Transport Strategy 2006
Our Transport Strategy sets out how we intend to develop, manage and influence transport in North Shore City over the next ten years. This includes roads, public transport, cycling, pedestrians and parking.
We based the strategy on technical expertise and feedback from North Shore City residents about what sort of transport system you wanted. It is helping us to create a stystem that:
- meets the transport needs of people, businesses and communities
- efficiently connects the city’s town centres by public and private transport
- makes our city streets and centres attractive and safe for all users, particularly cyclists and pedestrians, and makes travel safe and affordable
- gives people transport choice and encourages walking, cycling and the use of public transport
- uses road space efficiently
- is well-integrated with land use planning and city growth strategies
This should lead to more residents choosing to walk, cycle or use public transport, and a safer, healthier community. It should also lead to a more pleasant, attractive city and less air, water and noise pollution.
As part of preparing the 2006-16 City Plan, we consulted North Shore City residents and ratepayers about how much money they wanted us to spend on improving transport. The majority of people chose a major increase in spending to greatly improve our transport system over maintaining the status quo, or a slight spending increase. As a result, the council voted to spend more than $780m on transport infrastructure over the ten year period.
What are our challenges?
North Shore City’s transport system usually meets the needs of people and businesses.
However, some of the biggest frustrations for road users are traffic congestion during peak times, and travel time predictability. This problem will continue to grow as more people with more cars use North Shore City’s roads, affecting our economy and residents’ day to day lives.
Bus services are not always frequent and reliable in all areas, and some bus shelters and bus stations need improving. Some ferry terminals also need upgrading, and ferry services could be expanded.
The supply of parking in town centres does not always meet the demand in some areas.
We need to make our roads safer for all users, to help reduce accidents and injuries, particularly for vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists.
Reducing air and water pollution caused by transport is another challenge.
What are we doing to meet transport needs?
North Shore City Council, working with our regional partners Auckland Regional Transport Authority and Transit New Zealand, has a range of projects and programmes under way or planned to improve transport in our city.
These include:
- Northern Busway (a joint project with Transit)
- More frequent bus services, covering more areas (ARTA)
- Transit lanes and other measures, such as bus advance lanes at intersections, to get buses moving quickly
- Better ferry terminals
- Road safety improvements and education campaigns
- Major road upgrades
- More cycle lanes and paths
- Parking improvements
- More and safer pedestrian crossings and footpaths and walkways
- TravelWise for schools and workplaces
- Walking School Buses
Every weekday within North Shore City, 65,000 people travel to work, 35,800 children travel to school, and 6,700 people travel to university.
Sustainable transport
Our transport strategy places a special emphasis on environmental sustainability. While it is important to have good quality roads, we recognise that building more and more roads cannot 'fix' traffic congestion, as it merely encourages more people to use cars, leading to more traffic congestion and more water and air pollution.
We will make it easier and safer for people to walk, cycle and use public transport. We will take steps to manage environmental impacts such as water run-off and the use of non-renewable resources.
Our TravelWise programme, including walking school buses, is encouraging more school children to walk and cycle to school. We are also working with employers to reduce car travel to and from work. Transit lanes on major roads are encouraging more people to car pool or catch the bus.