Critical Analysis: Transport Problems & Solutions in Auckland

This essay discusses the critical transport issues in Auckland, New Zealand, focusing on the Draft City Centre Transport Proposals. It addresses three key issues: enhancing waterfront connectivity (North-South Stitch), improving pedestrian facilities on Nelson and Hobson Streets while balancing vehicle traffic (East-West Stitch), and enhancing accessibility around Auckland's Learning Quarter. The essay analyzes the actions taken by authorities and recommends solutions, such as reducing traffic lanes, introducing light rail, and prioritizing pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. It concludes that addressing these issues through proper planning and innovative pilot projects can help alleviate Auckland's transport crisis.

Transport Issues in Auckland, New Zealand
Unit Standard- US 22750
1 | P a g e

Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Issues...........................................................................................................................................................3
Issue 1- North South Stitch; connecting North and South Islands...........................................................3
Issue 2- East West Stitch: Connecting Western Island to the main..........................................................4
Issue 3- Innovation and Learning Cradle-Auckland..................................................................................4
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................5
Bibliography................................................................................................................................................6
2 | P a g e

Introduction
Public transport is considered as the livewire of any modern city. Accessibility to main
places of the city can be confirmed by this facility. Current pattern of city layouts are
designed concentrating on the location of city center. The facility of public transport in
Auckland, NZ is mainly depending upon bus, train and ferry services, walking and
cycling. (Transport, 2019) The preference of public transport of any big city of the world
is depending upon the commuters and their preference of the modes of transport
facilities provided by the government along with other allied facilities to ensure smooth
commuting of people. Although NZ government is trying to cope up with the growing
needs of public transport in the cities and city center, there are emerging issues like 1)
development of pedestrian facilities to connect waterfront and city centers, 2) provision
of developed pedestrian infrastructure on Hobson and Nelson Streets with maintenance
of balance regarding carrying and distribution role of vital vehicles to connect city centre
with state highway network, and 3) support to improve pedestrian facility of accessibility
around the Learning Quarter of Auckland through public transport and other modes
active in this regard. Basic objective of this essay is to emphasize on the importance of
public transport in NZ considering above three major issues.
Issues
Issue 1- North South Stitch; connecting North and South Islands
This issue is to enhance the facility of connecting waterfront with the city centre of NZ to
meet the requirements of pedestrians with better accessibility. This issue demands
regular improvement in the domain of public transport to ensure reliability with due
importance of Britomart with required access to port activities. The standing pressure on
Quay Street due to vehicle carrying can be reduced by transferring this pressure to
Customs Street. The ensuing completion of Victoria Park Tunnel would encourage more
use of CMJ for Quay Street through traffic. Actions initiated in this regard is through
3 | P a g e

further modeling of traffic through exploration of options to ensure impacts of reduction
of traffic capacity as confirmed by initial survey. This assessment ensured probability of
major congestion due to closing of Quay Street for non-availability of suitable alternative
to meet demand of increasing parking space along with other concerning factor of better
travel options for city centre.
Recommendations for solutions can be forwarded in the form of reduction of lanes in
the streets resulting to one-way conversion of traffic in Quay and Customs Street with
introduction of light rail as part of the regional public transport system. (Agency, 2019)
Issue 2- East West Stitch: Connecting Western Island to the main
Basic issue is to provide better facilities to the pedestrians of Nelson and Hobson
Streets by balancing their main roles of vehicle carrying and distribution to ensure main
connections of State Highway Network and City centre.
Recommendations for solutions made to resolve this issue may be through further
modeling of traffic by reducing capacity and vehicle speed to ensure better provision for
pedestrians. Survey is required to understand the implication of two-way traffic at
northern parts along with new option for a new layout of Cook Street, which would focus
on pedestrian requirements to ensure the viability of long term plans to ensure changing
usages of land of NZTA. (L, 2014)
Issue 3- Innovation and Learning Cradle-Auckland
The issue has emphasized on improvement of accessibility along with facilities to the
pedestrians around the Learning Quarter, the university arena of Auckland, especially
through public transport and other effective and active modes of transport. Emphasis
had been given through this issue to ensure in the domain of high level quality of
pedestrian environment within the said area. This area needs critical study and survey
to explore possible and feasible facilities for improvement of public transport including
pedestrian and cycling within the area of Learning Quarter in order to improve the
environment for the pedestrians.
4 | P a g e

Recommendations for solutions are in the form of regular study to enhance facilities for
pedestrian and cycling community through innovation and creation within the area of
Learning Quarter.
Conclusion
This article is written on the basis of Draft City Centre Transport Proposals. Out of the
eight issues mentioned in the agenda named Draft City Transport Proposals, three are
discussed. The referred Auckland Crisis of transportation is criticized by experts as lack
of planning and fore-sight on the part of implementers. In order to come out of this
crisis, three major issues had been selected for discussion here to emphasize on North
South Stitch, East West Stitch and the Learning Cradle. The discussion is evolved with
the issues of public transport, respective actions taken by the authority followed by
recommendation made for solutions, as described above. These three areas can be
developed with the recommendations or solutions given against each issue and the
transport problem of Auckland named Auckland Crisis may be averted through the
implementation of recommendations through proper long-term planning, innovation and
creation of feasible pilot projects. (Wilson, 2017)
5 | P a g e

Bibliography
Agency, N. Z. (2019). Travelling by Public Transport. (N. Z. Government, Producer) Retrieved March 5th, 2019,
from Noew Zeaaland Government:
https://www.nzta.govt.nz/walking-cycling-and-public-transport/public-transport/travelling-by-public-
transport/
L, M. (2014, Augist 8). The City East West Transport Study. Retrieved March 3, 2019, from Greater Auckland:
https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2014/08/08/the-city-east-west-transport-study/
Transport, A. (2019, February). Auckland Transport News. (N. Z. Government, Producer) Retrieved March 03,
2019, from New Zealand Government: https://at.govt.nz/
Wilson, S. (2017, April 18). Auckland's transport crisis: How it was made and why it will only get worse. Retrieved
March 3, 2019, from Newzealand Herald: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?
c_id=1&objectid=11840242
6 | P a g e