Transport Minister Phil Twyford has unveiled details of the Government's $16.9 billion investment in the land transport system over the next three years.
In total $4.3 billion be put towards preventing and reducing the severity of accidents, focusing on dangerous intersections, median barriers in high-risk areas, and increased road policing.
Safety upgrades will be introduced in areas including the Dome Valley, Drury to Paerata, Waihi to Tauranga and the Hawke's Bay Expressway.
The National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) funding over the next three years is an 18 percent increase on the 2015/18 programme, and a 44 percent increase from 2012/15.
"This record investment in our transport system will help grow our regions, make it easier to get around our cities, and save lives on our roads. It will deliver the best results for our transport dollar," Mr Twyford said.
"Most roading investment will go to the regions, rather than the big cities. This reverses the situation in the last three years, when most of roading investment went to the metro centres."
Regional roads will get $5.8b in funding for, compared to $5b in metro areas.
Four billion will be invested in public transport, rapid transit and rail, and $390 has been put aside for walking and cycling improvements.
"State highways continue to receive the largest share of funding with a total of $5.7b. We will invest $3.5b in new state highway projects like Puhoi to Warkworth, the Waikato Expressway, the Mt Messenger bypass, the Manawatu Gorge replacement, Transmission Gully, and the Christchurch Southern Motorway. A further $2.2b will be invested in state highway maintenance," Mr Twyford said.
The NLTP comprises $12.9b from the National Land Transport Fund, generated through fuel excise, road user charges, and other revenue sources; $3.4b from local government, generated through rates and Auckland's Regional Fuel Tax; and $557m in other Crown investments.
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