Trade-offs in Road Pricing: The Auckland Road Pricing Evaluation Studies

Traffic congestion is a significant problem for Auckland, as it is in most large cities, though the situation in Auckland is exacerbated by the extreme topographical constraints and limitations on infrastructure investment. Auckland’s congestion is largely the result of insufficient investment in infrastructure and public transport in previous decades and the dispersed nature of development in Auckland and surrounding cities that make private motor cars the preferred means of transport. The Central Government has identified congestion in Auckland and other parts of New Zealand a priority, and significantly increased spending on new roads and public transport over the next 10 years. The paper outlines the outcomes of the New Zealand Ministry of Transport’s (MOT) Auckland Road Pricing Evaluation Study (ARPES) conducted by a consortium including Hyder Consulting Pty Ltd. The study addressed a range of road pricing options designed to alleviate the Auckland traffic congestion. It addressed the full spectrum of issues including traffic congestion relief, social, economic and environmental impacts, mitigation measures, financial analysis, technical feasibility, public acceptability and consistency with government policies. The paper covers the unique focus of the ARPES on the social, economic and environmental impacts of road pricing, the options considered, the comprehensive evaluation framework developed, and the outcomes of the study. Particular attention is given to the trade-offs that are inherent between the benefits of road pricing to transport operations and environmental outcomes and the possible social (and in some cases economic) impacts, and the challenges of finding a positive balance in a city like Auckland.