Transport technology is developing quickly and has the potential to help provide new and better travel options. Visit Transport and access in Auckland, 2050.
Conceptual view of Auckland transport options
In the short-term, technology changes are likely to make real-time travel information more readily available.
This will help us plan our travel more easily, help avoid the worst impacts of congestion, and help deliver improved and real-time solutions, including:
In the medium to longer-term, developing technologies like connected and autonomous vehicles (including public transport), especially when combined with ride-sharing, have the potential to fundamentally reshape the way transport is provided and used, blurring the boundaries between private and public transport.
These developments could create a number of benefits, including:
There is also a risk that these technology advances could create negative effects, particularly if they lead to large-scale growth in vehicle travel or poorer-quality street environments. Ongoing monitoring and regulation may be required to minimise these risks.
While rapid technological progress is anticipated, it's hard to know which developments will be successful or when we will be able to use them.
Realising benefits from technology will require us to focus on:
Technology also needs to be used to address our key transport issues (such as emissions and inequity) instead of allowing it to create new problems or magnifying existing ones.
Efforts to maximise the benefits of transport technologies must:
