Small steps towards a level playing field
Each year, the Government releases a bill to tweak the tax system. The bill announced yesterday includes a couple of transport-related changes.
Most importantly, the Government is proposing to make employer-subsidised public transport exempt from Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT). This is great and something we’ve long called for as well as something recommended by a Tax Working Group in 2019.…
25 Comments Too little, too late: what now for safety?
Auckland Transport is consulting on safety improvements in Pukekohe town centre, including raised crossings and new traffic signals. Feedback closes tomorrow Wednesday 31 August, so it’s not too late to have your say. Unfortunately, it is too late for the poor soul who died on Monday after being hit by a bus at a roundabout that AT proposes replacing with traffic lights. …
Cycling over Auckland’s harbour(s)
Saturday saw thousands turn out to celebrate the opening of Ngā Hau Māngere, the $38m replacement for the Old Mangere Bridge – which had to close in 2018 due to safety concerns. The new bridge is a fantastic addition to the fabric of Auckland, and one that immediately and visibly improves connections between people and communities.…
Flashback Saturday: Ridesharing is making traffic worse
This post was originally published by Matt in July 2018
One of the promises of ridesharing applications like Uber and Lyft has been that they will help increase vehicle occupancy levels and reduce congestion. However, it seems like the opposite is happening and they are actually making traffic worse.…
Weekly Roundup 26-August-2022
And so we roll into the last days of August, with spring in the air. Our header image this week: a night shot of Ngā Hau Māngere, the new old bridge which officially opens this weekend. The week in Greater Auckland
Monday’s post by Heidi, Turning Over a New Leaf, launched the week by examining how the Transport Emissions Reduction Pathway (adopted by Council last week) signals the dawn of a new era.…
Bikes vs cars (per capita)
As the saying goes, ‘Bikes Are Climate Action‘. Using bikes for short trips is a key part of how we can cut down on unnecessary driving in order to lower emissions. But you still hear people in New Zealand doubting how ready we are to seize this opportunity.…
August-22 AT Board Meeting
Tomorrow, Thursday 25 August, the Auckland Transport Board meets again. Here are the highlights from their board reports. You can watch the open session of the meeting live between 9am and 10am via this Microsoft Teams link. Closed Agenda
Despite the last board meeting being two months ago, there aren’t a lot of items that stand out in the closed session this meeting.…
Getting [some] cars out of [part of] Queen Street – Part 2
In early July we wrote about the current plan for getting [some] cars out of [part of] Queen St in the new ‘Essential Vehicle Area’ established as part of the Wai Horotiu Queen St Transformation.
Put simply, buses, people on bikes and mobility scooters (and presumably lime scooters), emergency vehicles, and essential goods delivery vehicles are all allowed to pass through the EVA.…
Turning over a new leaf
It is significant. It is a significant day for our city. It’s a significant decision. It gives us the strategy and policy and direction that we’ve been asking for. – Richard Hills, Chair of the Auckland Council Environment and Climate Change Committee
On Thursday last week, Auckland Council adopted the Transport Emissions Reductions Pathway (TERP).…
Flashback Saturday: City Rail Link to be future-proofed
This post was originally published by Matt in July 2018
Barely 24 hours after I discussed the need to fix up two problems with the City Rail Link, it seems that our wishes are to be granted.
Mr Goff said the council was considering plans to widen the rail tunnel and lengthen the platforms at two stations – Aotea and Karangahape – and put in a second entrance to the latter at Beresford Square.…
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