Transport Agenda 8 May 2007
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Transport Committee Agenda Open 8 May 2007 Transport Committee- OPEN Time and date: 9:30am, Tuesday, 8 May 2007. Venue: No 1 Committee Room, 9th Floor, Tower Block, Garden Place, Hamilton. Committee Members: Councillors D G Macpherson (Chairperson) D L Bell G D Chesterman J R Gower P M Mahood G M Saunders R Simcock Secretary: Mr A J Dick Leave of Absence: Councillor Thomas Apology: The above Committee will meet as stated to consider the following items. A J Marryatt Chief Executive SECTION A: MATTERS FOR DECISION BY THE COMMITTEE UNDER DELEGATED AUTHORITY 1. Confirming the Agenda The Committee to confirm the agenda. 2. 13/16/24. Chairperson's Report The Committee to receive the above report. (Copy attached pages 1-2) Page 1 of 4 Transport Committee Agenda Open 8 May 2007 3. 13/16/24. Hightae Trust — Traffic Calming Device The Committee to receive the above report. (Copy attached page 3) Ian McMichael will be in attendance to address the Committee. 4. 13/16/24. Resolution Monitoring Report The Committee to receive the above report. (Copy attached page 4) 5. 13/16/24-5. Regional Land Transport Committee Minutes The Committee to receive the Minutes of the Regional Land Transport Committee meeting held on 2 April 2007. (Copy attached pages 5-11) 6. 13/16/24-4. Parking Management Subcommittee Minutes The Committee to receive the Minutes of the Parking Management Subcommittee Meeting held on 17 April 2007. (Copy attached pages 12-15) 7. 13/16/24-1. Traffic Calming Subcommittee Minutes The Committee to receive the Minutes of the Traffic Calming Subcommittee Meeting held on 12 April 2007. (Copy attached pages 16-17) Page 2 of 4 Transport Committee Agenda Open 8 May 2007 8. 44/13. Cycling and Walking Subcommittee Minutes The Committee to receive the Minutes of the Cycling and Walking Subcommittee Meeting held on 17 April 2007. (Copy attached pages 18-20) 9. 13/16/24-3. Speed Limits Subcommittee Minutes The Committee to receive the Minutes of the Speed Limits Subcommittee Meeting held on 19 April 2007. (Copy attached pages 21-22) 10. 44/61. Access Hamilton Projects Update The Committee to consider a report and recommendations from the General Manager Works and Services concerning the above. (Copy attached pages 23-25) 11. 13/16/24. 2008/09 Funding for CBD Shuttle, Orbiter and Chartwell Express The Committee to consider a report and recommendations from the General Manager Works and Services concerning the above. (Copy attached pages 26-27) 12. 13/16/24. Pembroke Street Service Lane The Committee to consider a report and recommendations from the General Manager Works and Services concerning the above. (Copy attached pages 28-29) Page 3 of 4 Transport Committee Agenda Open 8 May 2007 SECTION B: MATTER FOR RECOMMENDATION BY THE COMMITTEE TO THE COUNCIL 13. 13/16/24-2. Passenger Transport Subcommittee The Committee to receive the Minutes of the Passenger Transport Subcommittee meeting held on 18 April 2007. (Copy attached pages 30-32) Page 4 of 4 Chair’s Report Transport Committee, 8th May 2007 Bus Patronage Councillors are aware of the excellent increase in bus patronage throughout the region – 39% up in the first 9 months, compared with a year ago. Four years ago, in a strategy session, HCC representatives stated that their vision for the city bus service was for it to double its patronage in the 5-10 year period (privately, we thought we were being supremely optimistic) – well, the 4 year growth to date has been about 70%, so we really are on target! The excellent work and flexible attitude of EW and HCC staff has been a major contributor in this growth, as has the very strong, and united support of HCC Councillors – all of which have been backed by a big, positive shift of public attitudes towards the bus system. To me however, one of the most telling statistics is that, while city bus patronage is 43% up over the last 12 months, rural bus patronage in the Waikato is actually 2% down in the same period (this may improve marginally with some more statistics coming in late). I believe this shows that Hamilton City is providing nearly all the leadership in this area, and strengthens our case for greater control over the bus system. Now, over 93% of the region’s bus passengers are carried on the city buses, with most of the rest of the region’s passengers on services connecting Hamilton with other towns. Cycleway Funding approval LTNZ has approved funding for the eastern sector cycleway improvements – Clarkin, Heaphy, Bankwood area, which will be a big addition to the network. HCC also submitted strongly to Transit in their current Annual Plan round that they should