New Zealand Public Transport

[#Metro]

Came across this cool video of Auckland's new Eastern Busway

Note - It uses Class B ROW. Very non-fancy, intersections shared with general traffic. No grade separation.

Looks like they also just took lanes from the shoulder and existing roads to form the busway. I would expect this to be very low cost.

This is what the busway should look like to Chermside and along Old Cleveland Road perhaps?

In the Brisbane case median busway might be more appropriate. Our arterial roads have residential driveways exiting on to them, the video shown does not.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/DarrenDavis10/status/1538979457909678080

[RowBro]

[#Metro]

Greater Auckland

Yesterday, not to be outdone by National's mega roads plan, Labour announced an absurd $35-45 billion harbour crossing programme that doubles down on the transport planning mistakes of Auckland's past. Two new three lane road tunnels under the Waitemata Harbour, one going in each direction, and a separate light rail tunnel that will link to the existing Auckland Light Rail corridor is the proposed plan for a second Auckland harbour crossing, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Transport Minister David Parker announced today....

Some comments about the below article:

- The trouble with a 'balanced transport' approach is that it generally acts to preserve an imbalanced mode share split.

- The other issue is cost. Placing a bet both ways means that you have to pay for twice as much infrastructure. Infrastructure is already wildly expensive as it is. The cost of these proposals would be crippling.

- Wow. $35-45 billion is astronomical.

- Even from the "emerging preferred option" (what does that even mean?) treats LRT as some sort of coverage service.   An efficient approach would be to maximise patronage on a single corridor by upgrading their existing busway via Metro or LRT conversion, and then run feeder buses off it.

- Do we need tighter language around what a proposal, plan, and a vision is? I think it is not right to call these proposals 'plans'. These are more visions. A plan is more realistic. This NZ proposal clearly has quite a lot more refinement to do.

The Harbour Crossing Boondoggle
Matt L | August 7, 2023


Image Source: Greater Auckland Blog


Image Source: Greater Auckland Blog