Queen WASP cuts motorway link through her electorate

I used to live in Clark's electorate, a year after Christine 'ineffective' Fletcher was voted out. At the time it had the best community facilities the Auckland City Council could provide, but I couldn't think of a good reason why. For example other Auckland suburbs in great need of tender road and path care were ignored, while Mt Albert/Morningside had a brand new community centre, kids playgroud etc.

Now look what has happened to the planned motorway extension through Clark's electorate:

Auckland's 10-year land transport plan has been released, with the State Highway 20 connection to the Northwestern motorway being dumped.

The ditching of the plan comes despite the Transport Minister confirming for National just last week that construction would get underway in five years.

For anyone who doesn't know Auckland, the entire route from the Manukau Harbour to the CBD is a gridlike-pattern of slightly upgraded suburban roads, which crawl slowly with traffic during peak hours. A motorway link through the area would help speed travel up immensely. Clark of course doesn't have to worry about such peasant concerns as driving in bad traffic. This SH20 linkup was designed to connect the already-existing Northwestern Motorway to south Auckland City, to allow traffic to avoid going through the CBD to get west.

National questions axing of motorway links.

I will try and get a map of this, including already-completed works, to highlight how stupid and selfish this 'Clark special' is.

UPDATE: More details in a TVNZ report. Apparently delaying the planning process now means this motorway extension won't be built for another decade at least: Business community criticises decision.

UPDATE: So the ARLTC is spending as much on new roads as alternative transport, plus as much again for road maintenance etc: Roads lose to public transport funding. Apparently ARLTC thinks they have a mandate for such high public transport funding, despite the fact most Aucklanders travel by road and will do so for the forseeable future.