East-West Link to be the most vexed issue The Auckland Council Physical Infrastructure Committee (chaired by Councillor Mike Lee) Agenda is up and available at the Council website. Or … Continue reading Infrastructure (Physical) Committee Agenda is Up
A Petition has been started and Presentations due to be given to Council We can do better – we really can Sentiment continues to build towards Auckland Transport (and … Continue reading World’s Most Liveable City? Part Three
Seven Projects Under Active Consideration I caught a Tweet from Transport Blog stating that the Government was looking at speeding up a suite of motorway projects: Government motorway package … Continue reading NZTA to Speed up some Transport Construction Projects?
Something Simple, Less Complex, More Beneficial and Less Destructive Transport Blog this morning posted up the alternative to the gold-plated East-West Motorway options being proposed by NZTA and Auckland … Continue reading Transport Blog’s Alternative to the East-West Link Motorways
A Motorway that will Rip the Heart out of Two South Auckland Communities This is a rather “angry” post and what is being proposed by Auckland Transport and NZTA … Continue reading World’s Most Liveable City? Part Two
Will all the noise at the moment around The Congestion Free Network proposal AND the national transport issues thanks to Campbell Live last night, it might be a good idea to do an information dump on the 2012/2013 (July-June) cycle in regards to Auckland’s transport.
That is all transport in Auckland that is dealt with by Auckland Transport which excludes the State Highway network which is looked after by NZTA. So before anyone decides to have a moan about State Highway’s One and 16 and how much AT sucks there – err go learn something and actually bug NZTA. Auckland Transport have no jurisdiction over our State Highways…
I have four attachments from the June 2013 Auckland Transport Board papers that the AT Board met over yesterday. You can find the agenda and full list of attachments HERE. What is embedded below were the relevant issues around Auckland’s transport especially in light of Campbell Live’s piece last night
Just a note on two points in that document from previous enquiries I have made on two particular topics:
Last night the public meeting over the Redoubt Road/Mill Road was held at the Vodafone Events Centre where around 160 people showed up. My apologies in not attending that particular meeting last night as I was home on both family time and completing my Manukau CBD presentation. Just noting a sense of what could be irony; while I am not a big fan of the corridor up Redoubt Road and down part of Mill Road (basically to the Alfriston Road intersection), if Manukau is going to be brought up as a CBD and the existing industry expands in the area we will need to be looking at some serious transport options rather quick.
Any how so the meeting went ahead last night although from what I can fathom no one from Auckland Transport nor the Council’s Transport Committee was present.Councillors Calum Penrose and Sir John Walker as the Manurewa-Papakura Ward Councillors were present though. I also note that Green MP Julie Ann Genter was present however as well as Forest and Bird? Enough for me to raise an eye brow at this point in time as I wonder what alternatives this group would propose (apart from the Takanini Interchange upgrade allowing the 6-lane-ing of State Highway One) when Manukau takes off again and the Rural Urban Boundary has a very good chance moving East to Mill Road in the next 30-years.
I have written two particular posts on the Mill Road Corridor so far (along with the AT Plans attached). Yes I am meaning to write-up an alternative but, will not do so until my submission to the Unitary Plan is in at the end of the month:
The Herald also wrote a piece on last night’s public meeting as well: “324 properties in road’s path”
I did particularly note from that Herald article a quip about the Eastern Highway being defeated. Umm no it has not. The designation is still there and part of it is being built as a legacy project that we know as AMETI. At the same time there is nothing stopping NZTA from taking the reigns and building the Highway project, something that I would not put pass them with the current Government in power. In any case the failure of that highway being built along with the Botany Line which was to come with it is already costing the city as it is most days of the week in bottle-necking and economic inefficiencies. So I would be very careful in making analogies to the Eastern Highway (and Botany Line) in regards to other projects in the pipeline.
If anyone that did go last night would like to drop a guest commentary on the public meeting, drop me a line either in the comment box or via email and I’ll see what I can arrange.
In the mean time, we continue to wait on Auckland Transport’s fine grain analysis of the corridor.
Came across this last night while reading up happenings across the city: “Shore rail considered”
From the article:
Rail to the North Shore is being investigated by Auckland Transport.
The public transport mode has been “identified by the Auckland Plan as an important extension to the rail network”, the council-controlled organisation’s annual report says. “A draft report on land use preconditions has been updated and finalised by Auckland Council following feedback received from stakeholders.” Auckland Transport goes on to say the NZ Transport Agency has reported on steps to restart work on an additional Waitemata Harbour Crossing. “Auckland Transport will need to consider the implications of this on planning for rapid transit on the North Shore.” The agency says it and “other stakeholders are considering the findings and possible next steps, including future proofing the rail connection”.
