Agenda of Regional Transport Committee

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Regional Transport Committee

Friday 02 March 2018

SUBJECT: Short Term Replacements for the 1 December 2017 Regional Transport Committee Meeting

Reason for Report

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

Committee Membership

Committee Members (Voting)
Councillor Alan Dick	Member and Chairman	HBRC
Councillor Fenton Wilson	Member and Deputy Chairman	HBRC
Councillor Keith Price Alternate Mayor Bill Dalton	Member	NCC
Mayor Alex Walker Alternate Cr David Tennent	Member	CHBDC
Mayor Craig Little Alternate not appointed	Member	WDC
Councillor Tania Kerr Alternate Cr Rod Heaps	Member	HDC
Ms Emma Speight	Member	NZ Transport Agency
Advisory Members (Non voting)
Brian Gregory	Cultural Interests and Environment	HBRC Maori Committee
David Murray	Private motorists, Public Transport users, Walking and Cycling	Automobile Association
Matt Broderick	NZ Police	NZ Police
Steve Young	Port and Coastal Shipping	Port of Napier Limited
Ian Emmerson	Road Transport industry	Road Transport Association
Kim Santer	Rail	KiwiRail
Technical Advisory Group (TAG)
Anne Redgrave	Transport Manager	HBRC
Megan Welsby	Sustainable Transport Officer	HBRC
Robin Malley	Transportation Team Leader	NCC
Shawn McKinley	Roading Manager	CHBDC
Jamie Cox	Engineering Manager	WDC
Libby Young	Transport Asset Manager	WDC
Mark Clews	Strategic Planning Manager	HDC
Jag Pannu	Transportation Manager	HDC
Paul Murphy	Senior Investment Adviser	NZ Transport Agency
Simon Barnett	Principal Transport Planner	NZ Transport Agency
Oliver Postings	Journey Manager	NZ Transport Agency
Wayne Wallace	Principal Investment Adviser	NZ Transport Agency

Recommendation

That __________________________ be appointed as member/s of the Regional Transport Committee of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council for the meeting of Friday, 02 March 2018 as short term replacement(s) on the Committee for _______________________.

Authored by:

Anne Redgrave

Transport Manager

Approved by:

Liz Lambert

Group Manager
External Relations

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Regional Transport Committee

Friday 02 March 2018

Subject: Review of Regional Land Transport Plan

Reason for Report

1. To consider and approve the draft 2018-21 Regional Land Transport Plan for consultation with transport stakeholders.

Financial and Resource Implications

2. The financial and resource implications of the RLTP review have been accounted for in Long Term Plan budgets.

Background

3. The RLTP is a statutory document that must be prepared by the Regional Transport Committee (RTC) every six years, as required by the Land Transport Management Act 2003 (LTMA). The Regional Council adopted the current RLTP in April 2015.

4. The RLTP comprises two key parts:

4.1. The strategic direction for transport in the region

4.2. The regional transport programme, setting out a programme of proposed land transport activities and financial forecasts.

5. An interim review of the RLTP is required by the end of June 2018 (originally 30 April), so that any updates to the programme of activities can inform the three-year National Land Transport Programme that will be published before September 2018.

Previous Progress

6. In 2017 the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) and RTC agreed on three key problems statements for the RLTP. These were essentially unchanged from the 2015 Plan, but some wording amendments were made to reflect slight changes in emphasis.

7. The Committee also considered and approved drafts of the sections that describe the current transport system and issues to be resolved. These have since been updated with the latest transport volume and demographic information.

8. The strategic objective statements were reviewed to ensure their fit with the key problem statements.

9. The Regional Transport Committee was due to consider the draft RLTP at the December 2017 meeting and approve its release for targeted consultation. However, the publication of the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS) was delayed, so that the new Labour-NZ First government could review its direction. The timeframe for adoption of reviewed RLTPs was extended from 30 April to 30 June 2018 and the Committee therefore resolved to extend its RLTP review timeline accordingly.

10. Also at the December meeting, members requested more discussion of the growth of traffic on the Expressway and of the implications of climate change for the region, including our response to it. Passages in italics in Section 5 have been added to address this. The draft RLTP is Attachment 1.

Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2018 (GPS)

11. A revised draft GPS was originally due for release in December 2017. The Government has now decided to release an initial revision (GPS 1) in March, with a further more comprehensive GPS 2 in 2019.

12. Most regional transport committees have been unable to further delay their RLTP reviews to await the March draft GPS. In addition, RLTPs must reflect the activities of each council’s Long Term Plan, and most of these are shortly to be released in draft.

13. However, the Minister of Transport, the Hon. Phil Twyford, has written to RTC chairs, clarifying the investment priorities for GPS 18 (Attachment 2). The GPS will propose investment to achieve a land transport system that :

13.1. Is a safe system, free of death and serious injury

13.2. Improves access to move towards more liveable cities and thriving regions

13.3. Ensures the land transport system enables better environmental outcomes.

13.4. Delivers the best possible value for money

These priorities will be reflected in increased funding for related activities.

14. The policy section of Hawke’s Bay draft RLTP is supportive of these priorities but in the absence of funding details, the councils and NZTA have been unable to take these further into account in their land transport programmes as yet.

Draft Programmes of Activities

15. All councils have reviewed their programmes of transport activities and submitted these into the Agency’s online funding system. The list of all activities for which funding is sought for the 2018-21 period is in Section 8 of the draft RLTP.

16. Review of the programmes and information from the TAG indicates that no significant new improvement activities have been submitted for funding in the revised RLTP for 2018-21, when compared with RLTP 2015 or with earlier versions. Several large activities have been inserted as placeholders for Years 7 to 10 and even beyond to 2028, however these are not included within the period of the Plan, which is the six years 2015 to 2021. These have been separately identified in Section 8.

17. Therefore, the Committee is not required to publicly consult on the draft RLTP, but must have regard to the views of representative groups of land transport users and providers.

Prioritisation

18. The LTMA requires the committee to prioritise significant activities that are included in the plan. Our significance policy defines these as either:

18.1. A large new improvement project greater than or equal to $5 million in total value;

18.2. An improvement activity greater than or equal to $5 million in total value that has a high level of risk (that is not new);or

18.3. Any activity not consistent with NZ Transport Agency’s Planning and Investment Principles; or

18.4. Any other activity the RTC considers to be regionally significant; or

18.5. Committed activities, maintenance and renewals, low-cost- low-risk activities and existing public transport services are excluded;

19. The NZ Transport Agency reviewed its investment assessment framework during 2017 to take into account that business cases should now be developed for all major projects and programmes. This process looked at two main factors;

19.1. Results alignment – how well the identified issue or opportunity aligns with results identified in the Government Policy Statement – Low, Medium, High, Very High.

19.2. Cost Benefit appraisal - Assessment of the whole-of-life benefits and costs of the project.

20. However NZTA has just advised that this Investment Assessment Framework (IAF) will be reviewed in light of the new GPS and released in late March. As we have very few significant new projects requiring prioritisation, we suggest using that the committee should proceed to use the existing factors to prioritise, adding a further factor “alignment with regional strategic objectives” (as for the 2015 development of the RLTP). Should the IAF change significantly, we could re-evaluate the priorities at that point.

21. Using the criteria in paragraph 18, the TAG suggests that only the following activities should be prioritised. The programme business cases, although of low dollar value, have been included because of their regional significance and the possibility that substantial improvement programmes will result.

22. Suggested priorities are set out in the far right column.

Organisation	Project Name and Description	Total Project Cost	Total Cost 3 years 2018-21	Cost 18-19	Cost 19-20	Cost 20-21	Assessment under Investment Assessment Framework	Contribution to Regional Objectives	Suggested Priority
NZ Transport Agency	State Highway 2 Napier to Gisborne Programme Business Case	153,900	153,900	51,300	-	-	M, -	H	1
Hastings District Council	Bridge Strengthening Programme to cater for heavy vehicles - 50 Max, High Productivity Motor Vehicles and new Vehicle Dimension and Mass rules.	11,138,080	5,635,510	1,084,000	2,151,670	2,399,840	M, BCR 5-5.9	H	2
NZ Transport Agency	High Productivity Motor Vehicles Tranche 2 Napier Port to Gisborne	4,241,590	2,152,233	2,152,233	-	-	M, 1*	H	2
NZ Transport Agency	State Highway 5 Napier to Taupo Programme Business Case	205,200	205,200	-	205,200	-	M, -	M	3

Inter-regional significance

23. The LTMA also requires RTCs to identify any activities of inter-regional significance. After discussions with neighbouring regions, the TAG has identified the following activities. The Committee’s agreement is sought on these.

