Another week, and just like that we’re halfway through March! Welcome to our weekly roundup.
The week in Greater Auckland
- Monday’s post covered the recent meeting of Auckland Council’s Environment and Climate Change committee, and the councillor’s responses to the tragic death of Levi James, on his bike in Royal Oak.
- Tuesday’s looked at the Government’s proposal to drop fuel taxes and halve public transport fares for three months.
- On Wednesday, Matt wrote about what we know about the Rapid Transit Plan for Auckland that is being developed at the moment
- Yesterday, Matt wrote about the Coroner’s finding that an unsafe intersection was the primary factor in the death of a man in a wheelchair, and AT’s (lack of) response.
Safety watch: 12
It’s been 12 days since Levi James was killed in Royal Oak and Auckland Transport are yet to remove any carparks.
Where could fare-free public transport take us?
Everyone’s excited about the Government’s decision to cut public transport fares by half for the next three months, and the hints that the fare-drops could be here to stay. Stuff went out and spoke to a range of people to paint a picture of the possible outcomes of the fare price drop, how a complete removal of fares might compare, and the uncertainty that the panemic context creates.
Matt is quoted, as is Kirsty Wild, who:
backs the complete removal of fares for everyone, for about-town and inter-city travel. While this could reduce emissions, Wild also focuses on the social impacts. “There’s decent evidence that it will make a different to transport poverty.”
The current system, which compels people to own a car and even prioritise petrol over food, was a “real source of misery for a lot of New Zealanders”, she said. Even before this month’s skyrocketing fuel prices, transport costs had already doubled for low-income households over the last five years.
Fare-free public transport is “a basic foundation for a just transition”.
Yes, every neighbourhood deserves good bike lanes
It’s great to see columnist Bernard Orsman coming out in support of improved cycling infrastructure in South Auckland. While Orsman’s op-ed starts from the premise of ‘rich suburbs are getting all the cycling investment’ (albeit six years behind schedule), what follows is actually a really comprehensive list of local South Auckland leaders who really want to see safe cycling infrastructure in their communities.
[Manurewa-Papakura councillor Angela] Dalton, who sits on groups reviewing cycleway plans and reducing transport emissions, said emission targets could not be addressed without applying an equity lens and delivering projects that suited the reality of life in South Auckland. […]
The Conifer Grove Residents Association, of which [Kelvin] Hieatt is a committee member, has been urging AT to get rid of the existing cycleway or build a shared, off-road path for cyclists and pedestrians on the existing 3m wide footpath. […]
“AT concedes the painted lines are not adequate but keep telling the Papakura Local Board the shared path is unbudgeted and not planned for implementation. We want innovation in South Auckland”.
That sounds like a mandate!
Simon Wilson on the real cost of cycleways
In response, perhaps, to Bernard Orsman, Simon Wilson (in the Herald, paywalled) does a good job of breaking through the usual misinformation and hysteria about the cost of cycleways. One of his final points is one I hope we’re going to see more of in the near future.
Here’s the sixth thing. Cycleways, whatever they cost, are by far the cheapest transport infrastructure available to us. We should be rolling out as many as we can.A full network for safe cycling and a scheme to subsidise or even give away e-bikes would cost billions of dollars less than all the other transport projects planned and hoped for at the moment.We could get it done within five years. And then measure the impact on congestion and emissions and decide: do we still need to spend hysterically large amounts of money on tunnels, either for road or rail?
For the TL:DR version, this tweet is a reasonable summary of some of Wilson’s main arguments.
Thread: scratch a 'gold-plated' cycle project and you'll often find a lot of money going to repairs that are necessary for cars https://t.co/7PLuHMpmTN
— Christina Robertson (@cjr_robertson) March 14, 2022
Making cycling safe for women
This essay on The Evening Standard considers the author and her friends’ experiences as women cycling in London – and how much more dangerous it seems to be for them than for men.
Sustrans’ 2019 Bike Life survey found that 36 per cent of women who do not cycle would like to start – but most are put off by safety issues. It’s no wonder: studies have found female cyclists in the UK are at greater risk from lorry deaths than male cyclists and twice as likely to face “near misses” or driver harassment.
