Agenda of Regional Transport Committee

Meeting of the Regional Transport Committee

Date: Friday 30 August 2013

Time: 10.15am

Venue:

Council Chamber

Hawke's Bay Regional Council

159 Dalton Street

NAPIER

Agenda

Item Subject Page

1. Welcome/Notices/Apologies

2. Conflict of Interest Declarations

3. Short Term Replacements for the Regional Transport Committee

4. Confirmation of Minutes of the Regional Transport Committee held on 17 May 2013

5. Matters Arising from Minutes of the Regional Transport Committee held on 17 May 2013

6. Action Items from Previous Regional Transport Committee Meetings

7. Consideration of General Business Items

Information or Performance Monitoring

8. Hawke's Bay Trails - Marketing and Communication Plan

9. Key Project Updates - Regional Land Transport Programme

10. Public Transport Update

11. East Coast Rail Line - Verbal Update

12. Transport Manager's Report

13. NZTA Central Region - Regional Director's Report

14. Verbal Reports from Objective Representatives

15. General Business

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Regional Transport Committee

Friday 30 August 2013

SUBJECT: Action Items from Previous Regional Transport Committee Meetings

INTRODUCTION

1. Attachment 1 is a list of items raised at previous Regional Transport Committee meetings that require action or follow-up. All action items indicate who is responsible for each action, when it is expected to be completed and a brief status comment. Once the items have been completed and reported to the Committee they will be removed from the list.

DECISION MAKING PROCESS

2. 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 required in terms of the Local Government Act’s provisions, the decision making procedures set out in the Act do not apply.

RECOMMENDATION

1. That the Regional Transport Committee receives the report “Action Items from Previous Regional Transport Committee Meetings”.

Carol Gilbertson

Transport Manager

Attachment/s

1 View

Action Items

Action Items

Attachment 1

Actions from Regional Transport Committee Meetings

The following is a list of items raised at the Regional Transport Committee meetings that require actions or follow-ups. All action items indicate who is responsible for each action, when it is expected to be completed and a brief status comment for each action. Once the items have been completed and reported back to the Committee they will be removed from the list.

17 May 2013 Meeting

Agenda Item	Action	Person Responsible	Due Date	Status Comment
State Highway 38 – Request for Sealing	To be left on the list for regular follow-ups		ongoing
National Car Pooling Initiative	Annual Plan submissions to be made to all TAs	Carol G	Mid 2013	At the request of the RTC submissions were made to TA Annual Plans – the decision to provide funding for the carpooling initiative was not supported unanimously by all Councils therefore it will not be progressed at this stage.

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Regional Transport Committee

Friday 30 August 2013

SUBJECT: Hawke's Bay Trails - Marketing and Communication Plan

Reason for Report

1. At the Regional Transport Committee meeting in May this year Mr Drew Broadley, Communications Manager, provided the committee with a verbal update on the purpose and content of the Asset and Marketing Plan for the Hawke’s Bay Trails. This Plan has now been completed and is being presented to the Transport Committee for their endorsement. The Plan will be adopted by the Regional Council.

Background

2. The Committee have been sent a copy of this Plan prior to the meeting to give them time to consider it.

3. Mr Broadley will be in attendance to present key points from this Plan.

Decision Making Process

4. 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 endorses the Asset and Marketing Plan for the Hawke’s Bay Trails, following any amendment made at the meeting.

Drew Broadley

Community Engagement and Communications Manager

Carol Gilbertson

Transport Manager

Attachment/s

Asset and Marketing Plan previously distributed to RTC members.

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Regional Transport Committee

Friday 30 August 2013

SUBJECT: Key Project Updates - Regional Land Transport Programme

Reason for Report

1. The purpose of this report is to receive presentations from Mr Jag Pannu, Transportation Manager – Hastings District Council and Mr Simon Barnett, Projects Team Manager – NZTA on indicative costs for two of the top regional projects contained in the Regional Land Transport Programme - the Whakatu arterial link project and the Expressway, Pakowhai and Links Road intersection improvement project.

2. Both these projects have been given “Probable” funding status priority in the National Land Transport Programme and would be funded from the regions “R” funds.

Decision Making Process

3. 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 information on the indicative costs from Hastings District Council for the Whakatu arterial link project and the New Zealand Transport Agency for the Expressway, Pakowhai and Links Road intersection improvement project.

Carol Gilbertson

Transport Manager

Attachment/s

There are no attachments for this report.

