It's been an eventful week as always, so here's a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day!
This week in Greater Auckland
We're still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts:
On Tuesday, a guest post by Nicolas Reid discussed the use of gondolas for mass transit.
On Wednesday, Matt questioned why Auckland's trains are now slower after all the upgrades.
One weird trick to beat congestion!
New Yorkers are already seeing an impact one month in. Along with fewer drivers in general, the vehicles that still travel through the area are dealing with less traffic. Those crossing through the Holland Tunnel see the most time savings, with average trip times down 48% during peak morning hours. The Williamsburg and Queensboro Bridges are both seeing an average of 30% faster travel times. During afternoon peak hours, drivers in the entire zone are seeing travel times drop up to 59%.
More commuters are opting for buses to cross Manhattan, and those buses are now traveling more quickly, too. Weekday bus ridership has grown 6%, while weekend ridership is up 21%, compared to January 2024. (Subway ridership has also grown by 7.3% on weekdays and 12% on weekends, part of a larger trend in ridership growth happening since the fall, per the MTA.
Can they hurry up and introduce this in Auckland?
E-Buses for West and South Auckland
Auckland Transport announced they've signed new contracts for some west and south Auckland bus services.
New Zealand’s largest ever tendered bus services contract has been awarded today, with Auckland Transport (AT) signing on Ritchies Transport to deliver expanded operations in west and south Auckland.
AT’s Director of Public Transport and Active Modes Stacey van der Putten says the new nine-year, $1.068 billion contract with Ritchies is particularly exciting as it will see 175 new electric buses introduced on the network while delivering value for ratepayers and public transport users.
“Because of the large scale of this bus contract we have been able to secure strong value for ratepayers and continue the fast pace of electrification of Auckland’s bus network,” Ms van der Putten said.
“This signifies a major step forward in enhancing Auckland’s public transport infrastructure and reflects AT’s commitment to delivering a robust, future-ready public transit system.
“For our customers the modern new electric buses will make catching the bus a quieter, more comfortable and enjoyable way to travel.
“The inclusion of zero emission buses and advanced environmental standards in the contract aligns with AT’s Mission Electric and sustainability goals to significantly reduce carbon emissions, contributing to a cleaner, greener Auckland,” she said.
The new contract will see some bus routes completely operated by electric buses and also includes the Airport Link, where the existing electric buses will be replaced with larger vehicles with more capacity from late 2025.
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Once operational, the new contract will deliver more frequent and reliable bus services, directly benefiting west and south Auckland communities by improving connectivity and reducing wait times. The contract will add at least three new frequent bus routes, which run at least every 15 minutes, 7am to 7pm, 7 days a week.
In addition, new communities in Clarks Beach, Paerata, Red Hills and Whenuapai will benefit from additional bus services. These service improvements are funded through Auckland Council’s Climate Action Transport Targeted Rate (CATTR).
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“All buses used on these contracts will be fitted with advanced driver assistance systems, which include collision avoidance, lane departure warnings, and pedestrian and cyclist detection. They will also be fitted with a driver fatigue management system.
Interestingly, AT says Auckland currently has180 electric buses in the fleet – which is already the largest for any Australian city – and a further 75 are to be added by June. By August next year, there will be 450 e-buses which will make up about a third of Auckland's total bus fleet.
No-interest e-bike loans starting in Tasmania
A fantastic (and low-cost) new policy in Tasmania offers interest-free loans of up to $10,000 AUD to buy e-bikes and cargo e-bikes. This is a great way to make it easy for people to switch to biking, especially for those short local trips that make up the majority of urban journeys:
The loans are being delivered through the existing Tasmanian Energy Saver Loan Scheme, which offers loans for home appliances that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Adding e-bikes to the mix of products that can be purchased with the loan makes sense as transport accounts for a significant proportion of households’ emissions.
The loans give people the money to buy an e-bike up to the value of $10,000 and then 1–3 years to pay off the loan without having to pay interest.
As the purchase cost of an e-bike, and especially a cargo e-bike, can be a disincentive to many people, these loans will allow for a greater uptake.
Having $10,000 as the limit will allow the purchase of many cargo e-bike models which can help people get rid of a second car.
Swapping car trips for an e-bike means the loan can be paid back with money saved from petrol, parking and other vehicle costs.
The $10,000 is the cap for all products purchased so if you’ve already used the scheme to buy solar panels or a heat pump, then you’ll have less to spend on an e-bike.
Car dependency and school drop-off
Great article on the consequences of car dependency for school drop-off.
I’ve come to see that the inherent chaos, inefficiency, and safety risks of school drop-offs by car mirror the paradox of car dependency more broadly: the more that people who have the choice or the privilege of driving are incentivized to drive, the more difficult, less comfortable, and less safe it becomes for people who don’t.
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What if, instead of thinking about transportation access for non-driving children and youth as requiring unique and separate interventions, we develop solutions that work for all non-drivers?
