Transit New Zealand
Auckland Regional Office

11 April 2005
Media Release

Public invited to discuss Travel Demand Management
on Southern Motorway

Transit New Zealand is holding a series of open days for the public to find out more about its proposed Travel Demand Management project on the Southern Motorway corridor.

The project involves employing various traffic management measures to reduce congestion on the 45 kilometres of State Highway 1 (SH1) from Mill Road at the southern end of the Bombay Hills, to the Wellington Street ramp in the city at the northern end.

With nearly 70 on- and off-ramps, the Southern Motorway experiences severe congestion every day, particularly during morning and afternoon peak periods. Delays often reduce travel speed to less than 15km per hour and a journey that may usually take five to 10 minutes can take up to an hour.

Congestion increases costs, causes pollution and the loss of millions of hours of productivity. It is also responsible for increasing driver frustration. It is conservatively estimated that the cost of congestion for the Auckland region is equivalent to about $1 billion a year, or $3 million daily.

The travel demand management project aims to identify measures to maximise the efficiency of the Southern Motorway, better inform users of travel choices and enhance safety.

Options being considered include improved traveller information and incident response systems, ramp metering, business travel plans, car pooling, improved public transport and real-time traffic monitoring.

“Transit is seeking public feedback on the project,” says Transit project director, Peter McCombs. “The feedback will assist us in identifying community concerns and expectations about the project, as well as determining how travel demand management might be implemented.”

The open days will be held on:

Wednesday 13 April 2005 – 3:30pm to 8:00pm at Leicester Hall, Hewson Street,
Ellerslie.
Thursday 14 April 2005 – 3:30pm to 8:00pm at Everglade School,
64 Everglade Drive, Manukau Central.
Thursday 21 April 2005 – 3:30pm to 8:00pm at International Baptist Church,
2 Dannemora Drive, Howick.

Transit officers and the consultant team will be on hand to answer queries about the project at the open days.

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Visit us at www.transit.govt.nz

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