Making cycling safer for women is, of course, pretty simple: it’s exactly the same as making cycling safer for everyone.
Farrah and her Ebike (and her Pomeranians)
And here’s an awesome woman in London, who cycles to the food bank she founded with her two rescue dogs secured in her ebike’s carriers. Follow the twitter thread to read the full story!
Farrah, Ziggy & Teddie
Credit to my partner for finding this incredible family, striking up conversation with Farrah over her unusual Pomeranian-esque duo while picking up pizza. (1/10) pic.twitter.com/DCuUxOCJUD
— dogsbybike (@dogsbybike) March 11, 2022
All Aboard asks the High Court to rule Auckland’s 10-year Transport Plan unlawful
All Aboard continues its work taking a legal challenge to the Reagional Land Transport Plan, arguing that the plan is unlawful because it will increase transport emissions – when in Auckland’s target is to reduce emissions by 64%.
All Aboard said advice from Auckland Transport before each approval of the RLTP did not properly inform the decision-makers, and contributed to the approvals being unlawful. The other parties deny the claim.
That advice included that investment in infrastructure and services had only a minor impact on total emissions. Blending in other government initiatives such as the Clean Car Discount would turn the plan’s 6 per cent emission rise into a 1 per cent fall.
Safer crossings needed in Pōneke
Just around the corner from the pedestrian crossing that Wellington Airport is fighting tooth and nail to prevent, Evans Bay Parade has few crossings, and is very dangerous to cross, particularly for members of the disabled community. Stuff reports on local woman Catherine Soper’s hair-raising experiences trying to get across:
Catherine Soper lives with cerebral palsy and a vision impairment. She sometimes waits up to 15 minutes to cross the road safely in Roseneath, where she lives.
She had a close call in February when she was crossing the road from the bus stop near her house.
She had crossed halfway and then realised there was a car coming. Instead of stopping, despite Soper holding a red and white cane, the car swerved around her and three other cars followed, with one car beeping at her to get out of the way.
Ebike helps Temel complete his peace pilgrimage
Temel Atacocugu was shot at the Al Noor mosque three years ago, and this month he set out on foot to complete a ‘walk of peace’, retracing the terrorist’s route from Dunedin to Christchurch. Temel has fundraised more than $40,000 for charity along his walk.
However, struck down by injury in Timaru, Temel ended up in hospital. An ebike purchased from the local bike shop got him back on the road, carrying him to Christchurch in time to complete the last few kilometers to the Mosque on foot, on time for the anniversary of the attack.
Petrol price surge creates immediate surge of interest in ebikes and EVs
File this under #predictable? As published this week on Stuff, it seems that the rising price of fuel has prompted many New Zealanders to look at getting an electric vehicle, or an ebike.
Dan Mikkelsen of Wellington’s Bicycle Junction said the impact of the fuel price hikes was “immediate” with their store “slammed” by customers on Saturday morning.
“It’s like people woke up to the news and thought ‘I’m going to the bike shop’.”
But if you’re thinking about ditching the black stuff – think about an ebike first!
An ebike might make a bit more sense than an EV for most, too, as this article suggests.
E-bikes are the most addictive, fun, transformative product on the market right now, which makes them incredibly effective as a car replacement. You only need to try one, and you’ll want to ride it for the most mundane of errands, like picking up stamps from the post office.
Every ebike-purchase is good news for those of us who use our bikes to get around: every new ebike is one more person discovering how great cycling is, and how inhospitable our roads can be to people on bikes.
More ways to get around without using fossil fuels
Jess Berenston-Shaw compiled a list which is a great summary of fossil-fuel-free transport solutions, from infrastructure to policies and subsidies, to simple public realm improvements. She’s got 17 suggestions, grouped under ‘bike related’, ‘public transport’, ‘walking’, ‘urban design’, and finally, ‘who sets the agenda’. Can you think of any other examples?
Renounce oil, reclaim the streets
Once you’ve got your ebike, you’re ready to reclaim the streets.
