Te Wero Bridge
Transport Assessment
May 2008
Project: Te Wero Bridge Title: Transport Assessment Document Reference: S:\accx\059\CR140508-1 te wero.doc Prepared by: Karl Hancock Reviewed by: Ian Clark Revisions:
Date Status Reference Approved by Initials 30 March 2008 Draft AR300308-1 I Clark 8 April 2008 Draft for circulation to BR080408-1 I Clark ARTA, ARC and PB 14 May 2008 Final CR140508-1 I Clark
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report provides a transport assessment of the proposed Te Wero Bridge. This Bridge would provide a link between Jellicoe Street, within the Wynyard Quarter, to the west, and Quay Street, on the approach to the Britomart Transport Centre, to the east. It is proposed that the Bridge would accommodate pedestrians, cyclists and scheduled buses, but not general traffic.
The proposed Bridge is considered to be an essential element of the Wynyard Quarter Plan Change, which seeks to achieve the framework for quality, mixed use development on a substantial waterfront site, within the northwestern sector of the Auckland CBD.
The Wynyard Quarter area is surrounded on three sides by water. Fanshawe Street is located along the southern side (i.e. the fourth side) and this is a busy route for traffic between the Northern Motorway and the CBD. It is also an important leg of the Northern Busway.
The Wynyard Quarter Plan Change recognises the transport challenges affecting the accessibility of the site, and it puts forward a solution which emphasises travel by modes of travel other than the single occupancy private vehicle. This solution includes a proposal for bus services to penetrate right through the Quarter. This is facilitated by the Te Wero Bridge, which offers a through route for buses and provides a direct route between the Quarter and the Britomart Transport Centre and the reset of the Auckland CBD.
The assessment is based on a scheduled bus flow of 18 vehicles per direction per hour during the weekday peak periods. It may be reasonably assumed that a flow of 12 buses per direction per hour may be experienced during the interpeak. It is also recognised that the Bridge may need to be used by emergency vehicles on occasions.
The effects of the Bridge are assessed as follows: The Bridge will bring a greater proportion of the Wynyard Quarter within reach of the rest of the Auckland CBD by walking and cycling; It will facilitate excellent penetration of bus services through the Quarter; It will allow some bus services to be extended from Britomart right into the Quarter and will bring the Britomart Transport Centre within a reasonable walking distance of a greater proportion of the Quarter; It will offer an alternative transport route to/from the Quarter which will reduce the dependence of the area on a single route, namely Fanshawe Street. As a result, the provision of an alternative route which reduces the dependence of the area on access via Fanshawe Street is considered to be a major benefit in terms of the resilience of the network; The Bridge will have some minor positive and negative effects for general traffic, but the modelling assessment has demonstrated that the net effects are positive.
As a result, the Te Wero Bridge as a facility for pedestrians, cyclists and buses is considered to be a vital component of the transport solution for the area.
It is noted that there will be two further advantages for bus operations in routing some buses through the Wynyard Quarter: The extension of some services will reduce the pressure on layover space in the vicinity of Britomart;
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The diversion of some North Shore services will reduce pressure on bus stops along Fanshawe Street (particularly the bus stop adjacent to Victoria Park for westbound services).
The economic assessment indicates that the Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of the facility will be 1.0. However it is noted that this BCR under-represents the value of the facility, which will facilitate the development proposed by the Plan Change. This report has noted the intangible benefits of the project which are considered to be sufficient to justify a BCR of greater than 1. A BCR should also be prepared which reflects private contributions toward the Bridge.
The concept of pursuing the Bridge as a pedestrian and cycle link only may appear to be attractive in some respects. It would appear to offer a cheaper solution and it would avoid the potentially adverse effects of buses passing through the Viaduct Harbour entertainment area. However, there are considered to be significant benefits in terms of the accessibility of the Wynyard Quarter in getting buses “right to the front door” of developments within the Quarter. Such bus access is considered to be consistent with “Transit Oriented Development” and with the aim of the Plan Change to maximise the accessibility for modes of transport other than the private car. The traffic modelling indicates that this is achievable without causing significant increases in bus travel times (for those bus passengers that will be passing right through the Quarter).
This report has demonstrated that Quarter Areas 4 to 7 and part of Quarter Area 3 are only moderately well served by the existing bus stops along Fanshawe Street. This is particularly the case for persons accessing the westbound services along Fanshawe Street. These services are only served by bus stops to the south side of this busy route, and this represents a significant barrier to easy pedestrian access. At grade and grade separated pedestrian crossings of Fanshawe Street are proposed, but neither will provide the same level of access to buses as regular services running right through the Quarter. This is particularly the case on wet days, or for people that are less able to walk or do not like to walk for a variety of reasons.
As a result, the provision of the Te Wero Bridge for buses as well as pedestrians and cyclists is considered to be an important part of the transport package for the Wynyard Quarter and it is consistent with the objective of maximising the accessibility of the area by modes of transport other than the private car.
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CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION...... 1 1.1 Introduction...... 1 1.2 Background ...... 1 1.3 Policy Background ...... 1 1.3.1 Regional Policy...... 1 1.3.2 Local Area Policy...... 2 1.3.3 Committed Developments...... 2 1.4 The Wynyard Quarter Development ...... 3 1.4.1 Land Use...... 3 2 EXISTING CONDITIONS...... 5 2.1 Site Location and Existing Development ...... 5 2.2 Existing Transport Provision...... 5 2.2.1 Local Passenger Transport Network ...... 5 2.2.2 Local Walking and Cycling Network ...... 5 2.2.3 Local Parking Conditions ...... 6 2.3 Existing Traffic Conditions...... 7 2.3.1 Local Road Network...... 7 2.3.2 Road network surrounding the proposed Te Wero Bridge ...... 8 2.4 Accident Analysis...... 9 2.4.1 Halsey Street and Jellicoe Street...... 9 2.4.2 Quay Street and Lower Hobson Street...... 9 3 PROPOSED BRIDGE ...... 10 3.1 Bridge Specifications ...... 10 3.2 Location...... 10 3.3 Proposed Cross Section...... 11 3.4 Intersection Changes...... 11 4 PASSENGER TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT...... 13 4.1 Bus Routes...... 13 4.2 Bus Travel Times ...... 14 4.2.1 Total journey times ...... 3 4.3 Bus stops and pedestrian crossing facilities...... 4 4.4 Walking distances to Fanshawe Street Bus Stops...... 5 4.4.1 Quarter Area 1 Routes ...... 5 4.4.2 Quarter Area 2 Routes ...... 5 4.4.3 Quarter Area 3 Routes ...... 6 4.4.4 Quarter Area 4 Routes ...... 7 4.4.5 Quarter Area 5 Routes ...... 8 4.4.6 Quarter Area 6 Routes ...... 9 4.4.7 Quarter Area 7 Routes ...... 10 4.4.8 Summary on Walk Distances...... 11 4.5 Predicted Bus Passenger Demands ...... 12 5 WALK / CYCLE ASSESSMENT...... 14 5.1 Predicted Walk and Cycle Demands...... 16 6 TRAFFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT ...... 19 6.1 Traffic Effects of Te Wero Bridge ...... 19
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6.2 Traffic Effects of Buses within Wynyard Quarter...... 19 7 OPERATIONAL ISSUES ...... 21 8 ASSESSMENT OF ALTERNATIVES...... 23 8.1 Option 1: No crossing ...... 23 8.2 Option 2: Crossing with One Bus Lane...... 23 8.3 Option 3: Pedestrian / Cycle Crossing ...... 24 8.4 Options 4 and 5: Pakenham Street West to East and Madden Street ...... 24 9 ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT...... 26 9.1 Assumptions...... 26 9.2 Time Line...... 26 9.3 Project Benefits...... 27 9.3.1 Vehicle Benefits...... 27 9.3.2 Walking and Cycling Benefits ...... 28 9.4 Construction Costs...... 29 9.5 Benefit Cost Ratio ...... 29 9.6 Intangible Benefits ...... 29 10 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ...... 30
APPENDICES APPENDIX A REGIONAL POLICY DOCUMENTS APPENDIX B BENEFIT COST RATIO SUMMARY
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1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction
Flow Transportation Specialists Limited (Flow) has been commissioned by the Auckland City Council (the Council) to provide a traffic and transportation assessment of the proposed Te Wero Bridge, which would connect Quay Street with Jellicoe Street in the Wynyard Quarter. It is proposed that this Bridge will provide for pedestrians, cyclists and scheduled buses, but not general traffic. The Bridge will enable the provision of a continuous east-west link along the Auckland Waterfront. It is proposed that it should be future proofed to allow it to be used in the future by light rail, if necessary.
1.2 Background
In December 2005, Auckland City Council and the Auckland Regional Council agreed on a vision for Auckland City’s waterfront and how it should be developed into the future. As part of this vision it was recognised that a successful connection between Quay Street and Jellicoe Street was vital to the success of the waterfront regeneration. To develop this connection, the Auckland City Council recently ran a design competition to seek creative and innovative designs to create a landmark, sculptured bridge spanning the inner Viaduct Harbour entrance at Te Wero Island.
This report examines the effects of the implementation of the Te Wero Bridge, based on the parameters of the bridge in this design competition. Accordingly, this report will address: The opportunities and constraints of the link; The function and operation of the proposed bridge; The advantages and disadvantages of the desired and alternative locations; The benefits to users, particularly pedestrians, cyclists and public transport, and The impact on the surrounding road network.
The report will begin by examining the relationship between the development of the Wynyard Quarter and the proposed bridge and by reviewing the future changes to the transport network.
1.3 Policy Background
1.3.1 Regional Policy
National and regional policy documents on cycling, walking, public transport and overall waterfront design provide a guide as to how the region should be developed. Included for completeness in Appendix A, the policies focus on the desire to increase sustainable transport use and outline funding and constraints to develop this link into a part of Auckland’s regional transport network.
In particular, the policies focus on making attractive, safe, accessible and convenient walking and cycling facilities. It is hoped that with more developments of this nature, more people will see these options as attractive, effective and enjoyable.
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1.3.2 Local Area Policy
Wynyard Quarter, also known as the Tank Farm or Western Reclamation, represents a unique regeneration opportunity for Auckland. The large-scale (35 hectare) reclaimed area is a landmark within the northwestern sector of the CBD, surrounded by water on three sides. It is currently under utilised and as a result it is not realising its potential as prime waterfront land. It is anticipated that regenerating Wynyard Quarter will contribute to Auckland becoming a world-class city.
Figure 1 below shows the notable existing developments in Wynyard Quarter. The operative Central Area Plan allows for a range of activities that are generally marine-related throughout the Quarter. This reinforces the maritime character that is the current environment in this area.
Figure 1: Existing Land Uses in Wynyard Quarter
The Councils’ main interests are in recognising the Waterfront Vision 2040. Therefore they aim to ensure the area is developed with the right amount and type of public open space, an efficient transport network, appropriate infrastructure and to efficiently manage the form of development. The urban design adopted throughout the area also needs to reflect the character of the area and that the marine and fishing industry are part of the Wynyard Quarter's future.
1.3.3 Committed Developments
Development of Wynyard Quarter is ongoing and there are a number of developments that have recently been completed or have been consented and as such will be affected by the Te Wero Bridge. These are: The Westin Hotel on Viaduct Harbour Avenue has recently opened. This is Auckland’s newest 5- star hotel;
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The Air New Zealand building has just been completed. A second building (the Catlow Block) has been granted resource consent and the basement car parking for this building is connected to that of the Air New Zealand building; New development on south eastern corner of Halsey Street/Fanshawe Street intersection; Consent has recently been granted for an office development, including a call centre, on the block between Daldy Street and Halsey Street, fronting Fanshawe Street (excluding the petrol filling station). This consent included restricted parking and conditions regarding a travel plan.