Activity	Reason for Inter-regional significance
Manawatu Gorge Replacement	The Manawatu Gorge links Hawke’s Bay with the major freight hub of Palmerston North in the Horizons region and is classified as a national route under the One Network Road Classification. Although alternatives to the Manawatu Gorge exist, these provide a substantially lower level of service and result in higher vehicle operating costs. An efficient and resilient replacement for the Manawatu Gorge is urgently required.
HB Expressway Pakowhai and Links Road Intersection Improvement (Committed Activity)	This intersection is a safety and efficiency pinch point on the key strategic link between the Hawkes Bay Region and the Horizons (Manawatu-Wanganui) region. The Palmerston North-Manawatu area is increasingly functioning as a freight hub, and tonnages of freight between the Manawatu and the Hawkes Bay Region increasing.
High Productivity Motor Vehicle Improvements Tranche 2 (SH2 between the Port of Napier and the boundary with the Horizons Region) (Committed Activity)	These improvements will remove impediments to the use of HPMV’s between the Hawkes Bay Region and the Horizons Region, in particular the freight hubs of the Palmerston North – Manawatu area. The Saddle Road across the Tararua Ranges is suitable for HPMV use. Once bridge structures in the Hawke’s Bay Region are strengthened, HPMV use will be possible on this nationally strategic link.
HB Expressway Safety Treatments (Committed Activity)	The HB Expressway forms part of the key strategic link between Napier Port and the Horizons Region. The Palmerston North - Manawatu sub area is increasingly functioning as a freight hub, and tonnages of freight between the Manawatu and the Hawkes Bay region are increasing. It is important that the HB Expressway functions safely and efficiently.
Upgraded Strategic Routes for HPMV capability in the Horizons region	The lower Horizons area acts as a freight hub and logistics centre for the lower North Island, and HPMV entrance capability will ensure that the benefits of HPMV routes to and from the Hawkes Bay Region can be maximised.
SH2 Manawatu Hill Realignment in the Horizons region	Safety black spot with a history of crashes. Improved alignment with a passing lane in both directions. Realignment will allow for travel time savings for freight between Horizons region and Hawkes Bay Region
SH2 Napier to Gisborne- Programme Business Case	This forms part of a business case for the SH2 route between Opotiki and Napier, traversing parts of the Bay of Plenty region and Gisborne district. Safety, resilience and travel time improvements on SH2 north are a high priority for the Hawke’s Bay region, particularly in light of projected increases in forest harvests, increased tourism and for economic development in Wairoa District.
SH5 Napier to Taupo Programme Business Case	This is an important tourism and freight route for both the Hawke’s Bay and Waikato regions. The Programme Business Case will determine the long-term strategy for managing this regional route.

Next Steps

24. It is suggested that the Committee should approve the draft RLTP for formatting for external review and release for targeted consultation, noting that the release of draft GPS 1 in March could potentially bring about changes to councils’ and NZTA’s transport programmes.

25. Any consequent changes to the RLTP will be notified to the Committee. If significant changes were to be proposed, an extra meeting could be called.

26. After review by key stakeholders, feedback will be collated and reviewed by the TAG before consideration at the Committee’s June 2018 meeting. The revised RLTP will then be forwarded to the Regional Council for approval.

