North Shore Times (New Zealand)
North Shore candidates support rail
North Shore electoral candidates all support rail for Auckland, but only the Green candidate specifies light rail to the North Shore.
The Shore’s growing traffic congestion was a hot topic in a Facebook Live panel discussion on July 28.
Green Party MP Kennedy Graham was staunch in his view his party had made the biggest commitment to public transport, over the years.
As well as light rail to the North Shore and a busway north, there should be more ferry services and more frequent services, Graham said.
As for ‘‘everyone’s favourite nightmare’’, Lake Rd in Devonport, suggestions included a side route, and greater use of the side lane for electric vehicles and shared transport. However, the problem encompassed commuting and the housing crisis, and there wasn’t time to go into that, Graham said.
Incumbent National MP Maggie Barry was in favour of improved rail links in the central city.
‘‘Anything that can free up central Auckland traffic will also help us here on the North Shore.’’
Barry would like to see money put into another crossing across the Waitemata Harbour.
‘‘We would like to have a tunnel, and that would be freeing up some of the traffic on the rather congested harbour bridge.’’
Lake Rd is a big problem, Barry said, adding she was working constantly with mayor Phil Goff and Auckland Transport to try and get back some of the $56 million former mayor Len Brown ‘‘took away’’.
Afterwards, she explained around $54m was allocated to upgrade Lake Road, then summarily removed by Auckland Transport in 2015.
Labour candidate Romy Udanga said his party’s policy was to commit to both rail and road in a second harbour crossing, implying rail to the Shore.
However, he remained tightlipped as to Labour’s detailed plans, pending a transport announcement next week.
Barry lives in Stanley Pt and doesn’t have a cat. Udanga lives in Mairangi Bay and was not allowed a cat in his rental. And Graham lives on Waiheke and didn’t answer a question about cat ownership.
ACT party candidate Nick Kearney arrived after the discussion and did not have the opportunity to share his stance on traffic or cats.