Transport snapshot shows more people embracing travel alternatives

More than 76,000 cycle trips and 117,000 pedestrian trips were recorded on monitored active travel routes across Queenstown and Wānaka during the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, with several locations continuing to record year-on-year growth.

Public transport use also remained strong, with 547,079 passenger journeys recorded on Queenstown's bus network, up 3.6% compared with the same period last year.

While traffic volumes remain high on many key routes, particularly in the district's southern corridor, the data points to a growing number of people incorporating active and public transport into their daily routines.

The latest snapshot also includes early results from the new Weekday Challenge, which encourages workplaces and employees to explore alternatives to driving for their commute. Thirty local businesses have already signed up, with participants logging trips by bike, bus and on foot.

Collected each quarter, the monitoring data helps build a clearer picture of how travel habits are changing across the district over time, providing valuable evidence to support transport planning and track progress towards the goals of the Climate and Biodiversity Plan and Better Ways to Go Mode Shift Plan.

Read the full report here.