I hereby give notice that an ordinary meeting of the Transport Committee will be held on:

Date: Time: Meeting Room: Venue:

Wednesday, 7 March 2012 9.00 am Reception Lounge Auckland Town Hall 301-305 Queen Street Auckland

Transport Committee OPEN AGENDA

MEMBERSHIP Chairperson Deputy Chairperson Cr Mike Lee Cr Hon Chris Fletcher, QSO Mr James Brown Cr Dr Cathy Casey Cr Sandra Coney, QSO Cr Des Morrison Cr Richard Northey, ONZM Cr Dick Quax Cr Sharon Stewart, QSM Cr Wayne Walker Cr Penny Webster Mr Glenn Wilcox Cr George Wood, CNZM His Worship the Mayor, Len Brown, JP Deputy Mayor, Penny Hulse

Ex-Officio

(Quorum 6 members) Desiree Tukutama Committee Secretary 2 March 2012 Contact Telephone: (09) 307 7576 Email: desiree.tukutama@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz Website: www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Note:

The reports contained within this agenda are for consideration and should not be construed as Council policy unless and until adopted. Should Members require further information relating to any reports, please contact the relevant manager, Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson.

Transport Committee 07 March 2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS ITEM PROCEDURAL

1 2 3 4 5 Apologies Declarations of Interest Confirmation of minutes Petitions Public Input 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Draft Regional Land Transport Programme 2012 - 2015 Greenways Project Changing Auckland for Cycling - Cycle Action Auckland Downtown Bus Stops, Campaign for Better Transport Integrated Ticketing 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 9 15 23 59

PAGE

Local Board Input Extraordinary Business Notices of Motion Future of Rail to Northland Northwest Bus Provision Transport Update Correspondence Consideration of Extraordinary Items

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Transport Committee 07 March 2012 1 Apologies At the close of the agenda no apologies had been received. 2 Declaration of Interest Members are reminded of the need to be vigilant to stand aside from decision making when a conflict arises between their role as a member and any private or other external interest they might have. 3 Confirmation of Minutes That the minutes of the Transport Committee held on Wednesday, 8 February 2012, be confirmed as a true and correct record of the meeting. 4 Petitions At the close of the agenda no requests for petitions had been received. 5 Public Input Standing Order 3.21 provides for Public Input. Applications to speak must be made to the Committee Secretary, in writing, no later than two (2) working days prior to the meeting and must include the subject matter. The meeting Chairperson has the discretion to decline any application that does not meet the requirements of Standing Orders. A maximum of thirty (30) minutes is allocated to the period for public input with five (5) minutes speaking time for each speaker. 5.1 Draft Regional Land Transport Programme 2012 - 2015 Executive Summary Alan Howard-Smith, Auckland Transport, will give a presentation to the Transport Committee on the draft Regional Land Transport Programme 2012 2015. Recommendations a) That the Draft Regional Land Transport Programme 2012 2015 presentation be received. b) That Alan Howard-Smith, Auckland Transport be thanked for his presentation.

5.2

Greenways Project Executive Summary Stephen Smythe, The Greenways Project, will speak to the Transport Committee on the Ponsonby Road Project. Recommendations a) That the Greenways Project presentation be received. b) That Stephen Smythe, The Greenways Project, be thanked for his presentation.

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Transport Committee 07 March 2012 5.3 Changing Auckland for Cycling - Cycle Action Auckland Executive Summary Barbara Cuthbert, Chair of Cycle Action Auckland, will present on the organisation's priorities for 2012. Recommendations a) That the Changing Auckland for Cycling Cycle Action Auckland presentation be received. b) That Barbara Cuthbert, Chair of Cycle Action Auckland be thanked for her presentation.

5.4

Downtown Bus Stops, Campaign for Better Transport Executive Summary Graeme Easte, Campaign for Better Transport, will speak to the Transport Committee on Downtown Bus Stops. Recommendations a) That the Downtown Bus Stops, Campaign for Better Transport presentation be received. b) That Graeme Easte, Campaign for Better Transport be thanked for his presentation.

5.5

Integrated Ticketing Executive Summary Darren Davis, Transport Strategy will give a presentation to the Transport Committee on Integrated Ticketing. Recommendations a) That the Integrated Ticketing presentation be received. b) That Darren Davis, Transport Strategy, be thanked for his presentation.

Local Board Input Standing Order 3.22 provides for Local Board Input. The Chairperson (or nominee of that Chairperson) is entitles to speak for up to five (5) minutes during this time. The Chairperson of the Local Board (or nominee of that Chairperson) shall wherever practical, give two (2) days notice of their wish to speak. The meeting Chairperson has the discretion to decline any application that does not meet the requirements of Standing Orders. This right is in addition to the right under Standing Order 3.9.4 to speak to matters on the agenda. At the close of the agenda no requests for local board input had been received.