In November, Massey University vice-chancellor Steve Maharey said a section of its Albany campus was sold to Auckland Council. Mr Maharey claimed he was told it would become a public transport hub with light rail as an option
-ends-
I have commented on this before in my “NORTH SHORE RAIL FOR $2.5B?” post written in September:
…
Of all the options that were available, the one that caught my attention the most due to cost effectiveness while delivering the highest benefit was:
Meaning the Bus-way is extended, upgraded and fully optimised (so at maximum efficiency and/or capacity) before the Albany to CBD section of the Bus-way is flipped (converted) over to Heavy Rail which would connect to the Aotea Station of the City Rail Link. A reminder that the bus-way as it currently stands was designed to be flipped to rail in due time – so it should not be that difficult.
The conversion of the bus-way to heavy rail in Auckland Council’s and Auckland Transport‘s opinion would be around 2041. In my submission to the Auckland Plan, that conversion would be completed by 2040 (so third and final period of the current Auckland Plan):
…
Lets see where North Shore Rail goes. But by the looks of things it could be in position ahead on anticipated time. Remembering heavy rail can move upwards of 900% more people than the bus-way ever could. So a great decongestant for the North Shore 🙂
While away on holiday in Australia I had noticed that the SkyPath project had updated their website and posted a public notice meeting on the North Shore tomorrow night at 6pm (ouch as main rush hour is still happening at that time).
You can check the much more easier to read SkyPath website over at skypath.org.nz – with the public notice invitation below:
I am still pondering in making the trek to The Shore tomorrow as it means I have to leave Papakura at 4:30 to battle State Highway One traffic (fun – not)
However might be a good idea to trundle along to see where opinion is currently at
I have certainly not forgotten about Generation Zero and their efforts for more balanced transport funding. This was from them today over the latest UMR Poll in regards to transport funding support levels:
From Scoop.co.nz – Scoop Media
|
Poll shows Government’s ‘dinosaur’ transport plans behind the times
25 February 2013
Youth organisation Generation Zero has endorsed a recent poll by UMR research showing that support for spending on public transport has doubled over the last 20 years.
When asked whether they preferred Government money being spent on motorways and public roads or on public transport, 48 per cent of survey participants supported spending on public transport – in contrast, 37 per cent supported spending on motorways and public roads.
The poll by UMR Research shows the changing times in New Zealand with a reverse from 1992, when 43 per cent of those surveyed preferred Government money to be spent on motorways and other public roads, compared with 25 per cent support for public transport as the priority spending candidate.
Generation Zero spokesperson Louis Chambers said, “It’s time for the Government to get with the times on transport funding in New Zealand.”
The centrepiece of the Government’s transport strategy is to spend over $12 billion on its seven so-called ‘Roads of National Significance’.
To raise the money for these motorways, the Government has had to raise fuel taxes and is amending the Land Transport Management Act to allow the New Zealand Transport Agency unlimited borrowing capacity with only a signoff from the Finance Minister required.
Meanwhile, the Government is refusing to fund smart transport initiatives like the Auckland City Rail Link, and the National Land Transport Programme 2012-15 shows that for every dollar invested in new infrastructure for rail, buses, walking and cycling, 20 dollars will be spent on new state highways.
“This poll shows that New Zealanders understand our transport future can’t look like the past, and smart cities need smart transport systems to support them,” said Mr Chambers.
“But the Government doesn’t seem to get it – spending billions on unnecessary and uneconomic motorways like the Kapiti Expressway at the expense of vital smart transport projects like the City Rail Link.”
“The Government’s dinosaur transport plans will entrench ‘business as usual’, locking us into increased carbon emissions and dependence on foreign oil. As young Kiwis, that’s not what the future we want to be handed.”
“It’s time to deliver New Zealanders the better public transport systems that they’re calling for, but this will only be possible if we stop throwing money at these motorways of madness.”
About Generation Zero:
Generation Zero is an independent youth organisation seeking to catalyse action on climate change in New Zealand. For more information see:
www.generationzero.org.nz
www.facebook.com/GenerationZeroENDS
——————————————————
The UMR poll was pretty convincing and I am willing to support Generation Zero in their call made above about our Dinosaur Central Government being that – Dinosaurs in regards to these Roads of National (Party) Significance.
BR:AKL also continues to support Generation Zero’s 50:50 transport funding campaign. 😀
Talking Southern Auckland 