Who benefits from secrecy around public infrastructure?
You might have seen this video, which we received as part of a recent OIA request. It showcases the original light rail plans developed by Auckland Transport between 2014-2017.
The video was apparently produced in early 2018 by Auckland Transport, just a few months before the project was handed off to Waka Kotahi/NZTA.…
52 Comments Managing on-street parking for local benefit
This guest post by Malcolm McCracken originally appeared on his blog Better Things Are Possible, and is republished here by kind permission.
The case for Parking Benefit Districts: managing on-street parking for local benefit
Parking is often the centre of debate in our cities; particularly on-street car parks, who gets to use them and how we manage them.…
NLTP 2024 released – destroying pipeline of shovel ready local projects
Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Waka Kotahi yesterday released the latest National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) for 2024-27. The NLTP sets out what transport projects will be funded for the next three years, including both central and local government projects.
As expected, given the government’s extremely ideological transport policy, it’s terrible, not just because of what it does fund – focusing much of the country’s transport investment into a handful of roads that carry less traffic than the average Auckland arterial – but also because of what it doesn’t fund:Â destroying a pipeline of shovel-ready local projects, right at a time when the government claims to care about having an infrastructure pipeline.…
The Government Declares Total War on Localism
In a recent conversation, the person I was talking to outlined the purpose of central and local government in the most simple and clear way I have yet heard:
Central government is for nation-building. Local government is for city-building.
This was in the context of Auckland, so I would expand the local government definition to community-building, to cover those councils and authorities that are a little less urban.…
Some fine ideas for making Aotearoa safer
This is a guest post by Darren Davis, reposted with his kind permission. It originally appeared on his excellent blog Adventures in Transitland, which we warmly encourage you to check out. Aotearoa has one of the worst road safety records in the developed world.…
Budget 2024 Highlights
Last week the government delivered their first budget and while there’s been plenty of other discussion about the main aspects of it, I was particularly interested to look at what it meant for transport.
Before getting into too much detail, the chart below shows at a high level where transport funding is going.…
How Government’s road obsession is ruining Auckland’s transport plans
“TL;DR: The reality is that Central Government’s transport policy and direction makes zero sense for Auckland, and if the draft GPS doesn’t change from its original form, then Auckland will be on a collision course with Wellington.”
Auckland’s draft Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) 2024 is now out for consultation, with feedback open until 17 June.…
After much debate, the Auckland Future Fund was approved. So what should it be used for?
On Thursday 17 May, the Mayoral Proposal for Auckland’s Long Term Plan 2024-2034 was passed by Auckland Council, 20 to 1. It is set to be formally adopted by the Governing Body at its June 27th meeting.
The entire process took 8 hours, with the vast majority of that time revolving around the only contentious topic of the day: the proposed Auckland Future Fund.…
NZ Government announces ban on walking
RNZ reports:
As part of their ‘100 Day Plan – Phase 2’, the government today announced a ban on walking on streets and in most public spaces.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown says the move is part of the Government’s plan to boost economic growth and productivity.…
Paying for the RoNS like Rail
Note: Consultation on the GPS closes at noon on Tuesday 2 April See our previous post on feedback guides and check out the Transport4All guide here. The Government’s Draft Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport contains many ideological burbs and inconsistencies.…
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