The New Zealand capital of Wellington has shortlisted four possible public transport options as part of its “Let’s Get Wellington Moving” scheme.

The four are:

South coast light rail + new public transport tunnel: This would allow passengers to travel between the Island Bay and surrounding suburbs with the choice supporting the most housing and urban development.

Bus rapid transit to the sea and skies: This option would move more people to and from Island Bay and the surrounding suburbs and the airport, but with less housing and urban development than option one.

South coast light rail: This would connect the most people between Wellington Railway Station, Island Bay and surrounding suburbs.

South Coast light rail via Taranaki: This would involve building a light rail to Island Bay and surrounding suburbs, creating the most housing and urban development for the lowest cost.

All four options will use buses in dedicated lanes or light rail, with some use of shared lanes where traffic is lighter.

It is estimated that the project will stimulate the building of 21,000 homes by 2050.

David Dunlop, Let’s Get Wellington Moving’s acting programme director, said: “This is a once-in-a generation opportunity to make transformational change. Wellington is saying hello to a brighter future that will be welcoming more people. We are going to need more places to live, and smoother greener ways of getting around with fewer vehicles.

“Our goal is to build a world-class capital that we can all be proud of, with streets that are beautiful and safe so that new housing and business will flourish. We won’t need to use our cars as often so can cut back on our carbon emissions.”

Let’s Get Wellington Moving is an initiative between Wellington City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council and New Zealand’s state Transport Agency.