A number of Aucklanders may have wondered how many hours they waste sitting in queues on the city's motorways.

The AA has done the maths. It's not pretty - and they say it's going to get worse.

A new report by the AA reveals the average Auckland commuter lost 85 hours to congestion last year - and that's just on the motorways.



"It's only an average figure, so for a lot of people it's going to be a lot worse - and it doesn't take into account all the congestion on local roads or the time required to get onto the motorway down the onramps," says AA spokesperson Barney Irvine.

However, congestion held steady for the most part over the past year due to slower population growth.

Vehicle fleet growth has also slowed from its 2016 peaks, and the Waterview Tunnel has aided traffic flow.

But the distance Aucklanders are travelling is increasing, up by more than 300 kilometres each annually.

"We're seeing so much growth on the outskirts of the city away from public transport connections and away from places of work and study. That can only add up to more driving and more congestion," Irvine told Newshub.

Auckland's population is expected to reach two million over the next decade, with around one-and-a-half-million vehicles on the road. The total time spent driving by Aucklanders is predicted to increase by up to 20 percent.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the Government is working on it.

"We do need to provide more options for commuters, they need to be able to have a reliable option to take, for instance, public transport - and there's been underinvestment in that area," says Ardern.

But National says they should have kept the Roads of National Significance going.

"They've cancelled all our roading projects, they haven't started a single new one, and what they're going to do is slow New Zealand down with slower speed limits," says National Party leader Simon Bridges.

Large-scale investment will see public transport bear more of the load, but it will only account for around seven percent of all trips in 10 years.

The AA says invest in trains, buses and light rail - but don't ignore the roads.

Newshub.