On point 2, the wires, the bluebloods will never let the wires be strung up spoiling their multi-million dollar views and there is not a single house to Kelly Tarltons, it could go to that first car park at Mission Bay without passing any houses so on reflection that is a better idea… Maybe after that if it proves very successful, there will be requests to extend it to St Heliers, I can’t really think of a simple turn around point though…

My word some people really live in the stone age if they think people will drive to the CBD to visit their shop. The shared streets proposal will probably double pedestrian numbers on Fort Street, yet these shop-owners just don’t get it. It makes you want to hammer your head against a wall.

I hope council ignores their submissions.

To achieve a high level of bicycling, cities around Europe have invested in bike sharing schemes. But our decision makers seem to concerned around building infrastructure around those living in the suburbs. These alternative approaches to transport are hardly discussed and supported here in New Zealand.

It concerns me that nobody has mentioned congestion charging or parking levy’s. Maybe this is something you have forgotten about Jarbury. I’m a big fan of using these kind of measures to help pay off transport systems, especially as the value of a road in the CBD is higher than those in the suburbs.

1) Why a PPP for airport rail? I understand that could lead to more funding being immediately available, but generally overseas the results of transport PPPs have been decidedly mixed. Surely there’s a risk we could get lumped with a giant mess like has happened in other cities?

2) Why end the Tamaki Drive light rail at Kelly Tarltons? Surely Mission Bay and St Heliers are some of the biggest drawcards out that way? It would make a lot of sense to run the tram-line right out to St Heliers so that people like me can catch a tram out to Mission Bay on a Sunday afternoon. I think that’d be great.

Apart from that, I agree with your comments.

- A goal to increase people commuting to work by bicycle to 10% by 2020 with the provision of “bicycle boulevards” similar to Portland where quiet residential streets have been closed to all but residents cars and bicycles and linked up to form bicycle ways through the city, cycling parking inroduced in all council land around all town centres and a requirement that all council spending on local roads includes bicycle provisions.

This one should be controversial:
- The Onehunga line to be double tracked and extended to the airport (to be completed at the SAME time as the CBD tunnel) as a PPP between the new Auckland Council, Kiwirail and investors, a depot out near the airport and 9 – 10 “special airport trains” to be held in it, running as close to 24 hours as possible and with $10 tickets from the Airport (discounts for employees), normal rates every other station.

- Shared streets for all but arterials Takapuna, New Lynn, Manuaku and the CBD by 2020 and investigation into all other town centres to be completed by 2040.

- The proposed Eastern rail line to end at Flat Bush at a depot to save on a very tricky and expensive tunnel under SH1 at Manukau and to investigate it as a light rail option into Britomart, i.e. narrow gauge light rail, tram-train, (with the potential to upgrade it to heavy rail, namely on the causeway over the Tamaki River). To be investigated by 2011 with a push for constuction to begin by 2015.

- Amend the council district plan for 5 – 20 story mixed use structures within 500m of all rail stations. Protecting sight lines (see Vancouver).

- All Motorways from Manukau to Albany and Westgate to the Port to be six laned, with the “slow” or “outside lane” to be for use of HGVs, T3 or permitted work vehicles (think plumbers, builders, emergency vehicles) only.

- Study to reduce speed limit reduced to 40km/hr with the MULs, i.e. would the overall speed of traffic increase, what effect on safety, what effect on increasing cycling?

- Light rail from Kelly Tarlton’s on Tamaki Dr to Britomart, up Queen St to Dom Rd, to Mt Roskill bus depot, to be completed as part of the Dom Rd upgrade.

- Pedestrianisation of Queen St from Customs up to the town hall, leaving access for buses, light rail and goods delivery, arterials still to cross.

Apart from that I agree with all Josh’s ideas, it’s important it is amended to Option 4 and meets the 2008 targets IMO…

Of course, improving services will lead to more use, which will lead to better services… and so on, and so forth. But I think that approach will eventually reach a limit in its effectiveness, as it’s going to be damn hard for public transport to compete against car travel for suburb-to-suburb trips if we still have employers providing their staff with subsidised free parking all the time.