March 2021 Transport design with everyone in mind FOREWORD Great cities and communities are built on the safe, sustainable and The cost of delivering this plan is huge. Partner agencies will face efficient movement of people and goods. The Western Bay of Plenty difficult decisions about funding in the years ahead, compounded Transport System Plan identifies the right transport investments to by community frustration as road congestion gets worse, not better, support urban and rural development and provide people with better in the medium term. This plan is designed to guide decision makers travel choices. This is a significant milestone and one which is set to through those challenging funding conversations. It is backed up by change the way people move around the Western Bay of Plenty over robust research and evidence to give them confidence that every dollar the next 30 years. invested brings us closer to a transport system that functions for the benefit of the whole community. On the back of the Urban Form and Transport Initiative recommendations, which were endorsed by Cabinet and the Waka Working together, we have confidence that our coordinated investment Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Board in August 2020, we are planning approach can deliver on the shared vision for transport and help make a transport system that supports future ‘up and out’ development and the Western Bay of Plenty a great place to live, learn, work and play for connects existing and new urban centres in a way that makes it easy to many years to come. move around to work, learn and play. There are no quick fixes. The next few years will focus on delivery Dean Kimpton of already committed transport projects which include major public transport and mode shift initiatives. In this time we will also start Independent Chair business cases and design for the next generation of substantial Western Bay of Plenty Transport System Plan investments and larger projects. Western Bay of Plenty Transport System Plan | 2 TRANSPORT DESIGN WITH Contents EVERYONE Planning Our Future, Together 4 Why Is The TSP So Important? 9 Our Priorities 17 IN MIND FAQs 42 Western Bay of Plenty Transport System Plan | 3 PLANNING OUR FUTURE, TOGETHER Western Bay of Plenty Transport System Plan | 4 Transport design with everyone in mind We’re working together on a The Western Bay of Plenty is one of New Zealand’s The Urban Form and Transport Initiative (UFTI) sets united approach to tackle housing, fastest growing areas. Planning what our sub-region out how people will live, work, play, learn and move in transport, infrastructure, economic will look like in future will help manage this growth our region over the next 30 to 70 years. TSP will help successfully and preserve the lifestyle and natural realise UFTI’s vision and benefits. and environmental issues so the best environment we all love. possible decisions can be made with UFTI’s Connected Centres programme is an agreed everyone in mind. This document focuses on our region’s future way forward and is based on a projected population of transport needs. Tauranga City Council, Western Bay 400,000 residents in the Western Bay, requiring 95,000 of Plenty District Council, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport new homes and resulting in two million extra transport Agency, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, tangata movements every day by 2090. whenua, Port of Tauranga, Priority One and KiwiRail Want to know more about UFTI? have all helped to develop the Western Bay of Plenty Visit ufti.org.nz/reports/ for further information. Transport System Plan (TSP). Western Bay of Plenty Transport System Plan | 5 Transport design with everyone in mind KEY OUR GROWING SUB-REGION Suburb intensification UFTI’s Connected Centres vision is all about growing up and out. More houses and apartment blocks will be New neighbourhood built in existing suburbs along the Te Papa Peninsula MOUNT MAUNGANUI Public transport hub (from Greerton to the CBD), Otūmoetai/Matua and ŌMOKOROA Mount Maunganui. New neighbourhoods will be Public transport created or expanded in the east (Wairakei, Te Tumu, OTŪMOETAI/MATUA Cycleways/Walkways Rangiuru), west (Pyes Pa, Tauriko West) and north (Ōmokoroa). * Cycleway subject to further investigation and engagement with tangata whenua. Achieving a balance between greenfield development and intensification is the best way to house our growing population. WAIRAKEI/ TE TUMU TE PAPA PENINSULA Public transport and walkways and cycleways * will connect existing and new urban centres so people can easily move around to work, learn and TAURIKO WEST play. Housing densities will be highest in the areas described above and transport ‘hubs’ will help people change bus services safely and efficiently to reach PYES PA their destination, and provide places to park bikes RANGIURU and e-scooters. Western Bay of Plenty Transport System Plan | 6 Transport design with