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Transport Committee 07 March 2012 7 Extraordinary Business Section 46A(7) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (as amended) states: An item that is not on the agenda for a meeting may be dealt with at that meeting if(a) (b) The local authority by resolution so decides; and The presiding member explains at the meeting, at a time when it is open to the public, (i) (ii) The reason why the item is not on the agenda; and The reason why the discussion of the item cannot be delayed until a subsequent meeting.

Section 46A(7A) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (as amended) states: Where an item is not on the agenda for a meeting, (a) That item may be discussed at that meeting if (i) That item is a minor matter relating to the general business of the local authority; and the presiding member explains at the beginning of the meeting, at a time when it is open to the public, that the item will be discussed at the meeting; but

(ii)

(b)

no resolution, decision or recommendation may be made in respect of that item except to refer that item to a subsequent meeting of the local authority for further discussion.

At the close of the agenda no requests for extraordinary business had been received. 8 Notices of Motion At the close of the agenda no requests for notices of motion had been received.

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Transport Committee 07 March 2012

File No.: CP2012/02241

Executive Summary
On 21 December 2010, KiwiRail announced a review of the future of the Northland rail lines with a view that they would be mothballed (or closed) north of Helensville in 2012 if it is unable to identify more commercial opportunities for the lines, and cannot find alternative funding from other sources to maintain the line. Currently, the line just meets its train running costs but not its maintenance costs. The closure of Port Whangarei led to a 70 per cent drop in rail freight volumes. A new 20 kilometre long rail line has been designated and consented to the deep-water port at Marsden Point and all needed properties are close to being acquired. However, there is no identified funding to cover the estimated $120 million construction cost of the new rail line to Marsden Point. KiwiRail has worked with Northland stakeholders and the Government to identify any realistic options to increase freight volumes to the extent that the lines return to profitability. This has led to the identification of an option involving the use of low-floor wagons which would allow hi-cube containers to traverse the many tunnels on the line which currently have substandard clearances. Owing to this new option emerging, KiwiRail has agreed to defer the decision on the future of the line to the end of 2012 (previously mid-2012), for implementation in 2013.

Recommendations
a) b) That the Future of Rail to Northland report be received. That the Chair of the Transport Committee writes to Kiwirail and the Northland Regional Council strongly supporting the low-floor wagon option to allow the North Auckland Line to stay open. That a further report be brought to the Transport Committee once a decision has been taken on the Northland regions low-floor wagon proposal, including consideration of any implications of this decision for Auckland. That this report be referred to the Rodney Local Board for its information and feedback.

c)

d)

Background
The North Auckland Line (NAL) currently connects Northland with the rest of the New Zealand rail network. It starts in Westfield, at the junction with the North Island Main Trunk line, continues north to Newmarket and then west to Waitakere, before continuing north via Helensville, Wellsford and Whangarei to its current termination point at Otiria, just west of Moerewa. Previously, the line continued to Opua in the Bay of Islands. The Dargaville Branch line branches off just south of Whangarei and heads west to Dargaville. Auckland Transport contracts urban passenger service on the line as far as Waitakere. A consideration in future decision-making is the proposed role of town centres such as Kumeu in the Draft Auckland Plan. Apart from passenger service as far as Waitakere, current rail movements include two return weekday freight services, occasional chartered tourist and excursion services between Auckland and Whangarei, and local freight services within Northland for forestry and dairy customers.
Future of Rail to Northland Page 9

