Conclusion

So in conclusion, it seems like there are strategy’s in place that the Council and other local bodies are involved in, as they try to facilitate Auckland’s growth and provide better transport links. However in reality, it will take many years before we see results. While this is due to limited funding, I think that it is also because the Council and transport agencies should have prioritised better in the past. Creating motorways and highways has only encouraged drivers to use private vehicles. We need to move away from this. Public transport, car-pooling, cycling and walking need to be presented as more appealing and efficient modes of transport. It is these forms of transportation that can help in reducing car use, which will minimise carbon emissions and ultimately create a more sustainable environment for us all. 

Pull and Push Measures

Reading over my blog, I realised that I have widely discussed transportation in terms of sustainability. So I thought I should briefly mention other ways that could be used to reduce car dependency within Auckland, to get people out of their cars and instead using more sustainable forms of transport such as those mentioned in the blog. I will do this by identifying pull measures and push measures. A pull measure attempts to encourage people to use more efficient modes of transport while a push measure attempts to push people out of the use of private vehicles by discouraging car use or by creating barriers that make car use difficult, (Jensen-Butler et al 2008).

PULL MEASURES

Measure	Description
Use of School Buses	A private bus providing transport for students to and from school. This provides an alternative form of transport for school children and is a more convenient option for parents who then do not have to use their private vehicle to drop and pick their child to and from school.
Park and Ride	While a park and ride requires some driving, it encourages less travel on the road and more travel on public transport. In Auckland there are park and rides in many areas, for example, Homai, Papatoetoe and Orakei.
Telecommuting and Alternative Work Schedules	This involves people “using telecommunications technologies to avoid driving to and from work during peak periods,”(Hildebrand 2007).
Travel Awareness Campaigns	Involving “media campaigns and marketing techniques which aim at making the general public aware of their transportation choices,” (TravelWise 2010).

PUSH MEASURES

Measure	Description
Parking Charges: Push	Costs imposed on vehicle drivers to discourage them from car use - this is why a lot of people that work in Auckland City use public transport, because of the high costs of parking.
Fuel Taxes	“Imposed sales tax put on the sale of fuel,” (Petrol Prices.Com 2010).
Road User Charges	To “reflect the costs that vehicles impose on others and on the environment,”(New Zealand Government 2008).
Vehicle Excise Duty	“Penalising the highest emitting cars,” (BBC News 2008).

Walking - our most sustainable form of transportation

Walking within Auckland has not yet become popular. Although there are people that do walk to and from work and school, this is only a small proportion of Aucklanders. While this is largely due to services and facilities not being within walking distance, Aucklanders generally, are just lazy. I always see people catch Auckland City’s free bus just to go from downtown to the middle of Queen Street. This is approximately a 7-10 minute walk on flat land however Aucklanders find even a small distance like this to be difficult.

Walking must be encouraged in Auckland. It is free, it keeps us fit and healthy and it is the most sustainable form of transportation.

The walking environment within Auckland is well maintained on some streets however the quality of footpaths differs between areas. It is in quiet side streets that the quality of footpaths tends to go down. Auckland needs to upgrade these footpaths as it is these streets that pedestrians will often use as short cuts to get to places. Footpaths in Auckland range in width however the majority of these footpaths are approximately 2m. This is the ideal width as it provides every person with the opportunity to travel along these footpaths, including those in wheelchairs, who require at least 2m of space to travel comfortably, (Department of Transport 2004). 

Pedestrian crossings are placed strategically along roads and those that are walking can also cross the road at the lights, with signage instructing drivers to give way to pedestrians, (See Image 1). This ensures safety for those wanting to walk.

Image 1: An example of signage on an Auckland road that provides safety for pedestrians
Source: Maharaj 2011

So there are provisions for walking. The challenge is raising awareness of the benefits of walking, getting people out on those streets and getting them motivated to walk.   

Cycling in Auckland

Cycling is one of the most efficient forms of transportation. However, in Auckland, cycling isn't encouraged enough. Cyclists have to travel along the main road with other vehicles - often slowing down the flow of traffic and putting themselves and others in danger. In certain areas however, such as Great South Road, provisions have been made for cyclists. For example, the placement of advanced stop lines, which are designated zones that are only for the use of cyclists, (See Image 1). 

Image 1: An example of designated stop lines for the use of cyclists
Source: Maharaj 2011

These cyclists are given the opportunity to go ahead of other vehicles, giving them a head start so that they are not caught in between traffic and put in dangerous situations. In the absence of cycle lanes, these designated zones provide advantages for cyclists and with this space set aside, can encourage people to use cycling as a form of transport. However these zones are only placed in certain areas and are not consistent along Auckland roads.

While cyclists are able to travel in bus lanes, because there are not many bus lanes either, this doesn't do much for cyclists. I believe that what Auckland really needs in order to encourage cycling is to establish more cycle lanes. Cycle lanes are designated spaces set aside for cyclists, which generally excludes other traffic. While “designated cycleways continue to be established, as part of Auckland Transport's integrated strategy,”(Auckland Transport 2011) there is still a lot of work to be done to get cycling encouraged within Auckland.


