Agenda of Regional Transport Committee

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Regional Transport Committee

Friday 06 November 2015

SUBJECT: Short Term Replacements for the Regional Transport Committee

Introduction

1. Council has made allowance in the terms of reference of the Committee for short term replacements to be appointed to the Committee where the usual member/s cannot attend.

Committee Membership

Councillor Alan Dick	Member and Chairman	HBRC
Councillor Rick Barker	Member and Deputy Chairman	HBRC
Councillor Mark Herbert Alternate Mayor Bill Dalton	Member	NCC
Councillor Terry Kingston Alternate Cr Terry Story	Member	CHBDC
Mayor Craig Little Alternate Jamie Cox	Member	WDC
Councillor Tania Kerr Alternate Cr John Roil	Member	HDC
Raewyn Bleakley Alternate Lyndon Hammond	Member	NZTA
Brian Gregory	Advisor: Cultural Interests and Environment	HBRC Maori Committee
David Murray	Advisor: Private motorists, Public Transport users, Walking and Cycling	Automobile Association
Gregory Brown	Advisor: NZ Police	NZ Police
Chris Bain	Advisor: Port and Coastal Shipping	Port of Napier Limited
John Emmerson	Advisor: Road Transport industry	Road Transport Association: Emmerson Transport
Kim Santer	Advisor: Rail	KiwiRail
Technical Advisory Group (TAG)
Anne Redgrave	Transport Manager	HBRC
Megan Welsby	Sustainable Transport Officer	HBRC
Jon Schwass	Road Asset Manager	NCC
Shawn McKinley	Roading Manager	CHBDC
Jamie Cox	Engineering Manager/Asset Manager - Roading	WDC
Mark Clews	Strategic Planning Manager	HDC
Jag Pannu	Transportation Manager	HDC
Colin Goble	Senior Engineer	NZTA
Simon Barnett	Principal Transport Planner	NZTA
Oliver Postings	Journey Manager	NZTA

Recommendation

1. That __________________________ be appointed as member/s of the Regional Transport Committee of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council for the meeting of Friday, 06 November 2015 as short term replacement(s) on the Committee for _______________________.

Anne Redgrave

Transport Manager

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Regional Transport Committee

Friday 06 November 2015

Subject: Implementation of the Regional Land Transport Strategy and Programme 2012-15

Reason for Report

1. This item is to present a report on the implementation of the Regional Land Transport Strategy and Programme for 2012-15.

Background

2. The Regional Land Transport Strategy 2012-2042 (RLTS) and the Regional Land Transport Programme 2012-15 (RLTP) were adopted in 2012. The Regional Land Transport Strategy set out the region’s strategic goals and direction for transport over thirty years. The RLTP formed the region’s funding request to NZTA for the period 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2015.

3. The Regional Land Transport Strategy ceased to exist on 30 June, due to changes in the Land Transport Management Act 2003, which replaced the RLTP and RLTS with a Regional Land Transport Plan.

4. However, now that 30 June 2015 has passed, it is appropriate that the Committee reviews the progress of the last three years against both the Strategy and Programme.

Discussion

5. The RLTP 2012-15 states that implementation monitoring will be limited to “measuring progress on the delivery of the programmed activities and projects” and “measuring actual expenditure against budget across all activity classes”.

6. The RLTS 2012-42 states that monitoring should be against the programme and targets set out in Section 4.4.

7. A short report which fulfills these two requirements is therefore at Attachment 1.

8. However, neither of these two methods evaluates the state of the transport system in Hawke’s Bay. The RTC sets the strategic direction for the region and it therefore needs to understand how well the transport system is performing at present and to monitor land use, demographic, economic and social changes which will impact on the transport system into the future.

9. It is intended therefore that a further section will be added to this report and presented to the Committee at the next meeting. This will measure a range of transport system indicators in Hawke’s Bay, drawing on the indicators developed by the Ministry of Transport for use in monitoring the performance of the national transport system.

10. These indicators include such things as:

10.1. Average journey times for key corridors

10.2. Household travel patterns, including mode of travel for journeys to work and school

10.3. Traffic volumes on key corridors

10.4. Percentage of heavy vehicles on key corridors

10.5. Public transport use

10.6. Death and serious injury crashes in the region

10.7. Social cost of crashes in the region

10.8. Freight volume data

10.9. Commuting patterns

11. While data will not be available at a regional level for all the Ministry indicators, a suitable range of indicators will be selected and reported on. Baseline measures will be set and changes over time identified, so that future reporting can build on this base.