Decision Making Process

27. Council is required to make every decision in accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Act 2002 (the Act). Staff have assessed the requirements in relation to this item and have concluded:

27.1. The decision does not significantly alter the service provision or affect a strategic asset.

27.2. The use of the special consultative procedure is not prescribed by legislation.

27.3. The decision does not fall within the definition of Council’s policy on significance.

27.4. The persons affected by this decision are all users of the transport system in the region.

27.5. Options that have been considered include no change.

27.6. The decision is not inconsistent with an existing policy or plan.

27.7. Given the nature and significance of the issue to be considered and decided, and also the persons likely to be affected by, or have an interest in the decisions made, Council can exercise its discretion and make a decision without consulting directly with the community or others having an interest in the decision.

Recommendations

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1. Agrees that the decisions to be made are not significant under the criteria contained in Council’s adopted Significance and Engagement Policy, and that Council can exercise its discretion and make decisions on this issue without conferring directly with the community and persons likely to be affected by or to have an interest in the decision.

2. Receives the ‘Review of the Regional Land Transport Plan’ report.

3. Approves the proposed prioritisation of significant activities in the draft Regional Land Transport Plan and discussion of significant inter-regional activities.

4. Approves the draft Regional Land Transport Plan for targeted consultation, with any minor changes required by the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2018 or changes to transport programmes by councils and the NZ Transport Agency.

Authored by:

Anne Redgrave

Transport Manager

Approved by:

Liz Lambert

Group Manager
External Relations

Attachment/s

⇨1	Regional Land Transport Plan 2015-25: 2018 Review		Under Separate Cover
⇩2	Minister of Transport letter

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Regional Transport Committee

Friday 02 March 2018

Subject: Variation to Regional Land Transport Plan 2015-25

Reason for Report

1. To consider a variation to the Regional Land Transport Plan 2015-25

Background

2. The Regional Land Transport Plan 2015-18 was adopted in 2015 and contained the region’s proposed transport activities to be funded from the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF) by the NZ Transport Agency for the next six years.

3. The Plan is under review (refer item elsewhere in this agenda) and variations may be made to the programme of transport activities as part of that review, for the years 2018-21.

4. However, the RTC is required to consider a variation to the programme for the current financial year 2017-18.

The Proposed Variation

5. The Transport Agency Board recently approved funding for the Weigh Right Programme to move in to the implementation phase. This has resulted in this activity being programmed for implementation in this last financial year (2017/18) of the current three-year National Land Transport Programme.

6. The following activity was included in the Regional Land Transport Plan 2015-25:

Organisation	Project Name and Description	Total Cost 6 years	Cost 2015	Cost 2016	Cost 2017	Cost 2018	Cost 2019	Cost 2020
NZTA HNO	Weigh Right. Hawke’s Bay installation of weigh right facilities that will support the management and operation of State Highway 2 – in four locations.	3,750,000	150,000	1,650,000	900,000	1,050,000	-	-

7. While the activity was included in the RLTP 2015, the cost of the project has increased significantly, to $8.5 million in total. The Agency has therefore requested formal approval of the project as a variation to the RLTP, to ensure that it has the Regional Transport Committee’s support.

8. The proposed variation is :

Organisation

Project Name and Description

Total Cost 6 years

Cost 2015

Cost 2016

Cost 2017/18

Cost 2018/19

Cost 2019/20

Cost 2020/21

NZTA HNO

Weigh Right. Hawke’s Bay.Installation of weigh right facilities that will support the management and operation of State Highway 2 - Napier location to be determined.

Implementation

3,758,940

10,260

25,200

1,949,400

1,800,425

Property costs

4,719,600

5,130

15,000

4,699,080

9. The variation is not significant according to the RLTP’s significance policy and therefore does not require public consultation.

Project Details

10. The project is part of a national Weigh Right programme which forms part of a wider compliance strategy, led by the Transport Agency. The overall objectives are to increase willing compliance of operators on the network, and preserve both state highway and local road assets through the reduction of illegal overloading.

11. Weigh in motion data has, for a number of years, recorded a level of overloading of some 10% of larger heavy commercial vehicles and some 6% of vehicles with load limits below 44 tonnes. Sampling of vehicle trip data indicates that some 25% of state highway heavy vehicle kilometres travelled are captured by the current inspection sites. This, plus the diverse nature of the locations of the weigh in motion sites, indicates a reasonable level of certainty that the overloading rate and the damage it can cause is occurring across the whole roading network.

