Plans to introduce a light rail system between Auckland International Airport and the CBD have been confirmed.
Auckland Transport says the current bus services to the airport will eventually be replaced by light rail but it is not clear when that will begin.
Mayor Phil Goff says it's a step in the right direction to future-proof Auckland.
"With nearly 18 million passenger arrivals a year at Auckland Airport, a mass transit alternative to growing gridlock is critical. And the growth in employment in the airport precinct, adding further pressure on the roads, also makes a public transport option important," Mr Goff says.
Timing for the transition will be based on demand, capacity and funding, but the preferred route will be along Dominion Rd.
Auckland Transport says mass transit to the airport needs to be revised and urgently improved as road congestion worsens.
Part of the short-term plan to lessen traffic may also include a more buses and a dedicated busway, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) says.
Labour's Auckland Issues spokesman Phil Twyford is slamming the loose timeline, and says the "crucial piece of infrastructure" needs to be built now.
"The agreement between Auckland Transport and NZTA to build light rail from the CBD down Dominion Rd to Mt Roskill and on to the airport is welcome news. The 30-year wait isn't," Mr Twyford says.
The estimated cost for the light rail is $1 billion.
The airport's 30-year vision, released in 2014, included rail transport as well as adding a second runway by 2025 and connecting the domestic and international terminals.
However, the rail plan didn't initially get the green light. It was taken off the table last June, after NZTA deemed it too expensive and difficult to implement.
Newshub.
