AUCKLAND BUSINESS FORUM
Box 28-147, Remuera, Ak
19 November 1999

All-day traffic gridlock in Auckland is the logical outcome if the Green's five-year moratorium on urban highway building ever eventuates.

Coupled with the fact that the Greens' want only $100 million yearly invested in upgrading public transport systems across New Zealand, it is very apparent that the Greens' Transport Policy has no strategic vision but merely tinkers with the problem from an un-researched idealistic public transport standpoint.

"They have missed the bus," said Auckland Business Forum spokesman Michael Barnett.

The Greens have failed to appreciate that Auckland's traffic congestion problem have become increasingly severe, not because of 30 years of "prolific" road building, as claimed by them, but because both road building and provision of public transport have not kept pace with the region's projected growth.

"Auckland's traffic congestion "problem" was predicted 30 years ago by planners who offered an integrated solution in the form of a comprehensive roading network and public transport provision..... But the roading network is still only 63% complete, while "tinkering" best describes efforts to upgrade public transport, said Mr Barnett.

"Lets get real - billions of dollars need to be spent to achieve a public transport system that Aucklanders will use, and a five-year moratorium on urban highway building would soon cripple Auckland's economy."

What Auckland needs is an integrated transport strategy that gives priority to complete a basic roading network befitting a dynamic world city of 1.2 million and a bold, far-sighted public transport system that will meet growth needs for the next 100-150 years.

"This is the kind of future-focused transport policy that Aucklanders are in fact moving towards - and not recycled mythology that closes off one option and tinkers with the other."

 The Auckland Business Forum, comprising the Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce, Employers and Manufacturers Association (Northern), Ports of Auckland, National Road Carriers, Northern Regional Road Transport Association and the Automobile Association, was formed to seek prompt completion of Auckland's roading network.
 For more information contact Michael Barnett, Ph: 309 6100, or Project co-ordinator Tony Garnier, Ph: 303 0396.

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