2016 is set to be a make or break year for Auckland's transport future, with the coming together of council and government’s visions in the Auckland Transport Alignment Project. My aspiration is that 2016 will be remembered as the year Auckland locked in a 21st century worthy transport vision.
 
The Prime Minister's announcement that government will bring their contribution to the City Rail Link (CRL) forward to 2018 from 2020 is a little overdue but more than welcome. This commitment provides certainty to ratepayers, commuters, and businesses affected by works along the new route.
 
It's a clear signal that public transport is at last surging to the front of Auckland's transport priorities in the eyes of both council and government.  I'm also hopeful it's a signal of things to come, as the CRL is by no means the be-all end-all of Auckland's mass transit infrastructure needs for coming years.
 
An additional harbour crossing is being scoped out this year and is a massive capital project potentially twice the cost of the CRL. Having mapped out my own vision of rail for the Shore, I'm keen to see the planning for this project start off on the right foot.
 
The CRL results from well scrutinised planning with numerous stakeholders around the table, topped off by surging rail and bus patronage. The business case for another harbour crossing ought to be every bit as stringent as this, in order to ensure the best value for money delivering the right transport solutions for users on both sides of the harbour.
 
A key metric I've called for is to weigh up the options based on impact on people and freight movement, not just vehicle trips. A bus or rail carriage of once-were car commuters does a lot more for congestion than those same people taking the car. Especially so when average vehicle occupancy sits at a low 1.1 persons per private vehicle. We've seen evidence of this already with the staggering success of the Northern Busway, infrastructure that is cleverly future-proofed for rail.
 
I expect that the best option for a new harbour crossing will be a dedicated light-rail route, in terms or people movement, congestion and cost. Having said that, I call on the New Zealand Transport Agency to undertake a robust analysis that includes modeling and comparison of different options for the new crossing. This is a debate we all have a stake in. The time for a long ranging vision for the Shore’s 21st century transport future is upon us.