Penny Gaylor: Metlink research focuses on Te Horo, Peka Peka and Hautere communities

Penny Gaylor.

Weekly column by Kāpiti's Greater Wellington Regional Council representative Penny Gaylor.

And here we are again ... level 2. Please wear your mask on public transport.

Speaking of public transport, Metlink is conducting some research to see how our Te Horo, Peka Peka and Hautere communities travel for their work, appointments and leisure.

Feedback from the "Rest of Region Bus Network Review 2020" raised the idea of a bus service in the area south of Ōtaki River and north of Waikanae — mainly through Te Horo (beach and town).

As a result, we're looking to find out more about how people travel and how they want to travel, and to where!

If you live in Peka Peka, Te Horo or Hautere, have your say in what a public bus service connecting to destinations on the Kāpiti Coast could look like in the future!

Information is really valuable to help shape our thinking for future public transport needs to support growing communities.

Visit: Metlink.org.nz/tehoro to complete the short survey, and go in the draw to win one of two $100 cash draw prizes!

One of my top priorities continues to be my focus on securing central government funding for the replacement trains for the Capital Connection.

Huge progress was made in the last four years with GWRC at last putting it in their Long Term Plan three years ago, and now there is the government funded business case to fine-tune the exact type of trains and includes government money allocated to manage an international procurement process to source the trains.

Added to that priority is some ongoing bus service frustration such as the bus stops in and around Coastlands and more services in Waikanae and Ōtaki.

For me these continue to be top of the list needing more investment to ensure our existing bus services are what current passengers need.

Of course parking is then the problem as more and more people are using our public transport options; it is the vexing and expensive problem for every part of our public transport network right across the Wellington region.