The 2020-21 financial year
was an extraordinary year for Auckland Transport
with unpredictable events
and a challenging operating environment.
In and out of lockdown people changed
their travel behaviour.
More people work from home
and fewer used public transport.
Despite COVID-19, our agility, collaboration, leadership,
and resilience paid off.
AT threw itself into maintaining
and delivering new infrastructure.
We advocated for nationwide policy changes
to support road safety and to address climate change.
AT's operating and financial performance
in the last 12 month period was truly impressive.
Despite the impacts of COVID,
we delivered 96% of our capital programme
and a significant operating surplus.
At the same time, we continued to maintain
close to $22 billion worth of public assets
and then in terms of the measures
that we agree with council each year,
which refer to a statement of intent targets,
83% of these targets either met or exceeded
their expectation in the 12 month period.
AT opened up the downtown area with Te Wananga,
upgraded Quay street and installed the new ferry terminal,
Te Ngau o Horotiu.
Meanwhile, we built Puhinui Station and Interchange,
Hibiscus Coast Station and upgraded Karangahape Road
with a new cycle way.
Other new cycleways across the isthmus include
Glen Innes to Tamaki Drive, Victoria street
and Northcote Bridge.
Stage one of the Eastern Busway is also close to completion.
Our vision zero goal is to have no deaths
or serious injuries on Auckland roads,
and we've done a lot to reach it.
Last year we lowered speed limits on 600 Auckland roads,
upgraded dangerous pedestrian crossings and intersections,
and worked with the New Zealand police
to run check points and campaigns.
We saw the death and serious injury numbers drop from 2017.
However, last year saw the reverse with 56 deaths.
As our study grows, AT is making an even bigger effort
to encourage safe driving speeds and behaviour
and lobbying for increased road surveillance
and new legislation.
AT is also advocating
for new nationwide policies
to help Auckland reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Road transport contributes more than a third
of Auckland's emissions and AT is leading by example
with new electric buses and retrofits.
We're trialling a hydrogen bus,
converting parking machines to solar power
and promoting green infrastructure.
85% of Auckland street lights are now LEDs.
But it's not enough,
the number of vehicle kilometres travelled in Auckland
needs to significantly reduce.
We need more people to use public transport
and we need to bike and walk more.
Congestion charging and e-incentives will help,
giving Aucklanders better travel choices
is good for our environment.
Close to 40% of Aucklanders now live within 500 metres
of a rapid or frequent bus or train service.
We're also making our information tools easier to use
like improving the AT Mobile app
and adding colour coding to our AT Journey Planner.
In a first for AT Maori outcomes were identified
in the 2021 business plan.
Te Aranga Maori design principles are applied
across all projects and AT collaborates regularly
with regional mana whenua.
We also participated in He Waka Eke Noa,
a sustainable procurement model with the Southern initiative
to get more Maori businesses pitching for AT business.
Internally, there is a big commitment
to increase te reo fluency, understand Maori culture
support career opportunities
and increase levels of engagement.
Over the last year,
we've developed a sophisticated online tool
called Future Connect,
which enables us to more strategically plan
our transport system out over the next 10, 20 and 30 years.
We've used this tool to often form
our roads and streets framework, our City Centre Bus Plan,
our freight planning
and of course our Regional Land Transport Programme
that was recently released down to 2031.
There has also been a big push
to discover new ways of working at AT,
one where our people are included, thrive
and perform to their very best.
We're investing in capable, creative and adaptive people.
We are growing our leaders to support their teams
and each other and all of Aucklanders
who access our services.
We are also working closely with local boards
to deliver projects that are important to local communities
and collaborating closely with our partners and stakeholders
to get better outcomes at lower costs.
The report shows our joint commitment
to deliver a world-class transport network that is safe,
connected, well maintained, value for money
and provides easy transport journeys
that are kinder to the environment.
You are safe with us.
He waka eke noa
We're in this together.