Green party backs Auckland congestion plan

Auckland’s Green Party has adopted the Congestion Free Network plan of public transport projects proposed by youth organisation Generation Zero and the Transportblog, a blueprint which lays out a future integrated public transport network in the city, staged at five yearly intervals through to 2030.

According to the Network, the current council's US$28.7 billion Integrated Transport Programme will not reduce congestion. It claims the US$8.4 billion Congestion Free Network plan will not only lead to a higher quality and better functioning city but is also more affordable. Investing in the 'missing' public transport network before further expansion of the road network will almost certainly turn out to be much cheaper and more efficient for Auckland.

The Congestion Free Network plan isolates the top layer of the public transport network and shows how these can be expanded and connected while remaining integrated with the other layers of the public transport system, especially the local bus networks, to form a complete system to complement the existing and mature road network.

Greens co-leader Russell Norman said the party's plan "will make a huge difference to the lives of Aucklanders. What they are saying is that all the investment should be into public transport in Auckland - so by definition, to fund that, they are going to have to cancel all the other investment taking place around New Zealand."