Meaningful community engagement will be critical to the city’s transport future, an Auckland councillor says.
Manurewa-Papakura Ward Councillor Angela Dalton was part of the New Zealand Local Authority Traffic Institute conference this month and says a focus of the event was taking the community on the journey into our transport future.
“The city has several different transport plans and while it’s important they are co-ordinated, it’s equally important the community takes part in setting them, understands them and engages with their implementation,” she says.
“All transport networks are built for people, so it’s important they reflect their needs and aspirations.
“It was great to talk about collaboration, political leadership and the importance of bringing community along with representatives from across the sector and country.
“At the local level both Papakura and Manurewa local boards have outcomes in their plans that talk about having safe and accessible networks that provide transport options to meet community needs.
“They talk about well-connected links between public transport and our roads and walking and cycleways; and recognise transport systems are critical to the economy.
“It’s critical people get engaged with transport planning because too often we hear complaints and questions about what’s going on after things are in place, not before.”
Dalton says the event included a session around route protection, land use integration, strategic network planning and the importance of that community engagement.
“There are some important decisions to be made to ensure Auckland Council upholds its responsibilities to climate reporting and agreements on greenhouse gas reduction.”
Councillor Dalton says she remains committed to being a voice for addressing equity and engagement, and in creating a shared vision for our future on behalf of residents.
The traffic institute represents local authority views on road safety and traffic management in New Zealand, and lobbies government to influence decision-making on road safety and traffic issues. It also acts as a forum for collectively pursuing traffic issues.
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