If you like it then you better put rail in it

The Green Party is calling on the Government to put its money where its mouth is and safeguard Auckland’s second harbour crossing for rail.

In response to the launch of the Green Party's campaign for a rail line to the North Shore, the NZ Transport Agency said today that it was "100 percent committed to providing Aucklanders with a future multi-model transport corridor" as part of a second harbour crossing, without providing any specific detail on what that might look like.

“It's nice that the Transport Agency isn’t ruling out a rail crossing, but Aucklanders want rail to be definitely ruled in. It must be the priority for the second harbour crossing," said Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter.

“The Transport Agency’s statement that it wants to a ‘multi-modal corridor’ for the second harbour crossing is not the strong commitment to rail that Aucklanders are looking for.

“Aucklanders have been pretty clear they want rail to the Shore. A recent UMR poll showed Aucklanders were far more support for a rail harbour crossing than a road-only option.

“Aucklanders do not want to sit in their cars in traffic for the next hundred years; high-capacity, clean-energy rail would give Aucklanders a viable alternative.

“The Government’s own analysis shows a road/bus tunnel won’t work. It will lead to 20,000 more cars flooding into Auckland Central every day. We also know that bus congestion in the city centre will constrain the future growth of the Northern busway.

“The NZTA and Auckland Transport need to commit to safeguarding the crossing for rail right now. The Transport Agency’s own documents show that a rail crossing needs to be safeguarded now in order for it to be possible in the future," said Ms Genter.

Latest Transport Announcements

Story

National put climate action into reverse gear

The National Party’s plan to install EV chargers while at the same time making it harder for people to buy an EV is bizarre and ridiculous.
Read More

Story

Prioritising roads over climate is simply irresponsible

The Government’s decision today to prioritise new roads is the exact opposite of what Aotearoa needs right now and needs a rethink.
Read More

Story

Irresponsible Auckland harbour crossing bad for climate and bad for congestion

Throwing tens of billions of dollars at another six lanes of traffic is not going to solve Auckland’s congestion problem - and is grossly irrespons...
Read More

Story

It’s official! The Green Party the only grown-ups in the room on public transport

People are tired of the three yearly public transport merry-go-round. It literally doesn’t get anyone anywhere.
Read More

Story

National’s transport policy rehash of failed ideas

The National Party's visionless obsession with highways is the exact opposite of the smart investment Aotearoa needs in zero-emissions transport in...
Read More

Story

ACT policy will create roads exclusively for the well-off

ACT’s proposal for private highways will see only those who can afford to pay expensive tolls able to use the roads.
Read More