Decision Making Process

12. Council is required to make a decision in accordance with Part 6 Sub-Part 1, of the Local Government Act 2002 (the Act). Staff have assessed the requirements contained within this section of the Act in relation to this item and have concluded that, as this report is for information only and no decision is to be made, the decision making provisions of the Local Government Act 2002 do not apply.

Recommendation

1. That the Regional Transport Committee receives the “Implementation of the Regional Land Transport Strategy and Programme for 2012-15” report.

Anne Redgrave

Transport Manager

Liz Lambert

Chief Executive

Attachment/s

Implementation of the RLTS and RLTP during 2015-18

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Regional Transport Committee

Friday 06 November 2015

Subject: November 2015 Public Transport Update

Reason for Report

1. To update the Regional Transport Committee on public transport operations.

General Information

2. The bus service contract was recently re-tendered for a further nine years from 1 August 2016. There were six conforming tenders received, as well as a number of alternative tenders. The contract was won by the current operator, GoBus Ltd.

3. There were 8.4% fewer passenger trips in quarter one of 2015-16 than in quarter one of the previous year. While this drop in passenger transport use is concerning, it is consistent with most regions around the country where services have not been recently increased. Lower petrol prices and improved economic conditions are thought to be encouraging people to drive more.

4. A number of service improvements are currently being investigated by the transport team and if considered worth trialling, could be implemented with the commencement of the new bus contract in August 2016.

SuperGold Card Scheme

5. Changes have been made to the funding of the SuperGold scheme which provides free off-peak bus travel for people with a SuperGold card. The Minister of Transport has announced that from 2016-17, funding for this scheme will be capped and each region will be bulk funded. Regional allocations will be adjusted annually by the Consumer Price Index but there will be no funding to accommodate growth in numbers of users of the scheme or in the number of trips taken.

6. Regional Council staff from around the country recently attended a workshop in Wellington to try to work out an equitable way for the fund to be shared among the councils. Several options are being modelled but no preferred options identified yet. Regional councils will be formally consulted on several options before NZTA makes a final decision in early 2016.

New Zealand Transport Agency Research report

7. A recent NZTA research report describes the results of research into public transport usage and priorities for Generation Y (people born between 1980 and 2000). It has shown that this generation is more likely to use public transport more frequently than previous generations and more likely to continue to use it for longer. Members of Generation Y are also less likely to hold a driver’s licence or register or own a car.

8. This trend has been established around the world but researchers wanted to see whether it was also occurring here. The research conducted indicated that this trend is also emerging in New Zealand and that there is high latent demand for public transport both among Generation Y and older travellers (over 36 years) in New Zealand.

9. The research therefore looked at priorities for service improvements and found that both Generation Y and older passengers most wanted to see increased peak frequency and improved coverage of services, over other types of service improvements. The researchers therefore conclude that the best value can be obtained from investment in priorities for both groups. The report can be found on NZTA’s website at www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/reasearch/reports/569

Passenger Trips on the goBay network

10. The graph below shows total passenger trips during 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 year to date.

Diagram 1 – Passenger Trips – 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 (YTD).

11. Average monthly patronage from 2009-10 to 2015-16 year to date is shown in the table below.

Diagram 2 – Annual Passenger Trips 2009-10 to 2015-16 (YTD)

Year	Total Annual Trips	Monthly Average
2009-10	480,244	40,020
2010-11	554,647	46,220
2011-12	681,566	56,797
2012-13	761,392	63,449
2013-14	799,845	66,653
2014-15	744,456	62,038
2015-16 (YTD)	189,062	63,020

Bus Service Costs

12. The following table shows the net cost (after fares and excluding GST) of operating the goBay bus service during 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 year to date. The costs include base contract costs plus cost indexation, which accounts for the significant price fluctuations between months.

Diagram 4 – Net Cost of Bus Service – 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 (YTD).

Year	Jul	Aug	Sep	Total YTD
2012-13	$224,406	$206,395	$217,298	$648,099
2013-14	$186,170	$278,969	$182,220	$647,359
2014-15	$168,720	$157,262	$264,227	$590,209
2015-16	$142,779	$189,698	$213,310	$545,787

(53% of this cost is met by the New Zealand Transport Agency).

