The Government has announced a $16.9 billion investment in the land transport system over the next three years, which it says will deliver a safer, better connected system.
"This record investment in our transport system will help grow our regions, make it easier to get around our cities, and save lives on our roads. It will deliver the best results for our transport dollar," Transport Minister Phil Twyford said today of the three-year programme.
A total of $4.3b will be spent programmes and projects "that will save lives by preventing accidents or reducing their severity".
"This will include revamping intersections to stop collisions, installing median barriers in high-risk areas, and increasing road policing. Roads receiving safety upgrades will include Dome Valley, Drury to Paerata, Waihi to Tauranga, and the Hawke's Bay Expressway."
The planned investments are detailed in the 2018-21 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP), published today by the NZ Transport Agency.
"This record investment in our transport system will help grow our regions, make it easier to get around our cities, and save lives on our roads. It will deliver the best results for our transport dollar," Twyford said.
"Most roading investment will go to the regions, rather than the big cities. This reverses the situation in the last three years, when most of roading investment went to the metro centres. In total, our neglected regional roads will receive $5.8b of funding, a $600m increase."
Nearly $4b will be spent on public transport, rapid transit, and rail services to "ease congestion and make our cities healthier places to live".
This includes renewal work on Wellington's rail tracks, Auckland's SkyPath and Seapath walk/cycleways, and investigating a new commuter ferry service in Queenstown.
