What are the plans to cope with the traffic jams?

MOTORWAYS

Motorway arteries

Two motorway arteries will go through the Auckland isthmus. The Western Ring Route from Manukau to Albany will complement State Highway 1's congested route through central Auckland and the harbour bridge.

The dozens of projects and maintenance planned for state highways (including the Southern, Northern, Northwestern, Southwestern and Upper Harbour motorways) in the next 10 years will cost around $3.2 billion.

Transit New Zealand's Auckland regional manager (acting) Richard Hancy says that in peak traffic a small improvement in the motorway system, or a drop in traffic through more bus or train travel, can make a big difference.

But traffic planners also acknowledge Auckland is a diverse region. Many people travelling to work or elsewhere have to take routes which defy convenient public transport services.

Despite Auckland's spread nature and diverse destinations for workers, the notion traffic congestion can be beaten just by building more roads is a rapidly fading dream. Planners do accept, though, that the region and commercial transport needs a proper road network to function efficiently.

Traffic management

Completion of the planned Auckland motorway system will be accompanied by far more emphasis on sophisticated traffic management. That includes $90 million in the 10-year state highway budget for Advanced Travel Management Systems across Auckland motorway and arterial roads, monitoring and adjusting traffic flows through closed circuit cameras. And Travel Demand Management systems on the main motorways will aim at getting increased traffic flows by keeping motorways and main arteries flowing with a minimum of hold-ups.

Eastern corridor

In the context of Transit NZ's 10-year State Highway Plan to 2013-14 the much hyped (but now shelved) Eastern transport corridor is still, at this stage, classed only as a local roading project. It is not in the plan.

Although the road route across Hobson Bay may not eventuate, other parts of the route may still be necessary, especially in Manukau City where half the planned route lies.


BUSES

There are plans to greatly expand busways, bus lanes and other measures to ease rush-hour pressures.

New motorway projects are being planned with room for future bus lanes, and cycleways and walkways where appropriate.


TRAINS

Station upgrades, modern trains and reliable trackways are all on the way - to be followed, everyone hopes, by reliable service. Rail should offer chances for more people to use the southern and northwestern corridors. Increasing numbers of commuters as far south as Pukekohe and Papakura are already using trains as a way of avoiding motorways.


PLANNING

Plans for motorways, bus lane schemes and everything from rail services, ferries, walkways and cycleways are part of Auckland's Regional Land Transport Strategy. This strategy complements the Auckland Regional Growth Strategy up to 2050 - how and where the increase in population may be fitted into the region. Planning involves the Auckland Regional Council and its new subsidiary, the Auckland Regional Transport Authority, plus the region's four city and two district councils, Transit NZ, Transfund and many other interests and agencies.