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An Auckland Regional Council committee says it won't support Transit New Zealand's toll plan to fund the proposed Western Ring highway.
Transit last month said it needed about $860 million to speed up the $2 billion 48km highway between Manukau City and Albany through west Auckland, and proposed tolls to pay for it.
But the ARC Transport Policy Committee resolved today not to support the plan to help complete the highway by 2015.
"Given public concern about tolling generally, and the economic viability of these ... tolling proposals, Transit was always on a hiding-to-nothing with this proposal," committee chairman Joel Cayford said.
The toll plan could see road users pay an estimated peak time toll tariff of $7 for an entire trip between Manukau and Albany.
Seven tolling points would be introduced, with drivers paying no more than $2 for a single toll and no more than $10 for the whole route, the statement said.
The council will submit a full submission on Transit NZ's tolling proposal shortly.
The committee also said it was supporting full trenching of the Western rail line in the west Auckland suburb of New Lynn as a priority for rail funding.
"New Lynn is one of the keys to integrating land use and transport in the Auckland region, and is identified as a major growth centre in the plan changes arising from the Local Government Auckland Amendment Act," Mr Cayford said.
- NZPA
