For decades, sustainable transport solutions have received little investment. This contributed to a lack of public transport, walking and cycling options in many cities across New Zealand. This historic underinvestment in sustainable transport solutions and rapid population growth compounded and made our cities less sustainable and more dependent on private motorised vehicles. Given the scale and complexity of our current transport, housing, and climate challenges, urgent change is needed.
More recently, New Zealand has declared a climate change emergency. With the priorities outlined by the Government Policy Statement on land transport (GPS), central and local government policies clearly outline the urgency to invest in better walking, cycling and public transport options. The need to accelerate targeted mode shift interventions and decarbonising transport is strategically important to the New Zealand government.
Sustainable transport options
We asked respondents which area is most important to improving our transport systems. Overwhelmingly, improving sustainable transport options is the top priority (66 percent), highlighting a growing alignment between government policy direction and industry sentiment. More than half of respondents (52 percent) see improvement in public transport options and reliability as the top priority, and 14 percent see improving infrastructure for active travel as the top priority.
More than a quarter (27 percent) of respondents believe reducing traffic congestion/journey times should be the priority, and only 7 percent see improving the resilience of infrastructure from unplanned events as the priority.
To transition to a low-emission and climate-resilient future, there is an urgent need to be more ambitious and deliver faster. The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2022 summary paper for policymakers stresses the urgency that we are not doing nearly enough to achieve the large-scale greenhouse gas emissions reductions needed to meet our international obligations. It also highlights the importance of targeted transport and urban planning strategies to reduce current and avoid future emissions.
Notably, Auckland councillors have pledged to halve carbon emissions in Auckland by 2030 and recently adopted their Transport Emissions Reduction Pathway (TERP) plan that will significantly change how people move around the city.
Demand management solutions
In July 2022, the government released its Emission Reduction Plan that outlines how the country would reduce emissions by 2050. To achieve the net-zero target by 2050, significant reductions in carbon emissions are needed over the next 30 years. The transport system currently accounts for nearly 20% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Implementing congestion charging could change how transport infrastructure is funded and help accelerate various policy outcomes. When asked to rank which mechanism is most suited to solve our mobility issues, respondents have no clear consensus on the best approach to this issue. Instead, the results suggest a range of interventions might be needed. Area/cordon charging received the highest level of support, followed closely by corridor/route charging. Interestingly, doing nothing received the lowest ranking, suggesting a clear consensus that doing nothing is not an option.
