Major investments in transport and urban design are transforming the way we travel across Auckland

Monday, 25 January 2021

As the engine room of New Zealand's economy and the nation's biggest job market, Auckland city centre needs to be accessible, liveable and vibrant in order to prosper.

Auckland Council has an ambitious strategy to help the city's residents and visitors travel more freely and to reduce the impact of cars on the city centre.

Auckland's city centre was historically shaped by public transport and sat at the centre of a city-wide tram system. Inspired by contemporary American cities, trams were removed in the 1950s in favour of cars. It's not easy to repair the damage caused by over-zealous urban motorway construction. But the council believes restoring the share of public transport around Auckland will improve the wellbeing of residents, make essential journeys easier and shape a more accessible, safe, and sustainable travel network.

Urban designer George Weeks is responsible for Auckland's City Centre Masterplan (CCMP), setting out the direction of the city over the next two decades. Weeks, a former urban designer at Transport for London, says walkability and accessibility are key for any major centre.

'The best global cities demonstrate that pedestrian access, walkability, and efficient public transport bring economic benefits.

'The basic function of cities is for face-to-face interaction, and transactions,' he adds. 'Cities are designed to bring people together, from the earliest Bronze Age cities to the 21st century. Cities work when they have something for everybody. We need to give as many people access to the city centre for as many reasons as possible.'

'The world's most affluent city centres, like Lower Manhattan or the City of London, have the densest, best-connected street networks, with extremely good public transport options that help people move around freely. The same relationship applies in Auckland, and we have seen this in our Business Case for Walking study'.

Among the big projects underway is Access for Everyone (A4E), an initiative to reallocate street space for people, instead of cars. Queen Street will prioritise pedestrians and public transport and be surrounded by low-traffic neighbourhoods.

'With 40,000 inhabitants, Auckland city centre is one of the fastest-growing residential areas in New Zealand,' Weeks says. 'We're thinking more carefully about how to use space in the city and thinking strategically about access for everyone.'

Enhanced public transport options have been designed to put Auckland on par with some of the world's best cities. The $4.4 billion City Rail Link (CRL) project is at the forefront of the transformation strategy. It will transform Britomart from a terminus into a through station, deliver two completely new underground stations at Aotea and Karangahape and the existing Mt Eden Station is being redeveloped to connect the City Rail Link with the Western Line.

New Zealand's largest transport infrastructure project to date will carry an extra 54,000 people in and out of the city every hour during peak times, allow more frequent train services and cut journey times.

'CRL will deliver a world class rail system that an international city like Auckland needs to allow it to continue to grow,' says Dr Sean Sweeney, who oversees the project as chief executive of City Rail Link Ltd.

According to Sweeney, doing nothing about the City Rail Link is not an option.

'Auckland will be in danger of grinding to a halt – that's the risk for Auckland – a city that becomes an LA-style 'parking lot' without CRL.'

Sweeney says CRL will deliver a more resilient rail network and revolutionise the way Aucklanders enjoy their city.

'When we finish CRL, the number of people within 30 minutes travel of New Zealand's biggest employment hub – central Auckland – will double.

'Add to that more trains in and out of the city more often, significant travel time savings, and new and improved public transport connections – trains, buses and ferries – it's easy to visualise the big changes coming.'

While it will become easier for Aucklanders and visitors to travel, Sweeney says the city will also enjoy environmental benefits.

'The City Rail Link is a lot more than future-proofing Auckland's rail network for years to come – it will set a higher benchmark for sustainability. There are still four more years of intense work ahead to complete the project, but already there are many impressive examples where words are being put into action.

'The square, Te Komititanga, in lower Queen Street, and the transformation of the lower end of Albert Street are two great people-friendly destinations in the heart of the city developed as part of the project.'

Sweeney adds there is more to come.

'Effective collaboration with Tāmaki Makaurau Iwi to design the CRL stations, and saving the city's past - the preservation of the historic bluestone wall in Albert Street and the Chief Post Office – are great examples that show that there's a lot more to the project than spades and shovels in the ground. CRL will make it easier to get around our city, and, at the same time, give people a project that is unique to Auckland reflecting its past and its future.'

To find out more about Auckland's future in progress visit https://progressakl.co.nz/city-centre-vision/.