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Paraparaumu transport hub upgrade
We're partnering with Metlink to expand and upgrade the Paraparaumu transport hub to improve our growing community's public transport experience, and connections to our retail area.
April 2024 – We’ve opened the new signalised pedestrian crossing and part of the eastern plaza area. When Greater Wellington’s work on building the bus stops and renovating the western waiting room building is finished, the buses will move to the new interchange area and the transport hub will be fully operational. We expect this to happen in June.
November video update
Building programme
The upgrade includes creating people-friendly, functional and safe spaces. A larger, safer and more convenient bus interchange and taxi parking area will be set within a fully accessible public plaza.
A ‘kiss and ride’ zone will allow drivers to pull off the road safely to drop off or pick up passengers.
A new fully accessible plaza, connected by a traffic light-controlled pedestrian crossing, will extend across both sides of the road. The plaza will be a place to relax, meet up with friends, or wait for a bus, train or taxi. It will feature new plantings, bus and pedestrian shelters, seating, and cultural elements. A new 10-bay bike park with charging for e-bikes and scooters will securely store bikes and scooters for riders transferring to public transport or visiting the shops. Spacious new footpaths on the western (retail) side of the road will improve pedestrian access to Kāpiti Lights.
Some of the pohutukawa trees located in the former car park near the old state highway were removed to make way for the bus interchange and public plaza. The remaining trees will feature in the new public plaza.
The pedestrian underpass will remain in place.
Works include:
- constructing a new bus loading and unloading area
- developing new accessible plaza spaces including, cultural art features, landscaping and lighting
- installing new seating, paving and bus and pedestrian shelters
- improving the footpath and area around Kāpiti Lights.
The cost of the project to Council is $10.7 million. This is higher than the initial contract cost ($8.5million) and the project has taken longer than expected. A range of factors have influenced the cost of the project, including:
- general inflation being experienced across all projects (up to 25% for some items)
- disposing of additional contaminated land and unexpected asbestos-contaminated material
- installing extra thick structural asphalt with a heavy traffic 25-year lifespan for the bus pick up and drop off area
- extra items that weren’t initially part of the contract including service ducting, additional safety items, and fencing.
Several factors contributed to the project taking longer than expected, including:
- a later-than-expected start date because Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency's work on the old State Highway One (SH1) was delayed. We had to wait for the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency's crew to finish and hand over the area to our contractor
- delays getting access to pedestrian areas on the Coastlands side of the road as well as scheduling work around bus replacement services
- discovering unexpected asbestos and several underground services added complexity and time.
Change to location of bus interchange
Since October 2022, local buses depart from the eastern side of the train station for the rest of the project. Intercity coaches and buses replacing trains use bus stops located on the old SH1. Metlink have temporarily closed 55 carparks in their eastern carpark so buses can safely manoeuvre around the carpark. Metlink have also increased the number of off-peak services; they operate on a 30-minute basis, rather than the usual 60 minutes. School bus timetables remain the same. Taxis can use the park and ride area, and mobility parks have been moved slightly closer to the platform. Bike parking is not affected.
Bus stop for buses replacing trains
Since November 2022, Metlink's bus stop for buses replacing south-bound trains has moved to the newly constructed bus stop on the eastern side of the old SH1 near Kāpiti Road.
Town centre masterplan
Upgrading our transport hub is one of the key projects of the Paraparaumu town centre masterplan. The masterplan was developed in response to construction of the Expressway and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s conversion of the old SH1 into a fit-for-purpose local road.
It aims to make Paraparaumu the heart of our district, and the main area for retail, commercial, cultural and civic activity.
Metlink's map opposite shows the safe pedestrian routes and temporary location of bus departure and arrival points. Map provided by Metlink.
Larger image [PNG 1.03 MB]
Transforming the old state highway into a local road
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has modified the old highway between Ihakara Street and Kapiti Road.
To transform the old state highway to a local road and prioritise people rather vehicles that pass through, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has changed the road’s layout and installed new kerbs and drains, and a pedestrian crossing with signals. The new pedestrian crossing makes it easier for people, especially the elderly and those living with a disability, to cross between the transport hub and the retail area. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has also realigned the old highway to one lane in each direction, to make it look and work more like a local road.
Gallery
The following images are artist's impressions of the upgraded transport hub.
Animation
See our artist's impression animated flythrough of the completed Paraparaumu transport hub.
Note: Some new plants will take a while to be as large as they’re shown in this flythrough.