Dreaming of congestion-free cities
For a Xmas present, I wanted funding for a better public transport system in Auckland. Unfortunately I didn’t get it. Nor did the 1.5 million Aucklanders who suffer from ever-worsening traffic jams.
Travelling around Auckland is a joy over Xmas and New Year. The roads are no longer clogged, as people leave the city to go to beach. Cars and trucks can move around the city again. This shows that solving the frustrating and costly traffic congestion would make a huge improvement in Aucklanders’ quality of life.
Experience from modern cities across the world shows that more roads are not the solution. Building more and more roads just means more cars and more congestion. Instead, Auckland needs investment in a public transport system that provides frequent and affordable options. We also need safe routes for the growing numbers of people (like me) who ride a bicycle.
Auckland is playing catch up. Plans for a decent rail system were shelved in the 1970s and roads became the only option. In recent years, there have been improvements in rail and bus services but more investment is needed to take the next step. Auckland can become an efficient, sustainable city with a train every five minutes, but that can’t happen until the Government invests in the City Rail Link.
Traditionally the central government has provided investment for transport in the main urban centres to supplement local council funding, reflecting the important role that major cities play in the New Zealand economy, especially Auckland. But the current government is refusing to do so until 2020. This will condemn Aucklanders to a more congestion and a sub-standard transport system.
When the government released its new policy on land transport in December, it included plans for $33 billion investment over ten years on roads, many of them expensive and uneconomic motorways. A far smaller amount of $5 billion has been allocated for trains, buses, cycling and walking. This ignores the changes in transport patterns - road use has peaked and there are now record numbers of New Zealanders opting to take buses and trains, and growing numbers of walkers and cyclists.
In 2015, we need the government to give the go-ahead to the City Rail Link and other public transport projects to make our cities more efficient, less polluted and better places to live. It’s a win for the economy, for our quality of life and for reduced climate impacts. There’s still time for a late Xmas present.
Barry Coates was a Green Party candidate for Mt Roskill. He was formerly Executive Director of Oxfam New Zealand and has more than 20 years’ experience of international negotiations on climate change. He has a Master’s degree in management from Yale University.
For a Xmas present, I wanted funding for a better public transport system in Auckland. Unfortunately I didn’t get it. Nor did the 1.5 million Aucklanders who suffer from ever-worsening traffic jams.
Travelling around Auckland is a joy over Xmas and New Year. The roads are no longer clogged, as...
For a Xmas present, I wanted funding for a better public transport system in Auckland. Unfortunately I didn’t get it. Nor did the 1.5 million Aucklanders who suffer from ever-worsening traffic jams.
Travelling around Auckland is a joy over Xmas and New Year. The roads are no longer clogged, as people leave the city to go to beach. Cars and trucks can move around the city again. This shows that solving the frustrating and costly traffic congestion would make a huge improvement in Aucklanders’ quality of life.
Experience from modern cities across the world shows that more roads are not the solution. Building more and more roads just means more cars and more congestion. Instead, Auckland needs investment in a public transport system that provides frequent and affordable options. We also need safe routes for the growing numbers of people (like me) who ride a bicycle.
Auckland is playing catch up. Plans for a decent rail system were shelved in the 1970s and roads became the only option. In recent years, there have been improvements in rail and bus services but more investment is needed to take the next step. Auckland can become an efficient, sustainable city with a train every five minutes, but that can’t happen until the Government invests in the City Rail Link.
Traditionally the central government has provided investment for transport in the main urban centres to supplement local council funding, reflecting the important role that major cities play in the New Zealand economy, especially Auckland. But the current government is refusing to do so until 2020. This will condemn Aucklanders to a more congestion and a sub-standard transport system.
When the government released its new policy on land transport in December, it included plans for $33 billion investment over ten years on roads, many of them expensive and uneconomic motorways. A far smaller amount of $5 billion has been allocated for trains, buses, cycling and walking. This ignores the changes in transport patterns - road use has peaked and there are now record numbers of New Zealanders opting to take buses and trains, and growing numbers of walkers and cyclists.
In 2015, we need the government to give the go-ahead to the City Rail Link and other public transport projects to make our cities more efficient, less polluted and better places to live. It’s a win for the economy, for our quality of life and for reduced climate impacts. There’s still time for a late Xmas present.
Barry Coates was a Green Party candidate for Mt Roskill. He was formerly Executive Director of Oxfam New Zealand and has more than 20 years’ experience of international negotiations on climate change. He has a Master’s degree in management from Yale University.
Leave a Comment