page_title: Transport in Auckland
section_title: 19th and early 20th century
hierarchical_section_title: Transport in Auckland / History / 19th and early 20th century
caption_attribution_description: English: Lower Queen Street in Auckland, New Zealand in 1919, showing typical road traffic. Postcard image from 1919. View assumed to be towards wharves and Devonport.
context_page_description: Transport in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, is defined by factors that include the shape of the Auckland isthmus, the suburban character of much of the urban area, a history of focusing investment on roading projects rather than public transport, and high car-ownership rates.
  These factors have contributed to a transport system that is highly dependent on private motor vehicles. Several motorways radiating to the north, northwest, southwest and south act as the backbone of the city's road network, with the busiest section of motorway carrying over 200,000 vehicles a day. The use of public transport in Auckland was high until the 1950s but subsequently declined during the second half of the 20th century, before experiencing a strong resurgence from the early 2000s. With the motorway network now largely completed, major efforts are underway to increase public transport use to address Auckland's congestion. Recent efforts have also focused on making cycling a safer and more attractive transport option.
  Auckland has New Zealand's largest commercial port and the country's largest international airport. It also has the Southern Hemisphere's largest marina.
context_section_description: As a port city, Auckland's initial (19th century) urban growth occurred in an intense fashion, concentrated around the harbour in a 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.
  Auckland first railway, to Onehunga, opened in 1873. Expansion of the railway network facilitated growth in more distant locations such as Otahuhu and New Lynn, while ferries served Devonport, Takapuna and Birkenhead on the North Shore. Auckland's urban development in the early twentieth century is intrinsically linked to its transport networks, and because of their limited reach the city developed in a fairly compact manner to maximise the efficiency of the tram, railway and ferry systems. However, this situation was not to last for long, as even before the Second World War the car was becoming an integral part of life for many New Zealanders, opening up previously unreachable land for development.
caption: Lower Queen Street in 1919, with trams, cars and horse-drawn taxis visible.
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