Comments for Auckland Transport Blog

Comment on AT Finally starts Marketing the CRL by Bob

Bob — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:52:14 +0000

Yes its about time. I reckon its not too bad. It covers thats its not just for the CBD saying travel times from New Lynn will be halved. It covers the economic benefits and quality of life. I think a video graphic would be good.

I think a whole network plan may confuse people but yes it could pacify the moaners from north of the bridge so they can see how it will all fall in to place.

Comment on AT Finally starts Marketing the CRL by Matt L

Matt L — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:09:17 +0000

I think it is just a start and should get better with time. The powerpoint is dated Feb 2012 so hopefully it will be updated regularly with what’s happening.

Comment on Changes to Transport in the Auckland Plan by Malcolm M

Malcolm M — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:17:23 +0000

Perhaps there’s a back room deal between Len Brown and the National Road Carriers – they support the CRL with the National Party government, and in return get the East-West link. Perhaps that’s why Len Brown is so quiet about the proposed road expenditure, and that new taxes are “sold” mainly for the CRL. While it’s a high price to pay, at least this route offers a chance of being able to sign off the CRL within his term.

Anything beyond the first 3 items is in future terms, and can be changed as peak oil bites.

Comment on Changes to Transport in the Auckland Plan by TerryB

TerryB — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:42:52 +0000

GENERAL ALERT does the plan include the approximately $1.7 billion that Ports of Auckland Ltd needs spent around the port area to be able to cope with its proposed expansion.

Your Port Your Call headed by Alex Sweny has been highlighting the potential impact and to get a better idea of what’s been proposed have a look at this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=pV7299WWMyY

Apologies if this is potentially sidetracking the post but I believe people need to understand what’s proposed and its likely implications

Comment on Changes to Transport in the Auckland Plan by Anthony

Anthony — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:54:29 +0000

So the councils top three projects & their completion dates match National Road Carriers Inc. I was surprised to see the CRL on NRC’s list.

Interesting to see the inclusion of targets for reducing greenhouse gases and air pollutants, and talk of renewable transport fuels.

Electrification of rail to Pukekohe has been brought forward to 2021-2030.

Comment on Playing in the Streets – Photos by Playing in the Streets

Playing in the Streets — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:00:26 +0000

I am one of the organisers of the Playing in the Streets project. Thought I might be able to clarify some questions around the event. The project was created by 4 people who were part of a Committee for Auckland Future Auckland Leaders programme. It was not a council event, however we were assisted by the Waitemata Local Board and staff on the council who could see the benefits from the event. It was 18 months in the planning, our (significant) time was voluntary on top of jobs and lives (two babies were born in that 18 months).

While Auckland’s CBD does have good parks surrounding the CBD, until recently when Wynyard Quarter opened there was little space for kids and people in the CBD itself to play. In 2010 less than 1% of the activity in the CBD is kids playing, and 2% people being physically active.

We were inspired by cities such as Bogota and New York. The term play was specifically chosen as it can be reinterpreted to host music, performance, art, etc. Sport was chosen as the first theme as it has broad appeal especially to kids.

This project was envisaged as a legacy project for Auckland and long term we hope can be extended in scale, frequency and theme. The first event demonstrated the concept appeals to Aucklander’s with approximately 10,000 kids and adults playing, people watching or walking through during the day. We have also learnt a lot from what worked well, and what we can improve on. Ideally there would have been more picnic zones, however having one central area really gave a great concentration of people, and we simply didn’t have the budget for more.

The process of obtaining a permit to close Queen St requires retailers be informed of the closure and event via a letter drop. The Traffic Management Plan for the event with the rerouting of PT requires patrons to be notified with bus stop ambassadors on the street. Unfortuntately the generators were necessary as power is not freely available in Queen St.

Comment on Analysing the “Funding Gap” by James B

James B — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 03:16:48 +0000

*Speechless*
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/motoring/news/article.cfm?c_id=9&objectid=10786811

Comment on Snapper snaps Integrated Ticketing once again by Patrick R

Patrick R — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 02:38:15 +0000

No need to reply to this post as its contradictions are all too evident, but I would like to correct one point of fact:

Government is providing a loan to Auckland Council to buy the EMUs.

Comment on Snapper snaps Integrated Ticketing once again by Steve Withers

Steve Withers — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 02:06:34 +0000

obi: Yes…they built that in the peak of the car era. Now they are heading in the other direction, with the government of Ontario (re)-contructing rail passengers services around southern Ontario as a cheaper future option to building more roads. They are well aware of peak oil and building now to address it. But at the level of the City of Toronto itself the conservative car-loving backward folk managed to win the Mayoralty and have been working overtime for the past year to undermine the steps already taken to discourage car usage. It’s a reactionary move and is widely opposed. It helps that the Mayor, Rob Ford, is a deeply repulsive, arrogant man. The path to the future will be littered with speed bumps constructed by those who prefer to live in the past.

Comment on Car Dependency by Steve Withers

Steve Withers — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:59:42 +0000

The 427 highway also runs East / West. It was build by the (left-ish) New Democratic Party and then privatised and turned into a toll road by the Conservatives who followed. So it was built with public money…then handed to the private sector. The worst way to do it. For a long time relatively few people used it because of ill feeling about the way it was done. The 427 is now very busy and is a great way to really by-pass Toronto if you aren’t stopping in Toronto. But it will cost you. Last time I used it, it was about C$12 each way.