10 May 2016

Serious shake-up needed for Auckland's transport planning

Auckland Mayoral Candidate Victoria Crone says transport reports released today highlight the need for a serious shake up of Auckland’s approach to planning and investment.

An Automobile Association survey released today found almost 75 per cent of Aucklanders now see traffic congestion as Auckland’s top problem, even above housing affordability. Underlying these congestion frustrations were stories of people having no other option than travelling by car.

This increasing reliance on vehicles was echoed in today’s New Zealand Council for Infrastructure Development report which raised big questions about council’s approach to transport and housing planning.

Ms Crone says Auckland has great potential to be a world class city but can’t do it sitting in traffic.

“Firstly, it’s really refreshing to see Auckland Transport Alignment Project's unified and future-focused approach to solutions, it’s just what Auckland needs. But I’m startled with this report’s findings that our reliance on cars is going to skyrocket with the way Auckland is being planned,” Ms Crone says.

“Housing and public transport seem to be planned on different planets so you’ve got provision for all these new houses in areas that don’t have reasonable access to trains, good buses or ferries.

“Likewise, we’ve got good public transport locations where we’re not allowing enough housing or supporting job and business growth.”

Ms Crone says Auckland Transport’s New Network and Transport for Future Urban Growth projects make some attempt at easing the strain but there are still fundamental gaps and a big change in thinking needed.

“Aucklanders are living with the congestion consequences every day with no viable alternatives. It’s important our council organisations are coming up with smart, future-focused solutions and in collaborative ways not in isolation from each other. I have proven strong leadership and the fresh vision needed to drive this change for real results."

Ms Crone is welcoming of meaningful Key Performance Indicators to reduce delay times, improve job accessibility, improve reliability, increase vehicle occupancy and reduce the number of business hours spent in traffic.

The NZCID report presents examples of planning gaps that will only exasperate current congestion issues. They include:

• The current Unitary Plan provisions only allow increased intensification around 50 per cent of our main rail lines but this should be much higher
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• High residential growth is permitted along the Pakuranga Highway corridor but it’s not serviced by the proposed AMETI busway. Highland Park development can go up to six storeys but there are no viable public transport options in the area and none planned
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• There is no development supported around the well-running Northern bus route but there is development permitted along the congested Glenfield Rd corridor and at Birkenhead and Northcote where no rapid transit is accessible
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• At Te Mahia Station the old Manukau Golf Club received consent for less than 500 homes, including a retirement village. Contrast that to a similar sized block in Silverdale north with consent for 680 and a slightly larger site in Huapai for 2000, despite neither having access to quality public transport
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• There is no intensification planned around the proposed light rail project.
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ENDS

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