AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL

Intensive work for transport links recommended for Tamaki Edge

The first stage of intensive design work to improve transport links between Glen Innes and Manukau won support from Auckland City’s Transport and Urban Linkages Committee this evening.

The committee is recommending to council that two arterial road improvement projects advance to preliminary design, at a cost of around $1.8 million.
One project will see arterial road improvements scoped between State Highway 1 and Glen Innes, via Mt Wellington. For the other project, Auckland City will work with Manukau City to define the best route for improved transport links between Panmure and Pakuranga.

The design projects form part of the Auckland-Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative (AMETI), a partnership project between Auckland and Manukau city councils and the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA).

Councillor Richard Simpson, the committee’s chairperson, says it is time for detailed work to begin to provide transport alternatives and certainty for the Tamaki Edge area, which encompasses Glen Innes, Panmure, Mt Wellington and Sylvia Park.

“The Tamaki Edge is poised for major growth,” says Mr Simpson.

“Access is a major constraint to unlocking the growth and economic potential of the area. It is also having a significant impact on the local environment and surrounding communities.

“Residents can see the vast private and public sector investment that’s underway. They need to know there will be transport infrastructure available to reap the benefits of this growth and development,” says Mr Simpson.

“It is critical that public transport infrastructure is in place to enable sustainable growth and provide dignity to people living in this area.

“We need to shift the focus towards transport hubs offering people more travel choice,” says Mr Simpson.

“People in Glen Innes, Panmure, Mt Wellington and Sylvia Park are, I believe, united in their demand for real choice in how they move around their area and the city.

“The design and route definition work we are recommending to council are key steps towards delivering transport choice, be it by road, rail or another mode,” says Mr Simpson.

The committee also debated transport needs between the CBD and the Tamaki Edge, agreeing to retain the existing transport designation across Hobson Bay.
While the current focus is on improving access and transport choice in the Tamaki Edge, with no plans for the transport designation, most councillors saw value in retaining it for future transport needs.

The full council will consider the committee’s recommendation at its meeting on Thursday, 22 June 2006.

Ends

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