So What Does Southern Auckland Want in Future Transport Investment? #MovingAuckland

Written by Ben Ross - Talking Auckland

More investment in rail, new north-south corridor

 

Auckland Transport have released their findings into the recently consulted Transport for Future Urban Growth and what the submitters were favouring that should be done in that future transport investment. I will be focusing on the South which sadly attracted only 98 submitters and not many more at the open days. Probably a lesson for Auckland Transport given Auckland Transport ignored 67% of submitters who did not like the Manukau Bus Interchange designs but AT decided to proceed with the rejected designs anyway.

 

None the less key findings were:

Key Findings on future transport wants Source: Auckland Transport
Key Findings on future transport wants
Source: Auckland Transport

 

 

The full report can be read here:

 

 

Fleshing out more of those key findings, the South wants more investment in rail and the main thoroughfares (State Highway 1 and a parallel alternative) more so than buses (unlike other areas of Auckland).

AT Future Transport south findings Source: Auckland Transport
AT Future Transport south findings
Source: Auckland Transport

 

As for where people are going to from these new residential areas:

Where we want to go in the South Source: Auckland Transport
Where we want to go in the South
Source: Auckland Transport

 

So the main City Centre, Manukau City Centre, Papakura Metropolitan Centre, the Airport and even Pukekohe is where people are in the South are most likely to commute to. This needs to be noted for all future transport and urban planning investment (such as the Manukau Transform project), and getting such financial investment lined up to meet both sets of investments. It is also to note that not many of the submitters were convinced that no more than 20% of Southern commuters would go further north than Manukau and the Airport. Someone in Auckland Transport better find out why as I called for (and subsequently got mentioned in the feedback report).

Potential Projects Source: Auckland Transport and NZ Government
Potential Projects
Source: Auckland Transport and NZ Government

 

Finally Auckland Transport gave the submitters $100 to allocate over a range of transport investment choices in the South (so percentage points). This is what and where the South allocated its “money:”

South Auckland's prefered transport investment Source: Auckland Transport
South Auckland’s prefered transport investment
Source: Auckland Transport

 

So the Botany Line (Botany, Manukau Airport), express services, new north-south road corridor and the Manukau South Link were the top five in the South’s wants. A regional focus but good focus for those larger investments.

The next round of consultation on the matter starts this Friday. 

 

For the north and north-west of Auckland see the full report above.