12. The proposal is to incentivize increased use of self-monitoring, improve the level of detection of non-compliant vehicles with increased coverage of weigh facilities and to greatly increase the effectiveness of detection using electronic screening and recognition of vehicles, and weigh in motion to target non-compliance.

13. The programme outcomes are reduced maintenance costs, by removing the viability of overloading, improved safety through increased stability of vehicles (30% of truck crashes are roll-overs) and improved freight efficiency by maximising the use of the network. A further benefit will be a reduction in lost time for compliant operators and the creation of a fairer freight handling market place.

14. As can be seen on the map, the Hawke’s Bay site is supported by sites in adjoining regions. Subject to a review of the effectiveness of these sites, further sites may be proposed. In the meantime locations outside of those covered by the above sites will retain their existing facilities.

Options Assessment

15. Options have been considered by the NZ Transport Agency as part of its business case process.

Strategic Fit

16. This variation is highly consistent with the Regional Land Transport Plan aims of maintaining the strategic network to a high standard and ensuring efficient movement of freight.

Considerations of Tangata Whenua

17. There are no effects on tangata whenua as a result of this decision. Once a site is identified, consultation will be undertaken by the NZ Transport Agency with key stakeholders.

Financial and Resource Implications

18. There are no financial implications for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council. Funding for the project will be from the National Land Transport Fund.

Decision Making Process

19. Council is required to make every decision in accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Act 2002 (the Act). Staff have assessed the requirements in relation to this item and have concluded:

19.1. The decision does not significantly alter the service provision or affect a strategic asset.

19.2. The use of the special consultative procedure is not prescribed by legislation.

19.2.1. The decision does not fall within the definition of Council’s policy on significance.

19.3. The persons affected by this decision are heavy haulage operators travelling across the region and other road users in Hawke’s Bay.

19.4. The decision is not inconsistent with an existing policy or plan.

19.5. Given the nature and significance of the issue to be considered and decided, and also the persons likely to be affected by, or have an interest in the decisions made, Council can exercise its discretion and make a decision without consulting directly with the community or others having an interest in the decision.

Recommendations

1. That the Regional Transport Committee receives and notes the ‘Variation to the Regional Land Transport Plan 2015-25’ report

2. The Regional Transport Committee recommends that Council:

2.1 Agrees that the decisions to be made are not significant under the criteria contained in Council’s adopted Significance and Engagement Policy, and that Council can exercise its discretion and make decisions on this issue without conferring directly with the community and persons likely to be affected by or to have an interest in the decision.

2.2. Approves the variation to the Regional Land Transport Plan 2015-25, revising the cost and timing of a Weigh Right Facility for Napier.

Authored by:

Anne Redgrave

Transport Manager

Approved by:

Liz Lambert

Group Manager
External Relations

Attachment/s

There are no attachments for this report.

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Regional Transport Committee

Friday 02 March 2018

Subject: March 2018 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) and outlines what is coming up within the transport sector.

Transport Advisory Group meetings

2. The TAG group has met to discuss

2.1. The region’s proposed improvement projects for the 2018-21 Regional Land Transport Plan and make recommendations on other aspects of the draft plan, including its consistency with signalled changes in direction for the Government Policy Statement.

2.2. a proposed variation to the Regional Land Transport Plan to include a Weigh Right national site near Napier Port (discussed elsewhere in this agenda)

2.3. a draft submission on the Hastings District Council’s proposed speed limit changes

3. The TAG also discussed concerns about the shortage of contractors in the region, resulting in few bids for contracts and higher prices. They have decided to undertake a stocktake of bids and prices, in order to gauge the scale of the problem.

Annual Transport System Monitoring Report.

4. Since the adoption of the Regional Land Transport Plan 2015, a range of transport monitoring indicators have been reported to the Committee annually, to provide a broad picture of how well the transport system is performing and to identify trends which may affect its performance in the future.

