AMETI

Transport in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, is defined by various factors, among them the shape of the Auckland isthmus (with its large lengths of coastline and assorted chokepoints, and thus often long distances for land transport), the suburban character of much of the Auckland area, a history (since World War II) of focusing investment on roading projects rather than public transport and the high car-ownership ratio of New Zealanders.

These factors have resulted in a mostly motor vehicle-based transport system, which uses several major motorways as its main arteries (due to the geography of the isthmus, there are almost no ring routes). Public transport in Auckland had declined to very low levels during the second half of the 20th century, though it has seen a strong resurgence in the 2000s and major efforts are underway to increase use further, partly because congestion in the city is very substantial and authorities have agreed that further road projects alone will not be sufficient to combat it. Experts in urban planning and transport policy have also criticised how unfriendly the city is for pedestrians and cyclists, to a degree rarely seen in the First World.

Auckland has New Zealand's largest commercial port (mostly used for international commerce) and the country's largest international airport. It also has the Southern Hemisphere's largest marina.

As a port city, Auckland's initial (19th century) urban growth occurred in a very intense fashion, concentrated around the harbour in a very similar manner to most other mercantile cities, with lack of transportation options limiting development to locations within walking distance of each other. The overcrowding of the inner city eventually created a demand for expansion made viable when new transportation technology appeared around 1900 in the form of streetcars (trams) and railways arriving in Auckland.

Auckland’s first tram line, from the CBD to Ponsonby via Karangahape Road, opened on 24 November 1902. As the system grew, it facilitated the expansion of Auckland’s built-up area in two ways: in an intermittent linear pattern to the west and south along the railway line, and in a more continuous manner along the main routes. The demand for more living space from people who had been confined to the crowded downtown area coupled with an affordable and reliable transport network led to the creation of many of Auckland's original suburbs, along Great North Road, New North Road, Sandringham Road, Dominion Road, Mt Eden Road, Manukau Road and Remuera Road, forming a new arc of suburban development by 1915.

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