Auckland public transport growth accelerates
 

7 August 2009

Public transport use in Auckland has risen sharply over the past year, rising by 7.7 per cent or more than 4 million trips in the year to June 30 2009.

That growth rate is better than the 4.4 per cent experienced in 2008, which was an improvement on the 2 per cent growth in 2007 and 1 per cent growth in 2006.

“Not only are more people taking public transport, the rate of uptake is increasing.  This is an encouraging trend, with the latest results reflecting recent investment in rail services and the Northern Busway,” ARC chairman Mike Lee says.

“The challenge for us in Auckland is to ensure public transport use keeps increasing.  That can only be done by accelerating investment in public transport.

“The aim is to build a public transport network capable of 100 million passenger trips within 10 years.  Patronage figures are currently sitting at 58.6 million trips.”

Major public transport projects underway include transport hubs at Newmarket and New Lynn, additional train carriages and integrated ticketing.  Expansions to the rail network at Onehunga and Manukau are also coming on-stream. 

Both central and local government help pay for the Auckland’s public transport infrastructure and services.  The ARC’s financial contribution totalled $162.7 million last financial year, and $182.3 million has been allocated in this financial year.

The Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) released its annual patronage results [available at www.arta.co.nz] today.

Auckland’s train highlights:

·         Aucklanders took a conservatively-recorded 7.6 million train trips in the year to 30 June 2009, the most since records began in 1955.

·         Train boardings are now up 97 per cent on five years ago

·         Trains run every 15 minutes or better during peak travel hours

·         In the past five years, 49 carriages have been added to the network and 21 of 41 stations have been upgraded

Auckland’s bus and ferry highlights:

·         Aucklanders took 46.6 million bus trips, up 7.8 per cent on 2007/08

·         The busway’s Northern Express service carried 1.5 million customers, up 125 per cent in two years

·         Aucklanders took 4.3 million ferry trips

ENDS

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