For instance, all non-drivers benefit when we invest in safer routes to schools by reducing car speeds, shortening crossing times, and building better sidewalks and protected bike infrastructure. Giant cracks or uplifts in the sidewalk prevent wheelchair access, they also make it really hard to push a stroller, or if you’re a kid, you’re probably going to wipe out if you hit one of these on a bike or scooter.
School traffic – and the productive time wasted by parents and caregivers (and everyone else) – is a perpetual issue, as this recent NZ Herald story illustrates. And when official policies give people no choice but to drive, we won't solve it anytime soon.
Power to the (electric) trains!
Caltrain in California has found new electric trains are performing above expectations, with regenerative braking systems returning approximately 23% of consumed energy back to the electric grid:
Caltrain had initially projected its annual electricity costs for the new fleet to be around 19.5 million USD. However, with average energy use now measuring 207 MWh on weekdays and 175 MWh on weekends, annual cost estimates have been revised to 16.5 million USD.
Furthermore, the agency expects to receive approximately 6 million USD annually in energy credits through California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard Program, bringing the total fuel costs for electric service below those of the previous diesel-powered trains.
Regenerative braking, a technology introduced in 1886, functions by reversing an electric motor during braking, converting kinetic energy into electricity rather than dissipating it as heat. Caltrain’s electric fleet is equipped to transfer this recovered energy to the Overhead Contact System (OCS), which supplies power either to other trains or back to the grid via the system’s traction power facilities.
Currently, the energy returned to the grid is provided free of charge, as no legislation mandates reimbursement for the regenerated electricity.
Strict road behaviour enforcement working in Vietnam?
The government in Vietnam has recently begun ramping up a crackdown on speeding and dangerous driving, to address its high road fatality rate.
Some found it charming, the ballet of many wheels dancing around pedestrians. But Vietnam’s road fatality rates have long been among the highest in Asia. And after cracking down on drunken driving, the country’s leaders are now going after everything else.
Under a new law, traffic fines have risen tenfold, with the biggest tickets exceeding $1,500. The average citation tops a month’s salary for many, and that’s more than enough to change behavior. Intersections have become both calmer and more congested by an outbreak of caution. Faulty green lights have even led scared drivers to walk motorbikes across streets the police might be watching.
The crackdown has led to traffic stopping in many places, and many find it extreme.
Caution, by all accounts, has disrupted the flow.
In major cities, motorbikes playing by the old rules now frequently rear-end drivers trying to be careful, stopping early, sometimes even when lights are green. Truck drivers have paused wherever they could to avoid fines for working too many hours straight. Intersections are now noticeably louder, as honking drivers squeal where traffic used to gurgle and move like a river around stones.
But the approach seeing some success, first in tackling drunk driving a few years ago, and again in more recent efforts.
And yet, as many acknowledge, there is a logic to the effort. Since stepped-up enforcement started, beer sales have fallen by 25 percent, and drunken driving has declined across Vietnam.
Vietnam’s national leaders — just a few months into power, with many who started their careers in state security — are eager to go further. The pursuit of safety and government surveillance seem to be aligned: In Hanoi, officials announced a plan last week to add 40,000 cameras to the roughly 20,000 already in place across the capital.
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A twitchy balance between chaos and order has started to emerge. Though some motorbike riders still speed against traffic, and on sidewalks, far more stop when they should alongside the country’s growing ranks of cars and trucks.Sensing success, some commentators have begun to wonder what else could be changed with large fines — perhaps big tickets for littering would help reduce trash all over the country?
What will Simeon Brown bring to the field of health?
Dr Kirsty Wild and Prof Alistair Woodward discuss the implications of Simeon Brown's track record in transport for his new gig as Minister of Health. The verdict: his anti-safety campaign doesn't bode well.
Nearly two thirds (63 percent) of serious injury in New Zealand is caused by transport crashes. They keep our hospitals full to overflowing; and efforts to avoid these horrific and frequently life-changing injuries are necessary for the sustainability of the health system.
Officially, reducing transport injury is a health priority, yet Brown made a number of decisions, against health advice, that are likely to make the problem worse. The decision to reduce funding for pedestrian and cyclist safety infrastructure was inexplicable, given the high rates of severe injury per kilometre travelled among these groups.
Who is even in favour of Simeon's speed limit increases?
More and more local communities are speaking out against the government's unilaterial, un-evidenced, and unsafe speed increases.
In Hawkes Bay:
Parents of children at Hōhepa in Hawke’s Bay fear an increase of highway speed limits from 80km/h to 100km/h will put residents and staff turning into its driveway at risk.
Hōhepa – a service provider for special needs children and adults with an intellectual disability – has a centre and store on State Highway 51 north of Clive.
The stretch of road, along with State Highway 5 between Napier and Taupō farther north, is part of the National and Act coalition agreement to reverse speed-limit reductions implemented under the previous Labour Government.