Two for one: Reclaim the streets. Renounce oil. And get the world as a better place.#reclaimthestreets #autokorrektur #visualutopias #flyingcarmovement
This time at Wohlwillstreet in #Hamburg #StPauli @fietsprofessor @kkklawitter @dloisga @radpropaganda @spani3r pic.twitter.com/NmCKaaR1NH
— Jan Kamensky (@jan_kamensky) March 13, 2022
People of Kyiv shelter in their metro
The Kyiv transport app, which used to be used for buying transit tickets and checking timetables, was turned overnight into alife-saving app that directs residents to bomb shelters, warns them when air raids could begin, and when the raids are over.
Meanwhile, amidst the horror unfolding around them, the Kyiv Metro is continuing to provide safe haven for thousands of people.
The people of Kyiv have grown suddenly much more attached to their metro, one of the most beautiful and deepest in the world. The metro is no longer a form of transport – it is a haven, like something from an apocalyptic movie. It is covered with signs of permanent presence of non-travelling “passengers” and there is living space everywhere. The station platforms are being turned into cinemas where films are shown for free – children’s films in the morning and films for a wider audience later in the day.
Jakarta: an unexpected transport success story
Jakarta, home to 31 million people and the most populous city in South East Asia, has been through a transit renaissance in a very short space of time. This blog post explains how Jakarta has transformed from one of the world’s most congested cities to a leader in cycling and public transport. Cycling is up more than 500% from 2019, and the city’s metro system recently surpassed 1m users per day.
One reason for the success seems to be that mode shift is actively championed from the highest levels of local and national government.
It’s telling that Governor Anies Baswedan, the top public official in Jakarta, often makes announcements about mobility policies and public transit improvements himself, rather than outsourcing the task to a less-high ranking official. The message is clear: Jakarta’s highest-ranking leader understands the importance of good transportation.
How’s this for a to-the-point piece of transport policy:
“All road segments are prioritized for pedestrians and bicycle transport users as a means of daily mobility for accessible distances.”
Work has also gone into integrating the many competing transport providers and making strategic, joined-up, network-wide improvements and small and large scales, like making sure MRT stations connect with other modes.
In terms of cycling, Jakarta, like many cities around the world, created pop-up bike lanes as part of their pandemic response, and those are being made permanent. other improvements make cycling more attractive, like bike-friendly train carriages and provision of bike parking.
Beautiful green housing development in Dusseldorf
This design for a dreamy, greenery-laden German housing development caught our eye. It’s the winning proposal for a cooperative housing development, designed around principles of integration and harmony with the surrounding village and landscape. A key design move was preserving as many existing trees as possible, which creates the effect of compact and dense houses that are filtered through a forest setting.
Sweden’s speed camera lottery
Good ideas corner. Sweden has had huge success implementing Vision Zero, too. The country adopted Vision Zero in 1997, and deaths on Sweden’s roads have halved in number since then.
The speed camera lottery in Stockholm, Sweden. Drive at or under the speed limit and you’ll be entered into a lottery where the prize fund comes from the fines that speeders pay. Average speed reduced from 32 km/h to 25 km/h (a reduction of 22%). from interestingasfuck
Relive 90s cool in Wellington
Were you in Pōneke in the 90s? You might recognise some of the scenes in this great Flickr album.
Ride the new Elizabeth Line!
if you love the tube, and you love purple, you’ll love this.
Increasing temperatures, visualised
This is a brilliant animation showing how average yearly temperatures have changed in the last 140 years. Must-watch all the way until the end.
The clever people at @NASA have created this deceptively simple yet highly effective data visualisation showing monthly global temperatures between 1880-2021. Watch until the end…
Learn more here – https://t.co/yvLKEgcIZ7#ClimateEmergency #ClimateCrisis #climate pic.twitter.com/zkMrVgT9fq
— Dr Kirstin Ferguson (@kirstinferguson) March 13, 2022
The tiniest superhero on two wheels
Finally, because she is so charming, and because she’s one reason we want safer streets and low-emissions cities, here’s the pint-sized-cyclist and an extreme superhero maneuver:
https://twitter.com/biker_tiny/status/1503075842896932874?s=20&t=YiODdWdQEMsrBcupooBmcg
Ka kite, have a great weekend and we’ll see you next week.
