A mammoth $37 billion investment plan has been approved today by Auckland Transport’s (AT) Board of Directors – as the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) 2021-2031 gets the green light.

The record investment – the largest in Auckland Transport’s history – sets out a plethora of projects over the next decade all across Tāmaki Makaurau.

Auckland Transport received 5818 public submissions during the RLTP consultation, with overall support for the direction of the RLTP, and in particular - strong support for investment in public transport.

The 10-year plan focuses on areas which AT, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and KiwiRail will respond to help address our region’s transport challenges. All of Auckland’s 21 local boards provided submissions on the RLTP – which was also endorsed for approval by all Auckland councillors.

As a result of the public feedback, all projects outlined in the draft RLTP have been approved, and a number of additional projects will also be included following the consultation feedback, these are:

• Dairy Flat Highway/The Avenue intersection: Additional investment of $12.5 million to improve safety at the Dairy Flat Highway/The Avenue intersection.
• New footpaths: An additional $20 million invested over 10 years for new footpaths.
• Hill Street intersection: $4.7 million of Auckland Council funding to address the Hill Street Intersection (Warkworth). The remainder of funding for the project is expected to come from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.

Of the $37 billion invested into the RLTP, 50 per cent goes towards capital expenditure, with 50 per cent for maintenance, operations and renewals. The share of funding for new projects can be broken down into:

• Public transport and environmental – 49 per cent
• Strategic and local roads – 24 per cent
• Walking and cycling – 8 per cent
• Spatial priorities – 7 per cent
• Safety – 6 per cent
• Optimisation and technology – 4 per cent

Auckland Transport Board Chair Adrienne Young-Cooper says the approved RLTP will help address a number of challenges.

“Between 2016 and 2031, Auckland’s population will increase by 22 per cent from 1.59 million to 1.93 million. We know that we can’t build our way out of congestion. By 2031, most of the large roading projects in the region will be finished. We need to shift our mindset on reallocating road space to focus more around the movement of freight and high-occupancy vehicles.

“Looking ahead to 2031, we will have delivered on transformational change - with mass transit projects such as the Northern Busway Extension, Eastern Busway, Airport to Botany Rapid Transit, City Rail Link (CRL), the interim Northwest Busway; as well as the electrification of the rail line to Pukekohe.”

Steve Mutton, Waka Kotahi Director Regional Relationships Auckland and Northland, says it’s great to see the people of Tāmaki Makaurau engaged in the conversation around improving Auckland’s wider transport network.

“Regional Land Transport Plans developed by local government must be consistent with the Government Policy Statement on land transport 2021 which focuses on improving safety, providing more accessible travel options, better freight connections and reduces the impact on the environment. Waka Kotahi is pleased that Auckland’s future transport plans are aligned with this and will help deliver a more resilient transport system that makes Auckland a great place to live.”

The projects in the 2021-2031 RLTP will provide some transformational improvements to the way we move around Tāmaki Makaurau. People will have better access to the rapid transit network through projects like the City Rail Link (CRL) and the Eastern Busway. AT will also deliver 200 km of new and upgraded cycleways and shared paths. All of this investment will give people more travel options and reduce how much we have to rely on our cars.

The RLTP reflects and aligns the outcomes sought by the Auckland Plan, and the objectives and recommendations of four separate, but interconnected plans undergoing a refresh which are: the Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP), the Long-Term Plan (LTP), the Regional Fuel Tax (RFT) and the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport.

To find out more about the approved 2021 – 2031 RLTP, visit www.at.govt.nz/rltp

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