Congestion charges and a switch to "adaptive motorways" have been listed as potential tools in a new plan to optimise Auckland's busy road network.
NZ Transport Agency and Auckland Council published a new strategy on Thursday to improve the city's motorways over the next 30-plus years – with a focus on reducing congestion and boosting productivity.
Part of the plan, which was long on words and short on detail, was to optimise the existing network, with adaptive motorways and time-of-use charging listed. The identified projects will be considered in future regional and national planning, funding, and delivery processes, it said.
So what would these changes actually mean for drivers? And will they actually work?
Congestion charges: How much will they cost you?
It feels like slapping a congestion charge on Auckland's motorway has been talked about for an age.
Mayor Wayne Brown is a big a fan of the idea, saying he'd like to see it "ASAP". The legal framework passed through Parliament last year, allowing local authorities to set up schemes by working with NZTA. The new plan doesn't introduce them – instead, it identifies them as a potential tool.
The purpose of congestion charges is to encourage motorists to use alternative modes of transport during busy periods on the network. Proponents say the aim is to free up traffic during these periods.
At more than 170kms in length, the Auckland motorway network carries 1.5 million trips a day, with many residents relying on it to get around. At peak times, traffic is a crawl, and a single crash can slow down the entire network.
Auckland is famous for its traffic, and a congestion charge could be a low-cost and relatively easy way to speed things up, according to supporters of the idea. With the opening of the City Rail Link less than a month away, the way people use public transport will also dramatically change.
AA Policy Director Martin Glynn told 1News the central city corridor was the most likely candidate for a congestion charge, as "that's where the motorway network is busiest". This section links the southern, northern and northwestern motorways.
Glynn said the AA understood it would involve "quite a high charge at peak times" – somewhere between $5 and $7. Over a year of commuting, that could add up to a significant additional cost for motorists.
"There aren't as many alternatives for people on the motorway network. So it would basically need to be set at a level that really gets traffic flowing.
"People are pretty wedded to their motorway trips, and it's often the only way they've got to get to work or education. So it needs to be high enough to make a difference in freeing up traffic."
'Unprecedented': The commuters whose wallets will be hit hardest
Congestion charges are used in cities across the world, with Singapore, Stockholm and London considered successful examples. In Singapore and Stockholm, traffic volumes have been cut by between 30% and 50%.
But these cities charge for road use in their high-density city centres and already have extensive public transport, whereas Auckland's would be focused on the motorway. Glynn said a congestion charge on Auckland's motorway would be "unprecedented."
"That's where our problem is. The congestion is far worse on the motorway network than anywhere else."
Made up of sprawling suburbs, Auckland has most of its transport infrastructure designed around cars. Many Aucklanders make cross-regional trips every day, living and working in different parts of the city.
Because Auckland's city centre is "pretty limited", Glynn said there aren't as many choices for people to get around.
"It could be particularly hard, and that's our biggest concern. We don't want it to be a barrier for people who need to get to work and education. The discretionary trips, which can be made at a different time, are not so important.
"I think that's the biggest concern: whether the public transport network doesn't have viable alternatives for those kinds of trips."
He said the impacts could be "quite significant" for Monday-to-Friday commuters and those in South and West Auckland.
Auckland's public transport is reliant on buses – which can make cross-city journeys "long and quite punishing".
Glynn said a possible solution for this could be support arrangements through the Ministry of Social Development.
"I know they're going to look at public transport improvements and some additional services and the like. But the reality is we've got lots of jobs scattered all over Auckland."
What are adaptive motorways?
Adaptive (or "smart") motorways are another key part of the plan released this week. They are stretches of highway that use technology to manage traffic in real time.
Lanes can be easily opened or closed, shoulders can be opened as normal lanes when needed, and speed limits can be adjusted. Roadside cameras can monitor traffic flow, detect incidents, and help control centres.
New Zealand already has a smart motorway on State Highway 1 in Wellington between Johnsonville and the Terrace Tunnel. It is fitted with a network of radars, loops, and cameras to assess congestion and adjust speed limits to improve flow.
The Auckland Harbour Bridge features some adaptive elements, including variable speed limits and dynamic lanes. Active monitoring also goes through the city's transport operations centre.
Glynn said while Wellington's smart motorway had produced "mixed results", technology had come a long way since it opened.
"I think they're talking about taking this to the next level. So anything that will improve those things is a good thing."
The UK has had smart motorways for nearly two decades, but plans to build new ones were scrapped in 2023, with a "lack of confidence" among drivers cited as a reason.
In 2020, a BBC Panorama investigation reported 38 people had been killed on smart motorways in the previous five years. Road safety groups said that without the shelter of a hard shoulder, broken-down vehicles were being hit by moving traffic.
Despite this, motorways still accounted for fewer casualties than rural or urban roads.
Glynn said there would need to be "clear signs up the line".
"My understanding is that it's particularly used when the traffic's not going well, with a big exception of an incident up the line where they need to slow down the traffic."
'We can't simply keep widening motorways forever'
In a statement about the plan on Thursday, Transport Minister Chris Bishop said it was critical to keep people and freight moving as the city grew.
“In many parts of the network we've already widened motorways as much as is practical, so a shift towards a more balanced and strategic approach with targeted investment will play an increasingly important role.
"Keeping Auckland moving means making sure roads, public transport, walking and cycling connections all work well together."
Mayor Brown said the plan recognised "we can't simply keep widening motorways forever".
"We need to make better use of the network we've got through optimisation and investing in small, sensible projects that will make the biggest difference for Aucklanders.
"It's also about making sure roads, public transport, freight and the wider transport network work together to keep Auckland moving as the city grows."
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