Subscribe to RSSAlbert Park CBD Loop Pushed
Mayoral candidate Colin Craig not content with the suggestion pods are the answer to Auckland transport woes now is pushing an Albert Park inner city rail loop.
He said savings could be made on the planned route.
He said “transport solutions designer at Auckland Transport Consultancy, Stephen Greenfield, has identified a route for the Inner City loop that he suggests will not only save money, but can also be built in one third of the time.”
The route would follow ARTA’s identified route from Britomart under Albert Street but would stop at stations on Victoria Street, Queen Street, Kitchener Street-Albert Park and Stanley Street, before joining the current track at Parnell Rise.
Mr Craig says that the above proposed route for the inner city loop would be especially beneficial for students and those who use public transport services in and around the Symonds Street ridge, taking the pressure off the heavily loaded buses around peak times.
“There is no point in pursuing options that we cannot afford,” says Colin Craig. ”Sensible, problem solving options, like the Albert Park rail route make far more sense when it comes to spending ratepayer money.”
He is also pushing “an integrated public transport system that could potentially be more cost efficient to run as well as easier on the pockets of public transport users.
“I’ve spoken with Mr Greenfield to explore ways in which we can improve the current public transport situation. This would include more train services, improving the frequency of all public transport services, one easy fare system and ensuring that these transport services are available throughout the Auckland Super city region.”
Mr Craig says he wants such options considered “without bias before being dismissed.”
“It’s not about favourites but affordable solutions with the best outcomes.”
He said his proposed point to point shuttle system had been offered for exactly that reason – “we need the best solutions for the city; ones that work and ones that we can afford.”
22 Comments
Typical “Old Auckland” behaviour - try to cut costs on a project by making it totally useless. This loop would just add a bottleneck at Parnell to the ones already existing at Britomart and Newmarket.
The report released (http://www.aktnz.co.nz/2010/02/03/cbd-rail-loop-report-could-be-built-in-7-10-years) studied 14 options, this is not a new earth-shattering idea. Not only that it would water down the plan to a point where they might-as-well not bother. Well put Doloras. Sounds more like something they came up with at a picnic in Albert Park.
Stephen Greenfield ….. How he can call himself a transport planner is beyond me!
I think we should just hook in to the underground network we already have, most people just don’t know it!
@Doloras Harsh but so true!
Not Stephen Greenfield again! His only transport qualification is he owns the website aucklandtransportconsultancy.co.nz
Again and again he is mentioned in the media as an expert, and his hairbrained scheme get far more play than eminently sensible and well supported ideas.
Is this guy just trying to stir the kettle or something? He cant be seriously suggesting we go spend all this money to not even properly fix the problem.
@Andy - thanks for the You Tube link - who knew!!
This idea is idiotic, it would still require western trains to change ends at Newmarket and wouldn’t actually do anything to the journey time. I think this is part of the problem of calling the tunnel a loop. People think that trains will just go around in circles on it so that it is fine to make it shorter.
At the end of the day this is the same kind of shortsightedness that has plagued Auckland for decades, there are plenty of other examples out there, just look at the harbour bridge.
colin craig is a prize twonk, doesn’t get it, the pressure is really all on the demand side, not the cost side. We’re all over cost cutting, what AK needs is proper planning for once.
What a dick. We’re already doing most of the things he’s suggesting should be investigated: more train services, improving the frequency of all public transport services, one easy fare system and ensuring that these transport services are available throughout the Auckland Super city region sounds like a laundry list of projects that are happening or will be shortly.
That underground railway is bloody cool. Who knew there was a tunnel from the CBD all the way to Penrose. Vector should take people on trips down there. I’d definitely pay to ride underground all the way to Penrose.
As for the truncated loop. Pure idiocy. It might cut a few hundred million from the price tag but it would provide almost no benefit.
CBD rail loop from Britomart to Mt Eden please. Am I right to think that a lot of investigations have been done already? I read somewhere that another multimillion dollar study needs to be done? Study study study… What about get tunnelling?
Dan - There is a study on at the moment, it has been going for about a year and will be finished by the end of this year. The business case for it is meant to be finished but it hasn’t been released to the public yet. They are now meant to be working on the documents needed to lodge a notice of requirement to get a designation.
Is that underground tunnel system even real? If it is, that is awesome.
Chris - If you are referring to the Vector tunnel then yes, it was built about 10 years ago and was under construction when the Auckland power crises happened due to some warn out mains cables breaking
Colin Craig is rapidly proving himself to be a third class intellect and Stephen Greenfield, well, all I can say is I hope he’s taking the piss. I pity the man if he actually believes the crap he comes up with would work.
Is this the best you armchair commentators can come up with? Hairbrained, idiot, twonk, dick…??? This pilorying is positively medieval. If this is how you react to a guy who puts up his own money to put some fresh ideas out there and have a go at getting some changes in motion, then you will get the politicians you deserve. What alternatives are you recommending anyway? Shame.
Auckland Observer - Colin might be putting up his own money and is not one of the current idiots we have around but he really hasn’t done his homework on what Auckland needs.
The alternative to this stupid idea is the one that has actually been studied by professionals and what is currently proposed. Yes it might cost more than this idea but would provide far more benefits for the city and would be a far better way to spend money on infrastructure than building a motorway to Wellsford.
Just so you know, a few years ago ARTA studied the wider economic benefits of having the tunnel follow roughly the route that is favored, they alone were about $2bil without the direct benefits from having a more efficient system, faster journey times from out west, greater reach of the network etc.
One way to pay for this tunnel to be done properly would be scale back the route from Puhoi to Wellsford. Much of the claimed benefits could be achieved for much less cost by bypassing the towns, easing some of the corners and improving safety features along the route instead of a completely off line new road.
Auckland observer.
Please understand that a CBD rail tunnel has been planed in various forms for the last hundred years. I reassure you its routing has been considered at length.
Earlier this year a body of professional engineers was commissioned to identify the best route. There preference is as shown below.
http://www.aktnz.co.nz/2010/03/11/cbd-loop-alignment-graphic/
Most of the commenters on this news site have considerable interest or experience in the transport field. They recognition that the Albert Park routing is vastly inferior. If you are interested there is a summary of reasons here.
http://transportblog.co.nz/2010/10/06/surely-a-joke/
While i do not support resourcing to name calling as some others have here it is easy to see the reason they have become exasperated.
While i support fresh ides, due care must be taken not to mis-represent what they can achieve.
Scott. Nice measured response. I’d like to pick up on your point about regular commenters. It’s important to remember that as popular as the site has become many readers mightn’t have as thorough knowledge of the history of plans like the cbd loop as some of the more avid followers.
Auckland Observer, Scott is right. When the major study is due to be released in a matter of weeks with huge amounts of work have gone into it. We’re all hoping that work will mean that Auckland gets the best option it can out of a once in a few generations opportunity.
The fact that Mr Craig has presented himself as a real alternative to the others is admirable and with his own funds as you say. The rail plan just isn’t as good as the options being explored by the report. When we’re spending large amounts of money let’s not be left with something that will need further building done soon after as happened with Britomart that mistake is after all part of the problem.
Discussed for 100yrs and all they can come up with is 3 or 4 underground ones that still haven’t got underway??? :S