Auckland Light Rail
Investing in good public transport is critical to help cities grow. With many in Tāmakai Makaurau spending up to 5 days stuck in traffic each year, the light rail project was intended to deliver a new convenient reliable safe transport system for all.
Auckland light rail would have helped reshape neighbourhoods and change how the city grows. It was set to connect people to work, study and homes. It had the ability to enable more housing as it enabled better connections for people to live further out form the central business areas. It was going to deliver sustainable growth and deliver a reduction of cars on the roads and cut commuter times.
As the city of Tāmaki Makaurau grows this project was intended to be future proof. While many saw only the price tag of what was being delivered. Now with the loss of the research, knowledge and work poured into this already significant project, the stop to this critical work comes with an even higher price tag.
With no plans in place to what will replace Auckland’s light rail, where does that leave the people of Tāmaki Makaurau now?