5. The attached report (Attachment 1) therefore sets out a range of transport system indicators in Hawke’s Bay, updated where possible to 2017 (the latest data available in most cases), drawing on some of the indicators developed by the Ministry of Transport to monitor the transport system at a national level.

6. This data has also been used to inform the review of the Regional Land Transport Plan, discussed elsewhere in the agenda.

7. Key changes of note this year are:

7.1. Population growth is continuing at a higher rate than predicted in all parts of the Bay. Wairoa and Central Hawke’s Bay districts have experienced recent increases in estimated population, after declining trends.

7.2. A significant increase in vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) in Hawke’s Bay as well as nationally. While this partially reflects population growth, VKT per capita has also increased, although not to the levels found in the early 2000s.

7.3. Substantially more vehicles on the road in Hawke’s Bay and a greater rate of vehicle ownership.

7.4. A continued trend to growth in traffic on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway, with particularly significant increases on some sections.

Regional Cycling Governance Group

8. Work continues to resolve issues with the “Mad Mile” section of Waimarama Road on the Landscapes ride. New Zealand Cycle Trails has approved, in principle, funding for an off-road solution to the Mad Mile and to fix safety issues on four bridge underpasses that currently pose safety concerns. The funding will be 50% of the full cost of the project, so a significant local share needs to be found. Contributions from HDC and HBRC are committed, and the remainder is being sought from community trusts etc.

9. Central Hawke’s Bay has completed its cycle bridge connecting the Tukituki Trail between Mt Herbert Road and Taiparu Road. An official opening is planned shortly.

10. Good progress has been made on the iWay programmes in both Napier and Hastings. However both councils have noted difficulties in getting many tenders for these jobs, and that prices are higher than estimated.

11. HBRC has developed a website specifically for the Hawke’s Bay Trails. This can be found at www.hbtrails.nz and contains detailed information on all aspects of the trails.

12. Minutes from the February meeting of the Regional Cycling Governance group are attached.

Review of the Regional Public Transport Plan

13. Under the Land Transport Management Act 2003, every Regional Council must adopt a regional public transport plan unless sit does not intend to enter into any contracts for the supply of public transport services or provide any financial assistance to any operator or user of a taxi or shuttle service.

14. Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s Regional Public Transport Plan was adopted in April 2015. The Regional Transport Committee assisted with the preparation of the plan but the legislation prohibits the delegation of responsibility for adopting or varying a plan to any committee. This must be undertaken by the council.

15. The Act states that an RPTP must be reviewed and if necessary, renewed or varied at the same time as, or as soon as practicable after, the public transport components of a regional land transport plan are approved or varied. As the Regional Land Transport Plan is being reviewed and varied at present, the council needs to commence a review of the RPTP.

16. The purpose of an RPTP is to provide a public statement of

16.1. the public transport services that the Council considers integral to the network

16.2. the policies and procedures, information and infrastructure that apply to those services

17. Development and review of an RPTP also provides an opportunity for public input into the design and operation of the public transport network.

18. The Act does not specify how a review should be conducted but specifies the affected parties that must be consulted, unless variations are deemed not significant under the RPTP significance policy.

19. HBRC proposes the following process:

19.1. A review of all public feedback and suggestions for public transport service improvements received since the 2015 RPTP was adopted (already completed Oct-Dec 2017)

19.2. A round of early consultation seeking suggestions for improvements to the public transport network and investigation of these where appropriate. To include consideration of new Government Policy Statement Objectives and funding of public transport (Mar-May 2018)

19.3. A review and update of existing service information and policies. (Mar-May 2018)

19.4. Consideration of a draft RPTP by RTC and HBRC (June 2018)

19.5. Public consultation, submissions and hearings on draft RPTP (July–August 2018)

19.6. Adoption of RPTP by HBRC ( September 2018)

Hastings District Proposed Speed Limit Changes

20. Hastings District Council is currently consulting on a number of proposed changes to speed limits in its district. Many of the proposed changes are to correct anomalies or differences between signage and bylaws.

21. Other proposed changes are to ensure consistency with the NZTA Speed Management Guide in light of growth or increased traffic.

