Today Hutt City Council launched an engagement survey on the draft of its Integrated Transport Strategy. The strategy, which has been developed based on prior community engagement, will set the overall vision and direction for future transport developments in Lower Hutt.

Lower Hutt is facing some real transport challenges: congestion, a growing population, and the impacts of climate change. This strategy aims to address these in a balanced and integrated way, and the survey gives Lower Hutt residents an opportunity to contribute to the approach and possible actions for future transport improvements that will make their lives easier.

For two weeks residents will have a chance to provide feedback on the strategy, including its guiding principles, the areas of focus and the actions that Hutt City Council could take towards making improvements in each area.

Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry says this will be the first time that Hutt City Council will have an overarching transport strategy to guide future transport planning and investment in the city.

"When it comes to fixing our transport challenges in Lower Hutt, we need a bold and ambitious plan to set out how we will deal with the growth we’re experiencing and the increased congestion it brings," says Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry.

"The Integrated Transport Strategy outlines our vision, and strategic direction for responding to these challenges by laying out an integrated approach to delivering land use planning, transport planning, investment, and encouraging behaviour change. Ultimately, we need the community’s help to produce a strategy that not only tackles congestion, but also encourages more cycling, walking, and other active ways of getting around Lower Hutt."

Hutt City Council Chief Executive Jo Miller says that all the city’s future transport projects are interconnected as part of the same network, so an integrated approach is key.

"We have worked closely with local communities, key stakeholders and Mana Whenua in our first round of consultation to understand the challenges and priorities of users of our current transport system. We’re looking forward to hearing more from everyone who lives in our city on the strategy, and we'd like to know if the key shifts we’re proposing, like creating people-focused liveable streets around key transport hubs and local centres, are supported."

The survey is live at hutt.city/betterconnections and will close on 12 April 2022.

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