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I’m in the unfortunate position of not being able to make an E-Bike work and needing a safer car with more doors for growing family reasons. I thought I’d share some thoughts on my so-far attempts to go EV.
1) I’m importing my own. Yes, the clean car subsidy helps, but it’s really only offsetting GST and customs fees. By the time I’ve factored in a local three-pin cable and some minor sundries to get it registered and on the road, the EV subsidy is more than accounted for, even on a second-hand Leaf. Meanwhile, buying new gets you an $8K subsidy, that in the case of the MG ZS EV, accounted for about 20% of the value of the car. Pro-rata’d that would work out to a $6K subsidy on a $26K Leaf, all things being equal. It would be good to see some of these incentives revisited, along with FBT on E-Bikes and EVs.
2) Prices of used Leafs are rocketing. There’s been a gradual uptick since the end of last year but the recent oil price spike has sent them rocketing. That’s good in that there’s more hitting the market in Japan but it also means we’re competing against literally everyone else for them, so it’s pushing the most affordable EV out of reach. I’d estimate mid-range 2017 – 2019 Leafs are up around 20% on where they should have been trending downwards towards.
3) I’m maddeningly aware I’m still going to be traffic. Yes, it will take the sting out of the tail financially but I’m still going to have to rearrange my working hours to the best of my ability, although unfortunately I won’t have much flexibility there. So I’m not really gaining much there other than a sense of dread about the cost of sitting there doing nothing in fuel. So that problem is still a problem.
4) It is extremely hard to not pluralise Leafs as ‘Leaves’. Google Translate keeps (racistly) suggesting I call it a ‘Nissan Reef’ which is actually a way better name anyway.
With this fuel price ebb and half arsed climate mitigation strategies around the world. The price of ECars is going to skyrocket and the supply bottlenecks will become more pronounced.
I reckon that the Governments lower petrol taxes and half priced PT scheme, will be paving the way for ECars paying.
What do you mean ‘EV paying’, we already have subsidies?
Totally different topic, but in the EV space we will see a lot of legacy automakers that didn’t pivot quick enough go bust in a massive ‘Kodak moment’ mostly the Japanese ones that were still clinging to hydrogen. Toyota much like the coal lobbyists are actively discouraging EVs saying they aren’t worth it and envouraging petrol use, dangerous! If the world doesn’t go mad with wars China will replace the legacy makers as they already are with companies like BYD who are already one of the worlds bigest car manufacturors becoming huge global names.
Anyway, I’ve just bought a used BYD E6 EV. I use my e-scooter for short trips and bus to work but will always need 1 car for our family for our weekend hikes etc and that will never change so may as well be slightly greener.
Ecars will start having to pay RUC. Hopefully this is automated in smart way so can be used for things like congestion charging.
Maybe the auto manufacturers realised that, electric powered vehicles benefit massively from being smaller?
Out of interest, the scuttlebutt is that Toyota has been preparing a massive electric rollout over the last few years – consistent with their approach m, which is to take proven technology a bit later than others, engineer it obsessively, and then use their production muscle to blow everyone out of the water. If it’s true it will just be a matter of timing when they think the numbers will stack.
I hope the import goes well and you’re happy with the outcome.
Just wondering about some ideas to salve that sting in the tail and make a complete travel plan you’re happy with.
Is there one day a week when you do something different after work, and it would make sense to take the bus, or e-bike, on that day, even though it takes much longer for you?
Or is there any part of the journey that could be done with an acoustic bike or a folding bike, so that you at least get that exercise and biking feel-good buzz? I have a folding bike I’d lend you if you’d like to try it.
TBH I think the flexibility I’d need in starting/finishing times to make an alternative commute work is probably better spent in trying to get more time as WFH to eliminate the commute altogether!
As my kid grows up we’ll probably spend some time on bikes as he learns to ride – at that point depending on where I’m working, using an E-Bike to reach a train station to take advantage of the CRL would probably be an option at least one day a week, assuming we’ve gotten our heads around how to accommodate many people trying to do the same thing all at once.
