I support building a modern light rail line at street level from the city to Māngere and the Airport. Light rail can take a lot more people than a bus and means we can offer more reliable, higher-quality public transport. It will move thousands of people a day to work, study, and the airport.
Light rail will take pressure off the bus network, with bus congestion in parts of the central city already a big problem. It will also mean better quality of life in the inner-city and opportunity for much-needed housing close to rapid public transport.
The advantage of an above-ground light rail line is that it can deliver most of the benefits of a metro system at a substantially lower cost and disruption. That means we can afford to extend the light rail network further, faster, including to the north western suburbs and the North Shore. Street-level light rail is also more easily accessible for people with mobility issues.
For more detail on light rail, check out the Green Party’s Auckland Transport Plan.