Government opts for oil dependence, gridlock, and growing carbon emissions

The National Government’s newly announced plan to accelerate the building of new state highways while reducing the money spent on alternatives reveals a complete denial of the actual transport challenges faced by this country.

“The Government’s intention to increase funding for state highway construction by $1 billion while slashing funding for public transport, walking, and cycling will make New Zealand more oil dependent, increase our carbon emissions, and do nothing to solve chronic gridlock in our towns and cities,” Green transport spokesperson Jeanette Fitzsimons said today.

“This is the way to solve our transport challenges from a blueprint dated from the 1950s.”

The additional money spent on new state highways will do little to stimulate jobs in our depressed economy. Recent job intensity studies reveal the high capital intensity of new roading infrastructure — creating few jobs for the money invested. Improving public transport services, adding bus lanes, and improving the road surface are job-rich initiatives that would also increase the sustainability of our transport network.

“This Government’s plan for transport will tie New Zealanders to their cars. Freight will stay on large trucks on our already congested roads. We’ll see very little mode shift to sustainable forms of transport while their funding is reduced to pay for new state highways,” said Ms Fitzsimons.

“The package also breaks an earlier promise from John Key that any infrastructure spending would include public transport. Last year, the Prime Minister promised a stimulus package that would ‘take into account…the need for public transport.’ This plan actually cuts funding for public transport.”

$420 million of transport funding will be ‘reallocated’ from non-state highway classes. This can only come, in large part, from the current allocations for public transport, walking, and cycling. Currently, one dollar is spent on public transport for every five dollars on roads. Under National, this ratio is likely to widen to $1:$7.

The cuts will also jeopardise any potential big gains from Auckland’s rail electrification programme, Ms. Fitzsimons added. The Government is no longer guaranteeing funding for integrated ticketing or bus and train station upgrades. Fewer people will use the trains if they can’t move conveniently from trains to other transport modes.

“Investing in more roads, rather than better public transport services, will increase our oil dependence, increase our carbon emissions, and ultimately employ fewer people over the recession. Not even a well-run business would plan a transport system to be this short-sighted.”