be looking at cycleway (and bus infrastructure) treatment needed for all of their existing state highway network within the city – rather than just on the handful of new routes under construction. The senior Transit Manager present felt that this could be looked at by flexible usage of existing Transit budgets – which is the sort of response we have been waiting for. Council will now need to follow up on this as the State Highways are major gaps in our cycling network. Te Rapa Rd/Avalon Drive (Burger King north) intersection LTNZ has approved funding for Transit to go ahead with this project (only just, apparently!), which will see signals and new lanes installed as per the plan sent out to the Committee recently. The successful tenderers will be selected in 4-6 weeks, with the job still scheduled to be completed by Xmas this year. HCC staff are also looking at how to ensure cycle and walkway connections to this intersection along the northern end of Te Rapa Rd, round into Pukete Rd, can be put in place alongside this piece of work. Church to Avalon 4-laning I have some concern, which has been expressed to Transit local management about the slow completion pace of the remaining work on the SH1 4-laning outside The Base. Cones are still out with a 50kph speed restriction and footpaths and landscaping still crawling along some 5-6 weeks after the indicated completion date. It appears to me that the contractors started the job at a run, but have taken staff off the job to use on other nearby contracts, which is not satisfactory for the major entry point for the city. The process of informing HCC as to what is happening, why, and when also needs to be tidied up – having said that, Transit management have been very open about discussing these matters with us – provided we ask them about progress. Extension of CBD Shuttle service south to Bridge St (and related issues) John Gower and I attended a meeting today with HCC Transportation Unit management and staff and Parking & EW Bus management, to thrash out what was needed to enable this service to shift south, to integrate with the Orbiter and other services, and how it could be practically achieved. It was a good meeting, in that all relevant issues were extensively canvassed, but I have to say that John & I were disappointed to discover that, about a year after Bus Lanes and other bus priority measures were proposed and supported by Council, no moves had yet been to enable HCC to legally enforce bus priority measures - or even, in a practical sense, the Clearways we have been putting in. On this matter, staff have been unable to arrange for towing companies to be willing to tow vehicles stopped on Clearways, leading to much less-than-effective enforcement. Discussion took place about the desirability of HCC operating its own towing service to ensure this enforcement can actually take place. 1 HCC staff had proposed that a pm peak-time Clearway be created on the north side of Bridge St for the buses, but EW staff, and ourselves were very concerned that this would not sufficiently clear the bad traffic congestion in the area, to allow the Shuttle (as well as the other buses) to flow reasonably around their route, and especially to maintain their 10-minute schedule. All have agreed (very reluctantly on our part) that we should not shift the Shuttle route south – yet – as we cannot guarantee that the congestion will be sufficiently alleviated by Clearway arrangements, and we cannot implement a Bus Lane (which would have a much better chance of enabling the Shuttle to circulate as it needs to) yet, because we have not yet arranged the powers to enforce such a move. Therefore, we are recommending a number of interim measures to this meeting to prepare the way: 1. That a 3pm – 6pm Clearway be instituted on the north side of Bridge St between Anglesea and Victoria Sts by the end of May, and that the effect of this on traffic be assessed by HCC and EW staff to determine what other engineering and traffic management changes will need to be made to enable the Shuttle to effectively shift its route to include Bridge St; 2. That parking changes required as a result of the Clearway be implemented by staff, including the re- positioning of disability parking as appropriate; 3. That, as soon as possible, HCC staff initiate the steps necessary to enable Bus Lanes and other bus priority measures to be legally implemented and enforced in Hamilton; and that staff report back to the next Committee meeting on progress on this matter; 4. That EW PT operations staff plan to shift the Shuttle route south to Bridge St as soon as it can be demonstrated that it will be able to operate effectively on the new route; 5.