Greater Auckland

Had a chance to write an opinion piece in The Post for Stuff on behalf of Greater Auckland with some questions about the proposed Auckland Transport changes. https://lnkd.in/gnKnz54y Overall it has the potential to be quite good, but there's a few concerns. Firstly is the risk of central government overreach through positions on the new Auckland Regional Transport Committee, and how much vetoing could be done there on a 30-year integrated transport plan. Secondly is the devolution of power to local boards. Will they get enough resourcing and funding? How big is the risk of Auckland becoming a postcode lottery when it comes to safe streets and cycleways? It's going to require a big step up from our local reps to avoid populist reckons and instead champion evidence based transport in our communities. But the flipside is we might finally get action on Auckland's progressive transport strategies like like the Transport Emissions Reduction Pathway or Access for Everyone. More details are needed, and we can only wait and see what will happen!

This post is essentially an update on a very similar one I wrote seven years ago. Hamilton: City of the Future, the intervening years have confirmed those speculations. The case for good passenger rail service between our biggest city and its fast growing neighbour remains compelling. Below I offer a staged and proportionate way deliver on this promise. Greater Auckland is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew and made possible by generous donations from our readers and fans....

Auckland Transport has long been a easy punching bag for the public, politicians and media, sometimes deservedly so, other times not. That could all be about to change following an announcement yesterday by the Browns - Wayne and Simeon. Greater Auckland is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew and made possible by generous donations from our readers and fans....

After around 10 years of delays and frustration, Auckland Transport are finally going to make Gt North Rd greater. In an update sent out yesterday, they said: We are pleased to advise that we have appointed JFC Ltd to deliver the work and they’ll be starting work early January. The entire project is expected to take less than 12 months, and to complete the work as quickly as possible we’ll stage the work along the route, working in two locations at a time (see staging map below)....

The last few years have seen headline after headline talk about how much of a 'mess' the City Centre is in terms of transport. Whether it be parking, confusing bus lanes (and buses being held up), the GV lane on Queen Street, loading and delivery, enforcement (or lack thereof), congestion, safety, driving, walking, cycling, or more, there seems to be no end of issues with how we are addressing our transport needs.... by Connor Sharp

It’s another Friday and we’re almost in the final month of the year and the Pohutukawa's are starting to blossom. Here’s some of the stories that have caught our attention this week. This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew and made possible by generous donations from our readers and fans. If you’d like to support our work, you can ...

In today’s guest post, former Auckland Councillor Pippa Coom highlights the value of berms in Auckland – and encourages everyone to submit on ongoing consultation!

How does an up to 70 percent hike in public transport fares sound, or maybe a lower increase but a big cut to services? That could be the reality of a new policy from Waka Kotahi outlined in a discussion document last week to public transport authorities (PTAs) like Auckland Transport. The government made a lot of noise earlier this year that it was making record investments towards public transport services....

Last week Mayor Wayne Brown proposed a major shakeup to various Council Controlled Organisations as part of his 'Mayoral Proposal' for the 2025/26 Annual Plan. This is the biggest proposed change to the CCO model since the establishment of Auckland Council, and would see significant functions performed by Eke Panuku, Tataki Auckland Unlimited and Auckland Transport brought back under direct Council control. Here's our thoughts:

This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, an examination on cruise control and speed limits, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. Greater Auckland is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew and made possible by generous donations from our readers and fans....