Tag: Public Transport

Agendas for Committees of the Whole – April 2014

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Regional Strategy and Policy, and Auckland Development Committee Agendas Out

St James Theatre, and Special Housing Areas up for debate

 

The agendas for the Regional Strategy and Policy, and Auckland Development Committees are out.

 

Auckland Development Committee – April 2014

 

Of note is that the entire Committee will be behind closed doors as the sole item is on the long-awaited Third Tranche for the Special Housing Area. While the discussion is behind closed doors for the Committee a public announcement is due either next month or in June. From what I have gathered so far this third tranche is larger than the first two and a particular focus could be around Brownfield development (so existing urban areas). We await the public announcement when it comes out (ironically at the same time as Auckland Transport releases the Rail Strategy as well).

 

Regional Strategy and Policy Committee

I see two things of note in this Committee; the first being an update on Wynyard Quarter, and the second being (behind closed doors) on the St James Theatre.

No point of me commenting on Wynyard Quarter otherwise I am rehashing old ground covered in the A Perspective on the CBD and Waterfront post.

What did catch my attention though and no doubt will catch the attention of a few is St James Theatre is being debated again. Exactly what I do not know as it is in the Closed Agenda of the Committee but no doubt the media will start running its commentary on it from tomorrow if not Thursday.

 

 

Today at 2pm the Prime Minister and Minister of Transport will be at Britomart to officially launch “electrification” in Auckland. Our first EMU services on the Onehunga Line do not start however, until April 28th with the Manukau Line being in August, and the Southern and Western Lines after that. I have heard rumour some other announcement was planned to be tagged on today as well but we will have to wait and see. I highly doubt it will be a CRL package for 2017 – but hey we can keep pushing.

 

AT HOP Roll Out Complete

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Congratulations are in order

 

Yes the sole machine was out of order, however tech support had been notified 10mins earlier
Yes the sole machine was out of order, however tech support had been notified 10mins earlier

 

Like Transport Blog (Celebration time, HOP Rollout Complete) congratulate and note the completion of the AT HOP roll out that is now completed. The journey has been very bumpy with all sorts of set backs and stories running around all over the place. In a sense of irony Talking Auckland (through its first inception View of Auckland) was partially founded in reaction to the AT-HOP and Snapper disasters at the time back in 2011. But today a moment to reflect, note, congratulate and celebrate that this roll out of this “universal” Public Transport smart card is complete.

From Voxy

Auckland Transport completes AT HOP rollout

Auckland Transport has completed the rollout of AT HOP, its reusable pre-pay smart card for travel on trains, ferries and buses.

There are currently more than 250,000 AT HOP cards being regularly used by customers around the region.

AT HOP allows customers to use one travel card on different modes of transport and public transport operators.

The card was first introduced on the region’s rail network in October 2012 and has been progressively rolled out since then.

Auckland Transport chairman, Dr Lester Levy, says it is significant for further developing public transport in New Zealand’s largest city. He says the rate at which public transport users have taken to the new system so far bodes well for on-going patronage growth.

“Other transformational projects such as the fleet of new electric trains, improved reliability of all services and a major focus on customer needs and satisfaction levels are other vital elements in delivering a world class public transport system,” he says.

Auckland mayor Len Brown is a regular user of public transport and also acknowledges what a significant milestone completion of the AT HOP rollout is. “The transformation of Auckland’s public transport system is well and truly underway, and the completion of the AT HOP rollout is a critical part of that,” he says.

“I want to congratulate Auckland Transport for delivering this project in such an effective and timely way.”

The project has been delivered in partnership with the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).

Dave Brash, the New Zealand Transport Agency’s group manager of Planning and Investment, congratulates the Auckland Transport-led team on the successful introduction of integrated ticketing into Auckland.

“Making public transport easier and more attractive for people is a key priority for NZTA. So, after seven years of development, and a $73 million investment from the national land transport fund, we’re pleased with the resulting sophisticated platform, underpinned by a national ticketing standard that could support integrated ticketing systems across the country.”

—-ends—-

Source: http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/auckland-transport-completes-hop-rollout/5/185637

I use my HOP card when ever I travel on the train, bus or ferry and I personally enjoy using it with little issue. I detest carrying cash in the 21st Century so AT HOP just makes my life that much more easier when using the public transport system. Integrated Fares are on the way as Auckland Transport works through that and the service tenders (Rail starts next month) will no doubt have Integrated Fare provisions included for our public transport operators. If AT extends the HOP card to their parking buildings as a form of payment as well as one day maybe their Park-n-Rides that would be an extra one up for me (I know they can not start with using AT-HOP for parking yet until the IRD changes its treatment with HOP post June 2015, but we might as well get the ball rolling now in planning).  Further more we also have the roll out of the new South Auckland Bus Network starting next year in which all-in-all makes public transport just that much more attractive.

 

We still have a long way to go with things like the City Rail Link, the Manukau South Link, Pukekohe Electrification, more bus-ways, ridding us of paper tickets for something more robust like Sydney’s card tickets and so on. But lets put that to one side today, this week and take a moment, a reflection of the fact Auckland now has a universal public transport smart card.

 

I tip my hat and give congratulations to Dr Lester Levy and Auckland Transport with AT-HOP as an integrated ticketing scheme now fully complete.