Let more commuters park and ride

Auckland transport planners will generally agree, when pushed, that all modes of travel have to be part of the solution to congestion. Yet they are reluctant to include cars in their plans. That is probably one reason the city is so short of “park and ride” facilities.

Our reports each day this week on the morning crush at suburban carparks adjoining public transport stations have shown how popular the park and ride option has become. But carparks have been provided at too few stations on the railways and express busways and too few spaces are provided at those that have them.

At the Glen Innes Park & Ride we found the 71 parking spaces all taken by 6.50am. Down the road an additional car park with 70 spaces was full by 7.20am. The capacity was not much better at the others we visited. Commuter frustration has been regularly expressed in our letters columns and elsewhere for years, yet little has been heard on the subject by transport officials and even less has been done about it.

Auckland Transport, and previous planning bodies, have been more interested in designing “feeder” bus routes to stations along the central, eastern and western train lines and northern busway. To that end, AT recently redesigned the feeder routes but even those that now provide a more regular, faster connection to the rail and bus corridors are unlikely to be as popular as park and rides.

The reason is fairly obvious. Most people prefer to commute in their own car. But if they work in the CBD and do not have an assured car park there, they will leave their car at the station from where trains or buses quickly convey them to the city, avoiding motorway congestion as well as the hassle and cost of finding a parking space close to work.

Their preference for the car is contributing to congestion on suburban streets of course and doubtless it would be better if everyone walked to their nearest bus stop. But for many that is a considerable walk, then a wait for a bus, and for most travelling to the CBD or other parts of Auckland it will mean transferring to another bus or a train part-way along their journey.

That transfer is probably the main thing putting so many off, and creating so much demand for park and rides. They don’t mind transferring from car to fast bus or train but not from one public transport vehicle to another.

The difference is that the car takes them from their home and returns them home in the evening. The homeward drive is especially appealing, compared to the prospect of waiting twice for public transport at the end of the day.

Transport planning needs to work with travellers’ preferences, not against them.

When people’s behaviour demonstrates their wish to begin and end their daily trip in their own car, planning should proceed on that wish, not set out to change it. More car parking at suburban centres is clearly needed.

Let more Aucklanders park and ride.