Extract:

Journey to the centre of the city. Pandemic impact on Auckland’s major centres

• The number of people in Auckland’s city centre on the average workday in Level 1 is about 80-85% of pre-lockdown levels, but car traffic into the city is at over 90% of pre-pandemic levels.
• High personal vehicle usage, combined with CRL construction and road works, means that congestion in the city centre is basically what it was pre-COVID. We’re getting all the costs but none of the benefits.
• Some, but not all, lost city centre spending appears to have shifted to other major centres in Auckland.
• With New Zealanders spending holiday budgets at home, and with a wealth effect stimulated by an overactive housing market, there’s enough stimulus for all our centres to get a piece of the pie.

November 2020