13. Farebox recovery can be seen in the table below.

Diagram 5 – Farebox Recovery

2011-12	32.64%
2012-13	34.26%
2013-14	38.24%
2014-15	38.69%
2015-16 YTD	39.81%

Total Mobility

14. The Total Mobility Scheme, which is funded by regional council, local councils and the NZ Transport Agency, provides subsidised taxi transport for people who have a permanent illness or disability which prevents them from using public transport.

15. The following tables show the number of Total Mobility trips made during 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 year to date and the corresponding cost (excl GST).

16. There were 23,354 trips in the first three months of this year, compared with 23,947 in the same period last year, a decrease of 2.5%. Expenditure decreased by 6.8%, from $160,491 in the first quarter of 2014-15 to $149,471 this year. The reasons for this are not yet clear (although Total Mobility use can be very weather-dependent) and it is too early to tell whether this trend will continue.

Diagram 6 – Total Mobility Trips – 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 (YTD).

Year	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	June	Total
2012-13	6,753	6,839	6,471	7,256	6,925	6,447	6,022	6,320	6,614	6,850	7,106	6,382	79,985
2013-14	7,401	6,804	6,611	7,658	7,365	7,185	6,546	7,032	7,605	7,745	7,707	7,188	86,847
2014-15	8,320	7,950	7,677	8,267	7,701	7,948	6,354	6,901	8,245	7,328	7,737	7,852	92,280
2015-16	7,949	7,219	8,186

Diagram 7 – Total Mobility Cost ($, excl GST) – 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 (YTD)

Year	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	June	Total
2012-13	44,451	44,877	43,241	46,216	45,382	39,880	37,347	40,862	44,382	43,927	47,613	43,394	521,572
2013-14	49,274	46,153	43,965	50,189	47,744	46,968	39,581	46,567	52,047	50,715	51,078	49,348	573,629
2014-15	55,780	53,489	51,222	54,492	53,590	49,973	38,990	45,943	52,581	46,747	50,972	51,422	605,201
2015-16 YTD	50,876	46,254	52,339										149,469

(60% of this cost is met by the New Zealand Transport Agency).

Decision Making Process

17. Council is required to make a decision in accordance with Part 6 Sub-Part 1, of the Local Government Act 2002 (the Act). Staff have assessed the requirements contained within this section of the Act in relation to this item and have concluded that, as this report is for information only and no decision is to be made, the decision making provisions of the Local Government Act 2002 do not apply.

Recommendation

1. That the Regional Transport Committee receives the ”November 2015 Public Transport Update”

Megan Welsby

Sustainable Transport Coordinator

Anne Redgrave

Transport Manager

Attachment/s

There are no attachments for this report.

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Regional Transport Committee

Friday 06 November 2015

SUBJECT: November 2015 RoadSafe Update

Reason for Report

1. This is a regular report that provides the Committee with a snapshot of road safety activities that are being undertaken under the Road Safety Action Plans and, as necessary, will brief the Committee on any current or upcoming issues relevant to road safety.

Background

2. There are a number of strategic documents that provide the direction for the road safety activities. These include:

2.1. Government Policy Statement for Land Transport 2015 (GPS)

2.2. Safer Journeys 2020

2.3. Communities at Risk Register

2.4. NZTA Briefing Notes

2.5. NZ Police Strategies

2.6. RoadSafe HB Strategic Plan (2013-16).

3. The current GPS expands on the strategic direction set out in the Safer Journeys 2020 strategy and continues the government’s strong focus on encouraging economic growth and productivity and improving road safety.

4. Road safety incorporates a range of elements including network improvement, road policing, and education and awareness. RoadSafe HB and the road safety action plans focus on education and awareness programmes in collaboration with road policing activities and proposed network improvements.

Regional Road Safety Priority Issues for 2014-15

5. RoadSafe Hawke’s Bay is part of a road safety group that develops and implements road safety education opportunities which support the national and regional strategic documents listed above. The overall goal is to work towards: “A safe road system increasingly free of death and serious injury” (Safer Journeys 2020).

6. Partners include NZ Police, NZTA Traffic Safety Engineers, HB District Health Board, ACC, district and city council transport staff and other associated groups. By working in partnership, the intention is to develop road safety programmes that focus on the region’s priority issues and support the intended outcomes identified in the regional and strategic documents. By working in partnership, the reach and scope of the activities are increased and capitalise on the expertise of the partners.

