The NZ Transport Agency has announced the details of an estimated $4.2 billion programme of investment in Auckland over the next three years to provide an effective and efficient transport system for the city.
The NZ Transport Agency has announced the details of an estimated $4.2 billion programme of investment in Auckland over the next three years to provide an effective and efficient transport system for the city.
Transport Agency Regional Director for Auckland, Ernst Zöllner, says investment in Auckland for 2015-18 includes $1.175 billion for public transport, $960 million to maintain state highways, and $91 million to improve cycling and walking.
The funding for Auckland is part of a $13.9 billion investment in New Zealand’s transport system set out in the 2015-2018 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP). It marks a 15 per cent increase compared to the previous 2012-2015 NLTP.
The NLTP is a partnership between local authorities who invest funding on behalf of ratepayers and the NZ Transport Agency, which develops the programme and invests funding from petrol taxes, road user charges and vehicle registration and licensing fees.
Ernst Zöllner says the agency is aiming to make urban trips easier and more predictable for people, whether those trips are by car or motorcycle, on public transport, on foot, by bicycle or a combination of any of these modes.
Mr Zöllner says Auckland’s future depends on a strategic joined up approach to both its motorway and local road network, along with critical public transport, walking and cycling networks, to ensure highly reliable, dedicated and congestion free travel across all transport modes.
“The planned investment through the NLTP brings together a significant series of work including the Western Ring Route and projects including AMETI and East West Connections which, when combined, will create better and more resilient connections from north to south. This is the biggest step forward in strategic roading in Auckland in fifty years.”
“Partnerships are central to providing the best transport solutions for Auckland’s complex transport network. We’re working with Auckland Transport and Auckland Council to ensure all transport components are well connected”.
Funding for key projects to help improve transport across Auckland includes:
Close to $1 billion investment from the NZ Transport Agency and Auckland Transport for public transport services as well as an estimated $176 million on public transport improvements which will provide congestion relief. This includes the Ōtāhuhu Bus/Train interchange and AMETI Panmure to Pakuranga Busway. This is expected to result in a 21 per cent increase in public transport patronage over the next three years to 88 million passenger trips per year.
A further $960 million towards easing congestion. Local roads will receive $614m and state highways $346m for maintenance and renewals, an increase of around $35m for the forecast local road spend over the last three year period
Investment in the $1 billion East West Connections project to provide more efficient, predictable and safe freight journeys to and from the Onehunga-Penrose area and between road and rail in the area.
Projects in the Northern Corridor Improvements Package are expected to begin in the next three years, including design and consenting for an extension of the Northern Busway to Albany Bus Station and initial construction works for a new direct motorway connection between SH1 and SH18. These projects aim to address predictions of large travel delays in peak times within the next decade, and provide alternative travel options.
$268 million on the Southern Corridor Improvements project to upgrade the primary route between Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga. Improvements on this section of SH1 will include additional lanes to improve safety and increase capacity, targeting a reduction in travel times by up to 30 minutes.
$48 million to continue development of the Ara Tūhono - Pūhoi to Warkworth
Road of National Significance, providing a safer, more reliable connection between Auckland and Northland by extending the four-lane Northern Motorway (SH1) to Warkworth. The project is estimated to cut 30 minutes from journey times in peak periods.
To find out more information about the national and regional NLTP funding, documents and Q&As are available on the NZ Transport Agency website at www.nzta.govt.nz/nltp(external link)
