CBD loop, not holiday highway - Greens

12 August 2010

If the Government followed its own advice on cost-effective infrastructure, it would invest in the transformational CBD rail loop for the future of Auckland instead of an uneconomic holiday highway, said the Green Party today.

Infrastructure Minister Bill English is reported to have said the CBD rail loop was “horrendously expensive”, and that there needed to be a clear understanding about who was going to pay for such projects “so people can see the consequences of their decisions in their own pocket”.

“The choice is clear: the Puhoi to Wellsford expressway is projected to cost about the same as the CBD rail loop,” said Green Party Transport spokesperson Gareth Hughes.

“The CBD rail loop will transform the city and move many more people at lower overall cost, while the road of significance to National will carry fewer people in 2026 than Dominion Road does in one day now.”

The CBD rail loop is the key to increased capacity and frequency of trains, and is necessary to expand the network to the airport and North Shore.

“English doesn’t consider Puhoi to Wellsford and other uneconomic motorways to be horrendously expensive, even though the billions he plans to pour into them will not benefit many New Zealanders,” said Mr Hughes.

“Puhoi to Wellsford will be paid for by the fuel taxes of Aucklanders sitting on congested roads every day, because they don’t have smart transport options like better trains and buses.

“If we only plan for and fund infrastructure for cars as Auckland’s population grows, the city will be choked with even worse congestion.

“We can look to Los Angeles to see that regions that spend up big on motorways and ignore rail have the worst traffic congestion, and their households and ratepayers are forced to spend more of their income just to get around,” said Mr Hughes.

“How can that be good for the economy? It’s clear that John Key’s Government doesn’t have a coherent transport plan that will deliver real prosperity to New Zealanders.”

Rail and Northern Busway patronage has been growing at a phenomenally high rate in Auckland. Growth in the last few years has been well over 10 percent annually.

“New Zealand needs Auckland to function at a high level every day. That should be the priority over faster access northern beaches ten holidays a year.

“The CBD rail loop is a win for the economy, the environment, and the future of Auckland. It should come first,” said Mr Hughes.

Link to ARTA reports on Rail and Public Transport growth:
http://www.arta.co.nz/home/archived_business_reports

Link to article reporting Bill English’s comments:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/fran-osullivan/news/article.cfm?a_id=13&objectid=10665240