7. The regional road safety priority issues for 2015-16 are (NZTA Briefing Notes):

7.1. Central Hawke’s Bay

7.1.1. Alcohol & Drugs

7.2. Hastings District

7.2.1. Alcohol & Drugs

7.2.2. Intersections

7.2.3. Motorcycles

7.2.4. Loss of Control Rural Roads – Head on

7.2.5. Speed

7.2.6. Young Drivers

7.2.7. Cyclists

7.3. Wairoa

7.3.1. Alcohol and Drugs

7.3.2. Loss of Control Rural Roads – Head on

7.3.3. Speed

7.3.4. Young Drivers

8. Traffic incidents are reported in a number of different ways and a number of indicators are needed to understand whether the road safety programmes are effective.

Funding

9. The 2015-2018 funding application to the NZ Transport Agency was fully successful, with all activities approved.

10. The road safety programme is funded from three sources:

10.1. HBRC rates

10.2. Territorial Authorities contribution (Wairoa District Council, Hastings District Council, Napier City Council, Central Hawke’s Bay District Council)

10.3. The NZ Transport Agency

Report for November 2015

11. Speed & Alcohol: the Xmas checkpoint schedule has been sent to Police for their consideration. We support the checkpoints by providing relevant road safety information. The checkpoints have a festive community focus to them and are well received by the community.

12. The joint project with Corrections and Police (presentations to inmates and those serving community service hours) will continue in the New Year across the region. These will be part funded by Corrections Department.

13. A project team has been set up to develop a safety around schools programme, which will include rural schools and buses. The partners are Road Safe HB, ACC, Traffic Safety Engineers and Police.

14. Linda Anderson was invited to present at Auckland University for students undertaking the Bachelor in Health Promotion. The focus was on how data is interpreted and then structured into road safety education programs.

15. Fatigue stops across the region are underway, these will be scheduled for long and event weekends: Rhythm and Vines, Horse of the Year, Easter, Queen’s Birthday weekend. Two very successful fatigue stops were held at Labour Weekend, one on SH5 and the other on SH2.

16. Planning for the 2016 Road Safety Expo for schools has begun. We have contracted a teacher to develop a pre and post education resource for schools to use as per NZTA Best Practice Guidelines. Development will also include a work shop style resource as well, as recommended by NZTA.

Road Safety Statistics

17. The following links provide detail on road crashes in our region.

17.1. nzta.govt.nz/resources/crash-analysis-reports/statistical-statements

17.2. nzta.govt.nz/resources/crash-analysis-reports/briefing-notes

17.3. nzta.govt.nz/resources/crash-analysis-reports/

18. The table below sets out the year to date road deaths by region.

Weekly road deaths update by Local Government Region as at midnight Monday, 26 October 2015 *

Local Government Region	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Northland	6	12	15	11	15
Auckland	42	38	43	30	45
Waikato	54	44	27	39	55
Bay of Plenty	14	20	16	22	25
Gisborne & Hawkes Bay	14	27	10	16	11
Taranaki	6	10	7	9	8
Manawatu / Wanganui	26	22	10	29	25
Wellington	10	10	14	10	7
Nelson / Marlborough	7	5	8	7	1
West Coast	7	7	5	6	5
Canterbury	25	27	37	27	38
Otago	12	10	10	11	15
Southland	3	5	1	11	8
Total	226	237	203	228	258

Decision Making Process

19. Council is required to make a decision in accordance with Part 6 Sub-Part 1, of the Local Government Act 2002 (the Act). Staff have assessed the requirements contained within this section of the Act in relation to this item and have concluded that, as this report is for information only and no decision is to be made, the decision making provisions of the Local Government Act 2002 do not apply.

Recommendation

1. That the Regional Transport Committee receives the November 2015 RoadSafe HB Update Report‘.

Linda Anderson

Regional Manager RoadSafe Hawke's Bay

Anne Redgrave

Transport Manager

Attachment/s

There are no attachments for this report.

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Regional Transport Committee

Friday 06 November 2015

Subject: November 2015 Transport Manager's Report

Reason for Report

1. This regular report provides the Committee with a snapshot of relevant transport matters, provides updates from the Transport Advisory Group (TAG) on issues raised at their regular meetings and outlines what is coming up within the transport sector.

Background

2. The Transport Advisory Group is made up of road asset managers, planners and staff from Approved Organisations (AOs) - NZTA, Wairoa District Council, Central Hawke’s Bay District Council, Napier City Council, Hastings District Council and co-ordinated by the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s Transport Manager. TAG meets at least quarterly and its main purpose is to support the operation of the RTC and provide co-ordinated and timely advice backed up by technical knowledge.

