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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 20h

“When it comes to our transport choices, whoever is elected to local boards and council seats in Auckland this year matters a LOT more than in the past.”

@connorsharp.bsky.social on how this local election will have an outsized impact on transport, including a “post code lottery” for safer streets.

What this local election means for transport in Auckland - Greater Auckland

Connor Sharp is running for the Waitematā Local Board in this year’s election. On Saturday (pending any close-run races), we’ll learn who will govern our city for the next three years. While the mayor...

www.greaterauckland.org.nz

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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 8d

"Building a short section of cycleway, or proposing to take away a car park, gets more column inches in the media – and more scrutiny from both local and central government politicians – than any multi-billion-dollar mega-project ever experiences.

All of this is the opposite of how it should be."

The secrecy of mega-projects - Greater Auckland

How is it that mega-projects costing billions get such little public involvement and scrutiny? That’s a question that Mayor Wayne Brown effectively hits on in

www.greaterauckland.org.nz

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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 9d

Perfectly good citywide bike network buried under all those cars, too, just awaiting daylighting.

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NZ Transit Buzz @nztransitbuzz.bsky.social · 9d

#RailNews: The Golden Triangle is home to 40% of NZ's population with huge flows of people and freight. Electrifying its rail could make a real difference to its mobility

By @darrendavis.bsky.social via Adventures in Transitland: adventuresintransitland.substack.com/p/electrifyi...

Electrifying the Golden Triangle

The Golden Triangle of Aotearoa's Upper North Island is home to 40% of the nation's population with huge flows of people and freight. Electrifying its rail could make a real difference to its mobility

adventuresintransitland.substack.com

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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 9d

omg so true bestie, totes #twinning over here too 🚗✨

Oh The Urbanity! @ohtheurbanity.bsky.social · 10d

Despite the so-called “war on cars”, there are still lots of roads in Montreal to drive or park your car on. Most of them, actually.

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Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke.bsky.social · 9d

Here's one of Barcelona's famous superillas, or superblocks, on Rocafort-Consell de Cent. All of this used to be asphalt and space for moving and storing cars. Now it's green, quiet, calm, and safe.

paved sidewalk with grey squares next to green space on left and cafe tables and trees on right.

Light brown sand/park with trees overhead.

Grey pavement and green space and picnic tables.

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Oh The Urbanity! @ohtheurbanity.bsky.social · 10d

Despite the so-called “war on cars”, there are still lots of roads in Montreal to drive or park your car on. Most of them, actually.

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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 9d

Three major crashes today on roads where the current NZ govt *increased* the speed limit (previously lowered for safety reasons) in pursuit of "productivity"?

Serious injuries. Lengthy closures. Costly disruptions to lives, whānau, the transport network, our health system. This is not productive. 😞

"Pedestrian seriously injured after being hit by car, Botany Rd in East Auckland closed." Screenshot of a news story in the NZ Herald from Monday 29 September 2025. The first line of the story reads: "A worker close to the site where a pedestrian was struck by a car in East Auckland said he heard a loud “bang” noise before a rush of sirens."

This year, Botany Rd was one of over 1400 Auckland streets that had its speed limit raised by order of the current government, in this case, from 50km/h back up to 60km/h. In a move that runs counter to evidence and good practice, the government's new Speed Rule (authored by Simeon Brown and rolled out by Chris Bishop) *reversed* speed reductions implemented since 2020 on the spurious grounds that safer speeds impacted "productivity".

The speed reductions were aimed at making roads safer for everyone using them, whether in a car or not. A quick search of "Botany Rd serious crash" explains why Botany was one of them.

Today's crash seems to have happened along a stretch of Botany Rd that has shops and bus stops on both sides of the road, but the nearest signalised crossings are around half a kilometre away in either direction.

"Six hurt in SH1 crash near Taupō." Screenshot of a Radio NZ news story from Monday 29 September 2025. This stretch of State Highway 1 recently had its speed limit raised back up to 100kmh from 60kmh. The speed limit had been lowered due to a history of serious and fatal crashes along this key route.

