Can Auckland really increase walking & cycling 10-fold in seven years? It will depend on the Beehive agreeing to congestion charges & a lot more centralised funding; The Craic; Profundities etc
Greater Auckland has come out supportive of the new TERP, however I'm a bit sceptical given all the plans and documents that result in very little action (and ultimately no one is really held accountable for delivering on said plans). Many of the transport changes are desperately needed for Auckland to continue to function effectively but the conversation always devolves into an oversimplified battle for individual rights to drive cars where and whenever we like. Anecdotally, in my suburb, traffic on the main roads and all the rat-run side streets has been getting worse with more people driving and more cars parked on the roads. This sort of transport dilemma seems to mirror the bigger political issues of how do we inspire individuals to want to do what is in the best interest for the country instead of just for ourselves.
I think the simple change needed is to not think of notable individuals as solitary 'actors'. I have a book called "Who cooked Adam Smith's dinner?" - apparently it was his mother. I can't imagine any achievement that did not include a joint effort. Look at the joint effort required to create the roads etc that somebodies consider they have a right to drive on. We pick individuals and cut the environment, the community and others from the picture. How can that get us the data we need to survive?
If Auckland wants to encourage Public transport etc over car usage then they should:-
* Have busses pull up in the car park as close to the entrance of each supermarket and shopping centre as practical;
* Have the bus stop at any time to drop of passengers along the route, like we used to do in Pukekohe, maybe even signal a bus driver to stop to pick you up at any point along the route;
* Even better use the AT-Mobile App to book a outside house mini bus pickup like was trialled in Devonport;
* Require All supermarkets & shopping centres to allocate some of the premium car parks to cargo bike, bike and mobility scooters etc secure-able parking & include space for hire cargo bikes;
* Cover the above undercover with solar panels on roof for charging ebikes & mobile scooters;
But most of all
* Quit fucking over the long distance commuters.
On Friday AT transport said haere rā to the last Diesel Trains which currently operate between Papakura and Pukekohe. To be replaced with a bus service which is problematic during peak traffic hours, especially with the road works on the southern motoway from Papakura to Drury backing up traffic. Even when the train tracks were being replace with much reduced train speeds, it was preferable to take the old DMUs in the morning to avoid the traffic bottleneck.
Will AT be stopping all freight trains & Hamilton Huia service as well? NO.
This is unacceptable. AT should at minimum maintain weekday peak commuter train services from Pukekohe <-> Papakura ( 6am till 9am & 4pm till 7pm ) - Even a limited service would be preferable to being stuck on the bus in traffic for almost an hour each morning.
Personal opinion, I hope to see more city planners and so called elected or appointed representatives and the likes involved in these sorts of topics when it comes to cities and encouraging public transport and alternatives for transportation.
They are after all responsible for the layout we call a city. With all the new housing in Drury and Paerata. Other than bus and heavy rail, where are the other options for connectivity and access? Opportunities are everywhere, yet none seem to be unfolding into the new suburbs or brown fields, just cycle ways and bus/train stops.
Bring back the 1972 Rapid Transport Plan for Auckland aka Robbies Rapid Rail. At least its pre written and good to go in some what sense.
VFF (Voices for Freedom) are not antivax, they are pro choice. They simply want that, which is written in the NZ Bill of Rights be adhered to. It states that every citizen has the right to choose what medical procedure or vaccine is put into their body. They stand for freedom of choice, and full disclosure of risk prior to vaccination for the entire NZ population.
Lets not forget that all of the Covid and monkey pox vaccines are new and experimental. Anyone that bothers to read the Pfizer trial data released in only March this year highlights the risks quite clearly.
They do not want to make NZ ungovernable. They simply want a voice in what has become a top down, media compliant dictatorship, with no separation between the parties regarding policy.
One day the greater majority of New Zealander's will see them as heroes. That is, when the government stops the flow of tens of millions of dollars into the media, and they become independent again.
VFF may be pro choice, but they don't appear to be pro taking responsibility for the consequences of that choice. I don't agree that the choice over medical procedures was ever taken away from anyone in NZ. Sure, there were consequences for saying no to a vaccination for staff in a range of jobs. I can't think of many (if any) choices I have made in my life that didn't have a consequence. The vax choice during Covid was simply another one. Choice and consequence. These two are always linked.
"I think Matthew's right," political scientist Bryce Edwards said of the grand coalition idea, appearing on AM alongside Hooton. "Labour and National do have to decide how to deal with this sort of force, and ruling them out is sort of illegitimate.
Matthew, have you been reading my Kaka comments or tweets?