everyone in mind WHAT DOES THE TSP DELIVER? The TSP takes UFTI’s Connected Centres vision and Having identified what projects need to happen and focuses on the first 30 years of transport planning when, the TSP will now be used to inform our local Understand how we will travel around the required to make it happen. and regional councils’ Long Term Plans and the Western Bay in the future and what UFTI’s Regional Land Transport Plan to ensure funding is strategic journey corridors will look like It prioritises and decides what projects need to begin secured and work gets underway when it should. in 0-3 years, 3-10 years, and 10-30 years. The TSP looks at the Western Bay’s entire transport Identify where the best place is for each system including roads, rail, public transport, walking, mode of travel (i.e. private vehicles, high cycling, parking and travel demand management, and occupancy vehicles, public transport, the impact they all have on one another. It’s vital our freight, cycling, walking) transport planning keeps everyone in mind. Crash statistics, population and employment Invest, design and build the right projections, transport modelling, vehicle emissions projects at the right time and mode conflicts have all been analysed to identify key pinch points in the network. Both infrastructure and non-infrastructure options (i.e. policies and travel demand management) have been tested to decide THE TSP Understand what the impact on the whole which projects will have the greatest benefit to the HELPS US: transport system is if we make changes community and businesses. The TSP isn’t a wish-list – it’s based on hard facts and in-depth research. Projects will be prioritised and will Take a consistent approach to planning and be monitored to ensure we remain on track to deliver review, ensuring decisions are transparent UFTI’s Connected Centres vision. The TSP will ensure and can be made with certainty people have genuine transport choices in the future and will help us to manage the growth issues we face. Make policy changes that align land use and transport outcomes Western Bay of Plenty Transport System Plan | 7 Transport design with everyone in mind THE JOURNEY SO FAR Completed Here’s a look at the steps we’ve taken. To be completed Launch of UFTI/ spatial planning SmartGrowth (From June 2020) SmartGrowth UFTI alignment and strategy review stage 1 begins implementation (2013) (September 2018) (from June 2020) TSP TSOF and STIP prepared by Community the partnership consultation on team LTP and RLTP NLTP released Ongoing integration (Early 2018) (June 2020) Partners agree UFTI to Urban Form final report and Transport released (From April 2020) Initiative (UFTI) Partner approval LTP + RLTP Projects funded Launch of TSP of TSP outputs adopted and progressed for inclusion in RLTP, LTP and NTLP processes TSOF – Transport System Operating Framework STIP – Share Tactical Implementation Plan RLTP – Regional Land Transport Plan NLTP – National Land Transport Plan LTP – Long Term Plan Western Bay of Plenty Transport System Plan | 8 WHY IS THE TSP SO IMPORTANT? Western Bay of Plenty Transport System Plan | 9 Transport design with everyone in mind We don’t have the money or space to always build more roads to cater for future growth. Instead, we must ensure people and goods move more efficiently and effectively along the transport routes we do have. This requires a shift away from cars and towards public transport, cycling and walking. UFTI’s Connected Centres programme is the best plan to achieve this (and other urban planning goals), and the TSP spells out what transport planning is required to bring it to life over the next 30 years. The TSP also ensures transport projects are not done in isolation and money will be used wisely. It brings local councils, Waka Kotahi, KiwiRail, Port of Tauranga, Priority One and tangata whenua together to achieve the future we all desire for the Western Bay of Plenty. Western Bay of Plenty Transport System Plan | 10 Transport design with everyone in mind WHAT TRANSPORT ISSUES DO WE FACE? Here’s a quick summary of where things stand and what problems we need to solve. GROWTH BUS FARES VS PARKING COST Our population growth and increasing economic Bus fares and parking costs have an important role activity (especially the amount of freight going to and to play in encouraging people to switch from private from Port of Tauranga), means delays on key routes vehicles to public transport, and reducing the overall are getting worse. Daily traffic is increasing by about demand on our transport system. Co-ordination is 8% each year which affects locals’ quality of life and required when setting these costs as one will have a productivity. direct impact on the other. Our economic growth is also higher than New Zealand’s average and key industries such as kiwifruit, TRANSPORT HABITS agriculture, forestry and fisheries rely on efficient road and rail links so they can get their goods from A to B.