Many locals were appalled by the reversal, as the highway runs through popular and busy holiday towns. For context, see this story from June 2025, in which the Taupō District Council's deputy mayor describes it as "grossly inappropriate”. https://www.waikatotimes.co.nz/nz-news/360717092/holiday-communities-livid-about-speed-limit-reversals and this NZ Herald story https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/new-speed-rules-100kmh-through-a-lake-taupo-campground/G2VZI4VSJZCTLKP3K444D6H2VU/ which describes some of the worst crashes in this area. "Until 2020, the speed limit remained 100km/h. Between 2000 and August 2023, there were 284 crashes reported on the 10km stretch of road from Motutere to Hallets Bay. Nine were fatal and 22 others were serious."

"'Significant delays' afer stock truck rolls on SH5 Napier Taupō Road." Screenshot of a Radio NZ news story from Monday 29 September 2025. SH5 had its speed limit raised this year back up to 100km/h from 80km/h, as a priority of the current government.

Speeds had been reduced to 80km/h due to the ongoing history of serious and fatal crashes on this highway, which is the only link between Napier and Taupō. The return to 100km/h sparked concern from road safety experts.

For further context, see this story from February 2025: "An independent study released after the drop to 80km/h concluded the lower speed limit on Napier-Taupō Rd prevented 34 crashes in the first 12 months following its implementation. Crash data also showed there had been fewer crashes on Napier-Taupō Rd since the drop to 80km/h." https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/napier-taupo-rd-speed-limit-rise-to-100kmh-sparks-safety-debate/5QTIH2LPTFGAFAAOWTME3AD7IE/

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Bike Auckland @bikeauckland.bsky.social · 9d

🎉🚲 It’s (nearly) the most wonderful time of the year… and no, it’s not Christmas! 😉

Biketober is here — a whole month packed with rides, workshops, and celebrations all across Tāmaki Makaurau.

Check out the full calendar at biketober.nz and join the fun!

#Biketober #BikeAKL #BetterByBike

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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 9d

We’re in this list and we like it. 😊#GlobalUrbanists

Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 10d

NEW STARTER PACK! This time I’m hoping to encourage and support global urbanists from OUTSIDE North America here on Bluesky, so hopefully this will help! Who’ve I missed? Just joined? Let me know! I’ll keep updating, so please keep checking & sharing this pack! And let’s try using #GlobalUrbanists.

Urbanists OUTSIDE North America Worth Following!

Join the conversation

go.bsky.app

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Darren Davis @darrendavis.bsky.social · 18d

It’s just over nine months until Te Huia’s five year trial comes to an end in mid-2026. There’s lots to be done to secure it as a permanent service between Auckland and Hamilton. Read on for what this involves.
open.substack.com/pub/adventur...

Making Te Huia a permanent service

Te Huia's five-year trial is fast coming towards its close on 30th June 2026. What needs to happen to make it a permanent part of Aotearoa's public transport system?

open.substack.com

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Darren Davis @darrendavis.bsky.social · 11d

In my latest blog post, I delve into KiwiRail's emerging thinking on the electrification of the Golden Triangle linking Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga.
open.substack.com/pub/adventur...

Electrifying the Golden Triangle

The Golden Triangle of Aotearoa's Upper North Island is home to 40% of the nation's population with huge flows of people and freight. Electrifying its rail could make a real difference to its mobility

open.substack.com

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Carlton Reid @carltonreid.com · 11d

Happy 200th birthday to passenger rail travel!

Although, as my piece shows, actual history is messier than that: www.forbes.com/sites/carlto...

From Steam to Sustainability: How Railways Could Help Calm the Climate Crisis

Born in the age of coal, the rail industry helped ignite the climate crisis. Today, rail — celebrating its 200-year anniversary — is reinventing itself as the greenest mode of mass transport.

www.forbes.com

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Connor Sharp @connorsharp.bsky.social · 11d

Wow look at this street. There must be incredible productivity gains on this crucial economic route from Simeon Browns blanket speed increases. So safe, and so fitting at 50km/h!