1.4 The Wynyard Quarter Development
1.4.1 Land Use
In order to facilitate the redevelopment of this area of the waterfront, Auckland City Council has prepared the Wynyard Quarter Plan Change. Based on the floor area ratios proposed in the Plan Change , the transport assessment assumes a maximum development within Wynyard Quarter of up to approximately 700,000m 2 GFA, with development of up to 770,000m 2 GFA when one includes adjacent sites just outside the plan change area which use the same road network. The plan change is not prescriptive in terms of the development split, although it gives guidance on the likely mix of development within each sector and it seeks a maximum of 30% of office development for traffic related reasons.
The Plan Change outlines seven Quarter Areas, which are shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Proposed Quarter Areas within Wynyard Quarter
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Table 1 shows the assumptions made for the land uses for each area, based on information provided by the Council.
Table 1: Land Use Assumptions by Quarter Area
Land Uses (m2)
Marine Office Retail Food and Accommo Non- Events Totals Beverage dation perm. Centre Accommo dation Quarter 2,610 66,000 3,430 1,880 48,000 0 0 121,920 Area 1 Quarter 4,000 33,500 3,940 2,160 84,000 0 0 127,600 Area 2 Quarter 75,020 5,000 7,030 3,860 14,830 0 0 105,740 Area 3 Quarter 11,000 34,000 5,120 2,810 94,820 0 0 147,750 Area 4 Quarter 41,180 35,000 6,000 6,000 18,230 0 0 106,410 Area 5 Quarter 0 10,500 4,030 2,210 45,960 0 0 62,690 Area 6 Quarter 0 0 1,160 630 13,020 0 0 14,810 Area 7 Total 133,810 184,000 30,700 19,550 318,860 0 0 686,910 Adjacent Areas Halsey 0 0 0 0 0 0 2600 2,600 Wharf Extension Wynyard 0 4,200 600 600 0 0 0 5,400 Wharf Viaduct 0 34,250 0 300 0 0 0 34,550 Harbour Avenue East of 0 0 0 0 23,100 13,170 0 36,270 Halsey Street Total (inc. 133,810 222,450 31,300 20,450 341,960 13,170 2,600 765,730 adj areas
The overall aim of the Plan Change is to provide guidance to develop a mixed used, high density urban area, similar to Auckland’s Queen Street. The provision of public amenities such as parks, walking routes and excellent public transport services will make this area a vibrant place to live and work.
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2 EXISTING CONDITIONS
2.1 Site Location and Existing Development
Parts of the eastern area that is proposed for the Te Wero Bridge are currently utilised for car parking. There are two main sections; one, on the Eastern Viaduct, is a pay and display area and the second, beyond the Heritage Bridge on Te Wero Island, is a “permits only” parking area.
On the western side of the bridge, on Halsey Street Reclamation, is the former Alinghi base, now used as a Marine Events Centre. This Centre is to be relocated to the north, on the Halsey Street Wharf.
2.2 Existing Transport Provision
2.2.1 Local Passenger Transport Network
Currently bus services run along both Fanshawe Street and Victoria Street West with a tourist bus service operating along Halsey Street and into the Viaduct Harbour area. However, none of the services actually operate within Wynyard Quarter. They mainly operate in the vicinity surrounding the Quarter; this means that currently to utilise a bus service passengers need to walk to Fanshawe Street or to Britomart. The main bus services in the region are the North Shore City routes, the Link bus route, the City Circuit bus route and the Herne Bay routes.
All bus services to and from the North Shore via the Auckland Harbour Bridge currently service the bus stops situated along Fanshawe Street (apart from a small number of services to Newmarket via Shelly Beach Road and Ponsonby).
The Link bus service operates on a circuit through and around Auckland’s CBD, connecting Newmarket, the CBD and Ponsonby. It services bus stops along Victoria Street West every ten minutes in both an eastbound and westbound direction.
The free inner city route, the City Circuit, moves passengers in a loop around key Auckland CBD destinations such as Queen Street, The University of Auckland, Sky City and the Britomart Transport Centre (Britomart), every ten minutes. The nearest the bus route gets to Wynyard Quarter is Britomart.
The 004/005 Herne Bay to Auckland CBD bus service also uses Victoria Street West. The services have a combined frequency of 15 minutes during the peak periods.
Lastly, the tourist bus (the Auckland Explorer) operates outside of the AM peak and is not a viable option for commuters, however it is an important service with respect to tourists. It runs northbound along Halsey Street before turning east into the Viaduct Harbour. This bus operates as a hop on/hop off system and is not seen as an economically viable transport option for commuters or those attending events in the Marine Events Precinct, so is largely a tourist service.
2.2.2 Local Walking and Cycling Network
2.2.2.1 Cycling Network
Wynyard Quarter is an important area for cycling in Auckland City. It has flat topography and a scenic outlook in many places. It is also part of the popular Auckland City 50 km route which is used frequently by both training and touring cyclists.
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Starting at the western end of the area, Westhaven Drive is a flat, smooth and low trafficked road linking the northern part of Ponsonby and Herne Bay with the Viaduct Harbour. The Viaduct Harbour also has areas of off-road shared use path and low volume roads, suitable for cycling, linking to Quay Street, Britomart and on to Tamaki Drive.
Figure 3 below illustrates the cycle network and community links situated within the vicinity of Wynyard Quarter.
Figure 3: Cycle Network and Community Links
The bus/cycle lanes on Fanshawe Street provide a direct route into the Downtown area of the Auckland CBD for commuter cyclists. However, it is recognised that this route may not be suitable for all cyclists and a quieter parallel route through Wynyard Quarter (Beaumont Street and Gaunt Street) has been proposed by Auckland City. Victoria Street and College Hill in the south of the study area are also highlighted in Auckland City’s Cycle and Walking Strategy as a Regional Link for cycling.
2.2.2.2 Pedestrian Network
The pedestrian network is largely similar to the cycling network. In addition to those described above, key pedestrian movements occur along Gaunt Street from the Viaduct Harbour to Beaumont Street, down to the Prism and Air New Zealand buildings. Parts of Wynyard Quarter are also popular jogging and walking locations, particularly Westhaven Drive and on towards the Viaduct Harbour. There is also a regular running event operating from the Loaded Hog in the Viaduct Harbour every Tuesday night. The 5 km route makes use of the footpath network about the Harbour and the Western Reclamation area.
2.2.3 Local Parking Conditions
Currently Te Wero Island is used as a parking facility at times of large events, and also as a parking area for those with permits. The majority of permit applications are from vessels that berth in the harbour. The permits are therefore granted on an as required basis. The permits are issued in two types, one for visiting vessels and the permit is accordingly for the duration of their stay, or alternatively if the vessel works from the berth on a more permanent basis, the permit is provided on a four month cycle. Photograph 1 below shows the permit parking area.
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Photograph 1: Permit Parking Area on Te Wero Island
During a recent site visit, the uptake of parking on the permit area of Te Wero Island seemed to be very low but the pay and display area east of the Heritage Bridge on the Eastern Viaduct had a higher utilisation. This car park had approximately 40 of 90 car parking spaces in use. However, 18 of those car parks had been closed to parking and were being used as an event/promotional area. Photograph 2 below shows the pay and display parking area.
Photograph 2: Pay and Display Parking Area
2.3 Existing Traffic Conditions
2.3.1 Local Road Network
The local road network within the vicinity of the Te Wero link is shown in Figure 4. The classification of the local roads according to the Central Area Plan and the Central Area Access Strategy (CAAS), is discussed below.
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Figure 4: Site Location Plan, giving road classification
Key:
Blue = Strategic Route
Pink = Primary Arterial
Orange = Secondary Arterial
Green = Distributor Road
Fanshawe Street is classed as a Regional Arterial in the Central Area Plan and in CAAS. However, the Central Motorway Improvements (CMI) have resulted in Fanshawe Street being classed as a secondary arterial in CAAS.
2.3.2 Road network surrounding the proposed Te Wero Bridge
At the eastern end of the proposed link, the road on to the Te Wero Island is currently used to a minimal degree as access to the areas of parking. The entrance is controlled by the traffic lights at the intersection between Quay Street and Hobson Street but is not technically a vested road under the District Plan. The road has very few visual clues to indicate that vehicles travel on it, particularly given the surrounding environment. The large Americas Cup yacht, the maritime museum and numerous bars along the viaduct all lead to high pedestrian amenity in this area.
At the western end of the proposed link is the Marine Events Centre. During certain large events at the centre, a large pontoon is moved to serve as a bridge between Te Wero Island and the Marine Events Centre. While this is a useful pedestrian link when events are being held, it is only used during these occasions, and is only suitable for temporary use.
The proposed Te Wero Bridge will tie into the current intersection of Jellicoe Street and Halsey Street. This intersection is operating as a wide corner, with the Halsey Street Wharf Extension being controlled by a give way sign. This is shown below in Photograph 3. The nature of proposed changes at this intersection are considered at section 6 below.
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Photograph 3: Current Road Layout at intersection of Halsey Street and Jellicoe Street
2.4 Accident Analysis
The two main intersections of relevance to the Te Wero Bridge are the intersections of Halsey Street / Jellicoe Street and Lower Hobson Street / Quay Street.
2.4.1 Halsey Street and Jellicoe Street
The area analysed for this assessment included Jellicoe Street up to but not including the intersection of Daldy Street, and the midpoint along Halsey Street between Jellicoe Street and Madden Street.
There have been two reported accidents in this area within the period 1 December 2001 to 1 December 2006. One of these was a non-injury accident while the other led to a minor injury. Neither of these accidents involved pedestrians or cyclists but the minor injury did involve entering or leaving private premises close to the intersection.
2.4.2 Quay Street and Lower Hobson Street
The area analysed for this assessment was along the Eastern Viaduct and Quay Street until the midpoint between Hobson Street and Albert Street and along Lower Hobson Street until the midpoint between Quay Street and Customs Street West.
Within this area there were twenty five accidents in the same period, including one serious and three minor injury accidents. The one serious injury involved a pedestrian crossing Quay Street, whereas the minor injury accidents involved one cyclist and two motorists.
The area analysed is serviced by a large number of taxis. Accordingly, over a third (36%) of non-injury accidents involved taxis.
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3 PROPOSED BRIDGE
3.1 Bridge Specifications
As mentioned earlier, Auckland City Council has run a competition to design a direct link between Wynyard Quarter and Britomart, in the form of Te Wero Bridge. As part of this competition, several operational requirements were specifed: 1 The Bridge is expected to provide for two-way public transport, pedestrians and cyclists. The overall width shall accommodate two lanes of 3.5 metres with pedestrian footways each side of 3 metres width, giving a total clear width of 13 metres (plus railings); Both road and harbour traffic will be intermittently interrupted to allow the Bridge to open for boat movements into and out of the inner Viaduct Harbour. However, because the Bridge will be part of a bus route, such interruptions should be kept to a minimum. It is envisaged by Council that the Bridge’s opening operation will be timetabled on a set schedule (i.e. during peak harbour traffic periods) with the option of opening on demand at other times; During special events the Bridge may be kept open or closed for extended periods. Ideally, the maximum time to open the Bridge should be one minute, with 1.5 minutes to close. These times relate to the mechanical operation only; they do not include clearance times for buses, pedestrians, cyclists or marine vessels; The Bridge should be designed to potentially accommodate light rail or similar passenger transport systems in the future; The passenger transport route will need to be towards the south side of Te Wero Island, to align it with Jellicoe Street as it approaches the island from the east.
