Cr Angela Dalton's plea for women to have voice in transport planning. Video / Auckland Council Live
Transport planning is a man’s world and it’s time women were at the table, Auckland councillor Angela Dalton says.
In a passionate speech yesterday, Dalton spoke about the importance of women in decisions about transport at a meeting of male-dominated transport bosses and political colleagues.
Auckland Transport has a malechief executive, Dean Kimpton. Four other men and three women are on his executive team. The AT board comprises five men, including councillors Andy Baker and Chris Darby. The only woman on the board is Nicole Rosie, who is there as chief executive of the NZ Transport Agency in an oversight role with no voting rights.
Manurewa-Papakura councillor Angela Dalton wants women to have an equal say in transport planning. Photo / Jason Oxenham
The council’s infrastructure and transport committee is chaired by John Watson with Christine Fletcher as the deputy.
“The transport system has been designed by men and then women need to fit into it. We need to be working together on it,” the Manurewa-Papakura councillor said at the transport committee meeting.
“Women have a different life to men. We are more likely to walk, we are more likely to take public transport, we are more likely not to have access to a car… we have to spend so much time in a system that does not work for us,” Dalton said.
She raised the issue of safety, citing a report by transport planners M R Cagney on “Equity in Auckland’s Transport System” which found women are more likely to consider personal security and the risk of harassment or attack when making travel choices.
Women feel more vulnerable at night, says Stacey van der Putten. Photo / Dean Purcell
Women were surveyed for the report on what changes to public transport would most improve their journeys.
Protected cycleways, more frequent and reliable services, longer operating hours, crime prevention measures - such as greater surveillance and street lights - and lower speed limits and more road crossings were raised, Dalton said.
She told a story of one of the first women elected to Christchurch City Council, who delivered the first public toilets with changing tables and a creche at the city’s cathedral.
“It’s not that they didn’t want it or do it, they just didn’t think of it. And that is why women need to be equally represented in the decisions and the plans we are making,” said Dalton during an item on a 30-year transport plan for Auckland.
Stacey van der Putten, AT’s director of public transport and active modes, agreed with Dalton’s comments in the context of a 30-year plan, saying historically a lot of transport design has been done by men and there needs to be a bit more balance on big plans and decisions.
“What Angela said was true, in effect that women do have different perspectives on things, particularly when it comes to the safety aspects of moving about our city. By default we will contemplate certain things that a man wouldn’t necessarily do, particularly when it comes to night safety,” she said.
Night-time, said van der Putten, is a completely different ball game due to women being more vulnerable.
Stacey van der Putten, Auckland Transport's head of public transport and active modes. Photo / Alex Burton
She said AT upgraded lighting in the rail corridor in 2020 but is now looking at what’s known as the “first” and “last” leg where people walk up to and walk home from public transport.
“The psychological safety aspects are very complex and it’s very individual to people and is something we need to improve with how we design things,” van der Putten said.
She said social behaviour had fundamentally changed over the past couple of years, and it was essential to bring communities together - leaders, policing and schools - to devise local solutions.
Deputy mayor Desley Simpson said when it comes to having more women on transport bodies, people want the best person for the job.
“But there is no doubt there is a lot of academic science that a gender balance on a governance board delivers a better outcome,” she said.
Mayor Wayne Brown said Dalton raised some good points.
“There are not many women in leadership positions in the transport sector. This is harder to rectify when so many men apply for these roles. I would like to speak with her further about what measures she sees we could be taking to improve the situation,” said Brown, adding he supported Dalton being on a political reference group for the 30-year transport plan.