Cycling is a form of transport that should be encouraged. It is effective in improving health, reduces the need for fuel, which is good for sustaining resources and it is good for the environment, as no carbon dioxide is emitted when cycling.

Increased interest in car pooling

With all of the expenses that come from driving a vehicle such as fuel costs and parking charges, commuters are now attempting to try other forms of transport - car pooling, (See Image 1).

Image 1: An example of work mates car pooling
Source: Google Images 2011

This increased interest has led to the establishment of projects that further encourage people to use this more sustainable form of transport. Auckland International Airport has a car pooling scheme which is dominated by a website “that decides who people travel with, how often they carpool and lets them know who lives nearby to find a good carpooling buddy,” (Auckland Transport 2011). This scheme offers numerous opportunities for commuters and can provide a number of benefits including travel costs being reduced and colleagues being able to interact with each other. Using car pooling is also a more efficient mode of transport and ensures that less cars are on the road, therefore being good for the environment. Besides these benefits that car pooling already brings, Auckland Transport also runs competitions to incentivise Airport staff. I never realized such schemes existed within Auckland. It was only after researching for this blog that I discovered this and I am impressed. I believe that this car pooling scheme has major potential and should be carried out in other businesses to encourage them too to use more efficient modes of transport like car-pooling. Not just within businesses, but even students could try similar schemes and car pool with their class mates to school or university.  Essentially, this will provide many benefits for Aucklanders. 

The Ferry Service

The main ferry terminal within Auckland is situated in Auckland City. Ferries make trips daily to various locations including Birkenhead, Devonport and Waiheke Island. Catching the ferry can provide a “peaceful change from the hectic mayhem,” (MAXX 2011) that often comes with driving or catching public transport. I haven’t managed to catch the ferry many times however the few times that I have, the service has always been efficient and on time. While the ferry is a form of transportation, it is also majorly used as a tourist attraction with a large proportion of people catching the ferry just to enjoy the beautiful views of Auckland, (See Image 1). 

Image 1: An example of the views that those catching the ferry can enjoy
Source: Wikipedia 2011

The Auckland ferry service allows prams to be taken on board and there is access for those with disabilities. Bikes can be taken on the ferry and even animals can come along for the ride. Also, MAXX has provided buses to and from ferry terminals in certain areas like Birkenhead and Devonport, providing access to the ferry and encouraging commuters to use this service. There are also “free park and sail facilities available at most ferry departure points,” (MAXX 2011) I think there is potential for ferries to travel to other areas of Auckland where they can be used as another mode of transportation – this should be looked into by the Auckland Council. 

Auckland Trains Continued

Currently, there are actions being taken to upgrade train services within Auckland with “new carriages, electrification, station upgrades plus more frequent services at all times of the day,” (Auckland Transport 2011). We can see that the Council is working on this with the major upgrade of the Newmarket train station which “has recently been voted one of the country's best new buildings,” (Auckland Transport 2011). 

Image 1: The recently upgraded Newmarket Train Station
Source: Auckland Transport 2011 

However, there are many other train stations around Auckland that look run down and although are not as widely used as the Newmarket station, really need an upgrade.

I have also noticed that many train stations within Auckland have been placed in areas with low visibility, in areas that seem dangerous. The Otahuhu train station for example is in the middle of an industrial zone and the Homai train station is in a quiet, secluded area, where highschool kids often go to fight. Catching the train at night and getting off at these stations seems unsafe and can highly discourage people from using the rail service. Some stations also have poor quality lighting at night, which makes these places even more dangerous. With “over 7.5 million passenger journeys per annum and expectations of this continuing to grow,” (Auckland Transport 2011) the Council must ensure that the upgrades happen sooner rather than later. 

Auckland Trains

While train travel is described as a reliable form of transport that provides comfort, opportunities to read, take a look at the view or even take a snooze, this is not the case within Auckland. The trains in this city (See Image 1) do not have the capacity to handle such a large population and trains often become overcrowded.

Image 1: An example of an Auckland train at Auckland City's Britomart train station
Source: NZ History 2011

This happens alot on Auckland trains, especially during peak hours when people are off to work, to school or university. Commuters will often have to bunch together and stand in the train and with the train tracks sometimes causing a bumpy ride, the lack of handles to hold onto, makes it dangerous for those that are standing. Also, although Auckland trains run on a timetable, they often come late. Just the other day, my train did not turn up at all. I, along with many other train travelers, was left at the Penrose station for over half an hour, frustrated, wondering where the train was. I checked the MAXX website and it said that the 9.08 train that we had been waiting for was running on time but it obviously was not. Thirty minutes later, when the next train arrived, it was so overcrowded with people that it was a struggle just to get into the train. While these trains are more reliable then buses and are therefore many people’s preferred form of transport, for a city that wishes to become globally recognized, the Council needs to invest in infrastructure.