The official Easter holiday road toll period starts at 4pm today, and runs until 6am on Tuesday, April 7.
The official Easter holiday road toll period starts at 4pm today, and runs until 6am on Tuesday, April 7.
Report shows City of Sails more like City of Snails as traffic congestion figures put spotlight on public transport.
Aucklanders are spending the equivalent of almost 12 working days sitting in traffic each year, and the gridlock only appears to be getting worse.
An annual traffic report, published today by vehicle navigation firm TomTom, shows Auckland commuters spent an average of 95 hours stuck in traffic in 2014 - up from 89 the year before.
Auckland is ranked as the 41st most congested city in the 218 surveyed across six continents. In 2013, Auckland ranked 22nd, but 80 more cities were included in the survey last year.
Istanbul topped the list, followed by Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Moscow and Salvador. Auckland ranked higher than New York (45), and Dubai (58).
The survey looked at three New Zealand cities, including Wellington and Christchurch, and six Australian cities.
The only city in Australasia to appear higher than Auckland was Sydney (21). Wellington was the third most congested in Australasia.
Auckland's congestion level increased from 29 to 32 per cent.
The percentage is measured by comparing travel times to a "free flow situation", for example, if the speed limit is 100km/h on the motorway and motorists have the ability to travel at that speed.
So Auckland had 32 per cent longer travel times compared to a regular commute without congestion.
The Auckland-based Congestion Free Network - a campaign developed with Generation Zero and TransportBlog - aims to provide an "affordable integrated public transport system in Auckland with high frequency bus and rail lines physically separated from traffic congestion".
Dr Sudhvir Singh, Auckland director of Generation Zero, said he believed congestion would continue "while people lack frequent public transport choices and transport spending continues to go towards widening roads".
He said Auckland may rank second to Sydney for congestion, "but Sydney residents have a congestion-free alternative".
"The priority for Auckland needs to be investment in a congestion-free public transport network centred on the completion of the city rail link without delay.
"This will give drivers the choice to leave their car at home and not join the congestion."
The survey also looked at what times of the day were most congested in Australasia. Auckland had the worst evening rush hour traffic at 75per cent, compared with Sydney's 64per cent.
Aucklanders and Cantabrians suffered through their longest commute on Tuesday mornings and Friday was the quietest day to commute in all three of our major cities.
A spokesman for Auckland Transport said it was working alongside the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) to improve traffic flows in the city.
A review and upgrade on some major routes was under way with changes to traffic flows in several big traffic corridors, including Gillies Ave, New North Rd and Albany Highway.
The spokesman said it does have a programme in place to improve travel times and reliability for public transport.
He said Auckland Transport was on target to add about 15km of bus lanes to key bus routes by June 2015, with another 25km planned in the following two financial years.
Congestion forces earlier start to get to city in time for work
The official Easter holiday road toll period starts at 4pm today, and runs until 6am on Tuesday, April 7.
Auckland web developer Pavan Prasad says that five months ago, it took him 45 minutes to get to work in the city.
But now the 33-year-old has to leave his home near Auckland Airport 15 to 20 minutes earlier to arrive on time.
"I have noticed this for the mornings at least. Previously I used to be leaving home around 7.20am to get to work ... Now I need to leave just after 7am."
Mr Prasad has noticed an increase in traffic congestion in the past year, and said it had also started earlier in the afternoons when he travels from the city to South Auckland, leaving between 4.30pm and 5.30pm.
"There are now more cars on the road but the road structure has not changed," Mr Prasad said, adding that more lanes were needed on some roads.
"If there is an accident on the motorway, people normally slow down to look at it, and then drive off. They do this even if the cars involved have been moved to the side and are no longer blocking any lanes. This kind of behaviour is also not helping with the congestion."
