Thomas Nash
@thomasnash.bsky.social
Cities, transport and economic and climate transitions. Social Entrepreneur in Residence and Adjunct Lecturer at Massey University, NZ.
The new trains, named Tūhono for their role in connecting and uniting people in the lower North Island, will be the first battery electric trains in the Southern Hemisphere. Alstom will also support local jobs and local business and help develop capacity for NZ’s rail industry. 3/
September 7, 2025 at 10:51 PM
The new trains, named Tūhono for their role in connecting and uniting people in the lower North Island, will be the first battery electric trains in the Southern Hemisphere. Alstom will also support local jobs and local business and help develop capacity for NZ’s rail industry. 3/
Big moment this morning to help sign the contract with Alstom for 18 new five-car trains to serve people in the lower North Island from 2029. This will allow us to quadruple rail services to Palmerston North, double services to Masterton and open up for more development around railway stations. 1/
September 7, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Big moment this morning to help sign the contract with Alstom for 18 new five-car trains to serve people in the lower North Island from 2029. This will allow us to quadruple rail services to Palmerston North, double services to Masterton and open up for more development around railway stations. 1/
We just had the busiest July on record for Wellington’s Metlink bus network, with 2,326,413 bus passenger trips. This is driven by our reliability being steadily over 99% across the network. Once the government brings its rail tracks up to standard, rail patronage will see the same increase.
August 15, 2025 at 2:36 AM
We just had the busiest July on record for Wellington’s Metlink bus network, with 2,326,413 bus passenger trips. This is driven by our reliability being steadily over 99% across the network. Once the government brings its rail tracks up to standard, rail patronage will see the same increase.
This new Harbour Quays bus route is big. Speeding up bus trips through the city makes daily life better for people, gets more bus frequency for the same cost and services more destinations. I hope the government will reconsider its decision not to help fund this very high value infrastructure.
June 25, 2025 at 12:39 AM
This new Harbour Quays bus route is big. Speeding up bus trips through the city makes daily life better for people, gets more bus frequency for the same cost and services more destinations. I hope the government will reconsider its decision not to help fund this very high value infrastructure.
Wellington needs council candidates to focus on serious, affordable, high value for money projects they can actually deliver. Bus lanes, especially on the Harbour Quays, are a good example. Saving 10 mins for each of the 70,000 bus trips people take each day through the city is a very big deal. 1/
June 18, 2025 at 12:55 AM
Wellington needs council candidates to focus on serious, affordable, high value for money projects they can actually deliver. Bus lanes, especially on the Harbour Quays, are a good example. Saving 10 mins for each of the 70,000 bus trips people take each day through the city is a very big deal. 1/
The increase in Wellington’s weekend bus use is remarkable. Saturday is up 31% from 2019. Sunday is up 45%. In this period we increased our off peak discount and boosted off peak frequency, reducing drivers’ inconvenient split shifts. Still loads of untapped potential for off peak travel I reckon.
June 6, 2025 at 4:43 AM
The increase in Wellington’s weekend bus use is remarkable. Saturday is up 31% from 2019. Sunday is up 45%. In this period we increased our off peak discount and boosted off peak frequency, reducing drivers’ inconvenient split shifts. Still loads of untapped potential for off peak travel I reckon.
Here’s what I said about fare capping when the Regional Council agreed to it over a year ago in May 2024. It is all still true! But the delays have become intolerable. That’s where the focus needs to be: delivery. Needs to be fare capping together with debit card payment and integrated fares. 3/
June 4, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Here’s what I said about fare capping when the Regional Council agreed to it over a year ago in May 2024. It is all still true! But the delays have become intolerable. That’s where the focus needs to be: delivery. Needs to be fare capping together with debit card payment and integrated fares. 3/
Wellington has doubled the length of bus lanes and bus priority over this council term. One result is afternoon peak travel times from Newtown to Courtenay Pl are a third faster. But the full benefits of these bus lane time savings rely on doing the Golden Mile and Harbour Quays projects ASAP. 1/
May 19, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Wellington has doubled the length of bus lanes and bus priority over this council term. One result is afternoon peak travel times from Newtown to Courtenay Pl are a third faster. But the full benefits of these bus lane time savings rely on doing the Golden Mile and Harbour Quays projects ASAP. 1/
The government noted advice this week that “for every $40 spent on new infrastructure, we should be investing $60 in maintenance and renewals.” This is encouraging. The government’s current transport investment plans are fiscally very high risk and need very close public scrutiny against this ratio.
