The draft Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is out, and the Have Your Say-ing has begun. The last day for submissions is Monday, 17 June.
Although they talk a great talk about safety and providing for transport choice, their allocation for walking and cycling combined is only 1% of the transport budget. This is far short of the 20% recommended by the UN for the environment.
We encourage you to tell Auckland Transport to put their money where their mouth is – to invest more towards walking and cycling in order to, quoting the Transport Emissions Reduction Pathway, “super charge walking and cycling”.
Skip to….
- What is the RLTP?
- Does the draft RLTP deliver transport choice?
- Have Your Say links and such
- The Bike Auckland Guide
What is the RLTP?
The Regional Land Transport Plan is an outline of our region’s investment in transport over the next 10 years. It aims to identify the transport challenges we are facing now and over the next decade, and which transport projects will be delivered first. The Regional Land Transport Plan gets reviewed every 3 years.
A portion of the funding to deliver the Regional Land Transport Plan is supplied by Auckland Transport, and other Council agencies, and another portion is supplied by Waka Kotahi NZTA. For this reason, the document includes a ‘definite’ budget (non-discretionary) of what they can deliver with the money they have, and an ‘optional’ budget (discretionary) of what they would be able to deliver if Waka Kotahi NZTA commit the amount of funding that they seek.
For more information, check out The Spinoff’s great explanation of the RLTP here.
Does the draft RLTP deliver transport choice?
The draft RLTP 2024’s proposed budget falls far short on achieving our collective vision for a thriving, connected Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
They have allocated a teensy 1% of the overall transport budget towards walking and cycling. If Waka Kotahi NZTA come to the table with the funding they have requested, this would inch forward to 3%.
We urge Auckland Transport to put their money where their mouth is and deliver safety, connectivity, and transport choice for everyone. We urge Auckland Transport to deliver on the Transport Emissions Reduction Pathway (TERP), their pathway for meeting the emission reductions targets set by Auckland Council’s Climate Action Plan. All of which require a more reasonable investment towards walking and cycling.
Have Your Say
If you are ready to let Auckland Transport know your vision for the shape and direction of our region’s transport for the next 10 years, use these links to have your say now! And, read on for our Quickfire Guide.
The last day to have your say is Monday, 17 June.
Quickfire Guide
This guide details Bike Auckland’s thoughts on the draft RLTP. You are welcome to take inspiration from this but please use your own words, where possible <3
Have we correctly identified the most important challenges facing Auckland?
Bike Auckland says: Yes
Though the Regional Land Transport Plan doesn’t meaningfully work to combat the challenges, they have been correctly identified!
Are we missing anything from the draft RLTP priorities?
Bike Auckland says: Yes – Transport Choice
Despite identifying Transport Choice as a problem to be solved, they have not included it as a priority. They hint at it within the priorities listed, but it is not listed as a priority in-and-of itself. Since having a diversity of viable transport options is a key part of solving all the other challenges they have listed, it should be its own priority. Remember: if the only viable choice for a given journey is to drive, then everyone will drive, and our roads will be full of so many cars that they can barely move.
Which priority is most important to you?
If you’re sticking with the given list, Bike Auckland says: Safe
Otherwise, Bike Auckland says: Transport Choice
Having safety as a top priority makes all modes viable as a natural consequence. Feeling safe is the number one thing that will get people riding from A to B in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, and has a big impact on walking as well.
Which priority is least important to you?
These all seem equally important to us – choose as you see fit.
Project ranking
1 being most important, 5 being least important
Bike Auckland says:
- Walking & cycling improvements
- Safety improvements
- Public transport improvements
- Local road improvements
- State highway improvements
Change the order as you see fit! This is just what we’ll be putting in.
Are there any projects that are not in the draft plan that you feel should be included?
Bike Auckland says: Yes
Here is the list of projects, and their priority ranking. You can also see them on a map here.
All of the projects on the first page are non-discretionary – that is, they are covered by the existing budget. The projects that might not happen without additional funding from Waka Kotahi are on page two onwards, in priority order.
We do love to see that Māngere West, Westmere Cycleways, Great North Road, Karangahape roadside for CRL (Project K), and Projects for Franklin Paths Targeted Rate are all in the first page, and we want to see more projects join them.
What’s missing?
- An appropriately large funding pool for walking and cycling (aim for 20%!)
- Henderson Cycleways
- Te Whau Pathway
There are also plenty of great projects on the list that could do with better ranking and priority, so you could mention this in the “What’s missing?” box.
Programmes that we absolutely want better ranking for:
- Community cycling and micromobility
- Cycleways Programme (lower cost)
- Cycling for Climate Action
- Safe speeds programme
- Road safety programme
You should mention any specific projects which are important to you. Here are some that could do with a ranking bump:
- Carrington Rd Improvements
- Meadowbank Kohimarama Connectivity Project (Gowing Drive connection)
- Glen Innes Links
- Lake Road/Esmonde Road Improvements
- Glen Innes to Tāmaki Drive Stage 4
- Albert and Vincent Street Improvements
- Glenvar Road/East Coast Road Intersection
- The public transport and active modes parts of the Waitematā Harbour Connections (the shared path from Constellation to Akoranga). Consider whether you would also want them to prioritise the road tunnels part of this project…
- Community Network Improvements (small scale fixes for issues raised by community & local board eg traffic calming, street lighting)
Which planned project could be removed to pay for it?
The following projects have very low Benefit-Cost-Ratios, and are forecast to increase transport emissions.
- East-West Link
- Mill Road
- SH1 Warkworth to Wellsford
Do you have any additional comments on the draft RLTP?
Bike Auckland says: Yes
The budget allocations do not reflect the priorities listed, nor do they meaningfully combat the challenges listed. With so little money put toward walking and cycling, little meaningful progress can be made toward a Fast & Connected, Resilient, Productive, Safe, or Sustainable region. Challenges around Access and Connectivity, Asset Condition (costs over time), Climate Change and the Environment, Safety, and Travel Choices are not meaningfully addressed. When the overall budget is skewed so heavily against the stated aims, it is clear that the stated aims are just lip-service to cover up the incredible bias within the rest of the document.
P.S. Invest 20% of the budget into walking and cycling, as recommended by the UN for Environment, and deliver on the Transport Emissions Reduction Pathway.
The last day to have your say is Monday, 17 June.