These operational requirements were put in place as it was recognised early on that the use of the Bridge by general traffic would potentially have adverse effects on the entertainment and events areas of the Viaduct Harbour. It is also important that the Bridge not unduly restrict the operation of the Harbour as a marina. The importance of walking and cycling is a strong driver for the link, consistent with travel demand management strategies for the Wynyard Quarter.
It should be noted that the final design for the Bridge is not known at this stage. Until the design competition is complete, this information will remain unavailable.
3.2 Location
The location for the Te Wero Bridge is shown below in Figure 5.
1 Te Wero Bridge: Seize the challenge to create a landmark bridge on Auckland’s waterfront, Auckland City Council
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Figure 5: Te Wero Bridge Location
3.3 Proposed Cross Section
As detailed in the design competition the link has a preferred cross section capable of catering for: two vehicle lanes (for buses only) of 3.5 metres width; shared pedestrian/cycle footways each side of 3 metres width; a total overall clear width of 13 metres (plus width for railings).
This cross section allows the greatest degree of flexibility with respect to the operation of passenger transport able to travel in both directions at once. Given that the Te Wero Bridge will also accommodate harbour traffic the operation of the link will be intermittently interrupted to allow the opening bridge to open for boat movements into and out of the inner Viaduct Harbour. However, as the Bridge will form part of a bus route, such interruptions should be kept to a minimum. Consequently providing two way movement across the Bridge ensures any interruptions are minimised.
3.4 Intersection Changes
Due to the introduction of bus and cycle traffic, the existing intersections will need to be modified to cater appropriately for this increase in traffic.
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The western side of the link will be accessed at the Halsey Street / Jellicoe Street intersection. While currently in a “wide corner” design, the bus movements will be prioritised to allow traffic going on and off of Te Wero Bridge to have right of way. As a result, traffic travelling out of Halsey Street will have to give way to all Te Wero Bridge traffic, as will traffic turning right from Jellicoe Street into Halsey Street.
At the eastern side of the link, the phasing of the Quay Street / Lower Hobson Street will need to be changed to reflect the increased bus traffic through the link. Also, because the road in its current condition is very much a private road, there will need to be design changes to the road, to reflect its future role, but to ensure that a slow speed zone is retained for all road users. If this does not happen pedestrian safety could become a concern, as the area is very busy in the weekends and evenings with tourists and patrons from the bars and restaurants in the Viaduct Harbour. Section 6 below also refers to a proposed ban on right turns into Lower Hobson Street, to avoid the possibility of buses heading toward Britomart being held up by other vehicles.
3.5 Light Rail
As noted in Section 3.1, the Bridge is to be designed to accommodate the possibility of light rail.
The draft Waterfront Masterplan also refers to the possibility of light rail running along Quay Street and over Te Wero Bridge into the Wynyard Quarter. The Masterplan suggests that the light rail is to be implemented between 2020 and 2040.
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4 PASSENGER TRANSPORT ASSESSMENT
4.1 Bus Routes
The Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) has commissioned consultants Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) to assess bus routing through the Wynyard Quarter, but this work is not available for inclusion within this report. We have therefore discussed with ARTA the proposed basis for this initial assessment, which may need to be updated following the completion of the PB work.
This preliminary assessment has been based on some “common sense” analysis of which future services could reasonably be rerouted. The services assumed for the 2016 AM peak (as provided by the Auckland Regional Council (ARC) at the time of the Wynyard Quarter Integrated Transport Assessment 2 are set out in Figure 6. These services are per hour.
Figure 6: 2016 Bus Services set out in the Wynyard Quarter ITA 3 (buses per hour, during the AM Peak)
We have suggested to ARTA that we should assume the routes listed in Table 2 below should run through Wynyard Quarter and use the Te Wero Bridge.
2 “Wynyard Quarter Integrated Transport Assessment” (June 2007), Figure 12-5 3 As above
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Table 2: Suggested Bus Routes using Te Wero Bridge
Route Frequency currently Suggested Changes % of services Number of services expected (2016 AM to route affected using Te Wero peak hour) Bridge North Shore to CBD 106 eastbound Divert via Wynyard Under 10% 8 per direction 84 westbound Quarter College Hill to CBD 4 per direction Already assumed to No change 4 per direction run via Wynyard Tamaki Drive to 15 per direction Extend to Wynyard 10% 2 per direction Britomart Quarter Central Connector to 89 westbound Extend to Wynyard Under 10% 6 per direction, but Britomart 68 eastbound Quarter assume that 4 will be through running from Northern Busway Queen Street to 17 northbound Extend to Wynyard 10% 2 per direction Britomart 21 southbound Quarter Total 18 per direction
Services in Auckland are often termed “inbound and outbound” but we suggest that the above reference to direction is more useful in this instance, in order to properly identify the likely flow across the Te Wero Bridge.
In terms of comparisons with other streets within the CBD, the total numbers suggested to use the Te Wero Bridge would be similar to those running along Queen Street, but would only amount to about one fifth of those along Fanshawe Street and about a quarter of those along Albert Street.
The above table indicates that the assessment is based on a bus flow of 18 vehicles per direction per hour during the weekday peak periods. It may be reasonably assumed that a flow of 12 buses per direction per hour may be experienced during the interpeak.
4.2 Bus Travel Times
The travel time effects of the Te Wero Bridge have been assessed on the basis of a SATURN traffic model of the Auckland CBD. Details regarding the extent of the model and the development of the future models for the year 2021, which assume that the Wynyard Quarter is fully developed, are set out in a separate Flow report 4.
Comparative bus journey times have been established for the following routes: The route between the motorway and Britomart, via Fanshawe Street; The route between the motorway and Britomart through the Wynyard Quarter, using Te Wero Bridge; A route between the motorway and Britomart via the Wynyard Quarter, for a scenario without Te Wero Bridge. These buses would enter the Quarter via Daldy Street then exit via Halsey Street in order to continue along the route to Britomart;
4 “Auckland CBD SATURN Model (May 2008), Flow Transportation Specialists
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A route between Britomart and the Wynyard Quarter, for a point at the northern end of Daldy Street, where it is assumed that buses will terminate and return.
These routes are shown in the following Figures. If the Bridge is not provided, it is quite conceivable that this would need to lead to a different bus service pattern. For example, through routes between the North Shore and Britomart would probably not travel into and then back out from the Quarter, but would travel straight along Fanshawe Street. However, this would affect the bus accessibility of the Quarter. Therefore, the following assessment has been based firstly on a consistent bus service plan, which provides similar levels of bus services passing through the Quarter for scenarios without and with the Te Wero Bridge.
Figure 7: Bus route with Te Wero Bridge, Eastbound
Figure 8: Bus route with Te Wero Bridge, Westbound
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Figure 9: Bus route without Te Wero Bridge, Eastbound
Figure 10: Bus route without Te Wero Bridge, Westbound
Figure 11: Route from Wynyard Quarter to Britomart with Te Wero Bridge
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Figure 12: Route from Britomart to Wynyard Quarter with Te Wero Bridge
Figure 13: Route from Wynyard Quarter to Britomart without Te Wero Bridge
Figure 14: Route from Britomart to Wynyard Quarter without Te Wero Bridge
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The results of the journey time assessment are presented in Table 3 below:
Table 3: Bus Journey Times along Fanshawe Street (seconds)
AM Peak PM Peak Motorway to With Te Without Te Difference With Te Without Te Difference Britomart via Wero Br Wero Br Wero Br Wero Br Wynyard Eastbound 240 405 -165 400 495 -95 Westbound 385 615 -230 380 575 -195 Motorway to Britomart via Fanshawe Eastbound 255 255 0 300 310 -10 Westbound 370 385 -15 330 350 -20 Britomart to Wynyard Quarter Eastbound 135 315 -180 295 415 -220 Westbound 210 455 -245 230 535 -305
The above table indicates that: The route between the motorway and Britomart via Wynyard Quarter (with the Te Wero Bridge in place) will offer very similar times to the route via Fanshawe Street (except for eastbound in the PM peak). Given that the model has assumed that Daldy Street and the area between Te Wero Bridge and Quay Street in particular is a low speed environment, this is a reasonable achievement. It means that the route through the Quarter is avoiding the congestion which is predicted along Fanshawe Street, and which is likely to continue to build over time; Buses travelling between the motorway and Britomart which go through Wynyard Quarter but then rejoin Fanshawe Street, due to the Te Wero Bridge not being provided will suffer greater journey times of up to 3 to 4 minutes in the AM peak; Buses only travelling between Britomart and Wynyard Quarter will generally also benefit from a saving of 3-5 minutes. The modelling is showing problems for buses accessing the Quarter by turning right into Daldy Street westbound in the PM peak, and greater time savings are therefore predicted as a result of the Te Wero Bridge.
4.2.1 Total journey times
Total traffic bus travel times have been obtained from the SATURN traffic model to evaluate the net differences with and without the Te Wero Bridge. The results summarised in Table 4 below indicate that the Bridge will lead to a decrease in total bus travel times in both the AM and PM peaks.
Table 4: Total Bus Travel times (hours per hour, within CBD Traffic Model) AM Peak PM Peak With Te Without Te Difference With Te Without Te Difference Wero Br Wero Br Wero Br Wero Br Bus Only 220 225 -5 206 209 -3
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4.3 Bus stops and pedestrian crossing facilities
The walking distances between each of the seven Quarter Areas within Wynyard Quarter have been established for the existing bus stops located on Fanshawe Street. Different walking routes have been assumed for each of the Quarter Areas with regard to different building access points within each Quarter.
Three bus stops are currently located on Fanshawe Street which serves Wynyard Quarter bus users. The following diagram shows the aerial photo of Wynyard Quarter and the location of the existing bus stops.
Figure 15: Existing Bus Stops
The two eastbound bus stops are located 20 metres to the east of Fanshawe Street / Beaumont Street intersection and the south end of Bouzaid Way respectively, each of them can allow a maximum number of two buses (Beaumont Street) and four buses (Bouzaid Way) to stop and load passengers at the same time. The westbound bus stop, which is 60 metres to the east of Fanshawe Street / Halsey Street intersection, is capable of accommodating four to five buses parked and loading simultaneously, assuming a “normal” 12.5 metre bus length.
Currently Fanshawe Street has seven vehicle lanes (two-way) in the vicinity of Wynyard Quarter and crossing this wide road represents a significant impediment for westbound bus passengers wishing to access the Quarter. The following pedestrian crossing facilities have been provided on Fanshawe Street: A signalised pedestrian crossing combined with a refuge island operates between Beaumont Street and Daldy Street. This pedestrian crossing is located 10 – 20 metres away from bus stops on either side of the road; Signal controlled crossings are provided at Fanshawe Street / Halsey Street intersection, this intersection is approximately 160 metres south of the westbound bus stop. However, there is no crossing of Fanshawe Street on the eastern side of the intersection; A mid block pedestrian crossing is provided on Fanshawe Street, to the east of Bouzaid Way, in the vicinity of the pedestrian link up to Graham Street.
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4.4 Walking distances to Fanshawe Street Bus Stops
As mentioned above, the Wynyard Quarter development area has been divided into seven Quarter Areas. A number of building entry points has been assumed for each of the Quarter Areas. The resulting walking routes and their distances with respect to each Quarter Area are discussed in the following sections.
4.4.1 Quarter Area 1 Routes
Three access points for Quarter Area 1 have been assessed, being west, central and east. The resulting walking routes to each of the existing bus stops are shown in Figure 16.
Figure 16: Walking Routes for Quarter Area 1
This Quarter Area is situated immediately to the north of Fanshawe Street. The walking distances for eastbound bus users are 140 metres, 225 metres, and 125 metres for the west exit, central exit, and east exit users respectively. The westbound bus stop is a further 50 metres from the west and central exiting points, and another 150 metres from the east exiting point. These are all quite short walk distances and this Quarter Area is well served by the Fanshawe Street bus stops (except for the fact, noted above, that crossing the street to reach the westbound stop is a factor which will detract from the perception of the quality of this trip).
4.4.2 Quarter Area 2 Routes
Assumed walking routes used by Quarter Area 2 bus users and the distances required to walk to the existing Fanshawe Street bus stops are presented in Figure 17.
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Figure 17: Walking Routes for Quarter Area 2
Similar to Quarter Area 1, three walking routes with regard to three directions are assumed and measured. A maximum distance of 360 metres is experienced by eastbound bus users who use the central access point, while the minimum walking distances of 200 metres for people using eastbound buses are experienced by those using the east access point. In addition, westbound bus users will experience another 50 or 150 metres compared to those using eastbound buses, depending on which access point they use. This gives a maximum walk distance of just over 400 metres, which again represents a reasonable walk trip (with the same caveat relating to the crossing of Fanshawe Street for westbound bus users).
4.4.3 Quarter Area 3 Routes
The following figure presents the three different walking routes for bus users from Quarter Area 3.
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Figure 18: Walking Routes for Quarter Area 3
This Quarter Area is located between Beaumont Street and the harbour. Figure 18 shows that the longest walking distance for the eastbound bus users is measured at 675 metres, while the westbound bus users experience another 50 meters which makes a maximum walking distance of 725 metres for people using westbound buses.
The areas at the southern end of this Quarter Area are well served by the existing bus stops, while those areas to the north are less well served, particularly for westbound services along Fanshawe Street.
4.4.4 Quarter Area 4 Routes
Quarter Area 4 relates to the block between Pakenham Street and Madden Street.
Four access points have been assessed for Quarter Area 4. The central route has been assessed for people originating and destined to the northern and southern area of the Quarter. The four access points and therefore walking routes are shown in Figure 19.
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Figure 19: Walking Routes for Quarter Area 4
The above figure indicates that the walking distances for eastbound users who access by central north, central south, west and east are 520 metres, 240 metres, 350 metres and 430 metres respectively. The people who use westbound buses will experience another 50 metres to 150 metres to those using eastbound buses, depending on the access point used. As a result, the maximum distance to a bus stop from this Quarter Area will be about 570 metres, from a site accessing Madden Street. Table 1 noted that this block is to include significant office and residential uses, and this area will be fairly poorly served by the bus stops in Fanshawe Street.
4.4.5 Quarter Area 5 Routes
Quarter Area 5 is the block between Madden Street and Jellicoe Street.
Similarly to Quarter Area 4, four different walking routes have been selected for Quarter Area 5. The resulting walking distances have been outlined in Figure 20.
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Figure 20: Walking Routes for Quarter Area 5
It is shown that the walking distances from the central north access point is the longest, being 645 metres for people using the eastbound bus stops. However, the longest distance experienced by westbound bus users will be from people who use the east access point. The distance between their access point and the bus stops are calculated at 580 metres to the eastbound bus stops plus the additional 150 metres to reach the westbound bus stop. This results in a total walking distance of 730 metres.
Table 1 indicated that this block will have significant office uses and some residential uses. This block will be poorly served by the bus stops along Fanshawe Street.
4.4.6 Quarter Area 6 Routes
Quarter Area 6 relates to Wynyard Point, being the area north of Jellicoe Street.
Three access points have been assessed for Quarter Area 6, the walking routes and distances are presented in the following Figure 21.
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Figure 21: Walking Routes for Quarter Area 6
Two routes with similar walking distances have been chosen for the bus users from the central and east access points of the Quarter Area, with a walking distance of 900 metres. Bus users from south of Quarter Area 6 will experience walking distances of 200 metres less than those from the central and west access points. The area further to the north is to be public open space. However, there is to be some office and a reasonable amount of residential uses within this Quarter, which will be poorly served by the bus stops along Fanshawe Street.
4.4.7 Quarter Area 7 Routes
Quarter Area 7 relates to a small area at the northern end of Halsey Street, to the east.
Considering the location of Quarter Area 7, only one walking route has been assessed with regard to both eastbound and westbound bus users. The routes are illustrated at Figure 22. The resulting walking distances are 590 metres and 740 metres respectively, which means that this Quarter is poorly served by bus stops along Fanshawe Street.
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Figure 22: Walking Routes for Quarter Area 7
4.4.8 Summary on Walk Distances
Table 5 below provides a summary of minimum and maximum walking distances between each Quarter Area and the bus stops along Fanshawe Street:
Table 5: Walking Distances Summary between each Quarter Area and Fanshawe Street Bus stops (metres) Quarter Area Eastbound Bus User Westbound Bus User Maximum Distance Minimum Distance Maximum Distance Minimum Distance Quarter Area 1 250 150 300 200 Quarter Area 2 350 200 400 250 Quarter Area 3 700 200 750 250 Quarter Area 4 500 250 600 300 Quarter Area 5 650 450 750 600 Quarter Area 6 900 700 950 750 Quarter Area 7 600 600 750 750
These distances need to be compared against those that are to be achieved as a result of routing some buses through the Wynyard Quarter. These buses would travel up Daldy Street, which is virtually centrally located within the Quarter, and then along Jellicoe Street and onto Te Wero Bridge. The Wynyard Quarter ITA 5 noted that the distances between Daldy Street and the Harbour are only 230 metres to the west and 300 metres to the east. The entrance of any building within the Wynyard Quarter will be no more than around 200 metres from a bus stop and the walk trip between these buildings and the bus stop will not include the need to cross any primary arterial routes. As such, the Te Wero Bridge offers the opportunity to significantly enhance the penetration of bus services through the Wynyard Quarter.
5 “Wynyard Quarter Integrated Transport Assessment (June 2007), page 108
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There are considered to be significant benefits in terms of the accessibility of the Quarter in getting buses “right to the front door” of developments within the Quarter. Such bus access is considered to be consistent with “Transit Oriented Development” and with the aim of the Plan Change to maximise the accessibility for modes of transport other than the private car. The modelling indicates that this is achievable without causing significant increases in bus travel times (for those bus passengers that will be passing right through the Quarter). While it is accepted that much of the development is within 400 metres of the rapid transit routes along Fanshawe Street, the westbound services along Fanshawe Street are only served by bus stops to the south side of this busy route, and this represents a significant barrier to easy pedestrian access. At grade and grade separated pedestrian crossings of Fanshawe Street are proposed, but neither will provide the same level of access to bus services as regular services running right through the Quarter. This is particularly the case on wet days, or for people that are less able to walk or do not like to walk for a variety of reasons.
It is also noted that the bus stops along Fanshawe Street will only directly serve passenger transport users from the North Shore. Table 7-5 of the Integrated Transport Assessment of June 2007 indicated that some 40% of inbound passenger transport trips in the AM peak and only 11% of the outbound trips will be to/from North Shore (and Hibiscus Coast). That is to say, these services will not be of direct use to the remaining 60% of inbound passenger transport users (i.e. predominantly commuters) and there is a need for additional facilities. This is the key driver for the provision of the Te Wero Bridge, which will bring a greater proportion of Wynyard Quarter within walking distance of the Britomart Transport Interchange and will offer the potential for some buses to be extended from Britomart through the centre of the Wynyard Quarter.
The distances from the Quarter to the Britomart transport centre are discussed at Section 5 below.
It is noted that there will be two further advantages for bus operations in routing some buses through the Wynyard Quarter: The extension of some services will reduce the pressure on layover space in the vicinity of Britomart; The diversion of some North Shore services will reduce pressure on bus stops along Fanshawe Street (particularly the bus stop adjacent to Victoria Park for westbound services).
4.5 Predicted Bus Passenger Demands
The predicted passenger transport patronage related to the Wynyard Quarter development was set out in the Wynyard Quarter ITA 6.
The total numbers of bus passengers likely to use the Te Wero Bridge are summarised in Table 6 below. This table indicates the total number of passenger transport users predicted along each route and the percentage assumed to cross the Te Wero Bridge by bus.
6 “Wynyard Quarter Integrated Transport Assessment” (June 2007), Section 12.3 and Appendix H
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Table 6: Predicted Bus Passengers – AM Peak
Total Inbound Te Wero Total Outbound Te Wero Inbound Outbound To/from Harbour Bridge 1,400 0 (0%) 950 0 (0%) To/from College Hill 175 0 (0%) 50 0 (0%) To/from Albert Street 525 525 (100%) 125 125 (100%) To/from Queen Street 15 15 (100%) 15 15 (100%) To/ from Customs Street 675 675 (100%) 325 325 (100%) To/from Britomart (train) 1,450 725 (50%) 150 75 (50%) To/from Quay Street 25 25 (100%) 0 0 (100%) To/from Britomart (ferry) 150 75 (50%) 75 40 (50%) Total 4,400 2,040 1,690 580
Bus passengers travelling between the Harbour Bridge or College Hill and Wynyard Quarter will not cross the Te Wero Bridge. We have assumed that 50% of those arriving at Britomart by ferry or train will use a bus to get to the Quarter, and 100% of the passengers passing through the Britomart by bus to get to the Quarter (eg from the Central Connector via Customs Street). This gives a total of around 2,700 bus passengers crossing the Bridge in the two hour AM peak period. This equates with an average number of 37 passengers 18 buses per direction per hour, which seems reasonable. However, it equates with an high rate of around 57 persons on each westbound bus.
These assumptions are considered sufficient for the purposes of the economic assessment at Section 9. In reality, some bus passengers arriving in the Britomart area may be on a bus which terminates at that point. Many of these passengers will be likely to walk the remaining distance to their destination in Wynyard Quarter. However, the majority of these passengers/pedestrians will in all probability use the Te Wero Bridge. In other words they will still benefit from the Bridge, but these persons have not been accounted for separately in the estimation of persons walking across the Bridge.
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5 WALK / CYCLE ASSESSMENT
The introduction of the Te Wero Bridge will provide a northern crossing point of the Viaduct Harbour. This will help support the existing southern walk/cycle link along Viaduct Harbour Avenue. Coupled with this it will also provide a short and convenient link between the existing bars and restaurants at the Viaduct Harbour and the Marine Events Precinct within Wynyard Quarter.
For both recreational and commuter walkers and cyclists the Te Wero Bridge will also offer a high quality off road facility linking into the existing waterfront off road path currently stretching between Quay Street and St Heliers Bay, approximately 10 km to the east. This will provide a major attraction to walkers and cyclists.
The previous section of this report provided details of the walk distances between various sites within the Wynyard Quarter and the bus stops along Fanshawe Street. That assessment is clearly of relevance to this walking assessment as well as to the passenger transport assessment.
The following three diagrams illustrate three different locations within the Wynyard Quarter development and the possible walk routes for scenarios without and with the Te Wero Bridge link. With the link located at the northeastern corner of the Wynyard Quarter the Bridge will offer the greatest benefits for developments within the northern areas of Wynyard Quarter, as well as providing a direct link to the Marine Events Precinct.
It has been assumed that walkers take the more “picturesque” route around the Viaduct Harbour. For the sake of a “start point” all routes have been assumed to commence at the Britomart Transport Interchange.
Figure 23: Walk routes to the northern end of Wynyard Quarter – north of Jellicoe Street
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Figure 24: Walk routes to the southern end of Wynyard Quarter – Air New Zealand and ACP Media Buildings
Figure 25: Walk routes to the Marine Events Precinct
Table 7 illustrates the approximate walk distances for the three figures above.
