Prepare to be grumpy - Auckland toll plan

[AllanB]

Point the tunnel digger straight down - strike oil - money problem solved.

[swbarnett]

Old solutions to old problems with an absolutely inevitable outcome.

Find the traffic bottlenecks and build top notch business facilities 10 miles in the opposite direction to balance out the flows of traffic. No need for new roads then.

Exactly.

Auckland's traffic problems (what little there are) stem largely from the fact that we have only one CBD.

[FJRider]

While I've no problem with the tolls, do you realise how much of what you eat, need, buy is made or imported via Auckland? Any rise in transport costs or inefficiencies gets passed on to the entire nation through higher goods prices.

I thank the entire nation for their support/help then ..

[swbarnett]

Point the tunnel digger straight down - strike oil - money problem solved.

If only. Given that Auckland is sitting on a caldera you're more likely to strike magma.

[mashman]

Exactly.

Auckland's traffic problems (what little there are) stem largely from the fact that we have only one CBD.

Sprinkle a little bit of, useless politicians who only understand the notion of centralisation on the top, and you're bang on. Bitterly disappointing and I feel your pain even though, as yet, I ain't getting hammered for toll's doon here. Having said that we're getting nice new roads to shift the same volume of traffic more quickly to new bottlenecks, right before they hit the old bottlenecks. The opposite side of SH1 is barren during rush hour (oxymoron much) traffic.

[Swoop]

What is the downside of the users of AUCKLAND roads ... paying for use of AUCKLAND roads ... ???

Two points. Auckland has already paid for these roads, Auckland has been paying for the rest of the countries roads also.

Looney Len Brown is a cock. (ok, point #3 established as well).


The solution is simple. Simply finish off those roads being built and then not spend a cent on new stuff. All funding to be used on bus and public transport from thereon.
I laughed heartily this morning while watching traffic at a standstill on the "motoring-way" whilst thunder roared and rain fell.

Lowering the price of bus fares is sensible as well. Attract people out of their cars and onto busses. The cost of parking a car in Auckland is astronomical as well & should provide added incentive.

There are two issues that should be concerning Auckland council. #1: an integrated, user-friendly bus service throughout the city. #2: Establishing (because it hasn't been done yet!) a simple system of collecting fares on the trains (none of this swipe-on swipe-off crap).

[Madness]

Auckland Council is fucked. Lenny would have done us all a favour if Bevan had given the cunt AIDS.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=11324634

[buggerit]

Two points. Auckland has already paid for these roads, Auckland has been paying for the rest of the countries roads also.

Looney Len Brown is a cock. (ok, point #3 established as well).


The solution is simple. Simply finish off those roads being built and then not spend a cent on new stuff. All funding to be used on bus and public transport from thereon.
I laughed heartily this morning while watching traffic at a standstill on the "motoring-way" whilst thunder roared and rain fell.

Lowering the price of bus fares is sensible as well. Attract people out of their cars and onto busses. The cost of parking a car in Auckland is astronomical as well & should provide added incentive.

There are two issues that should be concerning Auckland council. #1: an integrated, user-friendly bus service throughout the city. #2: Establishing (because it hasn't been done yet!) a simple system of collecting fares on the trains (none of this swipe-on swipe-off crap).

Make public transport free for a couple of years and get people in the habit, and free tolls and parking for motorbikes

[FJRider]

Two points. Auckland has already paid for these roads,

With a little help from the tax payer. ie: US ...

Auckland has been paying for the rest of the countries roads also.

Actually ... the other way round. AND ...There's a few roads down my way that "Need work" ... your contribution will be happily accepted ..

Looney Len Brown is a cock. (ok, point #3 established as well).

No need to bring up known facts ...

The solution is simple. Simply finish off those roads being built and then not spend a cent on new stuff. All funding to be used on bus and public transport from thereon.

I hereby declare ... AUCKLAND ... is finished. (another known fact)

I laughed heartily this morning while watching traffic at a standstill on the "motoring-way" whilst thunder roared and rain fell.

