The Campaign For Better Transport

The New Zealand Herald has reproduced an article by super city mayoral hopeful John Banks on transport in Auckland, essentially rebuking former North Shore Mayor George Wood’s suggestion that rail may not be the way forward:

Quite simply, New Zealand needs Auckland to work, and for that to happen, it needs to work efficiently. Auckland cannot rely on roads and motorways alone to meet the region’s future transport needs, as the city’s roading network is already nearing the practical limits of expansion.

While this is vision of a CBD loop is great to hear, the question remains whether Banks (or any of the other candidates for that matter) is willing and able to deliver on it.

The New Zealand Herald reports Transport Minister Steven Joyce is “worried” that the Super City mayoral contenders – John Banks and Len Brown – are too ambitious for further investment in rail beyond the $1 billion electrification project:

Transport Minister Steven Joyce is trying to dampen early hopes for airport trains and for a central Auckland rail tunnel as officials continue to grapple with how to pay for electrification.