Christchurch City Mayor Phil Mauger: Transport funding

It’s great to see the days starting to get longer again and know that we’re getting closer to warmer weather—even if it is still a wee way off.

The longer days will soon mean that our contractors will be back out on the streets, working on resealing and repairing roads, footpaths and cycleways. This work on transport is crucial as we all need to be able to get around our city for work, school, shopping and the like.

Yet, how we choose to travel can cause a bit of a debate these days. There is a strong tension between making it easier for cars and trucks to get around, versus sacrificing traffic lanes for cycleways and buses.

I’m sure it’s a discussion everyone has had recently with friends, family and co-workers. It will soon also be a debate for our council. Government funding for transport—money from the fuel levies and taxes we pay—is changing. The Minister wants a greater focus on reducing congestion and repairing existing roads.

During September/October, our council will find out what our share of this funding is and what the Government is prepared to help us pay for over the next few years. As a council, we will need to decide on what we invest in the coming years, and finalise our transport programme.

This will have a big impact on how everyone gets around Christchurch and Banks Peninsula, and will be a big focus for us as the weather warms up.