Auckland’s extensive roading network comprises motorways, which are the responsibility of Transit New Zealand, and local roads, which are the responsibility of local councils. The road network is used by cars, buses, cyclists and pedestrians and is also used for the vast majority of freight movements within the region. 

The motorway network, operated by Transit New Zealand, carries around one-third of all traffic in the morning peak, with the remainder using local roads. 

Auckland's motorways are amongst some of the busiest roads internationally based on vehicles per lane per day. The Newmarket Viaduct and Auckland Harbour Bridge carry over 160,000 vehicles per day on average over a year. The most heavily used section of the Southern Motorway, between Gillies Avenue and Khyber Pass Road, carries almost 200,000 vehicles during some weekdays.

The economic importance of Auckland’s road network cannot be underestimated. Every day, approximately 500,000 trips (20 per cent of all trips) on Auckland’s roads are made by heavy and light commercial vehicles carrying 600,000 tonnes of goods to and from destinations within the region. A further 6,500 vehicle trips per day carry freight into or out of the region. This represents more than one tonne of freight moved per day for every household in the region, excluding goods moved in private cars, vans and small trailers.