Near-majorities of Wellington’s city and regional councils are calling for ditching light rail for the city with one calling it the “transport equivalent of a unicorn”.
Light rail is one of the big ticket items – alongside two new tunnels through Mount Victoria – in the $7.4 billion Let’s Get Wellington Moving (LGWM) transport overhaul, which has gone up in price for $6.4b to $7.4b with some fearing that the cost will only climb from there.
“The price was ludicrous, now it is irresponsible,” said regional councillor David Lee, who pointed out the cost was now six times that of the new 27-kilometre-long, $1.25b Transmission Gully stretch of State Highway 1 north of Wellington.
He is one of at least five confirmed regional councillors now opposing light rail based on cost and advocating for better buses instead, with at least three others still yet to make a call. Seven would be needed for a majority in the 13-member council. Meanwhile, across at the Wellington City Council, seven members of the 16-member council are openly opposed to light rail.
