The most significant change to local government in Auckland since 2010 takes effect today, with a suite of transport functions moving from Auckland Transport (AT) to Auckland Council.
From 1 October, the changes see AT focus solely on operating Auckland’s large and growing public transport network, while Auckland Council takes over responsibility for AT’s other functions – road and footpath maintenance, improvements, transport planning, design and delivery of transport projects, public parking, active modes, and public transport infrastructure.
Auckland Council Chief Executive, Phil Wilson says the change is not simply a transfer of people and responsibilities from one organisation to another.
“It’s about creating a smarter, more connected future for Auckland, and ultimately about better, more joined up decisions to meet the needs of our growing communities,” said Mr Wilson.
“It means bringing transport planning closer together with housing, infrastructure and how our region grows. It also means clearer accountability, with elected members and local boards having a more direct role in decision making.”
While the change to both organisations is significant, most Aucklanders are unlikely to notice anything different.
“Public transport, public parking, road maintenance and the like will carry on as usual. In the future, Aucklanders will see changes in traffic management practices, how transport projects in our region are designed and delivered, and how much closer we are able to bring citizens to the decision-making process around transport priorities in their own neighbourhood.”
Auckland Transport’s Chief Executive, Stacey van der Putten says these changes give Auckland Transport a clear and focused role in delivering great public transport for Aucklanders, marking the start of an exciting new chapter for the organisation.
“Our focus is on running safe, convenient and accessible public transport services that connect people to jobs, education, services and cultural and social activities,” said Ms van der Putten.
“Auckland is continuing to grow and public transport will play an increasingly important role in keeping our city moving. This is an exciting time for public transport in Auckland.
“We have a real opportunity to build on recent progress, including the opening of the CRL and the continued expansion of the frequent transit network, while strengthening our focus on customers, growing patronage and making public transport the preferred choice for more Aucklanders wherever possible.”
Some of the changes people might notice, include:
- Public parking is now run by Auckland Council. The AT Park app is now AC Parking and parking buildings and uniforms feature the council branding;
- In addition to maintaining parks and community facilities, Auckland Council will now manage requests to fix things like road surfaces, footpaths and street lighting;
- Consultation on things like changes to intersections, or bus lanes, will now be run by Auckland Council;
- Websites and social media will be updated over time but contact details for Aucklanders remain essentially the same.
