The Government's plan to spend more money building roads has horrified the Greens who say it is the wrong way to deal with transport problems.
Yesterday's big announcement of a new national fuel tax instead of a regional tax included an overhaul of the way it is going to be used.
Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said today the "reallocations" meant funding for state highway construction was being increased by $1 billion while funding for public transport was being cut.
"This is the way to solve our transport challenges from a blueprint dated from the 1950s," she said.
"Slashing funding for public transport, walking and cycling will make New Zealand more oil dependent, increase our carbon emissions and do nothing to solve chronic gridlock in our towns and cities."
Ms Fitzsimons said building new highways would do little to help employment during the recession because it created relatively few jobs in relation to dollars invested.
Improving public transport services, adding bus lanes and improving the road surfaces were job-rich initiatives which also increased the sustainability of the transport network.
"The Government's plan for transport will tie New Zealanders to their cars," she said.
"Freight will stay on large trucks on our already congested roads. We'll see very little mode shift to sustainable forms of transport while their funding is reduced to pay for new state highways."
Ms Fitzsimons said public transport cuts would jeopardise any big gain potential from electrifying Auckland's train system.
"Fewer people will use the trains if they can't move conveniently from trains to other transport modes."