Transport Advisory Group meetings

3. A TAG meeting was held on 22 October 2015. Key agenda items included:

3.1. Updates on significant projects in the region, as described below.

3.2. Terms of reference for the TAG group and the need to commence strategic planning for the next regional land transport programme. It was agreed to hold an extra meeting in November to discuss the way forward for this.

Local Government NZ Report

4. In September, LGNZ released a report titled “Mobilising the Regions: the role of transport infrastructure in achieving economic success across all of New Zealand”.

5. The report sets out to answer the following three questions:

5.1. What is the status of regional social and economic development in New Zealand?

5.2. Why should we care about strong regional growth across all of New Zealand?

5.3. Are transport investment decisions made in ways that support the objectives of regional economies?

6. Key findings of the report include:

6.1. Different processes and criteria are used to make investment decisions across the various transport modes. While road and public transport decision-makers can included regional economic development considerations in their decision making, rail decisions are usually purely commercial. Ports need to make commercial decisions but with their regional ownership, have some ability to consider regional economic development. Airports also have regional owners who would like to consider regional social and economic development in decisions, but the presence of a dominant service provider in the industry makes this difficult. These conditions lead to such decisions as the closure of the Napier-Gisborne rail line and the reduction of air services by Air New Zealand into some provincial towns ( such as Kaitaia), both of which are at odds with wider regional economic development considerations. Pages 15 to 22 of the report discuss the impact of such decision –making on local communities in more detail, including considerable analysis of the Napier-Gisborne Rail decision.

6.2. To rectify this, transport decision makers would need to apply consistent decision-making criteria across all modes and regional leaders would have to work with transport decision makers to highlight regional priorities.

7. The report makes a number of interesting points regarding the role of transport infrastructure in assisting economic development, but points out that while transport investment can be seen as a necessary requirement for economic growth, it is not sufficient by itself to generate significant economic growth at either a regional or national level.

8. The report can be found at http://www.lgnz.co.nz/assets/Mobilising-the-regions-paper-August-2015.pdf

Approved Organisations – Significant Issues Update

Highway Network and Operations

9. Pakowhai/Links Road Intersection – Property purchase almost complete. Construction will commence in 2016 season but enabling works underway shortly ( power pole shifting etc)

10. Napier Port Access – Awaiting signoff of the Programme Business Case before proceeding to the next stage. Further detail is contained in the NZTA Regional Director’s report.

11. Airport –Watchman Road intersection. Working through stakeholder engagement - a complex process due to the range of groups involved.

Hastings District Council

12. Whakatu arterial link - Cost estimate has increased and is being peer reviewed. On track for March – April 2016 construction commencement date.

13. Clive River Bridge cycle lane was opened recently.

14. Formal cycle fund applications have been submitted (for both NZTA and Urban Cycleways funding)

Napier City Council

15. Prebensen Drive four-laning will be completed by the end of November.

16. Warren St roundabout due for completion in mid -November

17. Formal cycle fund applications have been submitted (for both NZTA and Urban Cycleways funding)

Wairoa District Council

18. Delegated responsibility for the management of the unsealed portion of State Highway 38 is working well.

19. The recent rain event caused some damage.

Central Hawke’s Bay

20. The new maintenance contract is working successfully

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council

21. Public transport results - refer separate item.

Decision Making Process

22. Council is required to make a decision in accordance with Part 6 Sub-Part 1, of the Local Government Act 2002 (the Act). Staff have assessed the requirements contained within this section of the Act in relation to this item and have concluded that, as this report is for information only and no decision is to be made, the decision making provisions of the Local Government Act 2002 do not apply.

Recommendation

1. That the Regional Transport Committee receives the “November 2015 Transport Manager's report”.

Anne Redgrave

Transport Manager

Liz Lambert

Chief Executive

Attachment/s

There are no attachments for this report.

NZTA Central Region - Regional Director's Report

Attachment 1

Report To:	Hawke’s Bay Regional Transport Committee
Presenter:	Raewyn Bleakley, Regional Director - Central
Date:	6 November 2015

1. AGENCY NEWS

One Network Road Classification (ONRC)

An ONRC workshop was held for all councils in the upper Central region in Palmerston North on 28 September 2015. The workshop focussed on how to best embed the customer promise within levels of service, and how ONRC performance measures should be developed to inform work programming. The expectation from the Roading Efficiency Group (REG) is that councils are now actively implementing the ONRC as outlined in agreed transition plans. Key to this is to consider how ONRC impacts on Asset Management Plans and to identify other opportunities to integrate ONRC into a council’s wider suite of planning documents as these come up for review. Local Government NZ continues to offer councils support to implement ONRC through their centre of excellence in Roading - EquiP.

