Transport

Our central proposal for transport

Highlights of our central proposal for transport include:

• a total capital spend of $14 billion to address our transport priorities
• a $50 capped weekly public transport pass
• payWave payment for public transport
• investing in effective assets and resources to improve the resilience of our transport network and assist recovery from the 2023 floods
• unsealed road improvements programme ($124 million)
• completing the City Rail Link (CRL) and the Eastern Busway
• completing the Urban Cycleway Programme
• a 'time-of-use' pricing scheme to help manage traffic congestion
• remove or reduce lower performing bus services
• increase fares for some ferry services that are expensive to operate.

Trade-offs

We have developed other options to show you what to expect from our transport services should we pay less or pay more for them (through our rates).

Pay more, get more

If we increase capital expenditure (what the council spends on assets like buildings, equipment or technology) in transport projects by up to $10 billion, totalling $24 billion over the LTP, we could fund key projects like:

• speed-up the programme to reduce carbon emissions from our ferries
• the fourth stage of the electric trains depot and improvements project
• further removal of rail crossings to reduce road congestion
• additional downtown and midtown bus improvements
• additional cycling and walking connections
• more investment in residential speed management and road safety programmes
• Lincoln and New North Road corridor upgrades
• Airport to Botany Rapid Transit (busway) project stages 3 and 4.

An increase in operating expenditure (day-to-day expenses to keep the council running, like staff salaries, rent and maintenance) paid for through higher general rates would allow for:

• Auckland Transport to maintain and increase current levels of public transport services
• bus services in more remote areas
• the full roll-out of low-emission buses to meet climate emissions targets
• higher levels of support for ongoing KiwiRail track maintenance costs.

Pay less, get less

If we reduce capital expenditure in transport by $3 billion over the LTP and deliver a smaller $11 billion LTP programme, we will need to reduce investment in some projects and remove others from the plan, including:

• reduced investment in ferries and wharf facilities that could see a reduction in services
• around a 50 per cent reduction in cycleways and the local board transport capital fund
• reduced investment in network resilience and improvements to bus transit lanes
• removing stages two and three of the downtown crossover bus project
• removal of Glenvar and Lake Road improvements project
• removing stage four of the Eastern Busway.

Further changes would include:

• removal or reduction of around 20-25 per cent of existing bus service costs
• further delays to introduce new bus services
• stopping the roll-out of low-emission buses
• removing the council-funded extension of the SuperGold subsidy programme for afternoon peak services (3pm-6.30pm). SuperGold cardholders would still have free travel during non-peak times.

You should know

The information on this page is an edited version of the proposed Long-term Plan 2024-2034. For more information, see pages 32-34 of the Long-term Plan 2024-2034 Consultation Document [PDF 17MB].