May 15, 2025 at 1:34 AM
The government noted advice this week that “for every $40 spent on new infrastructure, we should be investing $60 in maintenance and renewals.” This is encouraging. The government’s current transport investment plans are fiscally very high risk and need very close public scrutiny against this ratio.
This is a map of the temporary speed restrictions on Wellington’s rail network. Restrictions stem from the government’s rail assets being way, way overdue for renewals. It’s like leaving potholes on State Highways for years and telling drivers to slow down driving past them. Maintain your assets!
May 8, 2025 at 7:50 AM
This is a map of the temporary speed restrictions on Wellington’s rail network. Restrictions stem from the government’s rail assets being way, way overdue for renewals. It’s like leaving potholes on State Highways for years and telling drivers to slow down driving past them. Maintain your assets!
Just getting the airport bus into town and it is 1 minute faster than the trip by car. This is possible mainly because of the dedicated bus tunnel through Mt Victoria and we can shave even more time off this and other bus trips by implementing our proposed bus priority improvements to the east.
April 29, 2025 at 4:43 AM
Just getting the airport bus into town and it is 1 minute faster than the trip by car. This is possible mainly because of the dedicated bus tunnel through Mt Victoria and we can shave even more time off this and other bus trips by implementing our proposed bus priority improvements to the east.
Tory Whanau has delivered record investment in water infrastructure, freed up record amounts of space for new homes in the inner city and installed a record number of bus and bike improvements. In all these areas Tory has delivered more than any Wellington mayor in recent history, possibly ever. 1/
April 28, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Tory Whanau has delivered record investment in water infrastructure, freed up record amounts of space for new homes in the inner city and installed a record number of bus and bike improvements. In all these areas Tory has delivered more than any Wellington mayor in recent history, possibly ever. 1/
We’re proud of our record as Greens in Wellington over the last few years. It’s been too fast for some (too slow for others) and we know we can’t always expect fair, balanced and accurate reporting. So you can check out the facts for yourself here and tell us what you think: www.capitalworks.nz.
April 19, 2025 at 11:37 PM
We’re proud of our record as Greens in Wellington over the last few years. It’s been too fast for some (too slow for others) and we know we can’t always expect fair, balanced and accurate reporting. So you can check out the facts for yourself here and tell us what you think: www.capitalworks.nz.
Traffic management is one of those services that is critical to our city. It allows people to carry on moving safely around while major projects are being done. It should be core business for councils and finding a way to bring it in house, eg via a CCO, is exactly the kind of improvement we need.
April 19, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Traffic management is one of those services that is critical to our city. It allows people to carry on moving safely around while major projects are being done. It should be core business for councils and finding a way to bring it in house, eg via a CCO, is exactly the kind of improvement we need.
Brilliant news that the courts have upheld Councillors’ decision to free up space for new homes in Wellington’s wealthy inner city suburbs. Defeating this legal challenge allows the council to get on with its work to get more housing built, bring down costs and welcome more people to the city.
April 17, 2025 at 4:44 AM
Brilliant news that the courts have upheld Councillors’ decision to free up space for new homes in Wellington’s wealthy inner city suburbs. Defeating this legal challenge allows the council to get on with its work to get more housing built, bring down costs and welcome more people to the city.
Bringing this amazing valley into public ownership for the people of New Zealand is one of the most significant things this council will do in a generation. Working with mana whenua to open up this land and its magnificent wetlands to the public for restoration and recreation will be so positive!
April 15, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Bringing this amazing valley into public ownership for the people of New Zealand is one of the most significant things this council will do in a generation. Working with mana whenua to open up this land and its magnificent wetlands to the public for restoration and recreation will be so positive!