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Table 7: Approximate walk distances as per the above diagrams (metres)
Destination Existing Route Route via Te Wero Bridge Jellicoe Street (west) 2,030 m 1,250 m Air New Zealand Building 1,480 m 1,675 m Marine Events Precinct 1,500 m 875 m
As previously suggested the Te Wero Bridge will provide its greatest time and distance savings for developments at the northern end of Wynyard Quarter. In particular for the Marine Events Precinct the walk distance with Te Wero Bridge in place will be reduced by approximately 600m. Similar distance savings can also be assumed for bus routes travelling between these destinations, albeit that the existing route would be via the road network.
As a result, the proposed Te Wero Bridge will bring a significant proportion of the Wynyard Quarter within a reasonable walk distance of the rest of the Auckland CBD, with its various attractions and transport facilities, including the Britomart transport terminal.
5.1 Predicted Walk and Cycle Demands
Table 1 (within Section 1) provided the land use assumptions for each Quarter Area, based on information provided by the Council.
The table indicated that office, residential and marine uses will form the majority of the total land uses. Therefore these land uses have been used to derive estimates of walking and cycling trips. The assumed daily vehicle trip rates for these three land uses are shown in Table 8 below.
Table 8: Assumed Daily Vehicle Trip Rate (per 100m 2 GFA)
Land Use Trip Rate Office 5 trips Residential 3 trips Marine 4 trips
The above rates have been derived from the peak hour trip rates set out in the Wynyard Quarter Integrated Transport Assessment 7. For example, the peak hour trip rate for offices is expected to be approximately one half of the rate set out in the Roads and Traffic Authority “Guide to Traffic Generating Developments” document, so the daily rate has also been assumed to be around half of the rated stated in that document.
The ITA also provided the predicted future model splits with regards to Wynyard Quarter development 8 an these are set out in Table 9 below.
7 “Wynyard Quarter Integrated Transport Assessment” (June 2007), Section 7 and Appendix C 8 Ibid, Table 7-1
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Table 9: Predicted Mode Split for Journeys to Work
Workers in Wynyard Quarter Residents in Wynyard Quarter Drive to work 30% 30% Passenger in Private Vehicle 15% 6% Passenger Transport 33.5% 13% Walk 14% 40% Taxi 1% 1% Cycle 3% 1.5% Other 2% 1.5% Work at Home 1.5% 8% Total 100% 100%
Using the data provided in the above table, a relationship between daily vehicle trips and daily walking and cycling trips has been derived, as shown in Table 10 below:
Table 10: Walk/Cycle Trips per Vehicle Trip
Walk Cycle Workers 0.45 0.10 Residents 1.33 0.05
With the information above, the expected daily walking and cycling trips for each of the Quarter Areas are calculated and set out in Table 11.
Table 11: Summary of Walking and Cycling Trips per day, generated by Wynyard Quarter Development
Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Total Area 1 Area 2 Area 3 Area 4 Area 5 Area 6 Area 7 Walking Trips 3,430 4,160 1,520 4,680 1,960 2,080 520 18,340 Cycling Trips 410 300 230 340 300 120 20 1,720 The above table indicates that there will be a total of 18,350 walking trips per day and 1,720 cycling trips per day with respect to Wynyard Quarter development. Of these, 40% of pedestrians and 60% of cyclists have been assumed travelling from/to the east. These have been further distributed with respect to each Quarter Area to obtain the total number of trips on the bridge, based on the distance savings for each Quarter. In order to obtain the distance savings of pedestrians and cyclists, travel distances from each of the seven Quarter Areas to Britomart via Te Wero Bridge and the alternative routes have been measured. The resultant distance savings and the assumptions with regards to trips attracted to Te Wero Bridge are presented in Table 12 below:
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Table 12: Travel Distances Comparison between Wynyard Quarter and Britomart and Assumed Trip Distribution
Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Area 1 Area 2 Area 3 Area 4 Area 5 Area 6 Area 7 Without Te Wero 1,400m 1,400m 1,850m 1,560m 1,680m 1,730m 1,680m With Te Wero 1,470m 1,330m 1,230m 1,090m 910m 1,280m 840m Difference 70m -70m -620m -470m -770m -450m -840m Pedestrians attracted 0 420 300 1400 590 750 190 to Te Wero (0%) (25%) (50%) (75%) (75%) (90%) (90%) Cyclists attracted to 50 90 100 170 150 70 10 Te Wero (20%) (50%) (75%) (85%) (85%) (95%) (95%)
As a result, 3,650 (18%) pedestrian trips and 650 (33%) cyclist trips associated with the Wynyard Quarter development are predicted to be attracted to the bridge, on a weekday.
On top of that, additional walking and cycling trips have been assumed, to cover recreational and tourist trips (eg persons visiting the park on Wynyard Point). Assumptions associated with these additional trips are outlined below: Weekday Pedestrians: 200 pedestrians/hour for 12 hours a day = 2,800 pedestrians/day; Weekday Cyclists: 20 cyclists/hour for both AM and PM peak 2 hour periods a day, plus 10 cyclists/hour for 8 Interpeak hours a day = 160 cyclists/day; Weekend Pedestrians: 300 pedestrians/hour for 12 hours a day = 5,400 pedestrians/day; Weekend Cyclists: 20 cyclists/hour for 12 hours a day = 240 cyclists/day.
For these walk trips, a saving of 500 metres walk distance has been assumed. The distance savings for the cyclists have been assumed as 650 metres.
These assumptions have been fed into the economic evaluation set out at Section 9 below.
As noted in Section 4, the assessment of pedestrians using the Bridge has excluded the possibility of bus passengers who walk the final leg of their journey into the Quarter.
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6 TRAFFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT
The traffic effects of the Te Wero Bridge will be fairly modest. However, there will be a number of effects (both positive and negative) related to the Bridge and to the provision of bus services within Wynyard Quarter.
6.1 Traffic Effects of Te Wero Bridge
The immediate traffic effects of the Te Wero Bridge are as follows: On the western side of Te Wero Bridge, the intersection of the approach to the Bridge with Halsey Street, Jellicoe Street and the access to the Marine Events Precinct (MEP) will become a crossroads, which will operate under give way control. It is assumed that the movements between the Bridge and Jellicoe Street will have priority, with traffic from Halsey Street and the MEP giving way; On the eastern side, the Bridge will introduce buses through the Viaduct Harbour area. The traffic effects will be offset by the removal of the majority of parking, which by implication will remove some of the existing traffic; It will be necessary to change the signal phasing at the intersection of Quay Street with Lower Hobson Street and the accesses to Princes Wharf and the Viaduct Harbour. Ideally the movements to and from the Viaduct Harbour should be “double cycled” (i.e. buses approaching or leaving Te Wero Bridge would benefit from two green phases per cycle); The above double cycle will lead to increased delay for the main movements (between Lower Hobson Street and Quay Street, in both directions). It is assumed in the traffic model that the right turn from the Viaduct Harbour to Lower Hobson Street will be banned, in order to avoid the possibility of these vehicles impeding buses.
The diversion of buses through the Wynyard Quarter will have some traffic effects, which are related to the ability of these buses to use the Te Wero Bridge. These can be considered to be secondary effects of the Bridge and they are listed below.
6.2 Traffic Effects of Buses within Wynyard Quarter
The effects of routing buses via Wynyard Quarter are as follows: The routing of buses through the Quarter will reduce the flow along Fanshawe Street. Buses travelling along Fanshawe Street will be in the kerbside bus lanes and therefore the rerouting of these buses will not significantly affect general traffic. However, the number of buses along Fanshawe Street will be reduced at the intersections, where the bus lanes are shared with left turning traffic and this will offer modest traffic benefits; The current Wynyard Quarter assessment includes a bus only right turn out from Daldy Street. It is assumed that this turn is provided twice per cycle, as the cycle time at the main intersections along Fanshawe Street is very long (at about 150 seconds). If buses do not enter the Quarter this will simplify the phasing at the Fanshawe Street/Daldy Street intersection;
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If the Te Wero Bridge is not provided and some buses still enter the Quarter on the route between North Shore and Britomart, the bus only right turn from Daldy Street will need to be retained. In addition, westbound buses will need to turn right into the Quarter from Halsey Street, which will increase pressure on the Fanshawe Street/Halsey Street intersection. It will also require the provision of a Bus “B” phase at the existing mid block pedestrian crossing east of Halsey Street, to get westbound buses across from the kerbside bus lane to turn right into Halsey Street; There are two right turn lanes from Fanshawe Street into Halsey Street. However, no bus priority will be possible on the right turn into Halsey Street (in order to facilitate the movement noted above) without significantly affecting the capacity for general traffic; If the Te Wero Bridge is not provided and the only buses to enter the Quarter will be shuttles travelling between the rest of the Auckland CBD (presumably from Britomart) and Wynyard Point (i.e. the northern end of Daldy Street), then westbound bus trips will require a right turn into the Quarter. This should probably be via Daldy Street rather than Halsey Street, as Daldy Street is to have a passenger transport focus, whereas Halsey Street will have a focus on general traffic; Any right turn by buses into Daldy Street will require the provision of a bus “B” phase at the Fanshawe Street / Halsey Street intersection, in order to get westbound buses across from the kerbside bus lane to turn right.
The net effects of the Te Wero Bridge on general traffic are summarised at Tables 13 and 14 below, based on the SATURN traffic model of the year 2021, which assumes that the Wynyard Quarter is fully developed by that time (see Section 4 above).
Table 13 indicates that there will be negligible changes for general traffic along Fanshawe Street and Lower Hobson Street in the AM peak, but that there will be some benefits in the PM peak. Table 14 therefore indicates that the project will offer some overall benefits to the total travel times for general traffic.
Table 13: Journey Times for General Traffic along Fanshawe Street (seconds)
AM Peak PM Peak General Traffic With Te Without Te Difference With Te Without Te Difference Wero Br Wero Br Wero Br Wero Br Eastbound 270 270 0 305 320 -15 Westbound 380 395 -15 625 645 -20
Table 14: Total Travel times for General Traffic (hours per hour, within CBD traffic model)
AM Peak PM Peak With Te Without Te Difference With Te Without Te Difference Wero Br Wero Br Wero Br Wero Br General Traffic (Total 5855 5940 -85 9790 9845 -55 traffic, excluding buses)
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7 OPERATIONAL ISSUES
The report has assessed the effects of the proposed Te Wero Bridge on pedestrians, cyclists, buses and general traffic. A further issue that requires consideration is the effect on marine uses, within the Viaduct Harbour.
The report has noted the importance of the Te Wero Bridge to improve the accessibility of the Wynyard Quarter for all modes of transport other than the private car. This led to the conclusion within the Wynyard Quarter Integrated Transport Assessment (ITA) that the Bridge should be given priority over marine users, at least during the peak periods 9.
The ITA also provided details of surveys of marine users 10 , which indicated that the number of vessels that use the Viaduct Harbour is low during the AM peak period, but significantly higher during the PM peak period. As a result, it is currently the Council’s position that the Bridge may need to open during the peak periods, in order to reduce the impact on marine users.