Item 9

Future of Rail to Northland

Transport Committee 07 March 2012 On 21 December 2010, KiwiRail announced that consultation would begin in early 2011 on the future of the Northland lines, including the NAL north of Helensville and the Dargaville branch line. This forms part of its Turnaround Plan, announced in May 2010, which is designed to see its rail freight business become sustainable within a decade by getting it to a point where it funds its costs solely from customer revenue. To achieve this, the plan sees the need to close loss-making lines so that it can focus on the key rail corridors, particularly Auckland Wellington Christchurch, from which it gains the bulk of its revenue. KiwiRail states that the Northland lines earn revenue of $8-$9 million a year. This covers the cost of train operations but not the costs of infrastructure maintenance. This ranges between $3 million and $5 million a year, just to keep the lines in their current state, and is not to the standard needed to support growth. This means that it takes five hours for a train to travel between Auckland and Whangarei, a distance of 215 km by rail versus two hours for a truck to travel the 165 km between the same two places. The current Governments focus on the Puhoi to Wellsford Road of National Significance (RoNS) is likely to further shorten the travel time by road. In addition, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is investing $51 million in upgrading State Highway 1 through Whangarei and is anticipated to recommend a bypass of the Brynderwyns to the west as part of a strategic plan for the long-term development of the highway between Auckland and Whangarei. Significant investment is needed to bring the lines up to an acceptable standard and to improve transit times. Up to recently, the only investment in the line west of Waitakere was some work by the ONTRACK (now KiwiRail) to bring much of the section between Waitakere and Helensville up from 25 km/h running to 70 km/h running for the Helensville trial passenger service. The line has inadequate clearance in six of its thirteen tunnels for modern hi-cube containers, meaning all such containers currently need to be transported by road. It had been estimated that it would cost in the order of $100 million to bring the Northland lines up to an acceptable level of service, including work on the tunnels to enable their use by hi-cube containers. Northland Regional Councils (NRC) Rail Working Party has developed the concept of low floor wagons which could transport hi-cube containers through the existing NAL tunnels without significant upgrading work. KiwiRail, NZTA and NRC have developed this concept further and have developed an investment proposal which would assist KiwiRail in being able to supply and use the low floor wagons on the NAL. Auckland Councils Transport Committee considered a report on the same issue on 5 April 2011 and resolved as follows: i) ii) That the Future of Rail to Northland report be received. That the Transport Committee supports the Auckland Regional Land Transport Strategy supporting inter-regional movement of freight by rail to Northland, in order to maintain maximum resilience for land transport links. That the Transport Committee notes that collaborative work be undertaken with Auckland Transport, the Northland Regional Council, Northland territorial local authorities and other interested parties on identifying opportunities to improve the performance of the Northland rail lines. That a further report (including matters raised in the meeting) be prepared for the Transport Committee once the Northland region has reached a position on the future of rail to Northland, with a proposed position for the Council. TRAN/2011/38

Item 9

iii)

iv)

Future of Rail to Northland

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Transport Committee 07 March 2012 Marsden Point Rail Link According to the 2006 National Freight Study, rail currently moves approximately 300,000 tonnes per year, less than 3 per cent of the total freight task of 12,360,000 tonnes in Northland. This excludes the Marsden Point to Wiri oil pipeline and coastal shipping. The deep-water port at Marsden Point does not have a rail link (and replaced Port Whangarei, which did have a rail link), which has led to a very significant drop in rail freight volumes in Northland from around 1,000,000 tonnes in 200-300,000 tonnes in 2006. In 2003, the NRC and TranzRail (now KiwiRail) began a major investigation into the Marsden Point rail link, which established the preferred route (approximately 20 km in length), engineering designs, costings and drafted the Assessment of Environmental Effects. In 2008, NRC entered into a joint venture with ONTRACK (now KiwiRail) to complete the designation and purchase the necessary land along the route, investing one-third of the $10 million cost of the designation process and meeting the cost of property acquisition itself. The remainder of the cost of the designation process was shared between ONTRACK and the Government. The designation and resource consents application have been granted, and NRC has purchased seven properties along the proposed rail corridor at a cost of $6.87 million with a final property to acquire at a cost of $4.45 million, with settlement on 1 June 2011. However, there is no identified funding for the estimated $120 million cost to construct the Marsden Point line. It is clear that without retaining Northlands connection to the national rail network, it would be highly unlikely that the Marsden Point line would ever be constructed. Low floor wagons It is thought is that somewhere between 35 and 40 wagons would be required, at a build cost of between $100,000 and $200,000 each. Therefore the total costs ranges from $3.5 million to $8 million. KiwiRail is developing a comprehensive report on this proposed initiative which will include an accurate investment quantum, the market opportunity and targeted customers along with more detail on the longer term options required. It is likely that this report will lead to a proposal to NRC to purchase the low-floor wagons and lease them back to KiwiRail at a commercial rate. A draft term sheet has been developed, which includes: Investment quantum; Buyout clause (exit strategy); Timing of investment (cash flows); Tenure and extension of lease options; Scope of lease (financial vs. operating lease); Asset ownership (legal form); Payment terms of a lease; Asset security; Insurance and asset maintenance; Confidentiality and communication protocols; and Due diligence process.

In the meantime, KiwiRail has been undertaking significant maintenance works on the NAL and has appointed a Northland Freight Development Manager to source new customers (and increased use by existing customers) of the NAL.

Future of Rail to Northland

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Item 9

Transport Committee 07 March 2012 Longer term priorities for rail in Northland

Item 9

NRC recognises that the low-floor wagons, which may enable the NAL to stay open, are not the single solution to the future of rail in Northland and has identified the need for further work on: The development and expansion of Otiria as a freight hub; The development of Tangowahine (Dargaville); Integration of these two sites with road transport connections including high productivity motor vehicle routes to these sites; and Working with the private sector to identify new and expanded market opportunities.

