The other missing mode

Here at TransportBlog, we often write about “missing modes“. Auckland is shamefully underprovided with alternatives to driving, and that’s the situation that led to us developing the Congestion Free Network. The CFN calls for investment in rail, bus and potentially light rail infrastructure, as well as more frequent ferry services. However, the CFN only shows part of the picture – it doesn’t show the other bus routes that will service the city at less regular frequencies (i.e. less frequent than a bus every 15 minutes), and it doesn’t show cycling routes either, although cycling is certainly another “missing mode” and one we spend a lot of time on.

Recently, however, I’ve been thinking that there’s yet another “missing mode” which isn’t really making it into the dialogue. The inspiration for this idea comes from an unlikely source – a band called Weezer. In addition to showing that people with glasses can still rock out, Rivers Cuomo is a talented and insightful vocalist. The following lyrics from “Surf Wax America”, track six on their classic Blue Album, made me start to wonder whether we need to broaden our focus:

The sea is foamin’ like a bottle of beer
The wave is comin’, but I ain’t got no fear
I’m waxin’ down so that I’ll go real fast
I’m waxin’ down because it’s really a blast
I’m goin’ surfin’ ’cause I don’t like your face
I’m bailin’ out, because I hate the race
Of rats that run, round and round in a maze
I’m goin’ surfin’, goin’ surfin’
You take your car to work
I’ll take my board
And when you’re out of fuel
I’m still afloat

As a typical trip demand profile, let’s say that you’re at Piha at point A and you need to get to point B.

You have several options. You could walk, but the depth of the water makes that difficult. You could try cycling, but the wet, salty conditions would be pretty harsh on the bike, not something you would want to do every day.* You could wait for a bus, but you might be waiting a long time, with Piha’s population much too small to support a regular bus service. Of course, Piha isn’t serviced by trains or ferries at all, so those options are out.

On the other hand, surfing is a great solution to this travel demand, as it could be for many other trips. These are some of the advantages that I can see:

1. Providing extra transport modes can change people’s transport habits, and help reduce private car ownership. That saves people money (surfboards are much cheaper than cars).
2. This is especially useful in places where the opportunity cost of owning a vehicle is high, such as dense city environments (e.g. the city centre, other metropolitan centres, or anywhere where we’re building up or digging down to create new carparks)
3. A great complement to public transport.
4. Given our long coastlines, surfing is very well suited to New Zealand (especially for Auckland, with its two harbours). This will assist the council’s aims to reduce Auckland’s emissions.
5. There are no “tailpipe” emissions from the surfboards themselves, as opposed to conventional cars which send out nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and so on. That’s a good thing for air quality in busy city locations.

As the images below demonstrate, surfing can be a very viable commuting option, although of course it can be used for all sorts of trips – to school, sport, the supermarket, the beach, and so on.

John Campbell is certainly an enthusiastic advocate for the proposal:

Later, we’ll need to invest in more infrastructure. You know the wave generator machine at Motat? I imagine one of those, but on a much larger scale – enabling people to cross the Waitemata with ease. As a “first cut”, we could look at setting up one of the generators at Northcote Point. Perhaps the rabid minority of residents there would find this a less intrusive alternative to Skypath? Based on some very preliminary calculations, it looks like the bits sticking out of the water shouldn’t be any larger than the 35-metre ventilation stacks needed for the Additional Harbour Crossing, so that should be acceptable visually.

At the city end, we could consider having another generator at the port. Ports of Auckland have been looking at putting more stuff in the harbour and it seems like everyone’s fine with that, so this could be a great addition – and provide an easy transport alternative for port workers.

* unless… the bike was made of wood?! Perhaps this is worth looking into.

Well, why aren’t you?

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