Public transport in Auckland, the largest metropolitan area of New Zealand, consists of three modes: bus, train and ferry.

[4] By the 1990s, Auckland had experienced one of the sharpest declines in public transport patronage in the world, with only 33 trips per capita per year.

Major improvements include Waitematā Station, the Northern Busway, the upgrade and electrification of the rail network[6] and the introduction of integrated ticketing through the AT HOP card.

[17][18] Although a series of ambitious rail schemes were proposed between the 1940s and 1970s,[19] the focus of transport improvements in Auckland shifted to developing an extensive motorway system.

Passionate advocacy from long-time Mayor of Auckland City Council Dove-Myer Robinson for a "rapid rail" scheme was ultimately unsuccessful.

[20] Removal of the tram system, little investment in Auckland's rail network and growing car ownership in the second half of the 20th century led to a collapse in ridership across all modes of public transport.

[4] These decisions also shaped Auckland's growth patterns in the late 20th century, with the city becoming a relatively low-density dispersed urban area with a population highly dependent on private vehicles for their travel needs.

[23] By the late 1990s ongoing population growth and high levels of car use were leading to the recognition that traffic congestion was one of Auckland's biggest problems.

[24] It has been claimed that the city's public transport decline resulted from, "privatisation, a poor regulatory environment and a funding system that favours roads".

[25] On the other hand, NZ Bus claim that increasing passengers and cost control began with privatisation in 1991.

[38] Further improvements are to be realised in the years to 2028 under the Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP), valued at NZ$28 billion[39] ($4.6 billion more than previously planned), of which $9.1 billion is for additional public transport projects, including: the completion of the City Rail Link; the construction of the Eastern Busway, which will run from Panmure Station to Botany; Northern Busway extension to Albany; the extension of the railway electrification to Pukekohe; a third main line between Westfield and Wiri[40] or Wiri and Papakura, to allow freight trains to bypass stationary passenger trains;[41] further new electric trains and the construction of a new light rail line, the City Centre–Māngere Line.

[48][49] There are five Link services; all accept fare payment by AT HOP card or cash and all run from early morning to late evening, 7 days of the week.

[53] Auckland has a growing number of bus lanes, some of which operate at peak times only and others 24 hours a day.

These lanes are for buses and two-wheeled vehicles only and are intended to reduce congestion and shorten travel times.

Pre-construction began in late 2018, with the removal of houses along Pakuranga Road due to be complete by April 2019.

[11] There are currently small sections of bus lanes on SH16 between Westgate and Newton Rd as an interim "short-term" improvement before the Northwestern Busway is built.

[57] At peak hours express buses serve commuters from the outlying towns north and south of Auckland.

The City Rail Link project, due to be opened in 2024 is a tunnel between Waitematā Station and Maungawhau Station designed to address these constraints, provide greater route flexibility across the entire network, and create a more direct route for Western Line services.

The first is the Northern Explorer to Wellington, operated by KiwiRail Scenic Journeys, which runs southbound on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays and northbound Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

[92] A number of upgrades and extensions to the rail network have been proposed, some for several decades: In 2020, the government announced funding for electrification of the railway line from Papakura to Pukekohe, new railway stations at Drury, a third main line and improvements to the Wiri – Quay Park corridor.

[103] Fullers Corporation was mainly operating cruises and, in 1987, when they introduced Supercat III,[105] they were refused a licence to compete on Waiheke commuter trips.

In 2022, Auckland Transport (AT) purchased four diesel ferries that were in dire need of repair from Fullers, and is upgrading them to reduce their emissions.

[117][118] The first stage of integrated ticketing came online in time for the Rugby World Cup 2011, with construction works for the 'tag on' / 'tag off' infrastructure having begun in January 2011.

[118] The AT HOP card system went live in October 2012 for trains, November 2012 for ferries and between June 2013 and March 2014 for buses.

Some groups operate prominent blogs, participate in public discussions on social media and prepare plans advocating for particular improvements.