LGWM is a three-way partnership between Wellington City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council and Waka Kotahi NZTA.
Wood said there had been a "real wake-up call" for the LGWM programme.
He expected spades to be in the ground on walking improvements in the central city and at Cobham Dr by the end of the year.
"Our job is to put our noses down and move forward with the delivery... we need to develop a sense of momentum and give people some confidence in the programme", Wood said at the time.
Mass Rapid Transit is front and centre in the Let's Get Wellington Moving project. Image / Supplied
In November, LGWM issued a press release titled "intersection safety improvements start - first spade in the ground for Let's Get Wellington Moving".
The construction work underway was about making intersections safer, accessible, and more efficient for pedestrians who faced disproportionate delays in the transport network.
As of mid-December, work on two of the 14 intersections had been completed, LGWM acting programme director David Dunlop told the Herald.
At Whitmore and Stout Sts, bright yellow dimpled pavers have been added to help people who are blind or have low vision find their way to crossing points.
At Whitmore and Featherston Sts, pedestrian ramps have been regraded, part of the crossing has been widened and the tiles have been added there too.
Improvements to the remaining 12 intersections in the project, on Vivian Street and the Waterfront Quays, will start in April, following Wellington's hosting of a number of events for the FIFA Women's World Cup, Dunlop said.
Wood posted a picture on Facebook of him standing next to the intersection construction work on December 10.
"While this is only the very beginning of a long and ambitious project, it's great to see spades in the ground before the end of the year and progress being made", Wood posted.
Transport Minister Michael Wood at the scene of the spades in the ground. Photo / Facebook
Wood told the Herald the programme was now on track after an unsatisfactory lack of progress.
"Significant improvement was needed by the end of the year, including some initial progress on smaller physical works. The programme is now firmly back on track and has delivered in accordance with these expectations."
He noted the business case to remove private vehicles from the Golden Mile has also been approved and public consultation on options for mass rapid transit has been completed.
"Unlike the previous government, we're delivering on our promise to help Wellington achieve its potential, with a world-class public transport network featuring varied walking and cycling options."
National's transport spokesman Simeon Brown. Photo / Mark Mitchell
However, National's transport spokesman Simeon Brown said this was an example of the Government failing to deliver on transport promises.
"Wellingtonians continue to sit in traffic while congestion grows due to the inability of the Government to get things delivered.
"The Government has had four years to get things moving in Wellington and the delivery of a couple of intersections and a few walking improvements is too little, too late for Wellingtonians stuck in traffic which is only getting worse."
While there may be spades in the ground at two central city intersections, there are no spades to be seen on Cobham Drive, on the way to the airport.
LGWM is proposing to reduce the speed limit on Cobham Drive to 60km/h and build a controversial pedestrian crossing controlled by traffic lights.
Wellington Airport chief executive Steve Sanderson has said the crossing will increase congestion and delays for 35,000 daily road users.
What the crossing at Cobham Drive could look like. Image / LGWM
He said an overbridge should be built instead.
"They should do the job properly rather than opting for a cheaper solution. This would maximise safety and minimise traffic disruption and is supported by the community.
"Speed bumps, reduced speed limits and pedestrian crossings will not get Wellington moving. These projects slow Wellington down rather than speeding it up."
Dunlop said considerable public engagement on the crossing and associated speed changes has now been completed.
A decision will be announced in the New Year, Dunlop said.
Ponter defended the construction progress, pointing out that a " spade is a spade".
"It would certainly have been nice to have it underway this side of Christmas, but I think what we are seeing with Let's Get Wellington Moving generally is we are now starting to see decisions of substance."
LGWM has finally revealed four options to "transform" the capital with mass rapid transit, improvements at the Basin Reserve, and an extra Mt Victoria Tunnel.
These are the big-ticket items in the transport plan and what most people have been waiting for.
Let's Get Wellington Moving Governance Reference Group Chairman Daran Ponter. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Ironically, LGWM had spent more money on designing a new website for consultation on these projects than actual construction.
The estimated cost of LGWM's new engagement website is $130,000, which was more than the $123,000 spent on construction activities as of the end of September.
Wellington-based list MP and now National deputy leader Nicola Willis said it showed LGWM had become a talkfest.
But Ponter thought the narrative around the project had changed from people being gloomy and sceptical about it.
"The conversation is now about options and why are doing this and not that."
In fact, much of the conversation has been about how to speed up the likes of light rail after it was revealed construction on these big projects will not start until 2028.
It would then take eight to 15 years for construction to be completed, depending on the final decision on the options.
Ponter and Wellington Mayor Andy Foster wrote to Wood at the beginning of this month, noting the strong public desire to bring forward mass rapid transit and strategic highway improvements.
"Like you, we agree with the need to move faster, and this emerging tension has also been discussed by the LGWM Board. The programme will be conducting further work on timing and sequencing after a preferred option emerges, following the engagement process", they wrote.
"It will take into account considerations and constraints such as programme dependencies and interdependencies, managing disruption, sector and market capacity, selecting the right delivery model, and funding considerations."
The pair suggested things like reducing the timescale for detailed business cases, speeding up procurement and special enabling legislation for consents.
They noted all options to accelerate the programme would require partners to bring forward expenditure from what is currently planned.
LGWM might be back on track, but it has dragged on for so long now that it's a case of people believing it when they see it.
That means more spades in the ground than at two intersections.