Next steps KiwiRail is expected to provide a progress report to its March board meeting essentially setting out the expectation that the decision to mothball the NAL in June 2012 should be deferred while the option to use low-floor wagons is pursued. Officers will report back to the Transport Committee with more detailed information on the proposal, when this is decided upon, including any implications for Auckland, including consideration of issues raised in the report on the same issue to the Transport Committee on 5 April 2011, principally relating to Aucklands metro rail network, including its future development. A key consideration will be how future increases in rail freight services can fit with rail passenger services.

Decision Making
The decisions in this report relate to giving support to keeping the NAL open and the option of low floor wagons. The recommendations contained within this report fall within the Committees delegated authority. No decision is required of the Transport Committee at this stage, apart from ongoing support for Northlands efforts to keep the NAL open, and to report back later on implications of this for Auckland. KiwiRail has indicated that a decision is on the future of rail to Northland will be taken at the end of 2012.

Significance of Decision
The decisions in relation to this report do not trigger Auckland Councils Significance Policy. The Draft Auckland Plan has identified the importance of inter-regional transport connections including the NAL as an important strategic freight connection. Recent discussions in the context of the Upper North Island have also identified the need for development capacity at the ports of Auckland, Tauranga and in the longer term, Northport, in order to meet future freight demand and avoid a shortfall in port infrastructure capacity. The 30-year Transport Strategy for Northland, incorporating the Northland Regional Land Transport Strategy, expresses strong support for rail stating that The need to preserve the rail corridor is paramount for the future success of Northland with the long term aim being that increased freight levels go by rail to alleviate the pressure on the roading network. It saw the priority being constructing the Marsden Point rail link to provide additional rail freight volumes to support upgrading the NAL.

Future of Rail to Northland

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Transport Committee 07 March 2012

As the NAL uses existing train lines, there are no known cultural impacts on Maori. Maori would benefit from keeping the Northland rail lines open along with other citizens.

Consultation
KiwiRail and NRC were consulted in the preparation of this report. Further work is required to fully understand any implications for Auckland. Ongoing collaboration is required with NRC as they develop the proposal with KiwiRail to keep the Northland lines open.

Local Board Views

There has been no local board engagement on this issue as it largely relates to an issue in another region. This report is being referred to the Rodney Local Board for its information and feedback as some of the forestry traffic on the NAL originates in Wellsford, in the boards area.

Financial and Resourcing Implications

There are no direct financial implications from this report and no other resource implications at this stage, apart from the preparation of this report and keeping a watching brief on developments. This work is to be done within existing resources.

Legal and Legislative Implications

There are no legal or legislative implications to the Auckland Council in relation to this report.

Implementation Issues
There are no implementation issues involved in the issues discussed in this report.

Attachments
There are no attachments for this report.

Signatories
Authors Authorisers Darren Davis, Principal Transport Planner Kevin Wright, Manager Transport Strategy Ree Anderson, Manager Regional Strategy Community and Cultural Policy Roger Blakeley, Chief Planning Officer

Future of Rail to Northland

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Item 9

Maori Impact Statement

Transport Committee 07 March 2012

File No.: CP2012/02243

Executive Summary
This report has been prepared to provide the Transport Committee with further information in relation to a proposed Northwest Busway, presented by Labour Party MP Phil Twyford and Dr Chris Harris, at the Committees October 2011 meeting. State Highway 16 (SH16) has since 2006 been included in various strategic transport documents as forming part of the Quality Transit Network (QTN). For bus services operating along motorway corridors, the QTN has been interpreted as requiring bus shoulder lanes. The Albany to Henderson corridor has been identified as a long-term part of the Rapid Transit Network (RTN), suggesting the long-term provision of a grade-separated busway along SH16 between the Lincoln Road interchange and Westgate. A series of planned upgrades to SH16 over the next decade will significantly extend, widen and improve the network of bus shoulder lanes along the motorway, and on various ramps entering and exiting the motorway. The planned improvements to the QTN in the SH16 corridor will provide significant infrastructure improvements that will enable higher bus operating speeds (although not through interchanges, often the most congested parts of the motorway network). The upgrades have been designed (between Te Atatu and Westgate) to not preclude a busway being constructed on the southern side of the motorway in the longer term, should this be a future decision. It is proposed in the Auckland Plan that a significant number of additional people will be living and working in the northwest part of Auckland by 2040. Westgate is nominated as an emerging Metropolitan Centre and a major employment hub for the northwest. Potential Greenfield areas at Whenuapai and Kumeu are identified for future urban growth. These will have significant traffic and passenger transport implications beyond what has been previously considered. Further work by officers is necessary to determine whether changes to land-use patterns in the northwest part of Auckland that are envisaged by the Auckland Plan require a reconsideration of the optimal long-term solution for public transport along the SH16 corridor, as part of the whole public transport network. In particular, this work will seek to confirm whether the proposed bus shoulder lanes, in combination with other infrastructure improvements, will meet long-term travel needs along the corridor, or whether additional infrastructure, such as a busway, could be required.