The section between Napier and Clive is classed as a rural connector and will automatically revert to 100km/h by July.
Mark Witchalls, who has a daughter at Hōhepa and is part of its Families Association, said the decision to raise the speed limit from Clive to the bridges just past the organisation was “nuts”.
And in Ashburton, not only does the council object to proposed speed limit increases, so does the local National MP (and Minister for the South Island) James Meager:
Ashburton District Council wrote to the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to strongly oppose the speed limit increasing on State Highway 1 through Rakaia - and it appears the Government is willing to listen.
The speed limit through the town is set to increase to 70kph by July 1, nine months after it was reduced to 50kph.
It's one of the 38 sections of the state highway network that the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) will automatically reverse speed limits on.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop said he was aware of the immediate backlash to the announced speed reversal in Rakaia.
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Rangitata MP James Meager said reversing the blanket speed limit reductions may be welcomed in some parts of the country – but not Rakaia.
“I know there has been a lot of confusion and a bit of surprise about this one.”
Meager supported the reduction when it was introduced last year and “I still support that to be a sensible, safe speed through town which still allows traffic, people and goods to flow north and south”.
The concerns aren't just about safety, either. A reader recently wrote that by his calculations, lifting speeds from 100kmh to 110kmh will result in 5% more emissions. With widespread urban speed increases planned as well, this doesn't look great for climate progress in New Zealand.
A sidewalk that never ends
Montevideo, Uruguay is home to a 14-mile waterside promenade called 'La Rambla'. We ask, could this be Tamaki Drive in Auckland?
One of the longest sidewalks in the world, La Rambla meanders along the shimmering estuary Río de la Plata, past beaches, wine bars and purple-blossomed jacaranda trees, statues and sculptures, soccer matches and friends engrossed in conversations over cups of yerba mate.
If you go in the summer — as the Northern Hemisphere shivers in the cold — you may find yourself part of a mass migration of locals toting folding chairs to the promenade, turning it into, essentially, the city’s outdoor living room.
Will National regret scuppering John Key's cycleway legacy?
Here's an excellent write-up by Gill Higgins of 1News, about whether the coalition government may come to regret the defunding of active modes under former transport minister Simeon Brown.
As well as reducing the burden of disease, cycling’s an effective way to reduce harmful emissions and cut pollution that causes respiratory disease. “I can't believe they don't know the evidence, which makes me think and conclude that, for whatever reason, they're just ignoring it," says [Simon] Kingham [former science advisor to the Ministry of Transport].
So it’s ironic that the big push for cycleways in New Zealand came when National was previously in power. On a cloudy day in August in 2014, then-Prime Minister John Key got on a bike and wobbled off for a photo shoot to mark the opening of the Grafton Gully cycleway. He announced $100 million in funding for urban bike routes, and another $333 million the following year.
(As longtime readers might recall, Greater Auckland covered the Grafton Gully opening ceremony, including recordings of key quotes from Key himself.)
The 1News write-up is based on an excellent longform video piece by Higgins, which cuts through the culture war and slogans to really examine the value of cycleways. It's viewable on TVNZ OnDemand, and Bike Tauranga has uploaded a version:
New Design Manual for New South Wales
Across the Tasman, a new roads and streets manual has been released, and it's apparently a lot better than the draft version:
[To] help designers, planners, state government and local councils make the best possible use of our most important public spaces, Transport for NSW has published a new Design of Roads and Streets (DORAS) manual.
DORAS describes 22 street types for 6 ‘place’ contexts. There are multiple examples of different treatments in a variety of formats – plans, sections, overviews, photographs and case studies.
It aims to be a really practical ‘how to’ guide for practitioners delivering new and re-imagined streetscapes that strongly embed the Movement and Place framework.
As Bicycle NSW writes, the final version addresses many (but not all) of the concerns raised around active modes during the consultation process:
Bicycle NSW provided feedback on the draft DORAS in 2024. We had many concerns. The draft was very wordy without a clear structure. There was a lack of ambition for reallocating road space on arterial roads, and little mention of the role of street design in reaching net zero.
And we were very worried that 30km/h as a speed limit was largely ignored. This is despite the UN and a raft of other organisations, both in Australia and overseas, backed by plenty of research and evidence, calling for 30km/h to be the maximum speed on streets where people live, work and play.
We heard from senior staff at Transport for NSW that our comments were very useful, and so were keen to see how our recommendations were incorporated. The good news? The final DORAS is much better!
It's encouraging to see good design being normalised. And reminds us of Auckland Transport's much-heralded Transport Design Manual and its Urban Street and Road Design Guide (see here for Version 1.1 from 2022) – which promised "a 21st century approach to designing urban streets to be safer, healthier, greener and more enjoyable for all". Anyhow, let's hope NSW does a good job of implementing their new standards.
That's us for this short, summery week. Enjoy your weekend!