Transit Thinking Stuck In 1960s – Greens
July 24th, 2008
Green Party Co-Leader Russel Norman is describing Transit’s 10 Year Transport Plan, which proposes spending 230 times more on roads than on cycle and walking infrastructure, as 1960s style transport thinking. Norman’s attacks come after the release of Transit’s 10 Year Plan for NZ’s transport infrastructure which ranks all community safety, walking and cycling projects at the lowest level possible and funds them at 1/230th of roading projects. “The level of institutional prejudice fostered by the Labour Govt and Land Transport NZ against having a safer country for all transport users is made clear by this massive difference in funding.”
Sustainability Ignored. Norman says the result of this bias will be more traffic on the roads, more toxic car fumes and even less alternatives. Where they do exist, the country needs to make it safe and convenient and this means investing more in cycle and walking infrastructure. Norman says the lack of emphasis on walking and cycling makes a mockery of the agency’s claims about being committed to sustainability.
Transit’s primary concerns over high oil prices do not relate to the effects on mobility, he says, but only as it affects the price of building new roads. Norman believes such an attitude needs to change. “It may come as a surprise to Transit, but most people are concerned about oil prices right now, and spending over $13bn on roads but only $57m on walking and cycling infrastructure over ten years, will make things much worse.”
QUOTABLE : “Transit’s 10 Year Plan is a crime against the climate and an offence towards New Zealand’s obvious desire to reduce oil reliance.” - Russel Norman
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