transport funding Archive

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  Park the urban sprawl – how parking shapes our cities - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  The Herald reports the government has been criticizing Auckland Council for it’s new spatial plan. The government says the spatial plan places too much emphasis on improving public transport and creating a compact urban form (as if they’re bad!). read more
  October 27, 2011 9:18 am - 7 Comments
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  Transport funding CONsultation - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  A few months ago I wrote a draft submission on the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport funding and encouraged members of the public to send it in. Normally, I generally don’t encourage people to make form submissions on a topic but because the issue of land transport funding is pretty technical I wanted to [...] read more
  October 18, 2011 1:55 pm - 5 Comments
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  Why won’t National listen to Auckland on CBD rail link? - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  I was astonished that a few weeks back Auckland MPs voted against inviting the Auckland Council to submit on the CBD rail link debate. I can only talk about it now because the report containing my minority report was tabled in Parliament today. The Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee was discussing my petition to [...] read more
  September 8, 2011 4:52 pm - 11 Comments
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  Round up of transport news - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  I’ve been whipping around the country a lot lately visiting students at Orientation. So I haven’t had a chance to post much. But here’s a bit of a round up of the big transport stories of the last few weeks and my reaction. More funds for rail upgrades in Wellington. The government has announced an [...] read more
  August 2, 2011 6:59 pm - 10 Comments
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  Government’s transport funding plans just silly - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  A while ago the Herald wrote an editorial about the Government’s transport plans for Auckland. They observed that if you define insanity as doing the same thing again and again while expecting a different outcome, then the Government’s transport policies are insane. While I was reading the Government Policy Statement on Transport Funding last week [...] read more
  May 15, 2011 8:44 am - 13 Comments
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  Will Auckland ever get new trains? - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  While Auckland’s public transport systems are getting seriously overcrowded, we are still waiting to find out which company has been awarded the $500 million contract to build the new Auckland electric rail cars (aka Electric Multiple Units or EMUs). The trains, themselves, won’t be operational until 2014 at the earliest. As motorway, after motorway, finishes 6 months [...] read more
  April 19, 2011 5:00 pm - 28 Comments
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  New Auckland motorway causes congestion - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  The Herald has carried another story today about how building a motorway has made congestion worse in Auckland, not better. Suprised? The New Zealand Transport Agency has admitted that they seriously under-estimated how much traffic their upgrades of State Highway 16 (SH16) to form the Western Ring Route would create. Motorists are now experiencing delays of up [...] read more
  December 21, 2010 1:10 pm - 47 Comments
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  National Out of Touch on Transport? - by frog

  
  
  
  I’ve blogged before about the gap between what Steven Joyce wants for Auckland (more roads) and what the average Aucklander wants (more public transport). It’s nice to see the Herald agrees with me (for a change). They rate Joyce’s performance as a Minister 6 out of 10 – not because he isn’t an effective Minister – [...] read more
  November 6, 2009 12:10 pm - 6 Comments
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  A host of cycle signs! - by frog

  
  
  
  The Central Connector is an excellent project that has improved Symonds Street for buses and cyclists alike. City Councils need more funding for projects like these. read more
  October 29, 2009 3:21 pm - 2 Comments
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  7 Months, 7 Roads, and 7 Days… - by frog

  
  
  
  Steven Joyce likes saying he’s tired of the “road versus rail debate” – implying that his government recognizes both roads and public transport are needed and important. But what does this government’s record on transport in Auckland, especially when it comes to 7s, really suggest? read more
  October 23, 2009 12:36 pm - 8 Comments
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  Steven Joyce vs Mike Lee or Most of Auckland? - by frog

  
  
  
  Is the battle in Auckland as to whether we should prioritize public transport over roads for funding really just between Mike Lee (PT) and Steven Joyce (more roads)? The figures say otherwise – it seems almost twice as many Aucklanders favour prioritizing better public transport for the region than want more roads… read more
  October 22, 2009 1:31 pm - 4 Comments
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  Robbing public transport to pay for roads - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  The Government’s release of its Policy Statement on transport (GPS) details how significant amounts of funding are being taken away from sustainable modes of transport to now be spent on roads. In a snap shot, over the next three years: Spending on public transport services (buses, trains, ferries) will be cut by up to 23% [...] read more
  May 20, 2009 12:01 pm - 30 Comments