Speed Management Guide

On 1 September 2015 the Transport Agency released a draft speed management guide to Road Controlling Authorities. The guide has been circulated in draft form and will be finalised pending the outcome of a demonstration project of the new guideline with Waikato based councils. The intent of the guide is to develop a new approach to set safe and efficient speeds that are in line with the ONRC levels of service. Until this Waikato demonstration project has been concluded the Transport Agency suggests that councils not progress speed limit reviews other than to address urgent and significant road safety risks.

An overview of this new guideline is attached as Appendix One of this report.

Super Gold Card Review

Government has decided to make changes to the way in which the SuperGold scheme is funded and has tasked the Transport Agency, in collaboration with regional councils, with developing a bulk funding methodology in time for the change to bulk funding to be in effect by 1 July 2016. The first workshop on this matter was held on 20 October 2015 and was attended by Regional Council and Local Government NZ representatives and Transport Agency staff. The Transport Agency is writing up the summary of the workshop and this will be available to attendees within the next two weeks. Anne Redgrave represented Hawke’s Bay Regional Council at the workshop.

2.

CENTRAL REGION NEWS

Access and Use

The Access and Use Group (A&U) within the Transport Agency facilitates people’s access and use of the roading network. Its commercial team specialises in the Heavy Motor Vehicle compliance and works with drivers of commercial vehicles.

A lot of work has been undertaken recently in Hawke’s Bay by the A&U team, alongside NZ Police, to improve compliance of agricultural vehicles that use the roading network, specifically rubber tracked vehicles which are used in farmers’ paddocks then driven out onto the road.

A series of meetings has been held aimed at educating the owners and operators of these machines and to talk about the requirements for both drivers and vehicles when using a road.

Another initiative being trialled in Hawke’s Bay with individual operators takes the form of a prevention visit. These visits usually involve other strategic partners such as the Road Transport Association, the Accident Compensation Corporation and Worksafe. The purpose of these visits is to educate an operator / driver on what is required by them when using the network. These visits are sought after as they are well resourced and deliver a consistent message to those in the industry to get it right first time.

Planning and Investment

The Transport Agency – represented by my colleague Harry Wilson, Regional Director Waikato and Bay of Plenty - will meet with Craig Little (Mayor of Wairoa), Tony Bonne (Mayor of Whakatane), and Tamati Kruger (Chairman of Te Uru Taumatua and Te Urewera Board), to discuss the role of the Te Urewera Road corridor in supporting the joint vision for future development of the area. The Funding Assistance Rate (FAR) will also be discussed at the meeting.

A working group made up of representatives from Tūhoe Te Uru Taumatua, Whakatane District Council, Wairoa District Council and the Transport Agency met on 9 October 2015 to discuss draft Terms of Reference for the Te Urewera Transport Project using the business case approach. The parties will continue to develop the Terms of Reference which, once finalised, will be recommended for adoption by the decision making partners.

Emergency Work

The storm on 20 and 21 September 2015 caused damage to the road networks across the Hawke’s Bay region. More than 200mm of rain was recorded in certain areas over a 24 hour period. The flood return period was estimated to be a 1 in 10 year event.

Wairoa local roads were most affected. Some damage was caused by forestry slash that blocked culverts and accumulated at bridges, causing washouts and damage to bridge abutments. A lesser amount of damage was reported to Hastings and Central Hawke’s Bay local roads and state highways. Transport Agency Planning and Investment staff have visited each of the councils affected and are working with them to prepare claims for the immediate response work and for funding for reinstatement and repairs to sites where more significant damage occurred.

Road Safety

In the twelve months from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015, 13 fatal crashes were reported, resulting in 13 fatalities, and 73 serious crashes resulting in 74 serious casualties.

The average annual number of fatal crashes in the Hawke’s Bay Region in the five calendar years from 2010 to 2014 was 13.2 or 1.10 per month. For the twelve months from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015 the 13 fatal crashes or 1.08 per month represent only a very slight downward trend from preceding years. However, there can be variations in numbers of crashes and deaths from one year to the next.

The average annual number of serious injury crashes from 2010 to 2014 was 69, at the end of December 2014 or 5.75 per month. For the twelve months from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015 there were 66 serious injury crashes, or 5.5 per month.

