Christchurch is the largest city in Australia or New Zealand without a mass transit system. A critical question is how long the city will wait for a modern transit system.
Christchurch is experiencing congestion as described in the paper Christchurch’s Roads Are As Fast As They Will Ever Get. It has the slowest 10km distance driving time of New Zealand’s towns and cities. Currently the time to travel this distance is increasing by 20 seconds a year. Over the space of a few years this is not a significant problem. In five to ten years’ time this will be a serious problem that should have a planned remedy. If it is not fixed for twenty or thirty years, then this is the sort of problem that will be devastating to the continued success of the city.
The fundamental solution to road congestion is to give people better choices than driving. If more people can use alternative transport options, then those people who have to drive will face less crowded roads.