Greater Auckland has come out supportive of the new TERP, however I'm a bit sceptical given all the plans and documents that result in very little action (and ultimately no one is really held accountable for delivering on said plans). Many of the transport changes are desperately needed for Auckland to continue to function effectively but the conversation always devolves into an oversimplified battle for individual rights to drive cars where and whenever we like. Anecdotally, in my suburb, traffic on the main roads and all the rat-run side streets has been getting worse with more people driving and more cars parked on the roads. This sort of transport dilemma seems to mirror the bigger political issues of how do we inspire individuals to want to do what is in the best interest for the country instead of just for ourselves.
I think the simple change needed is to not think of notable individuals as solitary 'actors'. I have a book called "Who cooked Adam Smith's dinner?" - apparently it was his mother. I can't imagine any achievement that did not include a joint effort. Look at the joint effort required to create the roads etc that somebodies consider they have a right to drive on. We pick individuals and cut the environment, the community and others from the picture. How can that get us the data we need to survive?
A Bill of Human Rights has us standing around on one leg. Where is the accompanying Bill of Human Responsibilities? That would help change behaviour.
If Auckland wants to encourage Public transport etc over car usage then they should:-
* Have busses pull up in the car park as close to the entrance of each supermarket and shopping centre as practical;
* Have the bus stop at any time to drop of passengers along the route, like we used to do in Pukekohe, maybe even signal a bus driver to stop to pick you up at any point along the route;
* Even better use the AT-Mobile App to book a outside house mini bus pickup like was trialled in Devonport;
* Require All supermarkets & shopping centres to allocate some of the premium car parks to cargo bike, bike and mobility scooters etc secure-able parking & include space for hire cargo bikes;
* Cover the above undercover with solar panels on roof for charging ebikes & mobile scooters;
But most of all
* Quit fucking over the long distance commuters.
On Friday AT transport said haere rā to the last Diesel Trains which currently operate between Papakura and Pukekohe. To be replaced with a bus service which is problematic during peak traffic hours, especially with the road works on the southern motoway from Papakura to Drury backing up traffic. Even when the train tracks were being replace with much reduced train speeds, it was preferable to take the old DMUs in the morning to avoid the traffic bottleneck.
Will AT be stopping all freight trains & Hamilton Huia service as well? NO.
This is unacceptable. AT should at minimum maintain weekday peak commuter train services from Pukekohe <-> Papakura ( 6am till 9am & 4pm till 7pm ) - Even a limited service would be preferable to being stuck on the bus in traffic for almost an hour each morning.
please, no bad language
One major advantage that cars have is that they are the best form of raincoat ever invented.
Personal opinion, I hope to see more city planners and so called elected or appointed representatives and the likes involved in these sorts of topics when it comes to cities and encouraging public transport and alternatives for transportation.
They are after all responsible for the layout we call a city. With all the new housing in Drury and Paerata. Other than bus and heavy rail, where are the other options for connectivity and access? Opportunities are everywhere, yet none seem to be unfolding into the new suburbs or brown fields, just cycle ways and bus/train stops.
Bring back the 1972 Rapid Transport Plan for Auckland aka Robbies Rapid Rail. At least its pre written and good to go in some what sense.
VFF (Voices for Freedom) are not antivax, they are pro choice. They simply want that, which is written in the NZ Bill of Rights be adhered to. It states that every citizen has the right to choose what medical procedure or vaccine is put into their body. They stand for freedom of choice, and full disclosure of risk prior to vaccination for the entire NZ population.
Lets not forget that all of the Covid and monkey pox vaccines are new and experimental. Anyone that bothers to read the Pfizer trial data released in only March this year highlights the risks quite clearly.
They do not want to make NZ ungovernable. They simply want a voice in what has become a top down, media compliant dictatorship, with no separation between the parties regarding policy.
One day the greater majority of New Zealander's will see them as heroes. That is, when the government stops the flow of tens of millions of dollars into the media, and they become independent again.
VFF may be pro choice, but they don't appear to be pro taking responsibility for the consequences of that choice. I don't agree that the choice over medical procedures was ever taken away from anyone in NZ. Sure, there were consequences for saying no to a vaccination for staff in a range of jobs. I can't think of many (if any) choices I have made in my life that didn't have a consequence. The vax choice during Covid was simply another one. Choice and consequence. These two are always linked.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/08/national-labour-shouldn-t-rule-out-wartime-style-grand-coalition-to-keep-extremist-fringe-parties-out-of-parliament-commentators.html
"I think Matthew's right," political scientist Bryce Edwards said of the grand coalition idea, appearing on AM alongside Hooton. "Labour and National do have to decide how to deal with this sort of force, and ruling them out is sort of illegitimate.
Matthew, have you been reading my Kaka comments or tweets?
https://thekaka.substack.com/p/dawn-chorus-police-concreting-protestors/comment/5173159
https://twitter.com/search?q=%40NZheretic%20coalition&src=typed_query&f=live
...reductions in freight (45% by 2030), aviation (50% by 2030) and shipping (50% by 2030) emissions. Seriously?
A rhetorical question, to be sure.