Recommendations
a) b) That theNorthwest Bus Provision report be received. That the Transport Committee notes the improvements to bus priority infrastructure being implemented by New Zealand Transport Agency as part of the State Highway 16 widening projects. That officers work with Auckland Transport to progressively improve bus services along State Highway 16 to the northwest part of Auckland, to reflect improving bus infrastructure. That officers work with Auckland Transport to undertake further analysis of future public transport demand along State Highway 16, once the Auckland Plan has been adopted, to determine the optimal long-term public transport infrastructure along this corridor, as well as the staging and timing of infrastructure improvements. That a copy of this report be forwarded to the Henderson Massey Local Board, the Waitakere Ranges Local Board, the Whau Local Board and the Upper Harbour Local Board for their information and feedback.

c)

d)

e)

Northwest Bus Provision

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Item 10

Northwest Bus Provision

Transport Committee 07 March 2012

Background

Item 10

Te Atatus Member of Parliament, and now the Labour Partys transport spokesperson, Phil Twyford MP made a presentation to the Transport Committees meeting on 4 October 2011. This related to a proposed busway along SH16 between Westgate and the City Centre. The Committee made the following resolution: That Auckland Council and Auckland Transport officers be requested to investigate future options for a North Western busway for State Highway 16 and report back to the Transport Committee. In July 2010 the Regional Transport Committee of the former Auckland Regional Council received a report that detailed public transport upgrade plans to the North Western Motorway QTN. The report noted the following planned improvements to public transport along SH16: Improving and reorganising the provision of bus services that connect to the SH16 corridor to provide enhanced services and to serve catchments for growing areas including Westgate. Provision of infrastructure for a QTN corridor connecting Westgate with Waterview by constructing bus priority lanes (3.5 metres wide) on SH16 and utilising existing bus lanes on Great North Road to connect to the CBD. This would allow levels of service close to RTN standards as buses would be operating on the motorway unaffected by congestion. Future-proof key interchanges such as Lincoln Road and Te Atatu Road to accommodate bus priority and bus interchange measures. Reviews of bus services would provide for some local services to be re-designed to feed the high frequency QTN route. In the future high quality interchanges would be constructed where there may be the opportunity for park and ride facilities.

The Regional Public Transport Plan 2010 (RPTP) contains a hierarchy of public transport routes (including the RTN and QTN). The existing RTN is made up of the urban rail network and the Northern Busway and the future AMETI, with high-frequency services on largely dedicated corridors. The QTN is intended to be a network of high frequency bus services between key centres on major bus corridors with a level of bus priority. The Local Connector Network is the network of moderate frequency services connecting to town centres at key interchanges to enable transfer to the QTN and RTN. It has been regularly interpreted (for example in decisions on the Waterview Connection project) that for bus services on motorways, an RTN level of service is through a busway (for example the Northern Busway) while a QTN level of service is through bus shoulder lanes (for example the current bus shoulder lanes along parts of SH16). The RPTP identified the Westgate to Waterview section of SH16 as being part of the QTN. The Lincoln interchange to Westgate section of SH16 was also identified as being part of the possible future RTN. The section of SH16 between the Waterview interchange and the city centre is neither part of the RTN or QTN, due to the proximity of Great North Road, which has peak-period, peak-direction bus lanes for approximately seven kilometres. Figure 1 below is contained in the RPTP and refers to the long term development of the RTN and QTN.

Northwest Bus Provision

Page 16

Transport Committee 07 March 2012

Northwest Bus Provision

Page 17

Item 10

Transport Committee 07 March 2012

Item 10

The RPTP is currently being reviewed, with a draft proposed for consultation in August/September 2012. The RPTP will confirm the passenger transport network and identify the need for supporting infrastructure, including bus stations on SH interchanges. Auckland Council staff are represented on the project team and steering group for the review. The Draft Auckland Plan proposed a number of changes to previous land-use and transport plans in the northwest part of Auckland. Westgate was highlighted as a Metropolitan Centre and significant growth at Whenuapai and Kumeu. The Draft Auckland Plan also identified the Henderson to Albany corridor as forming part of the RTN, and forming part of Aucklands strategic transport network by 2040, to serve these residential and employment areas. Route protection for the rapid transit route along this corridor was highlighted as a key project for the second decade (2021 to 2030) in the Draft Auckland Plan. The revision of the Development Strategy for the final Auckland Plan is considering additional possible growth around Kumeu. Many of these changes in land use were not anticipated in the studies of the Henderson to Albany corridor or planned improvements to SH16. There is an opportunity to consider these matters and their implications for public transport services (bus and rail) as part of the review of the RPTP. Planned Upgrades to State Highway 16 As part of completing the Western Ring Route, New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has a number of planned upgrades to SH16 that are recently completed, already under construction, or due to be constructed over the next decade. Lincoln Road Interchange Upgrade The Lincoln Road interchange upgrade began construction in November 2010 and is expected to be completed by 2013. The project includes constructing a new seven lane bridge across the motorway, widening the motorway through the interchange from two lanes in each direction to three lanes, and realigning and rebuilding the four motorway ramps to improve entry and exit of the motorway. A diagram of the proposed interchange is shown below:

Northwest Bus Provision

Page 18

Transport Committee 07 March 2012

The Lincoln Road interchange upgrade provides for a QTN (rather than RTN) connection between Lincoln Road and SH16. NZTA undertook further work in 2010 (SH16 Public Transport Infrastructure Investigations, Aurecon, 2010) to confirm that the design of the interchange does not preclude future construction of a rapid transit quality bus connection between Lincoln Road and the Westgate-Lincoln Interchange section of SH16. SH16 Causeway Project The upgrading and widening of SH16 between Te Atatu Road and St Lukes Road interchanges was consented in 2011 as part of the Waterview Connection project. The project is due to start construction in early 2013 and be completed by 2017. This project includes the following: Upgrade of Te Atatu Road interchange; Widening of SH16 between Te Atatu interchange and Waterview interchange by one to two lanes westbound and one lane eastbound, including widening and raising 4.2 km of causeway; Connections to SH20 as part of the Waterview Connection project; Widening SH16 between Waterview and St Lukes Road interchange by one lane in each direction; and Provision of extended and wider bus shoulder lanes between Te Atatu and Waterview interchanges, including across the Whau River where there are no current bus lanes. These bus lanes are interrupted at each interchange and buses will be required to merge with general traffic.

NZTA analysed the design of the Te Atatu interchange (Aurecon Report) to ensure that its design did not preclude future bus improvements, including the location of a busway on the southern side of the motorway heading west from the interchange. Reflecting the current policy position, no analysis was undertaken in relation to the provision of a busway between Te Atatu and Waterview interchanges. SH16 Lincoln Road Interchange to Westgate Widening Project In 2011 designations were confirmed, and resource consents granted, for the widening of SH16 between the Lincoln Road interchange and Westgate, connecting to the completed upgrade of SH16 around Westgate that was undertaken as part of the Hobsonville Deviation project. As part of that work, NZTA undertook assessment work to ensure that a rapid transit quality busway between Lincoln Road and Westgate is not precluded by the proposed widening. For consenting purposes the project is divided into two: separated by the Huruhuru Road overbridge. SH16 will be widened to three lanes in each direction and bus shoulder lanes are to be provided, although they will have gaps caused by ramps at the Royal Road interchange. The Aurecon study, as well as a 2010 study undertaken by consultants McCormick Rankin Cagney (MRC), analysed how to best provide future rapid transit quality bus provision between Lincoln Road and Westgate, with the Aurecon study analysing possible future alignments for a busway along the south western side of the motorway. The design of the Royal Road interchange does not preclude the future construction of this busway. The MRC study concluded that the preferred option for an RTN between Henderson and Albany would include an offline busway, to the south of SH16, between the Lincoln Road interchange and Westgate.
Northwest Bus Provision Page 19

Item 10

An upgraded eastbound bus shoulder lane is to be constructed, commencing where the Lincoln Road onramp merges, and including the Henderson Creek Bridge, Priority lanes are already provided on the Lincoln Road onramp but will be extended on to the Lincoln Road motorway overbridge and designed to connect with a future bus lane project on Lincoln Road.

Transport Committee 07 March 2012 The planned upgrades to SH16 are at various stages of development, from the Lincoln Road interchange (currently under construction) to the section between Westgate and the Lincoln Road interchange, which has had its designation confirmed and resource consents granted, but is not due to be constructed until towards the end of the decade. Significantly changing the designs of these upgrades, to accommodate a busway, would be very challenging at this stage of the projects development, funding and implementation. Improving Public Transport along SH16 While there has been some recent improvement and simplification of the bus network in northwest Auckland, the network is still complex for users, provides relatively low frequencies and does not utilise SH16 west of Te Atatu, except for peak express buses. Auckland Transport is commencing a major public transport network service review aimed at reducing trip times and improving connections, frequency and simplicity of the existing public transport network, across all modes. This work is being progressed over the next two months and involves input from council staff. Development of the SH16 corridor as a true part of the QTN will entail more frequent buses throughout the day, improved connections to local buses, improved infrastructure at bus stops and stations and a more easily understood route structure. Bus priority measures provided through the various planned upgrades can also be leveraged to provide speed advantages for bus users over those driving, particularly at peak times. The planned implementation of bus lanes on a substantial portion of Lincoln Road also presents an opportunity to improve service provision in this area in the short to medium term. Over time, these improvements can help drive patronage increases that could contribute to justifying further infrastructure improvements, much as the shoulder lanes along the Northern Motorway built public transport patronage on the North Shore, paving the way for the success of the Northern Busway.

