Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has developed a plan to deliver on social, environmental and economic outcomes by growing the share of travel by public transport, walking and cycling (also known as mode shift).

For urban areas to thrive people need to be able to move around easily and have a range of choices about how they get to work, connect with family and friends and access services. We need to build a modern transport system with a mix of reliable transport options that help keep people and products safely moving.

The Waka Kotahi plan – Keeping cities moving – looks to do this through three main ways: shaping urban form, making shared and active modes more attractive, and influencing travel demand and transport choices.

The plan outlines 35 interventions that seek to increase the pace of change in cities and ensure that investment is targeted to help provide more transport choice and ultimately reduce car dependency.

Keeping cities moving – a plan for mode shift [PDF, 4.7 MB]

Place-based plans

Waka Kotahi and our regional, district and city council partners have developed six regional ‘mode shift’ plans for Auckland, Tauranga, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown that focus our efforts to grow the share of travel by walking, cycling and public transport. These six high-growth urban areas have the highest potential to achieve mode shift.

The Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP) developed the Auckland mode shift plan ‘Better Travel Choices’.

Better Travel Choices(external link)

The Bay of Plenty regional mode shift plan has been developed by Waka Kotahi and Bay of Plenty Regional Council, with the first subsection for the Western Bay of Plenty sub-region developed by Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Waka Kotahi.

Bay of Plenty regional mode shift plan [PDF, 9.5 MB]

The Hamilton-Waikato metro area mode shift plan was developed by Waka Kotahi in partnership with Hamilton City Council, Waipa District Council, Waikato District Council and Waikato Regional Council.

Hamilton-Waikato metro area mode shift plan [PDF, 7.4 MB]

The Wellington regional mode shift plan was developed by Waka Kotahi (lead) with:

  • Greater Wellington Regional Council
  • Porirua City Council
  • Hutt City Council
  • South Wairarapa District Council
  • Wellington City Council
  • Upper Hutt City Council
  • Kāpiti Coast District Council
  • Carterton District Council
  • Masterton District Council
  • KiwiRail

Wellington regional mode shift plan [PDF, 8.9 MB]

The Greater Christchurch regional mode shift plan was developed by Waka Kotahi, Selwyn District Council, Waimakariri District Council, Christchurch City Council, Environment Canterbury and endorsed by the Greater Christchurch Partners.

Greater Christchurch regional mode shift plan [PDF, 8.1 MB]

The Way to Go partners (Queenstown Lakes District Council, Otago Regional Council and Waka Kotahi) developed the Queenstown Lakes District mode shift plan – final version to be endorsed.

Using systems thinking

Watch our ‘Systems thinking’ video to see how land use planning, transport planning and urban design work together to create cities that are easy to move around and great places to be.

Sustainable urban mobility benchmarking

The Sustainable urban mobility benchmarking report outlines how our urban centres compare on their journeys toward delivering a low carbon, safe and healthy urban mobility environment.

Sustainable urban mobility benchmarking report