Airport rail link tops poll wish-list

File photo / Dean Purcell

Rail to the airport has emerged as the most important transport priority in Auckland in the latest Herald-DigiPoll survey on the Super City.

In something of a surprise, 23.5 per cent of respondents voted for a rail link, ahead of improving the roading system (18.4 per cent) and a new harbour crossing (17.7 per cent).

Next was rail to the North Shore (15 per cent), a CBD rail loop (8.6 per cent), extending the Northern Motorway to Wellsford (8.4 per cent) and expanded ferry services (1.4 per cent).

When it comes to a new harbour crossing, 59.7 per cent said it should be a road and rail tunnel, 17.3 per cent a road tunnel and 16.5 per cent a bridge.

The poll was published as Citizens & Ratepayers released its transport policy - stating that there would be no airport link until 2030.

C&R supports building the CBD rail loop by 2021, but is talking a further 20 years for rail to the airport and rail to the Shore.

"We do not believe projects such as a third Waitemata Harbour crossing, rail links to Auckland Airport and rail north to Albany should be considered as the most pressing," said C&R candidate and former North Shore Mayor George Wood.

C&R's Linda Cooper said the Auckland Regional Transport Authority planned $15 billion of transport projects from 2009 until 2019.

"If the full construction of the State Highway 20 Waterview connections, CBD rail tunnel, rail to Auckland Airport and the additional Waitemata Harbour crossing are all included, the total funding over 10 years amounts to $22 billion, so we must prioritise."

C&R said its transport policy was focused on the Auckland Regional Land Transport Strategy and the Auckland Transport Plan.

Among the mayoral candidates, Manukau Mayor Len Brown's transport priorities are closest to the survey. He has listed the CBD rail loop (built within five to seven years), rail to the airport (10 years) and rail to the Shore via a new harbour crossing (15 years).

Auckland City Mayor John Banks is a strong advocate for the $1 billion CBD loop, but believes rail to the airport and rail to the Shore are unaffordable in the medium term.

In other transport issues, the majority of Aucklanders said they did not believe motorists should be fined $150 for driving in bus lanes and many thought $50 would be a fairer penalty.

Most respondents - 62.9 per cent - thought motorists should not be fined $150 for driving more than 50m in a bus lane; just 11 per cent supported the $150 penalty. A fine of $50 was supported by 33.4 per cent, a $100 fine by 17.9 per cent, a fine of less than $50 by 9.2 per cent and 12.4 per cent said there should be no fine.

Polling also found 67.1 per cent support for cars with two or more passengers being able to drive in bus lanes.

Auckland City Council, which has drawn public anger over its bus-lane policing, announced this month that it would push lawmakers to cut the $150 fine in half.

Only weeks out from the local body elections, the council hit the brakes on bus lanes, saying it would treat motorists in a more lenient and friendly way in future.

This followed revelations that Mr Banks and his Citizens & Ratepayers allies targeted $12 million of bus-lane and parking fines this term in order to hold down rates.

Nearly half of respondents (45.6 per cent) thought Auckland had about the right number of bus lanes, although 37 per cent wanted more and just 10.4 per cent wanted less roadway set aside for the lanes.