Its been 3-4 years since I was looking to buy a Leaf. I’ve privately imported several vehicles over the years, looking online in the usual places I’d say the major difference is the number of Leafs for sale, there aren’t many compared to before. I’d say prices are about the same, excluding the obviously pre-crashed going cheap examples. At the end of the day my wife considered a Leaf “too ugly” and I’ve settled for a Toyota hybrid (Corolla Axio, same drivetrain as an Aqua but more back seat room).
Butt,
do you mind sharing where you purchased the import from?
thank you.
I’m in the process of importing my own from Japanese auctions. I’ve bought several cars in (toys, not daily drivers) so I’ve got some familiarity with the process, the things to avoid (salt roads in some parts of Japan, certain auction houses, fees that shouldn’t be applied at export etc) and the local import/inspection process and the steps involving with customs.
The downside is that you have to arrange your own compliance inspection (not such a big deal on a newer, non-crash damaged car) but effectively your own pre-delivery as well, so cleaning, replacing filters, checking software, changing language settings etc, but I plan on using someone like Blue Cars who have an import package available for people who bring their own in for this exact reason.
Buying sight unseen is less of an ordeal for a used car than it used to be; there’s a very good Japanese used car sales portal online and you can usually cross reference an auction car’s mileage and condition to find the retail dealer listings for the one you’re looking at on an auction site – which will also sometimes get you a look at the underside and under the bonnet. The first car I bought had something like 70 photos of it once I found it on Goo-Net, so I had a fair degree of confidence about what I was buying.
The positive reinforcement of a speed camera lottery is such a smart idea.
It is a bit telling that car drivers are deemed so out of control, that they should be rewarded for following the rules, but neat anyway.
it appeals to the lotto buying drivers… (1/2 nz?)
Could have negative Climate Change impact – people driving slowly past a camera over and over and over…
Lol.
Oh God, you’d hope not. But hey, the world has gone mad, so maybe.
story Appears the Swedish Speed Camera Lottery is not correct.
” The post’s information is partly correct. There was a speed camera lottery trialed in Stockholm, however it only ran briefly in Sweden in 2010 and 2011 before it was discontinued. The original concept involved prizes funded from speeding fines, but this aspect of the lottery idea was not incorporated into the trials. ”
https://www.aap.com.au/factcheck/swedens-speed-camera-lottery-hit-a-red-light-years-ago/
It is heartening to see more and more everyday people exposing bikes and cycleways, and more overseas examples of how it can be done,it is a shame NZ is “so different ” that “it” won’t work here.
Anecdotadly and without numbers to back it up, l have noticed a clear reduction in the traffic volumes in Auckland, it would seem we are letting a crisis go to waste at present,the Harbour bridge lane/s could be repurposed,without any effect on traffic,and be normalized over time.
That is the most frustrating part about NZTA reinventing the wheel in an effort to not liberate the lane, the timing is so perfect for reallocating space.
Cute kid in the last video ! But a question – in Jan Kamensky’s (excellent) twitter video, why does it end up with a graffito saying FCK NZ8 ? Is that a new America’s Cup boat? Or a rugby team?
Adore the pint size cyclist 🙂
If we go fare free it should only be for registered hop card users so we keep some control over who is using the buses. And there should be random transport officers checking cards and registering unregistered users. Some proof of identification should be mandated so we have a record of who was on the bus in the event of an incident. You may not think this is needed in Grey Lynn but there are other parts of the city where it is.
Fare free is going too far, the current half fare proposal is a reasonable compromise between cost and retaining some barriers to problem people.
How cold is your heart if you cut off someone with a red/white cane who is already halfway crossing the street?
Bunch of interesting reads thanks. I had watched the riding the Elizabeth line when the video came out, great project that is.
I don’t agree with the idea of free public transit.
It would be better if they implemented the use of visa and MasterCard, so no need for a transit card like hop.
I think free transit will create problems more than patronage.
There will be groups of people that vandalise and intimidate, people will just go back to driving if they don’t feel safe.
Jeez, check your privilege there.
Not everyone has a credit card or can get one. Should they be excluded?
And seriously, can we have enough with the handbag clutching about vandalising and intimidating? You know how that reads, right?
Yes, for starters you have to be at least 16 (or is it 18?) to get a credit card.
