Light-rail plan to West defies advice
Business case says buses cheaper, less risky for now; Minister says let’s not wait
Gsuper city overnment plans for a $2.2 billion light rail project to West Auckland go against a business case that says a busway can be built relatively quickly and cheaply.
Light rail, a modern-day version of trams, came second behind the preferred option of a busway in an indicative business case for rapid transit to northwest Auckland.
Rail was looked at, but found to be very expensive at about $4b, difficult to stage and complex to integrate with the existing rail system out west.
The business case, obtained by the Herald under the Official Information Act, said light rail would have to be built in one package, whereas a busway can be staged. It said the busway was designed to light rail standards and could be upgraded to light rail in the final stage of the programme.
“Buses can easily move on and off the busway, and also use the motorway, bus lanes and regular streets,” said the business case, prepared for Auckland Transport by consultants Aurecon New Zealand Ltd and MRCagney.
Since the business case was completed in July last year, Labour has been elected on a promise to build two light rail lines from the CBD to the airport and Westgate within 10 years, costing $6b. The business case talked about a solution over multiple decades.
Transport Minister Phil Twyford said Labour was going straight to light rail to avoid the cost and hassle of building a busway first.
“To cope with population growth, we would need to replace the busway with light rail in time because light rail can carry more people than a busway. We don’t want to disrupt one of the city’s major arteries again in 15 or so years. Better to do it once and do it right,” he said.
Twyford said the indicative business case did not properly consider the intensification benefits of light rail or the disruption of replacing the busway in the future.
New Zealand Transport Agency chief executive Fergus Gammie has told the Herald the tram plan from the CBD to Westgate will probably be extended to Kumeu. No costings are believed to have been done for light rail to Kumeu, but the business case said light rail is more expensive and difficult than busways to extend beyond Westgate.
The business case said light rail is the best option in achieving transport outcomes, but may not be required for some time and has risks that busbased solutions can avoid, particularly the need to build across the causeway beside the northwestern motorway.
Both options face environmental challenges. The causeway is adjacent to Traherne Island and Pollen Island marine reserve, a new bridge over the Whau River is within a special ecological area, and habitat loss is expected in Oakley Creek.
The busway was costed at $2b and light rail, via State Highway 16, at $2.2b.
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