Paraparaumu Transport Hub upgrade
The Paraparaumu Transport Hub will be upgraded in 2022.
We're partnering with Metlink to expand and upgrade the transport hub to improve our growing community's public transport experience and connections to our retail area.
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.
Construction will begin in September 2022 and is expected to take 8–10 months. 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.
During construction, local buses will depart from the eastern side of the train station, while Intercity coaches and buses replacing trains will use bus stops located on the old State Highway 1.
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 State Highway 1 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.
Transforming the old state highway into a local road
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is preparing the old highway between Ihakara Street and Kapiti Road to hand over to Council to control and maintain.
To transform the old state highway to a local road and prioritise those who live here rather than those who drive through, Waka Kotahi is changing the road’s layout and installing new kerbs and drains, and a pedestrian crossing with signals. The new pedestrian crossing will make easier for people, especially those living with a disability, to cross between the transport hub and the retail area. Waka Kotahi will also realign 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.
Perspective View Of Kapiti Lights 2 (Dusk)
Perspective View Of Kapiti Lights 2
Perspective View Of Kapiti Lights
Perspective View Of Train Station Plaza 2
Perspective View Of Train Station Plaza
Perspective View Of West Plaza 2
Perspective View Of West Plaza
Aerial View From The West
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.