"More investment is needed to make our roads safer, more efficient and with a shift in use to electric vehicles making us more environmentally sustainable.

"Equally it shouldn't be at the expense of public transport with the urgent need to provide more frequent and affordable services to Kāpiti."

Kāpiti commuter rail campaigner and councillor Gwynn Compton said the opening of Transmission Gully should spur the government to fast-track the extension of commuter rail services north of Waikanae.

"We've known since before the first sod was turned on Transmission Gully that this project would unlock the growth potential for Kāpiti and Horowhenua.

"With growth projections showing at least an additional 60,000 people across the two districts over the next thirty years and the reality likely to be significantly higher, we need a fast, frequent, reliable, and climate-friendly commuter rail network to help our residents get around," Compton said.

He said the government needs to fast-track the extension of commuter rail services for Kāpiti and Horowhenua.

"Ensuring we have fast, frequent, reliable, and climate-friendly commuter rail services to connect Kāpiti and Horowhenua to both Wellington and Palmerston North is crucial for tackling our climate and housing crises, as well as helping to address the broader socioeconomic challenges in our districts.

"We can't continue to allow our public transport infrastructure to lag behind growth, and the government must address this infrastructure deficit urgently."

The rail network is still a great way in and out of the district with Gurunathan reminding the community that ticket prices on trains are currently halved.

"Kāpiti is served by a wonderful rail network which, incidentally, will be much cheaper to use with ticket prices halved for the next three months.

"Whichever way you choose to travel, come and check us out. Nau mai, haere mai."