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Youth Support Congestion Pricing in Auckland
Youth Support Congestion Pricing in Auckland
Young people are putting their weight behind congestion pricing as the preferred funding option for Auckland’s transport future, but they say central government also needs to come to the table and fund key transport projects like the City Rail Link to ease the pain in the pocket of Aucklanders.
On Monday, a six-month process involving 17 of Auckland’s key transport stakeholders reached an important milestone with the release of a public discussion document on the future of transport funding in Auckland.
Generation Zero, which represents over 3,000 young people across New Zealand, supports Option 2 of the discussion document, which involves government contributions and congestion pricing to fund the $12-15 billion funding shortfall in Auckland’s transport budget over the next thirty years.
Generation Zero spokesperson, Ryan Mearns: “The potential decongestion benefits from congestion charging under Option 2 are huge. The success of congestion charging in London shows that it can both reduce congestion and raise revenue for important transport projects.”
Mearns: “However, the National Government does needs to do its fair share and part-fund projects such as the City Rail Link to show that they see solving Auckland’s transport problems as a national priority.”
Most of the national land transport budget over the next few years is earmarked for spending on the Roads of National Significance, and the National Government is refusing to fund key projects like the Auckland City Rail Link.
Mr Mearns: “These Roads of National Significance are delivering cost-benefit ratios of as low as 0.2, and raising real questions about whether the National Government is making smart transport decisions for our future.”
“Young people want smart investment in public transport. We want to move beyond our dependence on private cars and towards a transport system where we have a decent choice about how we move.”
ENDS
Sources
Funding
Auckland’s Transport Future: http://keepaucklandmoving.org.nz/documents/Funding%20Auckland's%20Transport%20Future.pdf
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