At their best, cities bring people together and build a sense of community. At their worst, cities devolve into a mess of traffic jams and transportation issues. But what causes these traffic challenges, and how do we prevent them? Here we cover some of the biggest transportation problems facing New Zealand and the steps we can take to make that morning commute a little more bearable.
Congestion Conundrum
Whether you’re 10 minutes late for work in the morning or the kids are getting to school just before the bell rings, we have all suffered the consequences of traffic congestion. Congestion causes daily misery for many commuters and is the most widespread transportation issue facing New Zealand. Traffic congestion occurs when cities outgrow their transport networks and can no longer accommodate the volume of vehicles on the road.
Solutions
Most congestion can be attributed to overloading, making it a tricky problem to solve as we can’t simply wish away the 5 o’clock traffic.
Some urban centres are turning to smart traffic management products, such as light signals that use cameras to sense when line-ups form and automatically adjust their timings accordingly. This technology can help troublesome areas of congestion that only occur during peak hours in cities.
Urban Sprawling Spiralling Out of Control
Urban sprawling is a pattern of outward development on the fringes of established cities that can have significant implications for transportation issues. The further a city spreads outwards, the harder it is for adequate transportation services to facilitate the areas. With sparse and inconvenient public transport options, many residents in these areas turn to personal vehicles to get around, exacerbating the ever-present congestion issues.
Solutions
Convincing people, especially those further afield, to leave their cars at home isn’t easy. One potential solution is ridesharing and micro-mobility services. These services help solve urban sprawling issues by filling in the gaps between public transit options in these under-supported areas, giving commuters more choices beyond their personal vehicles.
Lack of Public Transportation Options
Cities don’t just outgrow their roads – they outgrow their public transit too, which can lead to serious transportation issues. As cities grow and develop, public transport must adapt. An influx of new residents can quickly overload public transit systems.
Solution
Improving public transportation is the silver bullet to many traffic issues but doing so is much easier said than done. Improvements to public transit primarily come down to expansion and price, making it more attractive and accessible to the average commuter. Actions like the current half-price bus fee in Auckland have significantly increased the use of public transit in the city and are an excellent example of what we need to do more of to fix our transit system.
TSL Group is Driving Transportation Forward
Transportation issues present a seemingly unsolvable conundrum for many of our biggest cities. However, through careful planning and decisive action, we can untie gridlocked networks and make your morning commute less miserable.
TSL Group offers a range of services, from traffic light maintenance to civil construction, to help build Kiwi cities better. Contact us today and see how we can help your next project.