City Vision vote to beat congestion, C&R vote to keep it
The proposal to extend the operating hours for bus and T3 lanes on key Auckland arterials is a rare chance to beat congestion. The proposed 3pm-7pm operating hours would cover the afterschool rush period and cut several minutes from the journeys of thousands of bus passengers. Despite this clear benefit, C&R members of both the Albert-Eden and Puketāpapa Local Boards voted against the upgrade.
Auckland Transport had asked both boards to feed back on the proposal to extend bus and T3 lanes on Dominion and Pah Roads by an hour. These changes would have saved commuters at least 13,000 hours annually and seen better reliability of bus services. Across both boards, C & R voted against these changes, ignoring staff advice and general support from the public.
This work by Auckland Transport is part of the ‘corridor improvement’ works that AT is undertaking, following the disestablishment of past work such as the light rail programme and Connected Communities programme of upgrades to arterial corridors’. Jon Turner from the Puketāpapa Local Board says, “The proposals they have brought to us are the bare minimum we can do to improve journey times across the city, and it is disappointing to see C&R voting against them. This shows a clear distinction across both local board areas between tickets that want to get our city moving, and those who want it stuck in the 20th century. ”
The proposals saw a one- hour increase to the bus and T3 lanes on these arterial routes, with a projected time saving of 11,600 hours a year on Pah Road, and at least 2000 hours a year for bus users on Dominion Road. Albert-Eden local board member Christina Robertson says, “It’s well known that the only way to beat congestion is to give people options. Faster bus journeys not only save bus passengers time, they help the system work better for everyone, including drivers. A faster, more reliable bus trip becomes a more viable option for more people, and every new bus passenger means one less car in the afternoon traffic. City Vision are backing a change that saves time for everyone.”
At the Albert-Eden Local Board’s July meeting and at the Puketāpapa Local Board’s meeting, C&R’s resolutions called the time-saving of 2-3 minutes for every bus passenger a ‘minimal benefit’ compared to the loss of an hour’s kerbside parking. Mr Turner says, “This is incredibly short-sighted. Thousands more people take the bus every day than can ever park on an arterial road. Faster, more reliable journeys give people the time and the confidence to stop off and visit local businesses. It’s a win-win, but somehow C&R didn’t see that. With the AT reforms coming next year, it shows how important it is for voters to choose elected members who will make decisions based on what will actually work to keep our city moving.”
The defeated motion at the Puketāpapa Local Board meeting