An encouraging downward trend in drug and alcohol related crashes is evident. In 2010, 204 crashes had alcohol or drugs recorded as a contributing factor. However, in the 12 months from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015, 97 crashes were reported with alcohol or drugs recorded as contributing factors.

The number of crashes with speed recorded as a contributing factor was only slightly lower in the 12 months from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015 with 155 crashes resulting from speed, 16% of all crashes reported. Rural road loss of control continues to be of significant concern resulting in comparatively high numbers of crashes resulting in more severe injuries.

The Transport Agency will continue to work with you to embed the Safe System approach to focus on maintaining a downward trend in crashes.

3. DELIVERY OF THE NATIONAL LAND TRANSPORT PROGRAMME

Highways and Network Operations

Keeping the Network Open

The impact on the state highway network following the storm event in September was limited to delays and short closures on SH2 Napier-Wairoa, SH5 Napier-Taupo and SH38 Wairoa-Te Urewera. Routes were affected by slips, flooding and general debris on the road from surrounding hills. Our crews were able to re-open the highways fairly quickly and arranged for escorted movement of essential freight - for example, the coordinated movement of milk to avoid spoiling.

There is a drop-out on SH2 just north of the Mohaka rail viaduct that will result in single lane traffic management while a long-term solution is designed and built. We will keep you informed on progress for this site.

Following this storm we have decided to do further work to improve our understanding of the impact that such events have on road availability and how we can better predict and inform our customers about the likelihood of closures. Also, as part of our resilience investigations for SH2 north we are looking to see where we can be better placed to respond to future weather events (see below for further detail).

Efficiency Opportunities

From a journey management perspective we are working on developing a programme of minor efficiency projects for implementation in our region. The intent is to achieve worthwhile travel time and efficiency savings for a moderate outlay of less than $300,000 per project. In addition to this programme the Transport Agency and Napier City Council are discussing the designation and revocation of Prebensen Drive and Meeanee Quay respectively. This will effectively align ownership of roads to their function.

Project Progress

Pakowhai/Links Intersection: The design of utility works is nearly completed and we plan to start relocating services early in the 2016 calendar year. The remaining property purchase is progressing well so the main physical works should start in September 2016. If land purchase is completed in October 2015, some enabling works may be completed this construction season.

College Rd – Silverstream realignment: This project was put forward for funding approval in September but was declined as its economic profile falls below the national investment threshold. We will continue to review the benefits to be achieved through the project, with the aim of resubmitting for funding approval within the next calendar year.

Waipawa - Waipukurau Cycle path: The Walking and Cycling Activity Class of the National Land Transport Fund is currently oversubscribed, with all of the funds for this activity class earmarked for projects within the Urban Cycleways Programme. This means that it is unlikely that any project outside of the Urban Cycleways programme will be funded. We will continue to pursue the delivery of this project before the end of the 2015/18 NLTP.

Watchman Road/SH2/SH2B: Funding has been approved to complete the detailed business case. Our focus now is on hand over from transport planning to capital delivery, which will involve forming a stakeholder working group to ensure a collaborative approach to expedite the consenting process. Physical works should start in the 2016/2017 construction season.

Mangahohi Bridge: The bridge design is complete and we have applied for construction funding. Construction should start on early in the 2016 calendar year.

Model Communities: The opening of the Clive River Bridge cycling and walkway took place on 9 October 2015. The new bridge is testament to the collaborative working relationship between Hastings District Council and the Transport Agency. The next focus is on construction of the Waitangi Washout Bridge cycleway (due for completion in the first quarter of 2016) and the detailed design of the Karamu Bridge cycleway. These form a committed NLTP project and are not part of the Urban Cycleways Programme.

Napier Port Access: The Transport Agency has been focused on preparing the investment story behind our recommended programme and expects the final Programme Business Case to be signed off by the combined Value Assurance Committee/NLTP Advisory Group at the end of November 2015. We anticipate that we will remain on track to deliver the Detailed Business Case for the Minister of Transport’s review in June 2016.

Progress on SH2 North Investigation: At the last Regional Transport Committee meeting Councillor Kerr requested a review of SH2 resilience issues. As advised at the meeting, the Transport Agency will review the route to identify areas to address from a safety, resilience and efficiency perspective. We are collecting data (including information about accidents and road closures) and that can be used to support the development of a strategic case for the journey north on SH2. This has been programmed for later in the 2016 calendar year.

