Wellington not alone in struggling to get public transport up and running, Dutch expert says

It's not just Wellington - cities around the world struggle to change their transport infrastructure, an expert reveals.

Public Transport Association Australia New Zealand (PTAANZ) flew in a Dutch expert to speak about the challenges to delivering better mobility networks - including walking cycling and public transport - in cities.

Professor in urban mobility futures at the University of Amsterdam Marco te Brömmelstroet told RNZ he came to have a conversation about tackling "the paralysis many cities around the world are facing".

"So Wellington is facing [challenges]. It's a uniquely beautiful place, but it's not unique in facing this problem of transforming urban mobility systems," he said.

The upgrade of the Golden Mile, which stretches from Lambton Quay to Courtenay Place, sought to remove cars from the latter during the day, widen footpaths, create a cycle lane, and improve lighting.

Te Brömmelstroet's studies showed most city dwellers did not oppose change, but that a vocal minority skewed perceptions of public support for projects.

He said he did not know how to overcome this problem: "If I would have the answer to that, I would be rich by now."

However, he said, the current car-dependent system could not be sustained: it required enormous amounts of money, space and maintenance, despite only being a few decades old.

He explained that the foundations of this system - concrete, steel, asphalt - were now too expensive to maintain and re-create it.

"So we need more choices so that people can also develop and have a good life without being dependent on the car," he said.

He added that the current system saddled individuals with more costs than that of a large public transport infrastructure project.

He cited the expenses of owning cars and refuelling as examples. On top of that, there were non-financial costs displaced onto other members of society: road deaths, air and noise pollution, or isolation.

"So actually, you could say that we cannot afford to not change that system in the future."

Te Brömmelstroet said public transport was connected to many societal issues; it could fight isolation and foster connection and independence, especially for the elderly and children.

"Children have lost their right to roam through the city, to go to friends, to have autonomous trips through the city, which is crucial for the development of their brains and the development of their basically social being."

He identified one challenge in changing societal thinking as the loss of identity for some locals who had been born into a system of car dependency.

This mindset was evident in one passerby on Lambton Quay who told RNZ he enjoyed driving and wanted people to adapt to driving cars more.

"I'd say most people just see it as going from A to B, whereas I more enjoy the journey. That's why I've got an old school car," he said.

However, PTAANZ chief executive Lauren Streifer said there was more to be gained in investing in public transport.

"We've seen across the world that when you invest significant amounts of money in public and active transport, it has exponential results, whether it's health outcomes, societal outcomes, economic benefit - $3 billion from rail alone in New Zealand every year," she said.

"We know that investing in this creates long-term returns for society."

The PTAANZ team took conference attendees on a tour of the long-awaited Te Ara Tupua cycleway.

The $348m walking and cycling path between Ngauranga and Petone opened in May.

It was celebrated at the conference as a success story of Wellingtonian infrastructure - especially as a vital resilience project, having already weathered storms since opening.

"It's so exciting for our sector, but it's actually more exciting for the community who finally get to use it and get to see all the opportunities that open up when you can actually access the network," said Streifer.

But many other projects had struggled to get to the finish line.

Councillor Nicola Young said the Golden Mile project failed because of spiraling costs and changing scopes.

"It started out as a light rail project which would provide value uplift to all the properties adjacent to the light rail route, which is why it was going to Island Bay.

"And then that was killed off when they realised we couldn't afford it and some doubts about its value.

"And then it became part of Let's Get Wellington Moving and then that died. Now we've got a situation where the city has no money and businesses in the city ... are really struggling."

She said the "botched" project had made Wellingtonians wary of change after so much money had gone "down the drain".

Around $12m had already been spent on the Golden Mile when the plug was pulled.

Young called for restraint, for targeted, affordable projects, especially as residents were struggling with costs of living.

"We don't have to have everything gold plated. We don't need to have bike racks like the one on the Terrace, which was $560,000, for example, or was the [$2.4] million lavatory block in Taranaki Street.

"You know, we need to do things simply and well until we can afford more elaborate things,"

And pedestrians walking down Lambton Quay agreed with her.

One said: "People want to see some of the basics done, so get it right, get it sorted, make it easy to come into the city and then people won't worry about parking."

Another told RNZ projects tended to get lost in consultation and inefficient red tape. "So yeah, just need to pull a finger."