I wouldn’t call it privileged to use a debit paywave card?
And if you are trying to say me bringing up the obvious make me look like a pu**y good for you.
Extending the ticketing system to use credit/debit cards doesn’t mean anyone is “excluded” any more than now. HOP cards will still be used. And anti social behaviour on public transport is a real issue even if you don’t experience it on the Gulf Harbour ferry or similar.
Regardless of how it reads, train lines that are avoided by a lot of people because of rampant antisocial behaviour is absolutely a thing overseas. I don’t know how to solve this problem, but shutting up about it doesn’t make it go away (they tried that in Belgium and failed).
Oh take your precious handwringing elsewhere Derek.
Antisocial behaviour on PT is a phenomenon all around the world. Some form of restriction to usage is needed unless you intend on having a large security/police presence on board at all times.
Taking public transport, walking and cycling connects people much better to others in society. This has better social outcomes directly. It also impacts perceptions of danger, which is a significant benefit. Driving tends to exacerbate a fear of others, and the more people can experience public transport and the accompanying walking at either end of the journey, even if just occasionally, the less likely they are to discuss, vote, and submit with fear shaping their responses.
Generally speaking, the more people out and about using public transport, the better. Similarly, the fewer people driving, the safer we are. The increase in ridership that free public transport could induce could therefore have the opposite effect on both danger, and on people’s perceptions of danger.
+100
Absolutely +
Heidi, and that’s the guts of it, “the increase in ridership that free public transport could induce.” It’s all so speculative. I have strong concerns. If it’s such a great idea why are there so few examples worldwide?
What we have done here in Auckland is not particularly encouraging. I don’t see our public transport overrun by kids on the weekend when ridership is free. Neither do I see the majority of super annuitants widely using public transport.
I seem to recall that you have used a figure of 300-400 million annual PT ridership by 2030 to meet our emissions reductions targets. I suspect, because of the low uptake of EVs that number should be around 500 million. Perversely perhaps, I suspect that Auckland is much more likely to achieve ridership growth by well priced monthly and annual passes, the European experience.
I hope that a perhaps widely popular “free” scheme doesn’t get in the way of trying to create a well used PT transport system.
The problem is that free PT provides very little incentive for people to sell their cars and that is a very large contributor to poverty. You don’t need to get rid of the first to enjoy the second.
Make the 50% cut permanent. Then focus on the service quality and then see how you can incentivise people into the service through price reductions, annual discounts etc.
Build bike lanes.
I just cant see a large take-up in free PT ridership if the service remains sub-optimal.
Taka-ite, I was responding to the impact on perceptions of fear, only.
I’m pretty sure public transport uptake is limited by the quality of service provided. Public transport is already much cheaper than driving. Consensus seems to be that the budget you need for free PT is better spent on more service.
“Public transport is already much cheaper than driving.”
You can say that but most people don’t see it that way at all. Quite the opposite. And that’s what matters.
You are quite right on service quality though. If its sh*t, then it matters little how you price it.
Its a shame we already have a transport option that is free (aside from up the front purchase) for those wanting to move around. We should have had bike lanes all over the city already. Wasted 2yrs.
That is true. People are vaguely aware that fuel disappears from a car when you drive it, but how many can connect it to an amount of dollars. How much dollars do you use if you go somewhere 10 km away? Wait, multiple dollars? Surprise.
Public transport has a different cost — time. Both underway, and waiting for the next bus. You should not catch an half-hourly bus unless you can afford to wait half an hour both ways.
Often not cheaper if you factor in time as a cost.
cheaper than driving? maybe on the specific route you’re taking. most of the time is definitely more expensive. At least in Auckland.
Public transport in Auckland would be cheaper than car ownership for most people.
“Often not cheaper if you factor in time as a cost.” Depends what you’re doing with the time. Public transport involves a walk or micromobility trip at each end, which has multiple physical and social health benefits. That’s a good use of time. Driving safely requires a level of concentration that is not relaxing – without listening to anything too complicated or attempting to interract with others, whereas on public transport, people can think, listen, sometimes read, talk, observe, interract with others. So that’s a good use of time, too.
