NEW ZEALAND HERALD: Auckland's $1.9 billion motorway tunnels through Waterview would be replaced by a triple-loop of fast rail and bus services under a transport plan launched by the Green Party today.
"All the surveys show that Aucklanders are so over motorways," co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons told a rally attended by all six Green MPs as well as party candidates who converged on Britomart by boat, train, bus, bike, electric scooter and on foot.
She said the party's recipe for helping Aucklanders to travel around the region faster, despite dwindling oil supplies, did not mean pulling the plug on roads on which construction had already begun.
"But we won't be funding any new ones until we've got public transport up to scratch."
Ms Fitzsimons said a Green-oriented coalition Government would still spend two-thirds of the national land transport fund on roads in the first year, to ensure the existing network was kept well-maintained, but would ultimately reduce the portion to one-third.
Compared with the existing five-to-one ratio in favour of roads, it would release $400 million in the first year for public transport projects, including a $1 billion-plus tunnel needed to provide a rail loop between Britomart and Mt Eden.
The Green plan also includes creating an outer isthmus loop by running a line between Onehunga and Avondale, as well as an extension of the Northern Busway to Waitakere via the Upper Waitemata, and a rapid bus circuit through Manukau City's eastern suburbs back to Panmure.
"Our vision is a connecting network of trains, buses and ferries that can carry people quickly and cheaply around the city," Ms Fitzsimons said.
She derided the existing transport funding regime by which motorways were funded fully by the Government, while leaving Aucklanders to pay for rail electrification through a new regional fuel tax.
"Did you ever hear anything so daft? If you want to build an inefficient system that costs far more dollars to move far fewer people, will give it to you - if you want to build an efficient system that will move more people at less cost, you've got to pay for it yourself."
Ms Fitzsimons said the rail loop tunnel would move far more people than the 4.5km Waterview motorway connection.
The economic slowdown meant there had never been a better time to bring forward the construction of projects to maintain jobs and "provide transport solutions so that people will be able to get around even when oil hits US$200 a barrel."
She challenged Prime Minster Helen Clark and National leader John Key to join her in Auckland to debate the region's transport issues, such were their importance to the nation's economy.
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