The City Rail Link is needed to unlock capacity on the rest of the network, says Arbury.
"The City Rail Link unlocks the existing rail bottleneck at Britomart, allows improvements to train frequencies and future expansion of the rail network, such as to the Airport."
Factor in also the health costs from a fossil-fuel dependent transport system - the estimate cost of adverse health and environmental impacts is $465 million a year - and inequity. Road crash injury rates increase with levels of deprivation, and are highest amongst Maori, and Pacific children.
Achieving the aims of the Plan may take carrots and sticks, as well as some big investments. The first step is reducing the demand for travel. Encouraging a quality, compact urban form is critical to reducing the number and lengths. You may look at Auckland's sprawl and think "door, horse, bolted", but the planners are looking to the Unitary Plan to provide a regulatory framework to enable greater levels of intensification in centres with good access to public transport.
They are also giving the politicians the headache of discouraging private transport through "removing minimum parking requirements from areas where intensification is sought" and by road pricing, ie tolls, and other "travel demand management tools" to reduce the need to travel by creating better price signals.
"Cities like London and Singapore have introduced road pricing schemes and found them to be quite successful - not only in raising more money but changing travel patterns - so, if people face an additional charge, they may shift to using a bus or they may make a different trip," Arbury says.
Element two is mostly carrot and costly fertiliser, to increase the use of public transport, walking and cycling. Since walking and cycling produce zero greenhouse gas emissions, and public transport emissions are generally lower than for private vehicles, that's a good thing, but it may mean making those modes of transport more attractive.
"This may require realigning transport funding priorities," is the plan's call to arms.
Some of it is already in the Auckland plan - constructing the city rail link and rail to Auckland Airport. These will be supported by improvements in public transport and less costly infrastructural improvements like expanding the bus lane network.
What won't go on buses and public transport is freight. Shifting some of the freight coming into the region onto rail will help cut emissions, but things can also be done once it is in the city.
More efficient vehicles is an obvious step, but so too is smart travel information and route optimisation. Auckland Transport is already providing more information to drivers through the web, roadside signage and GPS devices, all of which enable more efficient freight movement.
Comprehensive freight consolidation services will also help reduce unnecessary freight trips, and the plan calls for an investigation into the shared use of freight hubs in and around Auckland.
Expect too that used vehicle imports will come under scrutiny, with the plan calling for the adoption of international best practice standards for imported vehicles as a way to reduce fuel consumption.
Even if people do take public transport, or walk or cycle more, there will still be private vehicle trips. Switching from fossil fuels to clean alternatives will be critical to achieving the plan's goals.
The planners want to see a transformation of new vehicles towards those powered by electricity or biofuels. Because three quarters of New Zealand's electricity comes from renewable sources, it's a good way to reduce emissions and also cushions drivers from any price volatility in imported fuel.
Auckland Transport is already trying out some of its ideas in Beachhaven, a suburb whose location on the North Shore means every car coming out of the suburb adds to the density of traffic in the vicinity or into the central city.
A behaviour change team surveyed how people commuted, and then went back to them with information about alternatives such as ferry, bus, walking and cycling options. It's a way of making people aware of improvements in public transport as they happen.
Auckland Transport calculated there was a 40 per cent reduction in driving trips made by people that took part in the programme, with people switching to bus, carpooling and ferry.
Future scenario
• By 2040, the plan envisages an Auckland with a well-designed and accessible urban form that is supported by a resilient and integrated transport network.
• The efficient transport fleet is powered by sustainable energy sources, public transport is fast, reliable and efficient, and is the mode of choice along with walking and cycling.
• The transport system readily connects residents to areas of greatest demand. It also enables efficient distribution of freight.
• Greenhouse gas emissions are 49 per cent lower than 2009 levels, with transport making a fair share contribution to that.
Residents can have their say on the Auckland Low Carbon Action Plan on the Auckland Council website. The closing date is 7 April 2014.
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