Key issues for a passenger transport connection are its speed, convenience and reliability. The Te Wero Bridge will provide a direct link between the Wynyard Quarter and the rest of the CBD and the Britomart Transport Centre. However, a passenger transport facility that is not available on a regular basis will be of limited value. At worst, it could significantly diminish the perception of passenger transport services, if they are seen as erratic, unreliable and slow, due to the Bridge being open for significant periods. As a result, it will be essential that operational protocols are established governing the opening of the Bridge. We suggest the following: The Bridge should not be allowed to open (except in exceptional circumstances/emergencies) during the AM peak period (i.e. between 0700-0900). It could be that the Bridge would open at fixed times, such as 0650-0700 and 0900-0910; The Bridge will need to be opened during the interpeak. Again, for the passenger transport services it is essential that it opens at fixed times (eg on the hour, every hour) rather than as required by marine users; The bus timetable should be able to be developed to complement the concept of the Bridge opening at fixed times. That is to say, for the above example, no buses would be expected to arrive at the Bridge on and just after the hour; Operational protocols would need to extend to include consideration of the Bridge opening slightly late, if a bus is approaching. This will be possible as a result of GPS technology already in use; It may be reasonable to slightly delay the opening of the Bridge, but if this delay extends too much, it will inevitably delay the subsequent Bridge closure, adversely affecting the buses that are timed for that point; Operational protocols will also need to be developed regarding the clearance of the Bridge of pedestrians, cyclists and buses, before the Bridge can open, and marine vessels, before the Bridge can close;
9 “Wynyard Quarter Integrated Transport Assessment” (June 2007), page 15 10 Ibid, section 12.7, page 130
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Consideration will need to be given to advanced warning (for pedestrians and cyclists as well as buses) regarding the imminent opening of the Bridge. This is likely to mean that variable message signs will be required on the approaches to the Bridge, both within Wynyard Quarter and Viaduct Harbour, to give potential users sufficient warning. This will allow them to consider whether to change their route (eg to walk via Viaduct Harbour Avenue) or to wait for the Bridge to reopen; Similar to the above, consideration needs to be given to the bus routing while the Bridge is open. If a bus arrives just as the Bridge opens, it may incur a 10 minute delay and it may be quicker to allow such a bus (already within the Wynyard Quarter) to reroute via Halsey Street and Fanshawe Street. This would be unacceptable if the bus then misses passengers waiting at a bus stop on the approaches to the Bridge. As such, stops should be provided in Jellicoe Street, just west of Halsey Street, and maybe set down stops only in the vicinity of the Viaduct Harbour, with for example, passengers on a route diverted via Halsey Street and Fanshawe Street able to be set down on Lower Hobson Street; Information regarding the routing of buses between North Shore and the Auckland CBD will need to be given on all real time signs. For example, a passenger at the Northern Busway Akoranga station should know before boarding whether that bus will be routed via Wynyard Quarter or not; We understand that vehicular use of the Bridge is to be restricted to public service vehicles (i.e. scheduled bus services). Tour coaches and minibuses (such as taxi shuttles) are not to be permitted, but emergency vehicles will be permitted to use the Bridge; Consideration needs to be given to the extent of the road to be limited to certain road users, and how the restrictions are to be enforced. On the western side, it is assumed that the restriction would occur at the intersection with Halsey Street and Jellicoe Street. However, on the eastern side, the situation is slightly more complex, as some cars may still be permitted to enter the Viaduct Harbour area and to park on part of Te Wero Island. Signs can be installed, but regrettably not all drivers heed signs and the policing of infringements of this nature is quite poor. Some form of enforcement (such as a raising barrier arm) may therefore be required, with only permitted vehicles fitted with the necessary transponder able to pass. Alternatively, restrictions on the parking permits could be considered, with violations (i.e. vehicles entering or exiting the parking area via the Te Wero Bridge) invalidating that permit; Section 3 above noted that the Council currently envisages two pedestrian/cycle paths across the Bridge of 3 metres, with two bus lanes. There could be other cross section permutations, for example, with a single wide path for pedestrians. Recreational cyclists may choose to use the footpath, while commuter cyclists may choose to use the bus lanes; We understand that there are similar proposals for cyclists between the Te Wero Bridge and Quay Street. That is to say, recreational cyclists will be able to share the wide footpaths with pedestrians, while commuter cyclists may choose to use the lightly trafficked vehicle lanes.
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8 ASSESSMENT OF ALTERNATIVES
This report has focussed on the preferred option for the Te Wero Bridge. The broad route of the preferred option was shown at Figure 5, while Section 3.3 gave details of the proposed cross section. Section 7 noted that other cross sections may also be considered.
A number of alternative options for the Bridge have also been considered. These options are presented below along with their advantages and disadvantages.
8.1 Option 1: No crossing
The first option is to not build a crossing at all and simply use temporary measures, such the floating pontoon which provides a pedestrian connection when events are held at the Marine Events Centre, when the need arises.
The Te Wero Bridge is considered to be a necessary part of the development of the Wynyard Quarter and increasing accessibility to the waterfront. The Bridge is considered a key part of the accessibility to the Marine Events Precinct and accessibility to the waterfront park area that will be developed in conjunction with the Wynyard Quarter Plan Change.
While currently there is a pontoon system operating during certain events, this pontoon represents only a temporary measure and obviously only provides limited access for pedestrians.
Due to the desire to redevelop the waterfront to be a vibrant part of the city, the option of using temporary measures is not considered an appropriate course of action. The effects of a scenario without a crossing are discussed in the earlier sections of this report.
8.2 Option 2: Crossing with One Bus Lane
It is possible that the cross section could be narrowed to provide for one way travel only. This could be operated by a signal phase at either end, holding traffic at one end until the opposing stream is clear of the Bridge, or by only accommodating travel in one direction, for instance westbound traffic only.
A reduction in the width of the Bridge would appear to offer cost savings. However, we are advised that this may not be the case due to structural issues with long, narrow bridges. Also, such a reduction will restrict the operational ability of the Bridge for passenger transport. Consequently, additional delay and/or distance may be added to any routes serving the Wynyard Quarter, therefore adversely affecting any associated benefits derived through the operation of the Bridge as a two way link.
A key issue for passenger transport is that services need to be easily understood. For example, tourists using a westbound bus across Te Wero Bridge would expect to take an eastbound bus back across the Bridge, and not to have to hunt around to find the return bus, which would stop along a different street.
Given the vision and objectives of the Wynyard Quarter every opportunity should be made to ensure the long term viability and sustainability of the Quarter. For this reason it is concluded that the one way operation of any Bridge is not sustainable, nor does it aid in accommodating future growth.
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8.3 Option 3: Pedestrian / Cycle Crossing
It is possible that the Te Wero Bridge option could be pursued as a pedestrian and cycle link only. This would clearly reduce the costs of the Bridge and it would avoid concerns regarding the adverse effects of additional traffic within the Viaduct Harbour area. Clearly a pedestrian / cycle bridge could not easily be widened at a later date. As a result, this option would impose significant limitations on the potential penetration of buses within the Wynyard Quarter, as well as restricting any future aspirations should bus or even light rail be considered at some time in the future.
The accessibility of all Quarter Areas within Wynyard Quarter to the bus stops along Fanshawe Street was assessed in detail in Section 4 above. This concluded that Quarter Areas 1 and 2 will be well served by these bus stops, but Quarter Areas 4 to 7 and much of Quarter Area 3 will be moderately well served. Persons accessing the westbound bus stop will need to cross Fanshawe Street, which means that it may be that is fairer to say that these Quarter Areas will be fairly poorly served by the existing westbound services along Fanshawe Street.
The Wynyard Quarter Plan Change has acknowledged that it will be necessary to maximise accessibility by modes of transport other than the private car. As such, an outcome in which much of the Quarter is only moderately well served by buses will be a suboptimal outcome, which may adversely affect the perception of the accessibility of the area. A particular issue in this regard is the need to reduce the dependence of the Quarter on access via Fanshawe Street. One can point to examples of large areas in the Auckland region, such as the Devonport and Whangaparaoa Peninsulas, which are overdependent on a single route. Accidents or even planned incidents such as roadworks can have a substantial effect on the reliability of travel times to such areas. As such, the provision of an alternative route into the Wynyard Quarter, which is not dependant on the fluctuations in conditions along Fanshawe Street, is considered a vital component of the transport solution for the area.
8.4 Options 4 and 5: Pakenham Street West to East and Madden Street
Figure 26 below shows the location of the two other main considerations for the location of the Te Wero link. Option 4 is a link between Pakenham Street West to Pakenham Street East and Option 5 is a link between Madden Street and Customs Street East.
These options would have less impact on the marine activities of the Viaduct Harbour than the Te Wero Bridge. However, it was recognised that these links may also conflict with recent approvals for residential apartments and other proposed developments in the Wynyard Quarter.
Both options also have some operational concerns with respect to passenger transport operation. Currently the preferred option allows bus routes to travel along the Te Wero link via Quay Street. This is the most direct route between the Britomart Transport Interchange and the Wynyard Quarter.
Option 4 and Option 5 would require buses to route via Pakenham Street or Custom Street West to access the link. This is a slightly longer travel distance, resulting in increased traffic through the narrow road network about the Viaduct Harbour. These existing routes can also be susceptible to congestion influenced by the surrounding road network. Pakenham Street and Custom Street West are therefore not suited for increased bus traffic.
From a pedestrian and cyclist perspective Options 4 and 5 do not provide a great benefit in terms of time and distance savings as they are not greatly separated from the existing Viaduct Harbour Avenue at the southern end of the Viaduct Harbour. Conversely the preferred option is located at the northern end of the Viaduct Harbour, therefore providing pedestrian and cyclist connections at either end of the harbour
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Hence no further consideration was given to these connections due to their unsuitability to sustain passenger transport, and their limited benefit to pedestrians and cyclists.
Figure 26: Alternative Links to Wynyard Quarter
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9 ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT
The benefits of the Te Wero Bridge have been assessed on the basis of the methodology set out in Land Transport New Zealand’s “Economic Evaluation Manual” (EEM).
The assessment is made on the assumption that the facility will be used by buses, pedestrians and cyclists. However, benefits to other road users are possible, as a result of reductions in congestion on other roads (such as along Fanshawe Street, due to the removal of buses from this busy route).
SATURN traffic models have been built to assess vehicle costs and benefits, while pedestrian and cyclist benefits have been estimated using simplified method 11 as per the EEM. Full results of the Economic Analysis can be provided if required.
9.1 Assumptions
The assumptions regarding the numbers of pedestrians, cyclists and bus passengers that will use the Bridge were set out in Sections 4 and 5 of the report. Further assumptions of relevance to the economic assessment are outlined in the following sections.
The SATURN models have been developed for the AM and PM peak hours. An estimate of interpeak benefits has been made by running a model which reflects the ratio of peak to inter peak flows.
For the economic analysis, it is necessary to estimate the contribution of each time period to the potential annual benefit of the project.
The time periods assessed are listed below along with their associated annualisation factors that are used to derive annual benefits. AM Peak: 2 hours/day (0700-0900), for 245 weekdays/year = 490 hours/year; PM peak: 2 hours/day (1700-1900), for 245 weekdays/year = 490 hours/year. Interpeak: 8 hours/day (0900-1700), for 245 weekdays/year = 1,960 hours/year Note: we have currently assumed no weekend traffic/bus benefits
The assessment of bus benefits has been based on the bus patronage derived in Section 4 for the AM peak period. It is reasonable to assume that the demand will be similar (although reversed) in the PM peak. The number of bus passengers in the inter peak is based on a similar patronage, but on fewer buses.
9.2 Time Line
As required by the EEM, a 25 year analysis period has been used for this assessment, beginning at the commencement of construction. The benefit period starts at the end of construction and runs through to the end of the 25 year analysis period. Time zero assigned to the Project is 1 March 2008.
The timings used for the assessment of the Project are as follows: Construction Period – 24 months, starting 1 January 2009; Construction Payment – midpoint of construction, 1 January 2010; Benefit Period – 23 years, starting 1 January 2011.
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It is worth noting that the land use assumptions above reflect the full development of Wynyard Quarter, which will not be completed until some time after the Te Wero Bridge is built. Therefore the benefits with regards to the above assumptions prior to the completion of development have been discounted in accordance with the EEM.
