“Benefits for the city centre, by far the biggest employment centre in Auckland, have been well articulated. But look at Manukau, Henderson and Takapuna. They will all be better-connected post-CRL too, with the wider transport network improvements. And the more accessible our town centres are, the better the city works,” says Auckland Council Principal Transport Advisor, George Weeks.

These insights and others are shared in a new Q&A with Weeks, who is a former Urban Designer at Transport for London and has been living in Auckland for nine years. The Q&A illustrates how Auckland Council’s investment in this major infrastructure project could deliver a significant return on the council’s 50% stake in the project, across the region.

Weeks brings his urban design experience to the conversation and gives examples of what makes cities efficient, easy to get around and pleasant to spend time in. He supports the view that CRL will enable the Auckland region to become more connected which in turn will support a more liveable, productive, modern city, attracting top talent to live and work here.

Auckland Transport  projections show that people travelling from Henderson to midtown by public transport at peak times in the morning, post-CRL, will save 24 minutes in travel time. It will become a direct route with no changes from train to bus. Equally, travel times will reduce across town. Travel time by train from Henderson to Sylvia Park, for example, will reduce by around 20 minutes; no longer requiring transfer between services.

Further examples of anticipated benefits for Papakura, Glen Innes and North Shore communities are discussed in the Q&A.

“When the stations open, I think people will be surprised with what they see. They are very beautiful, immaculate, 21st century structures of the kind we’re just not used to,” says Weeks.

Read the full Q&A and find sources here.