Councillors and Metlink staff took the train to our Transport Committee meeting in Masterton yesterday and got the bus replacement service home. Regular use of public transport by councillors and senior staff is important for us a public transport authority to stay connected to the people we serve.
April 4, 2025 at 1:24 AM
Councillors and Metlink staff took the train to our Transport Committee meeting in Masterton yesterday and got the bus replacement service home. Regular use of public transport by councillors and senior staff is important for us a public transport authority to stay connected to the people we serve.
Contracts signed for Te Awa Kairangi Riverlink. We’ve been getting on with flood protection works and plans to manage transport disruption: Melling Line will stay open to Western Hutt and a new Melling Station will reopen in 3 years linked to the central city via a new walking and cycling bridge.
April 3, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Contracts signed for Te Awa Kairangi Riverlink. We’ve been getting on with flood protection works and plans to manage transport disruption: Melling Line will stay open to Western Hutt and a new Melling Station will reopen in 3 years linked to the central city via a new walking and cycling bridge.
NZ’s two biggest non-unitary regions took identical approaches to regional deals. One was subject to an unjustified pile on by the PM and ministers, the other was not. This fundamentally unserious behaviour is incompatible with effective regional planning and deserves much greater public scrutiny.
March 24, 2025 at 11:37 PM
NZ’s two biggest non-unitary regions took identical approaches to regional deals. One was subject to an unjustified pile on by the PM and ministers, the other was not. This fundamentally unserious behaviour is incompatible with effective regional planning and deserves much greater public scrutiny.
Another unfortunate error for @thepost-nz.bsky.social to correct today. The proposal to charge commercial rates on the portion of a property being used for commercial purposes (AirBnB) does not “take more revenue” as asserted here. It simply shifts the proportion of residential vs commercial rates.
March 16, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Another unfortunate error for @thepost-nz.bsky.social to correct today. The proposal to charge commercial rates on the portion of a property being used for commercial purposes (AirBnB) does not “take more revenue” as asserted here. It simply shifts the proportion of residential vs commercial rates.
Marko has already done this to help them out:
February 25, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Marko has already done this to help them out:
The idea that the council hasn’t changed direction to deal with Wellington’s problems is clearly false. The decision to allow thousands more dwellings in the city and to massively invest in water infrastructure are two of the biggest changes in decades, they are not more of the same!
February 21, 2025 at 6:54 PM
The idea that the council hasn’t changed direction to deal with Wellington’s problems is clearly false. The decision to allow thousands more dwellings in the city and to massively invest in water infrastructure are two of the biggest changes in decades, they are not more of the same!
Golden Mile physical works finally start in April! Along with the new Harbour Quays bus route and bus priority to the east, we will see major time savings from Miramar to Parliament - like 20 minutes or more each way. Crucially, that also means more frequent bus services for the same cost. So good!
February 13, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Golden Mile physical works finally start in April! Along with the new Harbour Quays bus route and bus priority to the east, we will see major time savings from Miramar to Parliament - like 20 minutes or more each way. Crucially, that also means more frequent bus services for the same cost. So good!
NZTA already confirmed last year that the bus time savings presented by the former Transport Minister relied on the planned Harbour Quays bus lane project that the current government has so far declined to fund. So it’s totally unjustifiable not to release the modelling and analysis showing this. 2/
February 10, 2025 at 2:37 AM
NZTA already confirmed last year that the bus time savings presented by the former Transport Minister relied on the planned Harbour Quays bus lane project that the current government has so far declined to fund. So it’s totally unjustifiable not to release the modelling and analysis showing this. 2/
This quality of life survey for 8 NZ cities gives useful insight into how we are doing on public transport. Wellington City is 1st for frequency of use, frequency of services, practicality, safety, accessibility and ease of getting around without a car; 2nd for reliability; 4th for affordability. 1/
February 5, 2025 at 3:14 AM
This quality of life survey for 8 NZ cities gives useful insight into how we are doing on public transport. Wellington City is 1st for frequency of use, frequency of services, practicality, safety, accessibility and ease of getting around without a car; 2nd for reliability; 4th for affordability. 1/