Auckland, City of Cars: Episode 1

[bored1980]

Good heavens. It appears these guys all go to the same hair salon.

[MoonOvIce]

It's weird man...I lived almost 10 years in the US (New Jersey and New York) and the public transportation is almost non existent, it pathetically bad and most of the times is not available on sundays (or every 2 hours or so), and they don't have a 24 hour service...

Of course that if you live in the middle of New York city (Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan itself etc.) then yeah, but otherwise it's terrible and there are places where you can ONLY access if you have a car...

[maggiey1070]

wanna talk about a shitty transportation system, go to miami. waiting 15 min for a bus would be a godsend here.

[dabin88]

Motorways are not the answer bro!!!!!!

[avitech77]

That's just how the pendulum swings. Kiwis invested more money in public roads and private automobiles rather than public buses/trains. Every country has it's own "Karma" if you will. Auckland is still a fine city no matter what though.

[EdM021]

Considering that I saw in the videos that it's all suburbs you are right there. But it's still a nice place compared to sprawling American suburban cities like Los Angeles, Miami or worst of all, Detroit!

[EdM021]

Auckland isn't a shithole now, but it WILL BECOME a shithole if it doesnt't build subways and light railways!

[lendmeurears]

Yeah we need a 'decent' public transport system. Its a national embarrassment that our public transport system is so appalling.

[themoaspecial]

Its a vicious cycle. More people use cars because the public transport system is unreliable and very unpunctual. Yet, people are telling us to catch the bus or train more because of too many cars but we wont because its not reliable and not guaranteed to get people to work on time. If only I had a dollar for every time I was late to school back in the day because of a bad public transport system causing me to be late.

However I just moved to Tokyo and the public transport here is AMAZING!

[korahaplayas]

@themoaspecial and they want public transport options to be 'feasable'....basically bullshit for cost worthy but they build the motorways our of convenience so why not more railways

[kiwistray]

NZ seriously needs a ministry of public transport.. not just a ministry of roads. We might be ok now, a little late to work now and again, but will be screwed when we can't afford to fill up the car. Its also going to take a lot of oil to set up the PT systems we need so we have to get cracking. These decision makers are clearly in bed with the road building fraternity and its so irresponsible. Such in-your-face corruption for such a small country!

[watchitnz]

Yea, the public transport is ridiculous in Auckland. Its cheaper, faster and more comfortable for me to use my gas guzzling V12 BMW than it is to use public transport.

[takarada]

that is why there is no point in developing an expensive mass transit system.

In cities with the necessary population density to justify the billions needed for such a system it is really not possible to drive from a to b without many delays and great expense

[truekiwijoker]

You obviously didn't watch the three videos. They shoot down the density myth in a later one.

[arnuxii]

I stand corrected about density, needs a railway system but it will cost billions

[truekiwijoker]

How many billions are they chucking at the motorway network?

[draco3113rocks]

i also hate using transport to eve3n get to school the busses are always late cut infront of cars almost cause crashed 99% of the time i would 40min every morning and afternoon cose of the crap system

[riolindasucks]

Worst in the world? Los Angeles is 100x worse. 20 million people with virtually no descent mass transit.

[bozzwilson]

its a joke here in New Zealand after living in Melbourne. The fucking idiots we have running our country need to get real and then we can save on buying in foreign oil!!! The petrol taxes collected for public transport to save us are spent on bums on the welfare system. Bye bye Helen.

[drecruz]

i couldn't agree more

[achtung26]

John Key will be just as bad. It ain't just the politicians though, it's the imbred knuckle-dragger's who elect and tolerate them. And I'm a kiwi.

[gtphanta]

What do they mean "Auckland has a very extensive and well developed motorway system?" HAHAHA what a load of rubbish. Auckland's motorway system is crap! (And I'm from a so called 3rd world country).

[prettypatty21]

Aucklands traffic problem is a disaster! I love my hometown but its got huge issues with planning and public transport! someone do something its killing our cities image!

[kiwiboycorza]

God when I started taking trains overseas I ws so lost. Auckland's train line is just that, a straight line.

[youtba3oo]

i love this city but when i used to take the bus in auckland from Ponsonby to the city i had to wait 15min for a bus to come and i asked for a 50$ dollar change and they said they didnt have any..

on the other hand where i live atm Tokyo a bus comes through my stop every 4 min normally and the bus will have at least 20.000 yen (210us$) worth of change to give u ...

[rickshaw335]

How broke is Auckland?

[avitech77]

I love Auckland! Keep it as it is...

[KiwiRobbie]

you are nuts Auckland neds a lot of help, just look at the rubbish eden park upgrade that we have been lumped with, anyone who can sort out the mess we have become will be should with open arms, that if the ARC and various councils could get over their egos.

[chris124]

Believe me, Seattle is much worse than Auckland

I have been to Auckland and now I'm in Seattle, I miss Auckland all the time coz the transport system here suck

[abhitron]

Melbourne's train system could do with a reworking as well. Starting by taking control away from Connex. Trams are cool, there may be some mishaps but at least they're much more likely to keep a frequent service unlike trains.

[anvilofcrom]

I'm from Auckland but I now live in Sydney, Auckland needs a rail system similar to what we have here in Sydney...only one that runs on time ;-)

[jewelsisawesome]

yeah I just got back from syd and it was great :) transport was ON TIME!

[anvilofcrom]

The people here complain about the train system, I guess they should go to Auckland and try getting from Te Atatu to Manukau City on public transport in less than an hour.

[jewelsisawesome]

why is australian talking about nz?

[KiwiRobbie]

Because he knows what he is talking about unlike the idiots in charge of public transport in Auckland. We didn't need that stupid busway on the Northshore they should run trains instead.

[jewelsisawesome]

ok haha

[MantisAtlantis]

Well we should have more express motorway-using-buses. Impossible to improve - Auckland is too congested.

[EinkeY]

Auckland would be boring without the cars :)

[jnaylornz]

We've got a really good electric rail network here in the Wellington region. I'm sure that Auckland can do as good as we can too, if they really put their minds to it!

[scottishlowoflow]

any rail system has to be better than any british service ever since it was privatised

[Goodfella2007]

Auckland public transport sucks dead donkey balls!!! They shud stop building motorways and build railways! F*cking muppets!

[cortina80]

There is enormous potential for rail in Auckland - electrification and new electric trains, reopening the Onehunga Branch line and extension to the airport and Avondale, a branch line to Manukau City and loop line extension to Panmure via Botany and Pakuranga, extension of rail services to Helensville and Hamilton. Yet we have a Finance Minister, who doesn't live in Auckland and can't see this! Look at Perth, see the success. Auckland could have this too!

[flargo]

It has never been a case of more funding for more motorways it's trying to finish what was planned ages ago. There are no finished motorways in the country.

[mikeofnz]

Yes, you're right - the motorways using up all the transport $ are relics of 1960s plans. Virtually no city in the world gives serious consideration to finishing the vast motorway networks dreamed up by naive planners all those years ago.

[steveday]

Hey Mike. Love your work.

[caraka3]

I am perfectly at home in our 1960's, car oriented environment. NOT! Let's get with the program ...

[akirahojo]

Sad really. Even developing countries like Malaysia and Singapore have better public transport systems. The politicos and economists in NZ need brains transplant.

[svartmetall48]

Singapore isn't classed as a developing nation, especially in terms of its economy - though you are right, public transport by far outstrips Aucklands.