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HowDoYou Guide @howdoyou.guide · 12d

Hi @npr.org! We worked late tonight putting together this handy pocket guide!

It doesn't address road design issues, but if we're going to educate road users, we should include drivers.

It's the size of a folded business card. Print it, fold it, put it in your wallet!

"How Do You Avoid Hitting People With Your Car" pocket guide. Instructs readers to Watch the Road and Slow Down. Further text humorously insists that watching the road and slowing down are indeed important.

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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 14d

There’s a lot wisdom in here, thanks @haydendonnell.bsky.social
thespinoff.co.nz/politics/23-...

Four departing mayors tell us what they really think

They want to keep Māori wards, think rates capping will fail, and say the government is being patronising and paternalistic.

thespinoff.co.nz

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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 12d

Our Friday roundup, featuring stories about cities and transport that caught our eye this week. Have a great weekend, and roll on Daylight Saving Time (and Biketober)! www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/09/26/w...

Weekly Roundup 26-September-2025 - Greater Auckland

Welcome to another Friday. Who’s ready for Daylight Saving Time this weekend? And it’s almost October, aka World Bank’s report puts it: “[…] there are no other risk factors that have such a substantia...

www.greaterauckland.org.nz

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American Fietser @americanfietser.bsky.social · 13d

I want to live in cities where a scene like this is fairly unremarkable.

MaiTheDane @maithedane.bsky.social · 13d

💕💗💕

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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 13d

A viable cycling network is a vital safety-net for people and the economy. Is the cheapest transport network to install and maintain. A measure of a city’s competence and civility.

www.rnz.co.nz/news/pinchpo...

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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 13d

🙏

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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 13d

A timely question! Here are a few useful resources for figuring out where candidates stand on the issues...
Bike AKL: www.bikeauckland.org.nz/campaigns/bi...
Gen Zero: localelections.nz
Policy NZ: policy.nz/2025

Vote for a Bikeable Auckland - Bike Auckland

Our long-running campaign to encourage voters (with their votes), and candidates (with policy and actions) to fight for a Bikeable Auckland.

www.bikeauckland.org.nz

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Patrick Morgan @patrickmorgan.bsky.social · 13d

Use this simple trick to ensure parking is always free.

a bicycle is chained to a metal fence in the snow

Alt: a bicycle is chained to a metal fence in the snow

media.tenor.com

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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 13d

More housing was the winner on the day: our wrap-up of this week's decision by Auckland Council to move ahead with the new Plan Change. www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/09/25/p...

Plan Change debate: more housing was the winner on the day - Greater Auckland

Housing has been much in the headlines recently, with a few Auckland Councillors fighting tooth and nail to prevent more of it in their own neighbourhoods and instead push it out to other parts of the...

www.greaterauckland.org.nz

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Greater Auckland @greaterauckland.bsky.social · 14d

"The showdown vote (won 18-5) came after a marathon council hearing with sometimes fiery exchanges between supporters of the plan for greater density, and staunch opponents."🔥

Simon Wilson reports in detail on Auckland Council's decision to crack on with putting new homes where it makes most sense.

'What the city needs': Council votes to notify housing plan change after showdown

The showdown vote came after a marathon council hearing with some fiery exchanges.

www.nzherald.co.nz

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Ben Sanderson @benmsanderson.bsky.social · 14d

It's weird - but now in Oslo, there's so many EVs that you notice the noise and the smell from individual ICE cars, and you realise how much we've been normalising it for ever. You can smell them half a street away.

And inside parking lots are just *quiet*.

Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 15d

It's absolutely astonishing: In just about 13 years, Norway has skyrocketed from virtually no sales of zero-emission battery electric vehicles to nearly 100% of all new passenger car purchases.

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