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Regional Transport Committee

Friday 30 August 2013

SUBJECT: Public Transport Update

Reason for Report

1. This agenda item provides the Committee with an update on Council’s public transport services, including trends since the previous update in May 2013. The report contains patronage graphs which are updated each month and provided to this Committee and the Regional Council Corporate and Strategic Committee.

General Information

2. The overall performance of the bus service continues to be positive, with passenger growth still increasing.

3. In July 2013 the New Zealand Transport Agency gave approval for a 30 month contract extension. This means that under a contract extension variation agreement Go Bus Transport Ltd will continue to operate the urban bus contract until 30 June 2016. It is anticipated that the contract for the urban bus services will be released for tender in July 2015. The contract extension was necessary to ensure that new legislative requirements are able to be met – these include producing a new Regional Public Transport Plan and Procurement Strategy, by 30 June 2015.

Total Passenger Trips

4. The following graph shows total passenger trips from February 2009 to July 2013. Passenger trips from January to July were approx 10% higher than during the same period last year.

Diagram 1 – Total Passenger Trips – February 2009 – July 2013

5. Since 2009 the total numbers of trips per year and monthly averages have steadily trended upwards, as follows.

Total Yearly Trips Monthly Average

2009 434,231 36,186

2010 512,657 42,721

2011 616,198 51,350

2012 726,373 60,531

2013 (Jan-Jul) 459,174 65,596

Capacity

6. The following graph outlines the seat capacity utilised on a monthly basis from July 2012 to July 2013.

Diagram 2 – Capacity – July 2012 - July 2013

SuperGold Card Trips

7. SuperGold cardholders continue to make very good use of this scheme. The graph below shows the number of SuperGold cardholder trips made from July 2012 to July 2013.

Diagram 3 – SuperGold Card Trips – July 2012 - July 2013

Infrastructure

Bus Stops

8. goBay bus stop signs have been installed at nearly all Hastings bus stops and feedback from passengers and drivers has been very positive. It is pleasing to report that Regional Council staff are now working closely with Napier City Council roading staff to implement and roll out a staged signage programme at Napier bus stops.

9. All on-street posters will be updated at the end of August, to reflect minor changes and improvements to some services, effective from 1 September.

Bikes on Buses

10. The uptake of bikes on buses continues to increase, with almost 1700 bikes carried since January this year.

Other

11. In line with the three-year fare increase programme Council approved last year, the second stage of increases will be made on 1 September. This increase has been widely publicised both in the media and on board the buses.

12. A bus service review is currently underway. Ratepayers in Napier and Hastings have been invited to ‘Have Your Say’ on this review. Feedback forms are available in libraries; on Council’s website and Facebook; in ‘Our Place’ and community newspapers. Feedback from this review will be considered and form part of the new Regional Public Transport Plan which is due to be produced by the end of June 2015.

13. The mobile bus timetable application for smartphone users is proving to be very popular, with just over 2500 hits since May. The goBay web pages are the busiest on the HBRC web site, with approx 22% of all hits between May and July.

Total Mobility Update

14. The following table shows the Total Mobility Scheme statistics and expenditure for the full 2012/13 year. Uptake of this scheme is continuing to grow more than budgeted and staff are looking for opportunities to ensure that any budget overspend is minimised for the 2013/14 financial year.

Diagram 4 – Total Mobility Statistics – July 2012 - June 2013

Decision Making Process

15. 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 Public Transport Update.

Megan Welsby

Sustainable Transport Coordinator

Carol Gilbertson

Transport Manager

Attachment/s

There are no attachments for this report.

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Regional Transport Committee

Friday 30 August 2013

SUBJECT: Transport Manager's Report

Reason for Report

1. This regular report provides the Committee with a snapshot of relevant transport matters; comments on issues that have been actioned since the last Regional Transport Committee (RTC) meeting; updates from the Transport Advisory Group (TAG) on issues raised at their regular meetings; and outlines what is coming up within the transport sector.

Current Issues

2. Update from Transport Advisory Group (TAG) Meeting

2.1. One TAG meeting has been held since the last RTC meeting. The main item discussed at this meeting was an update from the New Zealand Transport Agency and Hastings District Council on their key projects.

3. Changes to the Land Transport Management Act and Impact on Membership of the RTC

3.1. The Land Transport Management Amendment Act 2013 (the Amendment Act) came into effect on 13 June 2013. The Amendment Act changes the planning and funding framework for land transport activities, and establishes a new policy framework for planning and contracting public transport under the Land Transport Management Act 2003 (LTMA). The Amendment Act has also repealed the Public Transport Management Act 2008.

