Key themes

Change travel behaviours

A significant number of trips that Aucklanders make by cars could equally be made by more sustainable modes. Every segment of our population has barriers to and opportunities for using public transport, cycling, walking or ride sharing. Some of the barriers may be real and others are perceived.

School, tertiary education, business and community travel plans are successfully overcoming many barriers. They have reduced car trips by 11-13 per cent, increased use of public transport by 4-16 per cent and walking and cycling by 43-58 per cent. This frees up our roads for economic activity and improves productivity.

These plans are part of what's called Travel Demand Management (TDM). The term is used to describe initiatives aimed at modifying travel behaviour in order to maximise the efficient use of existing transport systems and avoid more costly expansion. Examples of TDM measures include tele-working, ridesharing, more flexible work and educational hours, parking constraints, investing in neighbourhood cycle and walkways, and land use policies that support intensive mixed-use development and responding to local needs.