Item 10

Decision Making
The current planned upgrades to SH16 provide bus shoulder lanes which will enable speed and reliability of bus services that are near to RTN standard. As demand grows for these services and there is a requirement to increase their speed and reliability, it may be necessary to resolve the issue of interrupted bus shoulder lanes at interchanges. Auckland Transports review of bus routes in Auckland would need to consider whether there are any advantages in bus routes along SH16 between Waterview and the City Centre, rather than the preferred route along Great North Road between Waterview and the City Centre. Without any bus shoulder lanes on that portion of SH16 and the congestion on that section, it is expected that buses will continue to use Great North Road for that part of the journey. Further work is necessary to determine the optimal short, medium and long-term provision of public transport services along SH16 and the necessary infrastructure to support those services. This work would focus on analysing demand flows, the appropriateness of bus shoulder lanes compared to a full busway in different parts of the corridor, the optimal location for stations (should stations be desirable) and the timing for improvements. With the proposed areas for development in the northwest, it may be appropriate for the public transport function of SH16 to be reanalysed, to determine whether it will be part of the RTN or QTN. This would require further discussion with Auckland Transport and NZTA, as well as more detailed transport modelling to determine the level of public transport demand along the SH16 corridor (which will inform the most appropriate level of service).

Northwest Bus Provision

Page 20

Transport Committee 07 March 2012 It will be important that the provision of bus services along SH16 serves catchments that are away from rail passenger services - including Te Atatu Peninsula, Massey, Westgate, Whenuapai, Kumeu and Huapai. The 2006 Census journey to work data, which showed that only 33 people in the likely service area for a Busway used trains as their main means of getting to work (although total rail patronage has doubled since then). Auckland Transport is currently undertaking more detailed work relating to the Henderson to Albany corridor and exploring options for long-term RTN provision along that corridor. This further work will be completed by the end of June 2012 and directly relates to the Lincoln interchange to Westgate section of SH16. The results of this work may provide relevant information to improving public transport along the SH16 corridor. Detailed outputs from the final approved version of the Auckland Plan will also be necessary to undertake an analysis of likely demand in future years for travel in this part of Auckland. Should it be determined that a busway is required along SH16 in the future, an important first step would be to designate SH16 as being part of the RTN. The recommendations in this report fall within the delegated authority of the Committee. Auckland Transport is responsible for the overall management of the Auckland transport network (together with NZTA and KiwiRail) which involves the investigation, design and delivery of major transport projects. Auckland Council is responsible for land development and the wider economic, social, cultural and environmental outcomes. If the recommendations of this report are adopted, further investigations will take place to guide long term planning of transport and land use in the northwest.

Significance of Decision
The contents of this report are not significant in terms of the Councils Significance Policy.

Maori Impact Statement

Any proposal for a busway along SH16 could have cultural impacts on Maori which would require engagement with iwi as part of the planning, designation and resource consent processes. Maori would benefit from public transport improvement along SH16, along with other citizens.

Consultation
Input into this report has been obtained from the Councils Spatial and Infrastructure Strategy team, Auckland Transport, and the New Zealand Transport Agency.

Local Board Views

Mr Twyford presented the Northwestern Busway proposal to the Henderson-Massey Local Board at their August 4, 2011 meeting, which received the presentation; and to the September 13 meeting of the Whau Local board, which made the following resolution (as well as received the presentation): That the Whau Local Board endorses the proposal, in principle, for a dedicated busway along the northwestern motorway.

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Financial and Resourcing Implications

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There are resource implications to do the investigation work necessary for a subsequent report to the Committee but this work can be undertaken by staff using the existing transport model. Constructing a busway along SH16 would have significant cost implications over and above the level of expenditure on the current improvements to bus priority being made by NZTA. It would also involve additional property acquisition. If required, this expenditure would need to be prioritised against other major transport projects. By way of general comparison, the Northern Busway, which opened in March 2008, cost around $294 million (made up of $210 million for the busway itself and $84 million to construct the stations).

Legal and Legislative Implications

There are no legislative implications at this stage from the preparation of this report.

Implementation Issues
There are no implementation issues at this stage from this report.

Attachments
There are no attachments to this report.