3.2. Changes to the Regional Transport Committee (RTC)

3.2.1. The functions of the RTC have been narrowed in scope with the repeal of the LTMA provisions relating to the preparation and monitoring of the regional land transport strategy and regional land transport programme. The Committee is now required to prepare a Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) and to provide the Regional Council with any advice and assistance it may request in relation to its transport responsibilities.

3.2.2. The membership of RTCs has been amended to include only those agencies that make a funding contribution – i.e local authorities and the New Zealand Transport Agency. The Council will no longer be required to appoint members representing specific objectives and interests; however, the option of appointing non-local government members to the Committee remains open to the Council via provisions in the Local Government Act 2002. It will be a matter for the new Regional Council, elected in October 2013, to decide whether or not to appoint advisors to the Committee in future.

4. Future Funding After Expiration of “R” Funds

4.1. Representatives from a number of Regional Councils met with the Minister of Transport, Hon Gerry Brownlee on Friday, 8 August 2013 to discuss regional funding options for land transport activities beyond 2015. The meeting was a successful discussion on the issues of concern to each region, with the Minister acknowledging that he was aware of, and keen to listen to, all the points made. The Minister requested further information from each region on major projects completed or being completed prior to the 2015; what projects each region would like to see progressed beyond 2015; and the main issues of concern for each region relating to this issue. This information is being collected via a questionnaire by Taranaki Regional Council who are leading this initiative and will be fed back to the Minister for his consideration.

5. Stock Effluent Disposal – Horizons Regional Council

5.1. The Wider Region Transportation Study (WRTS) identified the need for a stock effluent facility south of Hastings. No provision was made to include this in the list of key projects in the Regional Land Transport Plan as Horizons Regional Council planned to build a facility near Woodville, which eliminated the need for this region to provide another disposal site. The facility has now been completed by Horizons with the construction of a stock effluent disposal facility located within the state highway road reserve on SH3 just west of Woodville (towards the Manawatu Gorge). The site was previously used part-time as a weigh station and the facility could be accommodated within the state highway road reserve. The effluent will be stored in tanks and removed as required.

Reporting on Priority Projects in the Regional Land Transport Programme

6. The RTC asked for a regular progress / status report on the key improvement projects in the Regional Land Transport Programme, as shown in Attachment 1. The updates are high level status reports from the Approved Organisations (AO’s) and give the RTC a brief overview of current progress. The RTC will note that not all projects in the RLTP are shown, only the key improvement projects with the highest priority in the RLTP and those that contribute to the key aims of the Regional Land Transport Strategy.

Approved Organisations – Significant Issues and Update

7. As this is the final meeting of the RTC for this triennium it is worthwhile remembering some of the key achievements and projects this Committee has been part of. A brief outline of some of the key highlights are shown at Attachment 2. Also outlined in the attachment is a reminder of the four key priority areas that the next RTC will focus on.

8. Hastings District Council

8.1. An update on indicative costs for the Whakatu project are covered as part of this agenda.

9. Napier City Council

9.1. No significant issues to report.

10. Wairoa District Council

10.1. No significant issues to report.

11. Central Hawke’s Bay District Council

11.1. Recently re-tendered their road maintenance contract.

Looking Ahead

12. Regional Cycling Plan

12.1. Work is continuing on drafting the Regional Cycling Plan. The project team met at the end of June to consider feedback from the very successful workshop that was held in May 2013 and will be meeting again during September to continue to progress this document.

Decision Making Process

13. 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.

Recommendations

That the Regional Transport Committee receive the Transport Manager’s report.

