Subscribe to RSSMayor: Build Like Hell, Auckland
Auckland’s Mayor says he’s prepared to consider whatever means he can to get Auckland building “like hell” to get much-needed transport infrastructure.
He repeated that includes a congestion tax, tolls and a public-private partnership as there isn’t enough government funding to get projects across the line.
He said this at this afternoon’s public launch of the GetAcross-driven Auckland Harbour Bridge cycle Pathway project.
Designs of the pathway that would go across the bridge to enable people to walk and cycle were unveiled at a ceremony at Wynyard Quarter. You can see the designs here.
The Mayor said he supported the concept in principle and now it was time for the new “can do” approach he was driving to make things happen in Auckland.
Designs here
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3 Comments
I suggest Wellington’s light rail project could be built by a “congestion tax, tolls and a public-private partnership” too. Well ok the PPP would be a shame and end up costing us more than if it was just funded out of general revenue.
Celia give Len a call and tell him you back him with a national road tolling scheme. We need toll gantries on the Mt Vic and Terrace Tunnels and on the SH1 and SH2 at the boundaries of the WCC, and transponders in all registered vehicles using them.
If central government is going to refuse to fund projects that local government, with greater insight into the needs and wants of the community, considers important, central government needs to correspondingly relax the death-grip on options for funding other than rates, service charges and fines.
We already have government refusing local funding mechanisms - cancelling local fuel taxes at the last minute. Any tolling scheme would be National (it should be national, but right now its National)-controlled, thus give Auckland no more influence in deciding its transport future than we have now.
Just think of Joyce letting Len take the blame for congestion pricing, and then siphoning 50% of the money off to pay for Puhoi-Wellsford. He’d laugh all the way home!