DRAFT Auckland Regional Land Transport Plan 2021-2031
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DRAFT Auckland Regional Land Transport Plan 2021-2031 DRAFT DRAFT Auckland Regional Land Transport Plan 2021–2031 DRAFT 2 DRAFT Auckland Regional Land Transport Plan 2021–2031 Contents 01. Context 3 02. Purpose and scope 11 03. Funding 17 04. Auckland’s transport challenges 21 05. Responding to Auckland’s challenges 35 06. Inter-regional priorities 63 07. Measuring outcomes 69 08. Funding andDRAFT expenditure 77 09. Consultation and feedback 83 10. Appendices (See supporting document) 2 DRAFT Auckland Regional Land Transport Plan 2021–2031 01. ContextDRAFT Auckland, Tāmaki Makaurau, is home to 1.7 million people – one third of all New Zealanders – and is forecast to grow by another 260,000 over the next decade, reaching around 2.4 million by 2050. This rapid population growth presents a number of challenges in our quest to be a liveable, climate-friendly and productive city. Growth represents opportunity but Evidence tells us that Aucklanders Ultimately Auckland needs a when combined with Auckland’s like the improved experience, well-coordinated and integrated challenging natural setting and particularly on rapid and frequent approach to help people and urban form the outcome has bus and train services where the freight get around quickly and been increased congestion and number of trips has almost doubled safely – one that significantly limited connectivity. When we in 10 years. In 2019, Tāmaki reduces harm to the environment add in housing affordability,DRAFT a Makaurau achieved a milestone and where there are multiple global climate emergency and with more than 100 million public transport choices. the Covid-19 health pandemic, transport boardings made – the This draft Auckland Regional Land Auckland has a lot to contend with. first time that number had been Transport Plan 2021-2031 (2021 achieved since the early 1950s, but Over the past 20 years, Auckland’s RLTP) outlines our proposed we need many more Aucklanders civic leaders and Central response to these challenges to access better transport choices. Government have significantly over the next 10 years. boosted investment in transport More than a third of Aucklanders and significant effort has gone into live within 500 metres of a frequent providing Aucklanders with more public transport service, yet the choices about how they travel majority of us still choose to use around the region. A committed our private motor vehicle for most effort has been made to improve of our trips. bus, train and ferry services and develop better infrastructure for those who walk and want to use a bike. 3 DRAFT Auckland Regional Land Transport Plan 2021–2031 The big picture – what has changed Recently, the Climate Change Commission (CCC) issued the 2021 Draft Advice for Consultation. Transport since the last RLTP features strongly with advice to decarbonise the light While it’s only been three years, a lot has happened that vehicle fleet, step up to challenging growth targets for makes updating the Auckland Regional Land Transport public transport, walking and cycling, and reduce the Plan 2018 -2028 (2018 RLTP) necessary. need to travel through remote working practices. The 2018 RLTP representedDRAFT a step-change in transport In 2019, an additional 16,600 cars (330 per week) investment for Aucklanders, with a transformational were registered in Auckland, adding to congestion, programme to tackle existing and future transport contributing to increased emissions, clogging freight problems. The introduction of a Regional Fuel Tax (RFT) movements and costing time and money. and a $28 billion package to deliver 14 large-scale The road transport system contributes to 38.5 per infrastructure projects provided the region with certainty cent of Auckland’s emissions and the final advice and sparked accelerated momentum. and Central Government’s response to it is critical Focus on climate to tackling climate change. Aucklanders tell us they are supportive of tackling Late 2019 Auckland Council declared a climate climate change yet the way to successfully execute emergency, with strong pledges to introduce the transition is both complex and unclear. It must improved fuel emissions standards and accelerate the be tackled using both a systems and evidence-based decarbonisation of Auckland’s public transport bus approach, and results in equitable outcomes. fleet. In July 2020 the council unanimously passed the Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan, which boldly aims to halve Auckland’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. The plan’s main transport actions are to encourage mode switch to public transport and active modes, decarbonise AT-contracted buses, and advocate to Central Government for policies to support lower and zero-emission vehicles. Context 4 DRAFT Auckland Regional Land Transport Plan 2021–2031 Context cont. The Impact of Covid-19 Review of Auckland Council The team of five million has done a great job to date Controlled Organisations managing the risks of Covid-19. As a result the economic In 2020 the Independent Review of Auckland impacts have been less than many initially anticipated. Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs) highlighted The transport response has also been very good when opportunities to improve responsiveness as well as the 1 compared with international comparators and as a delivery of minor projects. Another key recommendation consequence use of buses, trains and ferries has been from the review was that Auckland Council and AT work 2 much better than almost all other international cities . with the Ministry of Transport (MoT) and Waka Kotahi But Covid-19 has changed the way we work. The rise NZ Transport Agency (Waka Kotahi) to streamline of office meeting software such as ‘Zoom’ and ‘Teams’, funding processes. This goes to the heart of delivering has significantly impacted transport in Auckland, with the transport system Auckland needs at greater pace. major structural shifts in the need to travel for work purposes. People travelling on buses, trains and ferries Transport system progress less frequently, with some returning to the perceived Safety ‘safety’ of private motor vehicles.3 As a result, Covid-19 has severely impacted key cash revenue streams in Consultation on the draft 2018 RLTP attracted the last year. As a result, Auckland Transport (AT) has 18,091 submissions and showed that Aucklanders had to rely on greater funding support from Auckland were firmly behind greater investment to make the Council and the Covid-19 Response and Recovery roading network safer. While much more needs to be Fund to maintain services, and top-up reduced capital done, this investment has helped to reduce the number expenditure through the ‘shovel-ready’ programme. of deaths and serious injuries (DSI) across Auckland’s transport system. Covid-19 has also impactedDRAFT some parts of our community harder bringing social equity into greater In 2017, 813 people died or were seriously injured on focus. It’s raised the need for a continued focus on Auckland roads. Provisional numbers for 2020 show a sustainable procurement practices and a heightened continued decline since then, with 539 DSI for the year response to Māori, Pasifika and low income communities. ending 31 December 2020. This represents a 33.7 per cent reduction, minimising the burden of road trauma The economic response to Covid-19, has led to lower on whanau and saving hundreds of millions of dollars interest rates fueling house prices. Transport through in socio-economic costs to New Zealand. the provision of supporting services can be an enabler of more housing supply and can help shape the type of This programme is showing promising early signs but housing that is built. In 2021 housing affordability and there is still more opportunity to do better. Auckland funding to provide roads for light vehicles, freight, buses continues to have one of the highest rates of pedestrian, and people on bikes, as well as train and ferry services cyclist and motorcyclist road deaths in the world and, to support housing growth at the scale required, remain following the second Covid-19 lockdown in Tāmaki challenges to be solved. Makaurau with less traffic on our roads, we saw the average speeds at which people travel in their cars increase, along with a significant uplift in DSI. Eleven people died during the last two months of 2020 and a further seven people died on Auckland’s road network in February 2021 alone. 1 AT’s Covid-19 Response: A Review, January 2021, Draft for Discussion – An independent review completed by PwC 2 Covid-19 Ridership Evolution, March 17, 2021 pepared by UITP 3 AT RLTP Public Preferences Study, January 2021 5 Context DRAFT Auckland Regional Land Transport Plan 2021–2031 Rapid and frequent train and bus services A third track between Wiri and Westfield is also DRAFTprogressing. This will allow express train services Aucklanders have voted with their feet since the between the south and the city centre and unlock Britomart Train Station opened in 2003 and the Northern more freight capacity from the Ports of Auckland Busway opened in 2008. Use of these rapid transit to distribution centres throughout Auckland and networks has substantially increased, indicating that other regions. rapid and frequent public transport is critical. Annual train patronage increased 755 per cent (from 2.5 Changes to rail legislation will also benefit Auckland by million in 2003 to 21.4 million in 2019) while annual bus aiming to address longstanding rail funding issues and patronage increased from 43.6 million in 2008 to 73.1 arrest the ‘managed decline’ of rail infrastructure. million in 2019. As a result of broad scale effort, over $7.5 billion of new rapid transit projects are now either in construction or are in detailed design. Since 2018, more electric trains have been delivered and more pieces of the Rapid Transit Network (RTN) are progressing: construction of the transformational City Rail Link (CRL), Eastern Busway, Puhinui Interchange to Auckland International Airport rapid bus services and Northern Busway extensions, as well as design of the Northwest Bus Improvements along State Highway 16 and electrification of the rail network from Papakura to Pukekohe.