Carol Gilbertson

Transport Manager

Attachment/s

1 View	August update on Projects in the RLTP
2 View	Key Achievements 2010-13

August update on Projects in the RLTP

Attachment 1

Prioritised Activities for 2012-15 – RTC Update – August 2013

RTC Priority	Organisation	Project name and description	NLTP Decision	Funding source	Indicative NLTP Funding Allocation	Status Update
1	HDC	Whakatu Arterial Link 2012/15.	*Probable*	R	*2,865,000*	Design and Assessment of Environmental Effects phase is on track. Verbal update will be provided at the August RTC meeting.
2	NZTA	HB Expressway Pakowhai & Links Rd Intersection	*Probable*	R	*6,483,000*	Verbal update will be provided at the August RTC meeting.
3	NZTA	SH2 Napier Road Intersection - proposed 3 legged roundabout as standalone project; 4 legged with Whakatu outlet	*Probable*	R	*3,743,000*	Subject to outcome of HDC Whakatu Arterial investigation.
4	NCC	Extension to Ford Rd to connect to existing Prebensen Dr / Severn St roundabout - including extension of off road cycle/pedestrian network	*Probable*	R	*3,571,441*	Ready to proceed.
5	NCC	Four laning of Prebensen Drive between HB Expressway and Hyderabad Road	*Reserve*	R	*6,400,000*	Currently below funding line.
6	NZTA	Prebensen Drive / Hyderabad Rd Intersection Upgrade	*Reserve*	R	*2,295,000*	Currently below funding line.
7	NZTA	HB Expressway Kennedy Rd to Meeanee Rd - wire rope barrier to improve safety and capacity of this section of expressway (possible 4 laning)	*Reserve*	R	*162,000*	Currently below funding line.
9	NZTA	Seismic Retrofit - treatment of various seismic retrofit and seismic linkage sites to ensure the delivery of a secure integrated network	*Probable*	R	*1,500,000*	NZTA: No works programmed for this region.
13	NZTA	Improved Driver Information - to optimise the network by managing the movement of people and freight	*Probable*	R	*876,800*	Awaiting confirmation of national programme.
14	NZTA	Safety Retrofit - corridor type initiatives focussed on higher risk corridors	*Probable*	R	*2,212,023*	NZTA: Programme under development.
15	NZTA	SH2/SH50A Paki Paki Junction	*Not included*		0	Currently below funding line.
16	NZTA	Te Mahanga Sth -Passing Lane	*Now N funded*			Completed.
21	NZTA	Property Acquisition Block and Fees - Hawke's Bay	*Probable*	R	*2,812,500*	NZTA: No draw down to date.

Key Achievements 2010-13

Attachment 2

Key Achievements during the last Regional Transport Committee Triennium (2010-13)

Outlined below is a summary of some highlights and achievements in the transport sector and which the Regional Transport Committee has been involved in during the last triennium.

Strategic Documents

· The Heretaunga Plains Transportation Study, which consisted of a review and strategic study of the Hawke’s Bay urban network was completed. To complement this study, and cover the rest of the region, the Wider Regional Transport Study (WRTS) was also completed. Both studies were commenced and completed within the last three year period and paint a picture of some of the issues that Hawke’s Bay may face in the next 30 years. The outcomes from the HPTS were used to formulate the 2012-15 Regional Land Transport Programme and identify issues in the Regional Land Transport Strategy 2012-42; which was completed and adopted in June 2012.

· The Regional Public Transport Plan for 2011-2014 was drafted; released for public consultation and adopted in 2011 – the Plan proposed reaping the benefits from substantial changes that had been implemented in 2009 and 2010.

Roading Improvements

Urban

Key Action	TA Responsible	Status
Prebensen Drive Improvements	NCC	Included in 2012-15 RLTP (Reserve)
Southern Expressway Extension	NZTA	Completed
Passing Lanes, State Highway 2 South of Hastings	NZTA	Ongoing
Whakatu Outlet	HDC	Included in 2012-15 RLTP (Probable)

Rural

Key Action	TA Responsible	Status
Matahorua Gorge Realignment	NZTA	Completed
Tawera Hill Re-alignment	NZTA	Investigation completed
Waipukurau Overbridge	NZTA	Completed
Passing Opportunities, State Highway 2 north of Napier	NZTA	Included in 2012-15 RLTP (Reserve)
Recognition of and advocating for the importance of the Napier- Taihape Road	HDC	Sealing completed.

Facilitation of Alternatives to Private Passenger Transport

Key Actions	TA Responsible	Status
Promote and provide more passenger transport services between Havelock North and Hastings with direct or connecting services to the Hastings hospital, EIT and Napier City.	HBRC	Completed
Provide additional passenger transport services in the urban areas of Napier and Hastings.	HBRC	Completed

Model Community (iWay) Project

The model community programme (“iWay”) has been a success story. Arterials were opened in Havelock and Clive - the major routes of the iWay network. Other key on-road and off-road routes have also been added, extending the total network to 109km. Early monitoring and evaluation figures are showing encouraging results, with the cycling mode shared having doubled since the start of the project and the perception of road safety also increasing significantly, with 65% of cyclists and walkers now saying they feel “safe” or “very safe”. In September 2012 the iWay programme won the Society of Local Government Managers award for “Better Services for Less”, and has also been recognised in a variety of other national awards.

Hawke’s Bay Highways and Network Operations

Outlined below is a summary of NZTA’s Highway and Network Operations (HNO) delivery to the Hawke's Bay Region over the 2009-12 period:

· In March 2011 the first two government stimulus projects in the country were delivered on the same day in Hawke’s Bay. Those two projects were the Matahorua Gorge Realignment and the Southern Extension to the Hawke’s Bay Expressway.

