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Auckland’s most congested roads and peak travel times
Rush hour traffic is a familiar sight to most in the city, but the latest data from Auckland Transport (AT) confirms some roads are more snarled than others.
Central Auckland is arguable the worst spot, but the outskirts of the city, from the North Shore to Manukau, were not spared.
AT’s data – compiled from February – looked at average speeds during the peak times of 8am and 5pm as compared to the actual speed limit of the roads.
It also considered the total travel times and determined Auckland’s 16 most congested roads from February.
All of the roads had either a 50 or 60 km/h speed limit, but during peak hours the average speed of drivers on some roads was at or below 30 percent of the limit.
Experts say the congestion boils down to a constraint in the transport network and road capacity.
AT also reported a spike in public transport use this month with last week being the busiest for buses, trains and ferry services.
Auckland’s most congested roads
Manukau Rd/Broadway and Ponsonby Rd/Newton Rd faced some heavy congestion at 8am with average speed limit sinking to 8km/h.
Raleigh Rd/Lake Rd was at 9km/h in the morning and a total travel time of 8.2 minutes.
The highest speed limit average in the morning was 15km/h on the Albany Highway and St Lukes Rd.
The speed limit average seemed to ease in some areas during the 5pm peak time with Raleigh and Lake roads being at 28 km/h and Meola Rd 34 km/h.
However, some locations were not so lucky, with Ponsonby Rd/Newton Rd still being at a low of 9 km/h and a travel time of 6.21 minutes.
Experts say the congestion boils down to a constraint in the transport network and road capacity. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Why is this happening and what can be done?
University of Auckland associate professor and director of transportation research Doug Wilson said Auckland’s congestion is a classic “supply and demand problem”.
He said it was fundamentally caused by too many cars with low vehicle occupancy trying to use too little road space at the same time.
“Auckland is growing and the existing transport network is currently constrained in both road and Public Transport options especially when also using the same road space.
“This results in capacity being exceeded during peak periods – the outcome being traffic users during these periods – experience significant travel time increases.”
He also said Aucklanders tend to be bad at ‘sharing’ when it comes to using the private motor vehicle and struggle to use alternative options.
But Wilson stressed alternative options cush as public transport or cycling and walking could provide some relief for busy roads and Auckland was in need of more investment into
“Auckland does need more investment in transport infrastructure, funding is however constrained as we will collectively as a country still need to pay for it and not at the expense of other essential utilities, infrastructure and services.”
Wilson said congestion charges could be one of the solutions that would do well to manage the demand for transport and not just the supply
The Land Transport Management (Time-of-Use-Charging) amendment bill to bring in the charges passed its final reading in Parliament last November.
Photo: RNZ / Lucy Xia
“Time of use charging is a very important tool to encourage the required behavioural change, but it needs to be implemented equitably. ”
He added public transport is improving in Auckland with the promised City Rail Link and on-going improvements in bus rapid transit.
AT director of public transport Stacey van der Putten said they were always looking to optimise the network.
This included looking at public transport routs, adding bus or T3 lanes, different pay schemes or methods and promoting cycleways.
“We’ve done a tremendous amount in terms of uplifting what we call a frequent route in recent years. And with that, making it much more easy for people to access and increasing where things, a particular flow is going.”
The ‘busiest’ time of year
With March Madness also upon us, the congestion is not likely to get better anytime soon.
AT’s data for March so far showed traffic on routes like Manukau Rd/Broadway and Ponsonby Rd/Newton Rd moving at an average speed limit of 9km/h at 8am.
And the top average speed on Great North Rd had been 16km/h in the morning.
Director of transport advocacy website, Greater Auckland, Matt Lowrie told Nine to Noon last month it’s the busiest period of the year on the roads and public transport.
“It’s basically the highest level of transport demand that exists.”
He said there were a number of factors behind the march madness rush including students going back to school and University, people fully back at work from holidays and a drop in sickness compared to the winter months.
Bus fares rose from 1 February, drawing mixed responses. Photo: Photo/Auckland Transport
This has also meant a spike in public transport use.
AT said last week had been the busiest time on public transport so far this year with Aucklanders taking 2.217 million trips on buses, trains and ferry services.
“This is more trips than during our busiest week last March when our passengers took 2.174 million trips.”
Last Wednesday (March 4) had marked the busiest day on Auckland public transport since 2019 with AT reporting passengers taking 389,000 trips.
AT’s van der Putten said they were expecting public transport to get busier.
“We know with the rising cost of petrol at the pump, it does impact, you know, families and how they decide to move about.
“We’ve got plenty of capacity available on public transport to be able to support people to get on board.”
rnz
The chief executive of the Parliamentary Service is confident there will be enough room to accommodate the increased number of MPs and their staff coming into Parliament.
On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result.
Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson told the Spinoff that currently the debating chamber had enough chairs to seat 124 MPs – including the Speaker of the House – and work was being done to accommodate more by altering the seating arrangement.
In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said planning for a larger Parliament had been going for “some time”.
“Now that the election results have confirmed an increase to the number of members we are looking at several options.
“We are confident we will be able to accommodate all members within the Chamber.”
VNP / Phil Smith
Gonzalez-Montero said office accommodation for members and their staff would be “stretched” for a short time, but the new Members’ Building was only a few months away from “practical completion”.
That building – located behind Parliament – was due to be ready to occupy in April next year and had capacity to accommodate around 30 backbench MPs.
“All members should be in fit-for-purpose accommodation from that point,” Gonzalez-Montero said.
Following the 2023 election, 123 MPs sat in the Chamber – a record number at the time. That decreased to 122 following the resignation of National MP Judith Collins.
Collins held the seat of Papakura and stepped down in May and Parliament voted against holding a by-election because it was too close to the election.
The election result also meant high-ranking National Party MPs like Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Gerry Brownlee – Speaker of the House and an MP for 30 years – would likely not make it back into Parliament.
Only resigning or retiring MPs were permitted to give a valedictory speech meaning none of them would get the chance to give a valedictory statement.
Asked if their would be special allowances for valedictories, Wilson said in a statement that normally only MPs were allowed to speak in the House but the House could suspend its own rules or temporarily alter them.
“It could do so to allow former members to address the House.”
Wilson said no such arrangements could be made until the next Parliament opened and members sworn in.
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