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Celebrate the joy of walking on Walk2Work Day

Wanting to get more exercise? Perhaps you want to save money on your daily commute? Or maybe you just want to create your own schedule. If you’ve been thinking about making a change, then Walk2Work Day could be just what you need.

Held on Wednesday 10 March, Walk2Work Day is a nationally recognised day led by Living Streets Aotearoa that encourages New Zealanders to think about the benefits of walking, both as a way to get to work and also as a form of recreational exercise. So, think you’re ready to ditch your car and walk to work?

Visit the AT website to find out what events we have on offer for Walk2Work Day (subject to being in Alert Level 1 or 2) and check out some added resources for ideas on how to sit less and move more.

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Vodafone NZ aims to sub-let half its office space

More than 1000 staff and around 500 contractors worked inside Smales Farm’s Innov8 building until Covid-19 changed things. Now, more and more people are choosing to work from home, and Vodafone NZ’s Chief People Officer Jodie King believes “these changes are here to stay”.

Workplaces have seen an acceleration in flexible working, leaving many offices looking empty as a result. Vodafone NZ is one company that has decided to do something positive about it. The business is aiming to sublet about 10,000 square metres of floor space across its Auckland and Christchurch offices and indications suggest the company could save about $4 million in annual rent if it succeeds with its leasing. 

Ms King said that “on average, around half of all staff work from home and this fluctuates depending on the day of the week. This means there are lots of free desks across our floors so we are aiming to better utilise this space".

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Paul and his daughter find the Bike Challenge Banana and go into the draw for one of ten bike D-locks

Aotearoa Bike Challenge Wraps Up

With a bumpy finish, the Aotearoa Bike Challenge has wrapped up with record highs of Aucklanders hopping on their bikes this February. Over 9000 people and 800 organisations signed up this year, collectively riding over 1 million kms! Ka pai!

But what made this year truly special were the stories and photos that you shared. From first-time cyclists catching the commuting bug to families on bikes enjoying the quiet February streets in level three. Winners will be announced in the coming weeks, with prize ceremonies and certificates sent out. If you have a story or photo to share, we’d love to hear it – email us at Choices@at.govt.nz.

Thank you for making this year’s challenge a success, and keep your eyes peeled for what’s next.

The stunning new Te Komititanga plaza

Improvements in the City Centre continue

Changes to Auckland’s waterfront in the city centre are almost complete. The stunning Te Komititanga plaza is now open on lower Queen Street and the first of the new ferry berths at the Downtown Ferry Basin is ready to use. The new ferry berths will allow a 50% increase in the number of ferry passengers over the next decade.

Some network tweaks and improvements to the parklets in the reclaimed traffic lanes are being tested further up the Wai Horotiu Queen Street Valley over the next few months. The end goal? To see if these changes make Queen Street more popular with pedestrians. The temporary changes will give the community an opportunity to have their say on what works and what doesn’t before any permanent decisions are made.

We will see more road-level changes in the middle of the year as Aotea Station progresses, with the closure of the Victoria and Albert Street intersection taking place when Wellesley Street West re-opens.

Keep up to date with all these projects by checking out Auckland’s Future in Progress website. Plus, don’t forget to have your say on the Council’s 10-year budget which is open for input until 22 March.

New Hamilton to Auckland commuter train

Starts 6 April 2021

Hamilton commuters will soon be able to say goodbye to lengthy traffic jams. Te-Huia, the new 4 carriage passenger train, will be able to carry 600 people and will run two return services on weekdays from Hamilton to Papakura, starting on 6 April. 

The journey will take roughly 90 minutes from Rotokauri (The Base) to Papakura. Here, commuters will be able to transfer to the AT Metro Southern Line and continue on to Auckland’s city centre. It's estimated the total journey from Hamilton to Britomart will take 2 hours 30.

The cost of a trip using a Bee Card will be just $12.20 return from Hamilton and $7.80 return from Huntly. The newly built Raahui Pookeka (Huntly Station) will also provide additional connections to communities along the route.

The journey can be as productive or relaxing as passengers like, with tables and USB points being readily available for anyone that wants to use them.

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