· More efficient journeys in and out of the region has been enhanced by the realignment and passing lane on SH5 at Dillon’s Hill, the realignments and passing lanes to the south of Hastings at Te Mahanga, the passing lanes on SH2 south of Takapau, the bypassing of the Matahorua Gorge and the realignment at the Waipukurau railway overbridge.

· The completion of the southern extension of the Hawke’s Bay expressway achieved significant progress with the development of this key arterial route.

· The Glengarry stock effluent disposal facilities targeted both environmental and safety benefits.

· The replacement of the Mangakino Bridge enhances route security on State Highway 38.

· Significant freight efficiency has been achieved with the uptake of High Productivity Motor Vehicles (HPMV) operations across the region and it has been great that most of the local routes have been made available with minimal cost. The deck maintenance of the Mohaka Bridge on SH5 and the earlier seismic retrofit works have achieved significant improvement to the resilience of that route, and enabled the uptake of HPMV across SH5 to the centre of the island and north.

Key Achievements 2010-13

Attachment 2

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council

Road Safety in the Region

Over the last three years the RoadSafe Hawke’s Bay team have worked collaboratively with key stakeholders to reduce the incidence and severity of road traffic crashes in Hawke’s Bay and to reduce the burden of injury. The activities have focussed on the region’s priority issues which include speed, impaired driving, fatigue, intersections and vulnerable road users. There has been a reduction in fatal and serious crashes over the last five years. This is the result of the collective work undertaken by the key stakeholders including New Zealand Police, Hawkes Bay District Health Board and the Accident Compensation Corporation. Joint activities have included the Hawke’s Bay Youth Alcohol Expo which has been extremely successful. This has been run annually the last three years and is a key part of the education programme which is supported by the region’s High Schools Year 11 students who attend each year. One of the other highlights is the education resource “Just Another Saturday Night” which features a local crash, two young men died in the crash and two young men critically injured. The graphs below show Hawke’s Bay drink driving statistics over the past few years and show a very pleasing result.

Public Transport in the Region

As can be seen in the graph below, passenger trips increased by just over 37% in the period July 2010-June 2013. During this same period many minor improvements were made to services and marketing/promotion of the network. Major improvements included:

· The introduction of a Sunday service between Napier and Hastings

· Doubling the frequency of weekday services between Napier and Hastings to every 15 minutes in peak times and every 30 minutes in off-peak times

· A new Monday-Saturday service between Napier, Ahuriri and Westshore

· Installing bike racks on most of the fleet

· Installing bus stop signage at all Hastings bus stops

Key Achievements 2010-13

Attachment 2

Next Regional Transport Committee Triennium

As outlined to the RTC at their meeting in February there are four key areas that the RTC will focus on in the next three years (2013-2016); these are:

Freight

· Freight was identified as a key challenge / issue in the RLTS. Freight can be carried by a number of modes – air; sea; road and rail and needs to consider the links with other regions outside Hawke’s Bay. Investment of regional funding is centred around improvement of key freight linkages.

Safety

· In conjunction with the NZ Police and RoadSafe the committee will focus on safety outcomes, expectations and risks in Hawke’s Bay.

Legislative Changes

· The Government implemented significant changes to the legislative environment that the RTC operates under, the Land Transport Management Act (LTMA). These changes will now be implemented.

Other Major Projects

· The Water Storage Project in Central Hawke’s Bay is a major project that the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is progressing. Both TAG and the RTC need to be kept updated with progress on this project and in particular what the roading impact, if any, may be.

These topics will be scheduled into the RTC agenda for the Committee’s input over the next 12 months.

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Regional Transport Committee

Friday 30 August 2013

SUBJECT: NZTA Central Region - Regional Director's Report

Reason For Report

1. This item introduces the NZTA Central Region Regional Director’s report as provided in Attachment 1.

DECISION MAKING PROCESS

2. 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 Regional Director’s report.

Carol Gilbertson

Transport Manager

Attachment/s

1 View

Regional Directors Report - August 2013

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Regional Transport Committee

Friday 30 August 2013

SUBJECT: General Business

INTRODUCTION

This document has been prepared to assist Committee members note the General Business to be discussed as determined earlier in Agenda Item 7.

Item	Topic	Councillor / Staff
1.	Invitation to Attend a meeting on Napier Public Transport Services for the Elderly – Wednesday, 11 September, 1.30 – 3.30pm (see attachment)	Les Hewett (Napier Connects) will briefly outline the purpose of this meeting
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