Tag: generation zero

The Auckland Plan Transport Networks vs The Essentials Transport Budget

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How to convince a ‘cool’ Council One thing I applaud with Generation Zero is getting out there and mobilising people to have their say in Council (and Central Government) plans … Continue reading The Auckland Plan Transport Networks vs The Essentials Transport Budget

Submitting On Skypath

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Have you submitted yet?

 

 

Submissions for Skypath continue to be open until January 23, 2015. Information on Skypath can be found here: http://www.skypath.org.nz/

If you are like me and want to get a submission in and be “efficient” about it Generation Zero have set up an easy to do form that will be recognised as an official submission at the soon to be hearings on Skypath.

You can go here for the quick submission form: http://www.generationzero.org/skypath

 

I have filed my submission using that form outlining my support for Skypath. My brief summary of reasons included:

  • Enabling the same opportunities commuters and tourists have in walking on Sydney’s Harbour Bridge that connects its City Centre and North Shore areas
  • Tourism potential
  • Recreation potential
  • Extra form of travel mode which would then include walking and cycling (to supplement car or bus as current)
  • All mitigation requirements against reasonable concerns from Skypath have been addressed per the Resource Consent application filed for Skypath. Note I said reasonable concerns and not utter NIMBY concerns from a small group of people.

I have not requested to be heard at the eventual hearings on Skypath

 

I asked Generation Zero what the submission count was using their form for Skypath and as of this blog post it stood at 6,200. As a comparison only 1,500 used a Gen0 form for the Unitary Plan submissions while the Unitary Plan itself drew around 9,300 submissions total (not including further submissions). Could the submission count for Skypath top 10,000? We shall soon see. Submissions close January 23.

 

Mayor Len Brown on upcoming Transport Projects

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Generation Zero Got a Mention

And

The Roads are Staying

 

I caught on Twitter that Mayor Len Brown was doing an interview with Radio Live over the lunch break. It is a very long interview covering an array of topics but the one that caught my attention the most was on transport.

We know three things:

  1. 2015-2025 Integrated Transport Program comes out for submissions later this year
  2. We have a current $15 billion funding gap for the 2012-2022 ITP owing to the massive road-fest in that program
  3. Generation Zero along with Transport Blog are strongly advocating for the Congestion Free Network which as they claim costs less than the current ITP and actually gets Auckland moving (the current ITP won’t)

 

Cue this piece from Radio Live today (http://www.radiolive.co.nz/Audio.aspx) which made think “oh boy.” To get the piece go to that Radio Live audio link, select Monday 20th January, then select the 12:30pm line on the scrolling menu, wait until 4:04 mark where the Mayor talks about Generation Zero and the ITP.

It would appear from that snippet that Generation Zero and Transport Blog are going to be facing an interesting debate when it comes to the 2015-2025 Integrated Transport Program. The Mayor does support some aspects of what Generation Zero and Transport Blog are pushing like the City Rail Link. But when it comes to the motorways and roading side of the ITP (subsequently leading to the funding issue) this is where sparks could fly. In short the Mayor has said the roading projects remain and (this was a stretch) that Generation Zero had taken any new roading project off the table. The Mayor went on further saying this was not tenable and effectively even with all the public and active transport investment, that mode usage would only move from 10% current to approximately 15% – leaving 85% by car. Also remember the population is growing to volume also on both modes increases as well.

The Radio Live portal:

Radio Live

 

It seems rather underwhelming what the Mayor said when it came to transport investment. I wonder if the Councillors have other ideas and could force a change of tact with the ITP? Will have to wait and see I suppose, but least we know what we are up against.