22. The only proposal which is perhaps of significance regionally, is to reduce the speed limit on Farndon Road (between Pakowhai Road and Clive) from 100km to 80km. This route was previously reduced to 80km as part of the Safe Speed Limit Area, but was reverted to 100km following public feedback post-implementation. A number of fatal crashes have occurred since it was changed back to 100km, and assessment against the Guide shows that its Infrastructure Risk Rating (IRR) means its speed limit should be 80km.

23. The TAG suggests that a short submission should be prepared on behalf of the RTC supporting this proposal for its road safety benefits, before the closing date of 9 March 2018.

24. HDC has indicated that a further speed limit review will reassess all its routes with a high Infrastructure Risk Rating.

Approved Organisations – Significant issues or Works

NZTA Highway Network and Operations

25. An update on work by NZTA Highway Network and Operations Group forms part of the Regional Director’s report.

Hastings District Council

26. Hastings District Council’s major project, Whakatu Arterial Link (in conjunction with the NZ Transport Agency), is progressing well.

27. The following Whakatu Arterial Link (WAL) components are complete.

27.1. The State Highway 2 roundabout - Some landscaping and weed control is still required.

27.2. Pilcher Road diversion

27.3. Napier Road realignment and widening

27.4. Mangateretere School frontage improvements

27.5. The Karamu Stream Bridge – Sealing of the deck will be carried out in conjunction with the road sealing at a later date.

27.6. The realignment of Whakatu Road - This allows for the construction of the new T & G carpark

27.7. Farmlands Fuel Stop relocation. – Farmlands and Nimons are pleased with the finished result.

27.8. Service Authority work- including Unison, Chorus, Powerco alterations.

27.9. The Karamu Stream realignment

28. The following components are under construction:

28.1. The Whakatu Road “peanut” roundabout

28.2. The new T & G carpark

28.3. SH2 roundabout to the “Peanut” roundabout on Whakatu Road – 75 % of earthworks is complete with the objective to have this finished before winter. Road metal construction is 25 % complete.

28.4. “Peanut” roundabout to Pakowhai Road Roundabout – 100 % of earthworks is complete. Road metal construction is 40 % complete.

29. Still to construct:

29.1. The Pakowhai Road roundabout – due to start in May 2018

29.2. Farndon Road intersection improvements

29.3. Sealing of all “greenfields” roadways

29.4. Installation of the WAL Kiwi Rail Level crossing

29.5. Closure of Ruahapia Road level crossing – Access will be maintained for pedestrians and cyclists only

29.6. Closure of the Ruahapia / Pakowhai Road intersection – to be replaced by the new roundabout

29.7. Landscaping and grassing of berms

30. The Whakatu Arterial Link is programmed for completion in December 2018.

Napier City Council

Kennedy Rd – Maadi Rd lights now operational.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council

31. A report on the public transport operations managed by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is the subject of a separate item in this agenda.

Decision Making Process

32. Staff have assessed the requirements of the Local Government Act 2002 in relation to this item and have concluded that, as this report is for information only, the decision making provisions do not apply.

Recommendation

That the Regional Transport Committee receives and notes the “March 2018 Transport Manager's report”.

Authored by:

Anne Redgrave

Transport Manager

Approved by:

Liz Lambert

Group Manager
External Relations

Attachment/s

⇨1	Report on Transport System Monitoring Indicators 1 March 2018		Under Separate Cover
⇩2	Minutes Regional Cycling Governance Group meeting 13 Feb 2018

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Regional Transport Committee

Friday 02 March 2018

Subject: March 2018 Public Transport Update

1. This report provides the Committee with an update on Council’s public transport operations.

Napier-Hastings Bus Service General Information

2. Napier Library has shifted to the MTG building. As many of our bus passengers use the library, we have worked with Napier City Council to establish a new bus stop near the library entrance and to publicise how to transfer from other routes for free, in order to access the library. The change seems to have run smoothly, with no complaints from passengers.