9.3 Project Benefits
As the bridge will be a part of bus route as well as a walking and cycling facility, the benefits of the Te Wero Bridge project will consist of both vehicle benefits and pedestrian/cyclist benefits.
9.3.1 Vehicle Benefits
The vehicle benefits include the following: Bus benefits, including bus travel time savings, bus operating costs and CO2 emission savings; Other vehicle benefits, including general traffic travel time savings, vehicle operating costs and CO2 emission savings.
No accident benefits have been assumed as a result of the Bridge.
The resultant vehicle benefits are outlined in Table 15 below:
Table 15: Monetary Value of Vehicle Benefits of Te Wero Bridge
Benefits Bus Other Vehicles Total Travel time $3,030,000 $13,250,000 $16,280,000 Vehicle Operating Costs $440,000 $520,000 $960,000
CO2 (5% of VOCs) $30,000 $30,000 $6,000 Total Benefits $3,500,000 $13,800,000 $17,300,000
The above table indicates that general traffic will contribute more to total vehicle benefits than buses, and that travel time savings will contribute the majority of total vehicle benefits.
It was noted in Section 4 that the assessment of bus benefits assumes that most passenger transport users arriving at the Britomart area will use bus for the final leg of their journey into the Wynyard Quarter. No benefits have been assumed for those that will walk. Also, no benefits have been assumed for persons travelling between the Harbour Bridge (or College Hill ) and Wynyard Quarter. These persons will benefit from an improved passenger transport service (and presumably a shorter overall time travelling) if they take a bus that stops within the Quarter (compared with a bus that stops along Fanshawe Street) but this has not been reflected in the economic assessment of the benefits of the Project to bus passengers, at this stage.
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9.3.2 Walking and Cycling Benefits
9.3.2.1 Health and Environmental Benefits
Simplified method 11 set out in the EEM has been used to assess pedestrian and cyclist benefits. Benefits of 50 cents/km per pedestrian and 90 cents/km per cyclist are suggested by the EEM to cover general health benefits, safety and environmental benefits. However, a report for Land Transport New Zealand on “Health benefits of Walking & Cycling (2007)”, prepared by Beca Infrastructure Ltd, has proposed that an additional 40 cents/km per pedestrian and 24 cents/km per cyclist should be added to pedestrian and cyclist benefits respectively with respect to health benefits. Therefore the unit values of pedestrian and cyclist benefits are assumed to be 90 cents/km and 114 cents/km respectively.
The following table presents the resultant walking and cycling benefits of the project:
Table 16: Monetary Value of Walking and Cycling Health and Environmental Benefits of Te Wero Bridge Benefits Pedestrians Cyclists Total Wynyard Users $2,480,000 $530,000 $3,010,000 (Weekdays) Wynyard Users $50,000 $60,000 $90,000 (Weekends) Additional Users $1,640,000 $200,000 $1,840,000 (Weekdays) Additional Users $1,200,000 $200,000 $1,400,000 (Weekends) Total $5,370,000 $990,000 $6,340,000
9.3.2.2 Travel Time Benefits
The above pedestrian and cyclist benefits only cover health and environmental benefits, in accordance with EEM. However, the EEM also provides unit values of travel time benefits for pedestrians and cyclists, in Table A4.1.
Using the distance savings provided in Table 12 within Section 5, walking and cycling travel time savings have been derived by applying an average speed of 1.1 m/s and 15 km/hr respectively. The resulting walking and cycling travel time savings with regard to each Quarter Area are outlined in Table 17 below:
Table 17: Walking and Cycling Travel Time Savings of Te Wero Bridge
Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Area 1 Area 2 Area 3 Area 4 Area 5 Area 6 Area 7 Pedestrians Time -01:00 01:00 09:20 07:00 11:45 06:45 12:40 Saving (minutes per trip) Cyclist Time Saving -00:15 00:15 02:29 01:50 03:05 01:45 03:20 (minutes per trip)
The travel time benefits with regard to pedestrians and cyclists are set out in Table 18 below:
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Table 18: Monetary Value of Walking and Cycling Travel Time Benefits
Benefits Workers Residents Total Walking Trips $2,000,000 $3,020,000 $5,020,000 Cycling Trips $570,000 $190,000 $760,000 Total $2,570,000 $3,210,000 $5,780,000
The above table indicates that walking time benefits forms the majority part of total walking and cycling travel time benefits. This is caused by the large number of pedestrians using the Te Wero Bridge every day while the number of daily cyclists on the bridge is relatively low.
9.4 Construction Costs
The total construction cost of the project has been estimated as $35 million. As mentioned earlier, construction is assumed to take 24 months, starting on 1 January 2009. The construction cost is assumed to occur at the midpoint of construction at 1 January 2010.
9.5 Benefit Cost Ratio
The total discounted costs and benefits of the project are set out at Appendix B. This indicates that the benefits are $29.4 m, giving a Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of 1.0. This is a fairly low figure, but this is not uncommon for a facility of this nature (i.e. an iconic feature, including a significant bridge, implying significant costs, but a facility which will not be used by general traffic).
The above figure provides a BCR which is the cost to the nation. Since development contributions are being sought for the facility, a second benefit cost ratio could be calculated, to identify the cost to Land Transport New Zealand. This would give a higher BCR.
9.6 Intangible Benefits
In addition to the tangible road user benefits (including those to pedestrians and cyclists) which are identified in the EEM, it is necessary to identify the “intangible benefits”. These would include: The benefit of the project in facilitating significant development within prime waterfront land; The development of this land in a manner that is consistent with the Regional Growth Strategy and the Regional Land Transport Strategy, with emphasis on intensive uses within a growth centre, with on sustainable modes of transport; The provision of an iconic structure which will add to Auckland’s status; The provision of a link which will facilitate events within the Marine Events Precinct, which are not reflected in the current assessment; The provision of a link which will improve network resilience.
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10 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
This report provides a transport assessment of the proposed Te Wero Bridge. This Bridge would provide a link between Jellicoe Street, within the Wynyard Quarter, to the west, and Quay Street, on the approach to the Britomart Transport Centre, to the east. It is proposed that the Bridge would accommodate pedestrians, cyclists and scheduled buses, but not general traffic.
The proposed Bridge is considered to be an essential element of the Wynyard Quarter Plan Change, which seeks to achieve the framework for quality, mixed use development on a substantial waterfront site, within the northwestern sector of the Auckland CBD.
The Wynyard Quarter area is surrounded on three sides by water. Fanshawe Street is located along the southern side (i.e. the fourth side) and this is a busy route for traffic between the Northern Motorway and the CBD. It is also an important leg of the Northern Busway.
The Wynyard Quarter Plan Change recognises the transport challenges affecting the accessibility of the site, and it puts forward a solution which emphasises travel by modes of travel other than the single occupancy private vehicle. This solution includes a proposal for bus services to penetrate right through the Quarter. This is facilitated by the Te Wero Bridge, which offers a through route for buses and provides a direct route between the Quarter and the Britomart Transport Centre and the reset of the Auckland CBD.
The assessment is based on a scheduled bus flow of 18 vehicles per direction per hour during the weekday peak periods. It may be reasonably assumed that a flow of 12 buses per direction per hour may be experienced during the interpeak. It is also recognised that the Bridge may need to be used by emergency vehicles on occasions.
The effects of the Bridge are assessed as follows: The Bridge will bring a greater proportion of the Wynyard Quarter within reach of the rest of the Auckland CBD by walking and cycling; It will facilitate excellent penetration of bus services through the Quarter; It will allow some bus services to be extended from Britomart right into the Quarter and will bring the Britomart Transport Centre within a reasonable walking distance of a greater proportion of the Quarter; It will offer an alternative transport route to/from the Quarter which will reduce the dependence of the area on a single route, namely Fanshawe Street. As a result, the provision of an alternative route which reduces the dependence of the area on access via Fanshawe Street is considered to be a major benefit in terms of the resilience of the network; The Bridge will have some minor positive and negative effects for general traffic, but the modelling assessment has demonstrated that the net effects are positive.
As a result, the Te Wero Bridge as a facility for pedestrians, cyclists and buses is considered to be a vital component of the transport solution for the area.
It is noted that there will be two further advantages for bus operations in routing some buses through the Wynyard Quarter: The extension of some services will reduce the pressure on layover space in the vicinity of Britomart;
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The diversion of some North Shore services will reduce pressure on bus stops along Fanshawe Street (particularly the bus stop adjacent to Victoria Park for westbound services).
The economic assessment indicates that the Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of the facility will be 1.0. However it is noted that this BCR under-represents the value of the facility, which will facilitate the development proposed by the Plan Change. This report has noted the intangible benefits of the project which are considered to be sufficient to justify a BCR of greater than 1. A BCR should also be prepared which reflects private contributions toward the Bridge.
The concept of pursuing the Bridge as a pedestrian and cycle link only may appear to be attractive in some respects. It would appear to offer a cheaper solution and it would avoid the potentially adverse effects of buses passing through the Viaduct Harbour entertainment area. However, there are considered to be significant benefits in terms of the accessibility of the Wynyard Quarter in getting buses “right to the front door” of developments within the Quarter. Such bus access is considered to be consistent with “Transit Oriented Development” and with the aim of the Plan Change to maximise the accessibility for modes of transport other than the private car. The traffic modelling indicates that this is achievable without causing significant increases in bus travel times (for those bus passengers that will be passing right through the Quarter).
This report has demonstrated that Quarter Areas 4 to 7 and part of Quarter Area 3 are only moderately well served by the existing bus stops along Fanshawe Street. This is particularly the case for persons accessing the westbound services along Fanshawe Street. These services are only served by bus stops to the south side of this busy route, and this represents a significant barrier to easy pedestrian access. At grade and grade separated pedestrian crossings of Fanshawe Street are proposed, but neither will provide the same level of access to buses as regular services running right through the Quarter. This is particularly the case on wet days, or for people that are less able to walk or do not like to walk for a variety of reasons.
As a result, the provision of the Te Wero Bridge for buses as well as pedestrians and cyclists is considered to be an important part of the transport package for the Wynyard Quarter and it is consistent with the objective of maximising the accessibility of the area by modes of transport other than the private car.
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APPENDIX A Regional Policy Documents
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A.1 NEW ZEALAND AND AUCKLAND REGIONAL LAND TRANSPORT STRATEGIES
The New Zealand Transport Strategy (NZTS) promotes a holistic, multi-modal view of transport that encompasses passenger transport, cycling, walking and travel demand management. The NZTS recognises that transport must contribute to economic development, safety and personal security, access and mobility, public health, and environmental sustainability.
The latest review of the Auckland Regional Land Transport Strategy (RLTS) document was released by the Auckland Regional Council (ARC) in November 2005. It adopts seven objectives to achieve the RLTS’ goal of
“a transport system which enhances the Auckland region as a great place to live, work and play”
The first five objectives incorporate the national transport strategy objectives while the remaining two provide an Auckland focus and include an economic efficiency dimension. The seven objectives are: Assisting economic development Assisting safety and personal security Improving access and mobility Protecting and promoting public health Ensuring environmental sustainability Supporting the Auckland Regional Growth Strategy (RGS) Achieving economic efficiency
The 2005 review of the RLTS provides a focus on measures that will support the Auckland RGS by reducing reliance on private cars and providing high quality alternatives. There is recognition in the RLTS that it will be impossible for Auckland City to build its way out of congestion simply by providing more road capacity. Rather transport benefits will come from progress towards completing the strategic road network combined with incremental, but substantial improvements to public transport and travel demand management.
