We have a date! CRL opens 13 September
In exciting news, at last we have the date confirmed for the launch of the City Rail Link:
Sunday 13th September 2026
Whoop whoop! Here’s the Government media release. The official announcement was planned for 9am, and we’ve observed the embargo out of politeness.…
80 Comments What an exciting thought :)
We love receiving positive comments and emails from the non-cynics out there. Occasionally there’s an idea in the inbox that is both so good and so timely, we leap to share it.
Today’s example is especially relevant and appealing in the current context, with the reckless commitment of future transport funding by the current government to low-value, high risk, duplicate mega-highways in the exurbs.…
Build this beautiful, affordable and visionary new bridge
The following is an op-ed which ran in the Sunday Star Times and online in The Post on July 12th 2026.
You can find more information about the bridge proposal here. The way we routinely approach big transport problems is broken.…
How we got the CRL
Late last year I sat down outside Waitematā Station with the Godfather of the CRL to discuss how he did it, plus some further ruminations on our city’s development.
As we count down to the opening of the City Rail Link, just a matter of weeks now, it is really interesting to go back over how the project was fought for and finally approved.…
Te Ara Tupua: Resilience and choice
Next weekend I’m heading down to the capital for Matariki and to ride Te Ara Tupua. In advance, I’ve been thinking what we can learn from the evolution of this corridor over time.
I was last there in January 2026, when Waka Kotahi kindly gave me a tour of the nearly complete project: Land Bridge
The best way for Aucklanders to think about this key link between Wellington City, the Hutt Valley and Wairarapa is that it’s their Harbour Bridge.…
Unlocking value and choice in getting around
An excellent new £4.5b Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy was recently released in the UK. Low cost, high value, win win.
The policy has three key objectives: 1. Enable more people, particularly the least active, to benefit from physical activity through active travel
2.…
By popular demand: merch!
At last. Greater Auckland now has merchandise for y’all to enjoy!
We’ve launched a wee shopfront over at Digitees, where you can find just the thing for you and all the urbanists in your life (send one to your favourite elected member!).…
Give Aucklanders a real say on our next harbour crossing
Why is the public not involved in the options for Auckland’s next harbour crossing? This is a critical issue for our city, so it shouldn’t be a state secret, let alone a single option imposed on us by fiat.
Getting this right is something we all have a stake in.…
ART for RTN’s sake
What to name the various parts of Auckland’s rapidly evolving transit scene has been a recent topic of discussion.
First was Jon Bridges’ riff on the soon-to-open City Rail Link: “our new beautiful subterranean train set deserves so much better” than the letters C, R, and L, he wrote, provoking a public outpouring of acronyms and nicknames.…
For the Avoidance of Diesel, and Doubt
Yet another (not unexpected) fossil-fuel supply crunch is here. It will continue to affect everything in our economy. And be painful. But it should also, at last, shift discussion and action much more strongly towards reducing our structural dependency on fossil fuels where we can.…
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