Two reports were released today by an independent alternative funding group with the two options.
Group chairman Stewart Milne said Aucklanders had said something must be done about the transport system and to get on with fixing it.
The council will consult Aucklanders from January on the two options for a decision to be made in a new 10-year budget next year.
The Government will have to approve fuel taxes and tolling of existing state highways.
Previous transport ministers have rejected these options.
There are two motorway user charge options:
The first is a flat rate of $2 from 6am to 7pm on weekdays and $1 from 6am-7pm at weekends. Nights are free.
The second option has variable weekday charges from $1.30 (10am-3pm), $2 on the shoulder and $2.80 at the morning (7am-9am) and evening (4pm-6pm) peaks. A $1.30 charge would apply at weekends from 6am-7pm. Nights are free.
There is no cap on the tolls.
If there was, the charges would have to increase.
Transport Minister Simon Bridges said the council was welcome to have a debate about future transport infrastructure investment plans, but the Government remains sceptical about the options being presented.
"We agree that Auckland must have a transport system that meets the demands of its growing population and we are committed to working with the Auckland Council to help make sure Auckland succeeds," he said.
"This is why the National-led Government is spending more than ever before to help build the city's transport network; around a billion dollars a year. These include very large projects like the Waterview Connection, the widening of the North Western Motorway, the electrification of commuter rail, and the acceleration of motorway projects on the Northern and Southern Corridors.
"These projects will make a big difference to congestion in Auckland.
"But we remain very sceptical about the options being presented today to Aucklanders and whether the programme proposed will further alleviate congestion," Mr Bridges says.
"Aucklanders would need a very clear sense of what results they are getting and whether the new projects would deliver tangible value for money for commuters. They also need to have the discussion about how much more Aucklanders are prepared to pay for their transport," Mr Bridges said.
He said rates were a matter for the council, but the Government was not supportive of new taxes, such as a regional fuel tax, or raising the national tax for the benefit of one region.
"We are also not at all convinced by the motorway charge, and we have been clear that it's not our preferred policy. It is important to note the Auckland Motorway system has been built by taxpayers, and any revenue raised from it would firstly belong to taxpayers.
"However the Mayor is, of course, welcome to have a discussion with Aucklanders on the overall level of transport investment Auckland, on the mix and timing of additional projects, and the possible methods of paying for those projects," Mr Bridges said.
Councillor Cameron Brewer welcomed tolls and fuel taxes going out for public consultation after being talked about for 20 years.
"However the timing is not ideal as it comes on top of the likes of imminent rates rises, fireplace bans, and other proposed extra council costs and service cutbacks. This means yet another unavoidable local government cost in Auckland whichever way you slice it," he said.
"We've been told tolling the motorway network won't have much of an impact on our arterial roads and suburban streets but to date we've seen no modelling whatsoever.
"The public now deserves to know the impact on their neighbourhoods with a lot of extra cars inevitably rat-running to avoid the tolls. The impact on the side streets and roads is completely unknown. That work is conspicuous by its absence but now needs to be part of a fully informed discussion," Mr Brewer said.
If Auckland Council is to convince the public to pay more to develop new transport projects, it must focus the funding debate on the benefits to users, said the Automobile Association.
AA spokesman Barney Irvine said there is still a lot of uncertainty around the public's readiness to take on extra costs, regardless of the form they come in.
"When Auckland AA Members are asked to choose between a motorway toll and an increase in rates and fuel taxes, there's a clear preference for the toll," he said.
"But overshadowing this is a deep-seated concern about the impact on household budgets that any new costs will have."
Mr Irvine said that public awareness of transport issues was still relatively low, and that the Council's focus now needed to go on explaining the benefits.
"People need to understand exactly what they'll get for their money," he said. "That means talking about concrete outcomes in terms of de-congestion, travel time savings and increased mobility."