Travel demand management is a constant strand through the RLTS and aims to modify travel decisions so that more desirable transport, social, economic and/or environmental objectives can be achieved, and the adverse effects of travel can be reduced. The RLTS sets out a number of policy approaches towards managing travel demand. These include supporting the RGS, on focussing intensification where strong public transport links exist or can be established with the Auckland CBD and careful management of parking provision in a manner which supports the broader based and more integrated approach to transport efficiency. More specifically, in terms of parking, policy 3.4.1 states:
“Achieve a balance between the provision of car parking and managing peak period traffic demands in areas of high parking demand such as the Auckland CBD and other regional centres. This should include consideration of parking ceilings in these areas.”
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The Auckland CBD is served by an arterial road network and a motorway system that is becoming increasingly congested. There is therefore an onus on Auckland City Council to encourage greater efficiency in the use of the network, so as to ensure capacity exists for the network to move increasing numbers of commerce related vehicles and people.
One of the expected results sought by the RLTS is that 49% of motorised trips into the Auckland CBD will be by passenger transport, compared with 32% now.
A.2 AUCKLAND REGIONAL GROWTH STRATEGY
Objective 6 of the RLTS is to support the RGS, which was released in November 1999. The RGS sets a vision for how Auckland’s growth could be managed to 2050 with a population of two million. Broadly, the aim of the RGS is to manage the majority of future growth into well designed urban growth centres and corridors.
The growth strategy concept is for more compact cities with 70 per cent of new growth occurring within the existing metropolitan area and concentrating this growth in more intensive mixed – use centres along northern, western, southern passenger transport corridors and main arterial routes. The strategy for more intensive development is to support a greater range of local services and facilities, increase the opportunity for safe walking and cycling and help support passenger transport. This approach needs to be supported by high standards of urban design.
A.3 ARTA REGIONAL PASSENGER TRANSPORT NETWORK PLAN
This plan was circulated in November 2006. This states ARTA’s mission as being
“To deliver a world class transport system that makes Auckland an even better place to live, work and play”.
The Plan includes a long term overview, looking ahead 40 to 50 years, but it relates primarily to the 10 year horizon, up to 2016. The major components of the plan include: Significant investment in the rail network, including electrification, and various network, infrastructure and service upgrades; Completion of a number of key bus rapid transit projects, including the Northern Busway, and the Central Transit Corridor between Auckland CBD and Newmarket; Implementation of Quality Transit Network bus services, between key destinations, including Auckland CBD, Botany, Manukau and the Airport; Improvement to ferry services and infrastructure; System improvements such as integrated ticketing.
The expected outcomes of the Plan are consistent with those of the RLTS, including the aim that 48% of people travelling into the Central City by motorized modes in the morning peak period will be by passenger transport. This compares with 49% sought by the RLTS.
A.4 AUCKLAND CITY’S GROWTH MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
To comply with the Auckland RGS, Auckland City released its own Growth Management Strategy (GMS) in December 2003. Under that strategy the vision for Auckland’s future is:
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“Auckland will be a quality urban city, prospering as a vibrant leading edge city with heart and soul”.
Auckland City is aiming to be the hub of the region’s economic and cultural life, and the powerhouse of the nation’s economy. The GMS sets out where, when and how Auckland City will grow and how to allow change to happen in a managed and effective way.
To accommodate Auckland City’s steady growth, the GMS identifies “areas of change” where that increased growth can be supported. The GMS identifies “priority one centres” where planning for growth was due to start in 2003 or 2004. Those centres are further defined as “urban living communities” which accommodate mostly residential growth or mixed use centres or “business development communities” which are mostly employment and commercial areas.
With its broader range of function the Auckland CBD is listed as a priority one centre for change in both those categories. It is expected to absorb around 9 per cent of projected growth in the next 20 years. The GMS states that the Auckland CBD:
“will become the major focus of urban living and economic activity, focussed around a revitalised waterfront and transport system”.
A.5 AUCKLAND WATERFRONT VISION 2040
The Auckland Waterfront Vision 2040 is a joint vision document, which was released by Auckland City Council and the ARC in December 2005. The aim of the vision is to provide an overarching framework for the whole of the Auckland CBD waterfront, recognising its importance to Auckland City on a number of levels. These range from its economic functions in terms of the port and marine and fishing industries, its function as the region’s gateway and its social and cultural function in drawing people to be entertained and to celebrate the region’s sea-loving Pacific culture and maritime history.
The vision identifies Wynyard Quarter and Viaduct Harbour areas as key components in any future redevelopment of the waterfront due to their size and location. In terms of Wynyard Quarter, the vision notes that future development should reflect its urban context and location in the Auckland CBD strategic growth area. It notes the significant transport issues affecting the area, particularly in terms of the intersections with Fanshawe Street. More specifically, in the range of principles set out in the vision for how the waterfront is managed, developed and protected in the future, it includes the following under “transport and linkages”: Strengthen links between the waterfront and adjoining areas; Improve pedestrian and cycling connections and opportunities; Ensure passenger transport services and supporting infrastructure, including water-based services, are fully integrated into future development; Design streets to provide a safe and pleasant environment for pedestrians, residents and workers; Ensure future development is within the capacity of the existing road network; Keep a grid based street pattern to improve connectivity and accessibility; Ensure any new connection linking Te Wero Island and Wynyard Quarter is not used by private vehicles and does not compromise boat movements into and out of the Viaduct Harbour; Strengthen connections between Victoria Park and Wynyard Quarter;
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Ensure consideration of issues and options related to the future harbour crossing do not compromise achieving the vision.
A.6 AUCKLAND CITY’S “INTO THE FUTURE” STRATEGY
“Auckland’s CBD Into the future” plan sets out a broad strategy to reshape and revitalise the Auckland CBD into the prosperous and vital heart of New Zealand’s leading city. The vision for the plan, which was published in June 2004, is:
“In the next 10 years Auckland’s CBD will grow and consolidate its international reputation as one of the world’s most vibrant and dynamic business and cultural centres.”
Among the outcomes that the strategy is aiming to achieve over the next 10 years is the redevelopment of Wynyard Quarter as a high quality mixed use quarter with valued public spaces and places and improved access to, from and within the Auckland CBD by passenger transport, walking and cycling.
A.7 AUCKLAND CITY’S TRANSPORT STRATEGY
In July 2005 Auckland City released its transport strategy “Connecting People and Places” (CPAP). The CPAP vision is:
“an integrated transport system that is reliable, convenient, safe and flexible in meeting personal, business and recreational travel needs”
The outcomes sought from the CPAP include supporting the regionally agreed growth, land transport and economic development strategies and, more specifically, reinforcing Auckland’s CBD as the business and cultural centre of the region.
The CPAP emphasises the importance of Auckland City’s transport policies working with, and not against, its policies for accommodating growth, economic development and land use planning which are, in turn, aimed at supporting the RGS. As noted above, the Auckland CBD is identified in the RGS as a priority one centre for residential growth and business development.
A.8 AUCKLAND CITY CYCLING AND WALKING STRATEGY
The vision for the Auckland City Cycling and Walking Strategy corresponds with and builds towards the Auckland City Council vision of an 'outstanding city'. One dimension of creating an outstanding city is to make Auckland City a place where it is easy to get around. One of Council's contributions to this dimension involves developing cycleway and walkway routes across the city and encouraging their use.
The Strategy (March 1998) has put in place a 20 year strategic plan for the future planning of recreational and transportation cycling and walking in Auckland City. In general terms, the Cycling and Walking Strategy sets the goals of providing wide kerbside lanes on the majority of arterial roads in Auckland City, providing combined bus priority and cycle lanes, and providing exclusive cycle lanes where appropriate.
A.9 THE CENTRAL AREA ACCESS STRATEGY
The “Central Area Access Strategy: Getting to, from and around the Auckland CBD” (known as CAAS), sits under “Connecting People and Places” and provides a framework for planning for access to and within the Auckland CBD over the next 10 years. The vision for transport is stated as:
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“By 2014, Auckland residents, workers and visitors will have access to high-quality transport choices that make it easy to get to and easy to move around the Auckland CBD. The transport system will be high quality, reliable, convenient, safe and flexible in meeting personal, business and recreational access needs.”
To achieve the vision, Auckland City has developed road function plans and the following seven priority strategies: Making our Roads Work Smarter: Improvements for access along Fanshawe Street including general traffic capacity improvements and 24 hour bus lanes. Getting More People Using Passenger Transport: Better integration of passenger transport and facilitation of multi-modal travel to and within the Auckland CBD. Providing High Quality Spaces for Pedestrians: Achieve pedestrian access that is well connected, more convenient, comfortable, attractive and safe. Supporting Business: Completion of the strategic network around the Auckland CBD, measures that manage heavy commercial and service access in a better way and maintain a good supply of short term visitor car parking. Influencing Travel Demand and Travel Choice: Rationalising the use of kerbside parking, encouraging short-term visitor over long term commuter parking, supporting park and ride facilities to link with passenger transport modes, and undertaking a travel awareness campaign, encouraging travel demand plans to reduce private vehicle reliance and provision of infrastructure to support cycling. Looking After Our Environment: Encourage a more sustainable transport environment including use of more efficient vehicles and cleaner fuels, reduction of vehicle queues and use of more passenger transport, walking and cycling. Preventing Accidents: Use of urban and landscape design to make clear to users the different role that each street plays within the Auckland CBD network.
The Auckland CBD is served by an arterial road network that is becoming increasingly congested. There is an onus on the Council to encourage greater efficiency in the use of the network, so as to ensure capacity exists for the network to move increasing numbers of commerce related vehicles and people.
CAAS sets the following mode split 10 year targets for people entering the CBD in the AM peak period: Private vehicle drivers 29% Private vehicle passengers 15% Public transport 50% Walk and cycle 6%
The CAAS identifies the Te Wero link as an important link for walking and passenger transport. The possible future links are shown below in Figure A-1.
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Figure A-1: Potential Key Pedestrian Routes as per CAAS
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APPENDIX B Benefit Cost Ratio Summary
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COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF THE OPTIONS: WORKSHEET 4
1. Project Options DO MINIMUM OPTION DO MINIMUM OPTION COSTS:
2. Capital Costs 30,610,483 0 30,610,483
3. Maintenance Costs 0 0 0
4. Total Costs (2) + (3) 30,610,483 30,610,483 BENEFITS:
5. Travel Time Costs 2,548,583,715 2,532,306,535 16,277,180 Other Road Users 2,412,910,236 2,399,660,846 13,249,390 Buses 135,673,479 132,645,689 3,027,790
6. Vehicle Operating Costs 613,280,243 612,323,881 956,362 Other Road Users 597,380,891 596,860,444 520,447 Buses 15,899,352 15,463,438 435,914
7. Accident Costs 0 0 0
8. Seal Extn / Passing Lane 0 0
9. Carbon Dioxide (5% of VOC) 43,122,998 43,061,394 61,603 Other Road Users 42,014,776 41,983,730 31,046 Buses 1,108,221 1,077,664 30,557
Pedestrian and Cycle Benefits 12,124,635 Daily Pedestrians (Wynyard Users) 2,521,212 Additional Pedestrians (Weekday Other) 1,639,991 Additional Pedestrians (Weekend Other) 1,204,891
Daily Cyclists (Wynyard Users) 589,245 Additional Cyclists (Weekday Other) 180,035 Additional Cyclists (Weekend Other) 208,848
Travel Time Benefits 5,780,413
10. Tangible Benefits (5) to (9) 3,204,986,955 3,187,691,810 29,419,780
11. Tangible B/C Ratio (10) / (4) 1.0
12. Ranking B/C Ratio n/a
13. Intangible Benefits (12) - (11) * (4) n/a
Land Transport New Zealand's Economic Evaluation Manual Volum e 1 Manual Number: EEM Flow Transportation Specialists Effective from 1 October 2006