Signatories
Authors Authorisers Joshua Arbury, Principal Transport Planner Kevin Wright, Manager Transport Strategy Ree Anderson, Manager Regional Strategy Community and Cultural Policy Roger Blakeley, Chief Planning Officer

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File No.: CP2012/02540

Executive Summary
This report outlines key matters that were reported to the Auckland Transport Board at its February meeting which may be of interest to the Transport Committee. Key information includes: Preparations for the change in the Give Way rule; Network management by the Joint Transport Operations Centre; Rollout of broadband; Public transport services update; Update on integrated ticketing; Update on construction and investigation programme; and Outline of Integrated Transport Plan and Corridor Management Plan programme.

Recommendation
That the Transport Update Report be received.

Background
At is meeting on 15 February 2012, the Auckland Transport Board considered a Business report on the activities of each division (a copy of which is set out in Attachment 1). The Business report relates to the December and January period. Some highlights include: Preparations for the change in the Give Way rule Auckland Transport has identified approximately 500 intersections that require changes to be implemented in March. Network management by the Joint Transport Operations Centre Work is under way for greater coordination and understanding of traffic impacts across the road network. Resources have been allocated to give effect to the improved one network approach, with a target to complete route optimization on 10% of the arterial road network by 30 June 2012. Rollout of ultra-fast broadband Since the commencement of the project in September, 144 kilometres of ducting and fibre has been laid. Work is underway in Albany, Avondale and East Tamaki. Public transport services update Electrification and Parnell preparation works were completed as scheduled over the Christmas period. The bus route between Freemans Bay and Karangahape Road has been restored. An enhanced weekend ferry service trial was completed and is being evaluated. Integrated ticketing A limited pilot is testing aspects of the proposed system and processes for integrated ticketing. The data collected and lessons learned from the pilot will be used to help assist the transition into the full implementation of HOP later in the year. Update on construction and investigation programme This includes an update on major projects and programme.

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Outline of Integrated Transport Plan and Corridor Management Plan programme The Integrated Transport Plan will set out an optimal transport investment plan, coordinated access across all modes of transport that will deliver the vision and outcomes of the Auckland Plan over the next 30 years. Auckland Transport has commenced preparation of Corridor Management Plans for East Coast Bays Road, Great South Road, Khyber Pass, Neilson Street.

Decision Making
This report is for the information of the Transport Committee. No decisions are proposed in this report.

Significance of Decision
No decisions are required in relation to this report.

Maori Impact Statement

The Key Relationships Unit section of the Business report notes that an Iwi/Maori (Mana whenua Matawaka) Auckland Transport engagement framework has been developed and there is reference to a number of engagement processes regarding major projects and planning documents. The updated capital works programme on Auckland Transports website provides indicative timings when consultation is occurring which enables the public and Maori to plan for upcoming consultations.

Consultation
As this is an information item, no consultation has been done in the preparation of this report. This update refers to consultations on major projects, the draft Regional Land Transport Programme and draft Long Term Plan.

Local Board Views

Local Boards are involved, and will become involved, in Auckland Transports consultation on major transport projects and planning processes including corridor management plans. Processes are in place in Auckland Transport to give advance notice of these programmes and to include Local Boards in these consultations. Many Local Boards have identified major transport projects in their Local Board Plans. Auckland Transport provides a quarterly report to individual Local Boards which now includes an analysis of how Auckland Transport is responding to key transport projects identified in the Local Board Plans.

Financial and Resourcing Implications

The Business report contains an update on financial matters in Auckland Transport. A large focus during the December and January period was on developing the ten year transport programme for the draft Long Term Plan. It was also reported that negotiations have been completed regarding a variation to the funding assistance rate, which was previously reported to the Governing Body.

Legal and Legislative Implications

There are no legal or legislative implications arising from this report.

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Implementation Issues
Auckland Transport is responsible for implementation of transport and the information in this report provides highlights of how Auckland Transport is dealing with current issues.

Attachments
No. A Title Auckland Transports Business Report February 2012 Page 27

Signatories
Author Authorisers Kevin Wright, Manager: Transport Strategy Ree Anderson, Manager: Regional Strategy Community and Cultural Policy Roger Blakeley, Chief Planning Officer

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Recommendations
That the following inward correspondence be received and outward correspondence be endorsed:

22 February 2012

Letter to Fran Wilde, Chair, Greater Wellington Regional Council, re: Response to Proposed Changes to the Land Transport Management Act Letter from Ron Hamilton, Mission Bay-Kohimarama Residents Association Inc. re: Intersection: Kepa and Kohimarama Roads

1 March 2012

Attachments
No. A Title Letter to Fran Wilde, Chair - Greater Wellington Regional Council re: Response to Proposed Changes to the Land Transport Management Act Letter from Ron Hamilton, Mission Bay-Kohimarama Residents Association Inc. Page 61

63

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