And for 34% of the population, neither cheaper nor quicker than driving is relevant, because they do not drive. For these people, as well as for the many who would prefer to drive less than they do, making public transport cheaper – as well as quicker, better, safer, more reliable – is really important.
Heidi the price of a service doesn’t matter if the service isn’t there. If you look at which areas have good public transport, free fares would be a regressive measure.
How do you think those 34% get around? Many of them have to rely on other people driving them around. Free fares do nothing to change that. Getting a functional network does. We desperately need more areas where public transport works than just that corner of the isthmus.
We are not talking about Anthropophobia or fear of people,
It’s about antisocial people with nothing better to do. In NZ this is a minor problem, but if you are unemployed, board, got little or no money and feel like the world is against you, so have lost respect for others and property maybe jumping on a free train with your mates and booze will be a great idea.
As it is a minor problem, I feel you are overestimating its effects on safety. My point here is not to argue for free fares per se. But if there is any evidence to suggest that increases in antisocial behaviour would outweigh the increase in safety and perceptions of safety that higher ridership overall would bring, please present it. I am not aware of any.
“Where could fare-free public transport take us?”
I agree with low cost or free public transport for the non and lower incomed.
However, I dont agree with it for the higher incomed unless we can show that the carbon & safety benefits justify so.
It may be better to ensure wellbeing for the non and lower incomed are explicitly included in tax rates and welfare transfers, & that the unemployed, students & the retired receive direct bus cards for free use.
There are also very big questions about the adequacy of public transport.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT is just that, there to provide transport for those without other means. This means that the PT system must, in the first instance, have the objectives of:
a) full coverage network, i.e. all urban origins and destinations can be reached
b) maximum headways of 30min and preferably much lower (this can be achieved using on-demand services for low demand areas linking to high frequency core PT routes
c) 24/7 services
The current PTOM system does not address this at all and probably achieves the opposite.
“The current PTOM system does not address this at all and probably achieves the opposite.”
PTOM does not achieve the opposite. The PTOM does not influence service levels at all. The PTOM prescribes how councils procure PT services. Government and council policies on funding result in the terrible service we see. These are entirely separate to PTOM.
“PUBLIC TRANSPORT is just that, there to provide transport for those without other means.”
Poorly articulated, but I think I know what you mean. It should be, at the bare minimum, there to provide transport for those without other means. Because when we entice everyone else, we know we are doing it right.
Cutting the cost or making pt free won’t increase patronage.
Most people are time poor then monetary poor so will rather pay the extra cost of driving.
So keep costs the same and put faster and more frequent service on.
I also think allowing people to pay with there paywave card will help get people who usually don’t use pt onboard.
It’s all about convenience speed and yes safety, on some bus routes i come across the odd group of young guys getting drunk on the bus and shouting abuse and threating passengers, it makes everyone feel uneasy and the bus driver can’t do anything about it.
So if we have free transit, should people accept more of this type of behaviour onboard.
Not to mention the damage that gets done to the bus like scribing into the glass and back of seats.
Free PT can increase patronage, but it won’t generate heaps of mode shift from a temporary price reduction as people aren’t going to sell their car because of a short term change.
I’m fully supportive of making PT easier (more convenient, easier payment options) as that will make the biggest difference to those who have the choice. Help get those numbers up, turn it into a virtuous cycle.
looking at that Indonesian blog post about Jakarta it’s amazing how much they’ve done in such a short time and how much is still planned to be completed before there will be one tram line opened in Auckland….
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/18/indonesia-names-new-capital-nusantara-replacing-sinking-city-of-jakarta
Bernard Hickey on Nat Rad – our Govt should use the War in Ukraine to put NZ on war footing and use the crisis to move us to walking ,cycling, eBikes, EV’s and PT to achieve our climate commitments and reduction on imported oil (im paraphrasing ish)
Our Conservative Labour is wasting another crisis to make behavior change.
Now is your hour…
Stuff is reporting Antarctica is +50C above average stunning climate scientists. Meanwhile, we’re subsidising petrol from plutocrats.
The comment that “Climatology has been rewritten” is deeply concerning and does not inspire any confidence that we have as long as 2030 to put major reductions in place.