Auckland Transport is expected to sign off on a new 10-year $28 billion budget plan, which would aim to improve Auckland's roads, public transport, and introduce "smart systems" to help ease congestion.
The Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP) is a new proposal introduced by the Government, Auckland Council and Auckland Transport in April, after an earlier version was rejected by the Government in January.
The former proposal reportedly didn't meet the priorities of the council and the new Labour-led Government. The Government wants to accelerate Auckland's public transport, encourage walking and cycling, and improve health, safety and access for Aucklanders.
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The new document details the priorities agreed upon for transport spending in Auckland over the next three decades. It reveals how Auckland Transport will meet its funding commitments under ATAP, and how the Government will issue spending through NZ Transport Agency and KiwiRail.
"The Auckland Transport Alignment Project represents Council and Government's agreement to spend around $28 billion over the 2018-2028 period," says Auckland Mayor Phil Goff in the document.
Transport Minister Phil Twyford says the partnership between Government and Auckland Council through ATAP is "essential to progressing a transformative transport programme for Auckland."
Over the next 30 years, Auckland is projected to grow by up to another million people, while in the next decade nearly 55 percent of New Zealand's population growth is expected to be in Auckland.
To facilitate this growth, ATAP proposes around $28 billion of investment in Auckland's transport over the next decade, based on planned and assumed funding, including an expected increase of $4.6 billion on previous funding plans.
These funding plans include $2.8 billion from the National Land Transport Fund, $1.5 billion from the regional fuel tax, and $360 million from Crown Infrastructure Partners.
Some of the major committed projects included in the ATAP package are CityRail Link, the Puhoi-Warkworth motorway, additional electric trains, Manukau-Papakura motorway widening, and northern corridor improvements alongside a northern bus way extension to Albany.
New projects proposed under the scheme include Light Rail from the city to airport and northwest corridor, an eastern bus way from Panmure to Botany, and an airport to Puhinui state highway upgrade.
There are also plans for new infrastructure to enable Greenfield growth, Mill Road (first phase), enhanced walking and cycling, bus priority and network growth optimisation programmes.
Widening of the Papakura to Drury motorway has also been proposed, alongside a lower cost East West link from Onehunga to Penrose, improvements to Penlink toll road and Albany to Silverdale bus routes, and Pukekohe "electrification".
Over the past few years investment into cycling (including the Urban Cycleway Fund) has increased substantially, from under $20 million a year in 2013 to around $40 million in both 2016 and 2017, the document says.
Some significant cycling investments along state highway corridors have been included in the ATAP package. These include walking and cycle route SkyPath, and its companion route SeaPath, which carries on to Esmonde Road in Takapuna, and a new walking and cycling crossing of the Manukau Harbour between Onehunga and Mangere Bridge.
Overall, around $640 million of investment in cycling infrastructure has been included in the ATAP package.
In addition, "intelligent transport systems" are planned to be introduced in Auckland to "manage congestion, improve safety and influence travel demand," the document says. This could mean technology that could, for example, charge drivers for entering busy areas.
If Auckland Transport approves the ATAP package, it will be subject to final approval of the regional fuel tax and from the Auckland Council.
Funding allocated in ATAP package:
- Rapid transit - $8.4 billion
- Strategic road network - $3.8 billion
- Greenfield transport infrastructure - $1.3 billion
- Safety programmes - $900 million
- Walking, cycling and local board priorities - $900 million
- Bus and ferry improvements - $700 million
- Network optimisation and technology - $700 million
- Operational costs ($8.1 billion) and asset renewals ($3.3 billion)
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