Had I'd been there to see it too (thank god I wasn't) ... I would have too ....

Lowering the price of bus fares is sensible as well. Attract people out of their cars and onto busses. The cost of parking a car in Auckland is astronomical as well & should provide added incentive.

Sensible ... and .. attract people (Aucklanders) in the SAME sentence ...

There are two issues that should be concerning Auckland council. #1: an integrated, user-friendly bus service throughout the city.

They're Aucklander's ... not (usually) friendly at the best of times ...

You don't spend $80,000 on a new Merc" ... and then take the bus.

#2: Establishing (because it hasn't been done yet!) a simple system of collecting fares on the trains (none of this swipe-on swipe-off crap).

Why not just pay with money ... ?? Has THAT not been tried before .. ??

[R650R]

If road transport becomes too expensive due to tolls maybe rail or sea freight may become more economic.

Typical greenies type argument, trouble is freight still needs to get from factory to port or railhead and the same with raw materials and imports other way.
All that would I is make our economy uncompetitive and plunge us to third world status when we are already a long way from export markets.
As per my original posts you'll just being increasing the costs for everyone in the country.

The one thing that could reduce congestion is for the govt to mandate staggered work start times, its crazy all the lemmings driving to work at same times every day and wondering why we have congestion.

[R650R]

Auckland Council is fucked. Lenny would have done us all a favour if Bevan had given the cunt AIDS.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=11324634

But that would have been a work related injury as he was rooting on council time. Treatment costs would cripple ACC and bike rego would go up again!

[Hoon]

I'm all for it. Tax people off the road I say. Traffic congestion is mainly due to the number of single occupancy vehicles on the road heading to work/school. Once you make it less attractive not only do you see a shift towards public transport and car pooling, but you also generate a bit of income. If people want the right to drive their 4/5 seater car all by themselves to work each day then they can pay for that privilege. I'll be one of them. If I can save 15-30 mins travel time that's worth $5 to me.

[HenryDorsetCase]

a simple system of collecting fares on the trains (none of this swipe-on swipe-off crap).

that system works well in Wellington and fairly well in Melbourne. there was some political clusterfuck about it in Orkers I recall.

[Voltaire]

I am all in favour of it. building motorways does not cure traffic congestion. It just ensures that you ahve more motorways clogged with cars.

I went to a really interesting lecture last year about public transport from a Professor at Harvard [Dr Edward Glaeser] who was out here. Boiled down, his advice was: If you build more motorways you get more traffic. If you want less traffic institute user pays. Example: Shanghai. Restricted number of number plates issued every year, plus user pays tolls = less traffic. Also he was not a fan of light rail: reckoned the same outcomes could be achieved with buses but with less capital infrastructure and thus cost. (the idea being you have roads already, you dont need to acquire greenfields then build rail lines and stations etc.

It was interesting, thought provoking, relevant, and will be ignored.

They usually put the lectures up on line: I will see if I can find it.


http://www.comsdev.canterbury.ac.nz/...&articleId=911


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3Mvz...864BA4&index=4

really really interesting lecture. Well worth an hour of your time.

Driving down the Southern Motorway on my 15 minute commute to work you can see most vehicles are single occupant.

The Council promised 1st world public transport back in the 80's when they agreed to chop up the 1/4 acre sections for more infill housing.

That went well.......now we have more population and cars.

Whats with the CBD? why do we all need to go there? I work for a multinational and its in Highbrook, all I can see from my window is parks

and trees, I'd be reluctant to work in the city again.

Extending the Northern Bus route idea over the whole motorway network would be the cheapest idea, loose one lane to the buses.

Motorcycles are not really much of an option for most people.

[mashman]

Extending the Northern Bus route idea over the whole motorway network would be the cheapest idea, loose one lane to the buses.

Let them use the service lane in rush hour and shoot any fucker that uses it that ain't on a bus. Win win win win really.