3. At the request of residents in Summerset Napier (in Greenmeadows), we are trialing the extension of Route 13 services to service the retirement village between 9am and 3pm. An informal bus stop has been established by Napier City Council, and patronage has been very encouraging. As the extension only operates off-peak, it adds little extra distance and is at minimal cost.

4. Bus services between Napier and Hastings continue to struggle with keeping to time due to roadworks and peak-time congestion in Hastings. This is an issue that may need a permanent solution, so we will investigate this through the review of the Regional Public Transport Plan. During February and March we place an extra bus into the fleet to run some overload services and help keep the scheduled services running to time.

District Health Board Travel Scheme

5. Following the success of its trial staff bus discount scheme, the District Health Board (DHB) has now further discounted fares for its staff in order to encourage travel behaviour change and reduce parking pressure at the hospital. This change took place on 1 February 2018 and we are hopeful that there will be a further increase on the approximately 500 staff trips taken each month. The patient travel scheme continues to be very successful, with a 100% increase in bus use over the last year.

New Bus Ticketing System

6. We are entering the final stages of implementation of a new bus ticketing system, as part of a consortium of nine regional councils. The new system will replace an ageing system with ticketing machines that are past the end of their useful lives, frequently break down and provide limited information.

7. The new system will provide accurate information about origin and destination of passengers. Customers will be able to top up smartcards online and this will considerably reduce the amount of cash carried on the buses. Eligibility for concession fares will be determined when smartcards are issued, removing the need for the driver to check eligibility each time the concession passenger travels, thereby improving loading times.

8. The changes will require a significant lead-in time with plenty of public information, to ensure that passengers are able to transition easily to the new system. As our system will not go live until 6 August and after six other councils, there will be time to learn from any unanticipated issues experienced by the other regions.

Review of Regional Public Transport Plan

9. We have commenced reviewing the Regional Public Transport Plan with a review of requests received for new public transport services or improvements. Issues such as late running on the Route 12 services and some minor policy changes will also be considered, and a revised draft will be brought to Council for consideration.

Bus Passenger Trips

10. Diagram 1 shows monthly bus passenger trips for the years 2012-13 to 2017-18. Bus numbers are down by 2% for the year to date. Decreases are noticeable on

10.1. Route 12 (Napier–Hastings-Napier via EIT and Pakowhai). These are the services which are struggling to keep to time.

10.2. Route 14 ( Napier- Maraenui- Onekawa-Napier)

10.3. Route 15 ( Napier –Westshore-Bayview-Napier )

10.4. Route 20 ( Hastings-Flaxmere-Hastings)

10.5. Route 21 ( Hastings-Havelock Nth –Hastings)

11. However, some services are growing well. There are significant increases in patronage on

11.1. Route 10 – Express service Napier-Hastings via Taradale (40% increase on last year)

11.2. Route 11 - Express Havelock North—Napier via Hastings and Clive (22% increase).

11.3. Route 16a (Hastings-Camberley-Raureka)

11.4. Route 13 – Napier- Tamatea- Taradale

11.5. Route 17 – Hastings-Parkvale-Akina

Diagram 1 – Monthly Passenger Trips to December 2012-13 to 2017-18

51% of this cost is met by the New Zealand Transport Agency).

Total Mobility

12. The following tables compare the number of Total Mobility(TM) trips made for the year to date over the last five years, and the corresponding costs (excl. GST).

13. The number of TM trips taken for the year to date is fairly consistent with last year and showing a longer-term trend for growth. This is to be expected, as our population is not only increasing but also ageing at a faster rate than previously predicted.

Diagram 5 – Number of Total Mobility Trips to December for 2012-13 to 2017-18

Decision Making Process

14. Staff have assessed the requirements of the Local Government Act 2002 in relation to this item and have concluded that, as this report is for information only, the decision making provisions do not apply.

Recommendation

That the Regional Transport Committee receives and notes the “March 2018 Public Transport Update” report.

Authored by:

Anne Redgrave

Transport Manager

Approved by:

Liz Lambert

Group Manager External Relations

Attachment/s

Item	Topic	Councillor / Staff
1.
2.
3.

Item	Topic	Councillor / Staff
1.
2.
3.