Very pertinent as heavy rail fans are hoping they can still get their preferred line to the airport against a backlash from the public around the rest of NZ against a national fuel tax levy.
Ten reasons Auckland Transport has chosen light rail
1. Heavy rail won't address the lack of terminal space space in the CBD
2. Heavy rail provides less network resilience and operational constraints limit its capacity
3. Mass transit on the airport to city corridor via Dominion Road will supplement the rail network and make it more resilient
4. Light rail can provide a one-seat ride to the city centre, just like heavy rail
5. The Dominion Road corridor offers service benefits for the whole isthmus and addresses access issues at each end of the corridor
6. Heavy rail access from Manukau to airport via Puhinui could cause overloading and sharing with freight, for one extra station and no extra catchment
7. The issue of bus congestion in the city centre remains a problem under heavy rail
8. Light rail provides accessibility, connectivity, catchment, housing and development potential for the same investment
9. Light rail serves the main Auckland isthmus
10. Light rail adds extra corridors and transport modes to the network, making it more resilient.
https://at.govt.nz/projects-roadworks/light-rail/
https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2017/04/03/what-about-airport-heavy-rail-from-puhinui/
https://at.govt.nz/media/1971230/south-western-airport-multi-modal-corridor-project-scoping-report-final-draft.pdf
https://at.govt.nz/media/1866351/item-11-6-smart-preferred-way-forward-final.pdf