R Funds

R Fund	Initial Available funding	Spent to-date 2005/06 - 2014/15	Committed but not spent (projects with funding approved)	Uncommitted balance (projects waiting approval)
Hawke's Bay	$72,683,888	$50,804,377	$8,621,778	$13,257,733

The majority of R funds expenditure is currently on the Whakatu Arterial Link and SH2/Napier Road intersection projects. This has left $13,257,733 R funds still to be committed formally to projects in the Hawke’s Bay region. The healthy list of projects in the region will ensure that all R funds are spent before the end of the 2015/18 NLTP, with additional investment from the Regional Improvement Activity Class to be made in the region.

To ensure the RLTP/NLTP delivery is successful the Transport Agency recently hosted two one-day workshops for staff from councils across the upper Central region. The first workshop delivered training on the business case approach and its use, advice on the process, information requirements and how to progress through the five business case gates. The second workshop focussed on the Urban Cycleways Programme, providing the various councils with a support network, advice on their programmes and assistance to progress their various cycleway projects.

Raewyn Bleakley

Regional Director Central

28 October 2015

APPENDIX ONE

Draft Speed Management Guide overview

1 September 2015

The draft Speed Management Guide is a deliverable to give effect to the significant new direction and framework for speed management in NZ, as set out here http://www.saferjourneys.govt.nz/assets/safer-speeds-programme.pdf.

It is currently in draft form while a demonstration project is carried out in the Waikato. We want to demonstrate how it will work across an integrated, regional network, including using (and proving) new approaches for ‘changing the conversation on speed’.

Purpose of the draft Guide

The draft Guide provides a framework and a toolbox to help manage speed on the network. It will help Road Controlling Authorities (RCAs) identify where the risks are, where effort should be prioritised and exactly ‘what’ interventions are needed on what roads. Use of the Guide will ensure there’s a consistent network-wide approach to managing speeds that is targeted to risk.

The key change in approach contained in the Guide is to begin with a strategic whole-of-network based approach and then, by applying a series of techniques, drill down to identify where there is the greatest misalignment between actual travel speeds, and safe and appropriate travel speeds. The Guide applies a Safe System approach while ensuring network efficiency.

Safe and appropriate travel speeds

The One Network Road Classification classifies all New Zealand roads into categories based on their use and function in the national network. In simple terms, the Speed Management Framework overlays recommended travel speed ranges onto these classifications. The framework sets the national direction for all future speed management decisions.

Recommended safe and appropriate speed ranges for road classes

What does the draft Guide contain?

The draft Guide contains a step by step Speed Management Framework to help RCAs develop, engage and deliver an effective Speed Management Plan. It outlines how speed management can achieve both safety and efficiency, and it will enable RCAs to work with their communities to build support for an evidence-based, network-wide strategic approach to achieve these twin outcomes.

More specifically it:

· Outlines a network-wide approach to managing speed, tied in with the One Network Road Classification so that travel speeds are appropriate for road function, design, safety and use

· Offers guidance for targeting to risk and prioritising investment

· Outlines a Speed Management Framework that encompasses all elements of the Safe System approach to reduce the risk of death and serious injury, while supporting overall economic productivity

· Provides RCAs with guidance for where setting different speed limits is the identified solution

· Identifies best-practice and successful case studies, including demonstrations

· Develops an evaluation framework to track effectiveness, and measure performance.

The best outcomes will result if community and stakeholder groups are engaged, kept informed and are part of the process. The ‘changing the conversation on speed’ work will inform how this can be done effectively.

Through the use of the Guide, people will see speed being managed consistently and targeted to risk, which will help build understanding and support for safe and appropriate speeds.

Investment approach for speed management

Speed Management Plans will be developed and reviewed every three years. They are an integral element of Activity Management Plans, informing investment decisions for each NLTP cycle.

Item	Action	Person Responsible	Due Date	Status Comment
Business case for route between Wairoa District and Bay of Plenty via SH38	For regular update	Wairoa District representative	Nov 2015	A verbal update will be provided at the meeting
Napier Gisborne Rail Line	For regular update	Chairman Alan Dick	Nov 2015	A verbal update will be provided at the meeting
Implications on the transport network of water bottling plants at Awatoto and Tomoana	For regular update	Transport Manager	Nov 2015	The Tomoana plant is now operational. Hastings District Council will provide a verbal update on effects on the transport network at the meeting. Works underway at Awatoto.
Driver Licences	For regular update	Cr Rick Barker/Mayor Craig Little	Nov 2015	A verbal update will be provided at the meeting.