Two key lessons Auckland Transport keep forgetting right off the bat: The guise of improvement of flow will be for cars at the expense of transit, pedestrians and cyclists. Given adding general lanes triggers induced demand any savings Auckland Transport is looking for under the guise of “improving flow” will either be lost very quickly or not realised at all depending on how fast congestion builds Why are we still building slip lanes in non industrial areas. Slip lanes are dangerous to pretty much everyone especially pedestrians and cyclists in the area. Slip lanes encourage higher-speed manoeuvres by cars and the constant lack of pedestrian crossings on slip lanes make it a dangerous guessing game for pedestrians. These kind of intersections should be handled by a signalised arrow that also allows pedestrians to cross a busy road in a safer manner (optimally the Barnes Dance would be used). What is more interesting although annoying is why is Auckland Transport engaging in this now when we are looking at a change of Government? The entire stretch of Ti Rakau Drive is on a Frequent Transit Network route between Botany Metropolitan Centre and Pakuranga Town Centre (with those major bus lines continuing to Panmure Interchange). By frequent I meant busses at least every 15 minutes for most of the day seven days a week. On that alone one lane each side of Ti Rakau Drive should be a bus lane that operates from 6am until 10pm seven days a week (as all bus lanes should). That alone would help move more people between Panmure and Botany via Pakuranga more efficiently until and finally a light rail system is built from Panmure to Pakuranga to Botany, down to Manukau and out to the Airport. Sound familiar? That is because that route forms the Botany Line linking South East Auckland to the Airport, Manukau, Panmure and the City Centre. - voakl.net