More people are choosing to live in the Hamilton/Waipā/Waikato/Matamata- Piako sub-region.

This means an increase in traffic congestion particularly at key river crossings, major intersections, and at the entrances to Hamilton and key towns. This is having a big impact on traffic and freight efficiency. It's causing frustration, increasing travel times, increasing costs, and it’s impacting people’s safety on our roads.

If we don’t future proof our transport network, we’ll end up with:

• Worse congestion around the place - particularly at key river crossings and entrances into to Hamilton city centre and regional centres
• Increasing time delays at our intersections
• Increased emissions from private vehicle and freight use year on year
• Impacts on people’s safety
• A network where the use of private vehicles and increasing congestion will be our only choice.

Our current approach of developing properties 'out' rather than 'up' and the lack of transport options means we’re being forced to drive further for daily tasks, including going to work and school.

We’re very dependent on private vehicles. Over many years, that dependence has seen traffic-centric, rather than people-centric, planning and design of our neighbourhoods, towns and cities. This means more investment is going towards accommodating vehicles and less investment is going towards those things that make towns and cities great places to live. We need to change that.

There are not enough safe options. That encourage people to choose other forms of transport like walking or cycling.

Our transport network, and the way we travel, is contributing to extreme weather events. We’re seeing increased emissions from transport year on year, making it harder to meet local and national climate change commitments.

In our region, 31% of people either cannot drive or don’t have access to a vehicle. The lack of transport choice across our region means these people have very few options of getting around so don’t have the same access to opportunities as others.

...We're working on improving our buses. Short term we've made improvements by increasing the frequency of our metro Comet and Meteor bus services as well as the Cambridge and Te Awamutu services.

Long-term, we’re planning for a 'rapid bus transit network' which is a bus system that is faster, more reliable and more frequent.

...We're putting a big focus on freight as well! Our economy relies on efficient and timely delivery of goods – and trucks don't like being stuck in traffic! Freight priority lanes, rail capacity and inter-regional state highway links that connect us to Auckland, east to the Bay of Plenty and south to Taranaki are critical to keep our economy rolling.

We're working with our partners in Tauranga and Auckland to invest in better freight and public transport connections that help businesses move between our cities and we're also working closely with the logistics and freight industry to make sure we deliver solutions that really work.

We know more people would choose to get out of their cars if they could – in fact 55 percent of Hamiltonians say that they would ride a bike more often if it felt safer. So we're continuing to invest in cycleways and pathways so people have another way to get around.

...We’re continuing to invest in Te Huia, our passenger rail service between Hamilton and Auckland. We've increased the frequency of the service already and we’re investigating upgrading and building new stations throughout the line.

Our thinking isn't only about how we move people around in our main city and towns though... We're planning for our rural communities and for those people in our villages and our papakainga  – making sure they have the same access to opportunities as everyone.

We'll see less congestion on our roads, which will make it easier for those who need to drive to get around

We'll see big improvements in public transport, not just in Hamilton but in our smaller towns and our rural areas. People will have more options to get around.

Our carbon emissions from transport will reduce, because we will reduce our reliance on cars by making it easier and cheaper to use a bike or jump on a bus.

Freight will move more efficiently.

Move travel options will see increased economic, social, cultural and health benefit such as:

• More people will be able to come together and connect and enjoy our spaces and places
• People will be less impacted by high fuel costs
• There will be more safe spaces for people to exercise
• Easier access to events and venues

Whether we choose to drive, walk, cycle or jump on public transport, and whether we live in the city, town, or rurally, we’re planning a transport network that provides choice – and is better for everyone.