Auckland has a very high level of car ownership. It has around 876,796 vehicles and a population of 1,319,000, so there is one car for every 1.5 people. In 2001, 14% of households in the Auckland region had three or more vehicles. By 2006 this had grown to 17%. High levels of car ownership and car use have resulted in an increasingly inefficient transport system in the Auckland region.

These thousands of cars on the roads – mostly at peak times – are increasing traffic congestion.  Many of the region’s roads are operating close to capacity.

On a typical weekday morning, 63% of traffic is people going to work by car. Most of these cars have only one occupant. In fact, 68% of all trips to work in the region are by car (2006 Census).

The least car dependent area in Auckland is the CBD, where 40% of people walk to work and only 23%, use cars to get to work. CBD dwellers are also more likely to be single car households. Areas near the CBD (like Grafton, Newton, Freemans Bay) also have high rates of walking to work (25% to 37%) and lower car ownership. Other higher density areas like Parnell, Eden Terrace, Newmarket, and central Takapuna have higher walking to work rates 11% to 26%.

There is a strong relationship between low density areas and car use, with low density areas on the outskirts of the region (such as lifestyle blocks) having high rates of company car use and single occupant cars. Bus use is highest in areas with bus lanes such as Dominion Rd, Sandringham Rd, and Mt Eden Rd with between 10% and 14% of journeys to work in these areas by bus.

The region’s unique geographical location, between three major harbours, imposes restrictions on the transport system. The major transport links are confined to narrow corridors where there are few opportunities for providing additional roading capacity.