Foreword Transport continues to be an area that impacts on everyone who lives in, works in or visits Tauranga. This updated Tauranga Transport Strategy 2012-2042 continues the work we started in 2006 with the Integrated Transport Strategy for Tauranga. It is a long term statement on our approach that is fully aligned with national documents and the new Regional Land Transport Strategy 2011-2041. City residential and commercial growth places increasing pressure on our transport network. Even with the recent completion of large infrastructure projects by the City Council and New Zealand Transport Agency, there is some congestion at peak hours. This will inevitably increase over the next 30 years. Our vision that Tauranga is a place that is easy and safe to move around means that we need to work hard to deliver an Optimised Transport System fully integrated with future land use. This will support our significant role in the national economy while providing more choice for safer local journeys. We will not be able to achieve this vision on our own and the continued support of organisations such as the New Zealand Transport Agency, the Port of Tauranga, Kiwirail and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council is essential to our joint success over the next 30 years. Mayor Stuart Crosby Executive Summary The Tauranga Transport Strategy 2012-2042 identifies, describes and prioritises the actions required to deliver the city vision of a place that is easy and safe to move around, and a place that is built to fit our hills, harbour and coast over the next 30 years. This is aligned with the sub-regional, regional and national strategic direction contained in documents such as Smartgrowth, the Regional Land Transport Strategy and the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport. The strategy is formed into three portions as shown. The first focuses on development of a local strategic direction based on the main issues and problems facing city transportation networks. An assessment of the transport-related issues has been undertaken which shows that the issue of continuing residential and commercial growth undermining efficient access to the port and commercial centres is of the highest priority. Other issues identified are a lack of clear progress in improving road safety, accessibility/ reliance on non-car travel modes, and issues of network resilience. Section one also confirms the strategic approach as the Optimised Transport System/Hierarchy of Interventions defined within the Regional Land Transport Strategy. This establishes an intervention process starting with ensuring integration between transport and land use planning, travel demand management, optimisation, then investment in new infrastructure. The second portion of the strategy is a more detailed consideration of key outcomes and the potential options and responses for each of nine key implementation areas e.g. public transport and the Tauranga Urban Road network. This ensures that the approach taken for each of these is aligned to the identified issues. Following this, part three of the strategy pulls together these threads into indicative strategic responses for the identified corridors. This establishes an integrated delivery process based on the best outcomes for all modes and an efficient and effective prioritisation process. Part One – Strategic Analysis and Direction Introduction Background This update to the 2006 Integrated Transport Strategy for Tauranga ensures that the city continues to contribute to an effective, efficient, safe, secure, accessible and resilient transport system that supports the growth of our economy, in order to deliver greater prosperity, security and opportunities for all New Zealanders. The updated strategy demonstrates a best practise approach, in light of updates to regional and national strategic direction in the last six years. A list of guiding documents and their interaction with the new Tauranga Transport Strategy 2012 is contained in Appendix One. Vision The portion of the overall city vision1, as included within the 2006 Integrated Transport Strategy for Tauranga, remains: Tauranga is a place that is easy and safe to move around In addition, to illustrate the connection between built form and network use, another element of Council’s overall vision is relevant for transport: Tauranga is built to fit our hills, harbour and coast Council Outcomes This updated strategy aligns with and delivers Council’s outcomes defined in the Tauranga City Council Ten Year Plan 2012-2022. These align with the 2012 Local Government Act requirements. Plan for and provide affordable fit for purpose services Planning of the transport system needs to recognise and integrate with land use planning, open space planning and urban design. It also needs to reflect the geography and location of the city in the sub-regional, regional and national context. These ensure that appropriate and lowest cost transport network investments are made at the correct times based on demand, and equally that land use development will not unduly impact on transport network by creating demand beyond available capacity. Enhance the quality of life for current and future residents The transport network provides access to education, employment, health services and retail activity. Ensuring that the network does not inhibit movement or sever communities from key destinations particularly as traffic volumes increase is part of maintaining and enhancing overall quality of life in Tauranga. 1 Tauranga City Council Ten Year Plan 2012-2022 Work in partnership with the community and engage in meaningful consultation This strategy seeks to determine the points at which congestion starts to be seen as unacceptable in a local and a national context and sets out a series of actions related to reducing this demand and then managing and optimising the network ahead of the need for investment. In doing so, it represents partnership and consultation with the Tauranga’s community about acceptance of congestion and willingness to fund or contribute to future projects. Provide leadership to the community we represent Linked to the above, the strategy in addition seeks to provide leadership to the community and to regional and national partners about the way our transport network in Tauranga needs to be maintained, operated and improved for the benefit of our community. Manage the balance between the social, environmental, economic, cultural and environmental wellbeing of the community Transport continues to impact on everyone who lives in, works in, plays a role in developing or visits Tauranga. This strategy recognises and supports the wellbeings individually and collectively. Objectives Local objectives for the transport network in Tauranga align with regional and national objectives, contained in the 2013 Land Transport Management Act and 2011 Regional Land Transport Strategy: · Efficient: Economic Growth and Productivity · Effective: Land use and Transport Integration, Environmental Sustainability, Access and Mobility · Safe: Safety and Personal Security, Public Health Strategy format The new Tauranga Transport Strategy 2012-2042 comprises three sections, each of which contributes to and cross-references the city’s wider strategic direction contained in Council’s overall Outcomes. Part One: Strategic Analysis and Direction Part Two: Key Implementation Areas Part Three: Indicative Strategic Responses Figure 1 – Strategy format Strategy review cycles The Tauranga Transport Strategy is based on a 30 year planning horizon consistent with the requirements of the Land Transport Management Act for the Bay of Plenty Regional Land Transport Strategy 2011-2041 (RLTS). The Strategy links the 30 year planning horizon with a practical 10 year forecast and a 3 year implementation plan consistent with the Government Policy Statement on Transport and the Local Government Act requirements that form the Tauranga Ten Year Plan. Actions set out in Part Two of the document are generally focused on a 3 year funding and implementation cycle. It is proposed that the Tauranga Transport Strategy be reviewed on a 6 year cycle to align with the Regional Land Transport Plan (under the amended Land Transport Management Act), the Ten Year Plan and Council’s other strategies. Actions set out in Part Two areas should be updated on a 3 yearly basis to respond to the national Government Policy Statement on Transport and inform the Tauranga City Council Ten Year Plan. Unless there is a significant change it is not anticipated this would prompt a fundamental review of the overall strategic direction. Policy Context Introduction The overall national vision is for an effective, efficient, safe, secure, accessible and resilient transport system that supports the growth of the economy in order to deliver greater prosperity, security and opportunities for all New Zealanders. Part of the role of the Tauranga Transport Strategy is to ensure the Tauranga transport network contributes to the national vision. Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Transport 2012-22 The national strategic context for the Tauranga Transport Strategy is set out in the GPS. The government has defined three focus areas within the GPS that are priorities for the 2012-22 period: · economic growth and productivity · ensuring value for money · improving road safety These priorities need to be reflected in the outcomes sought by the Tauranga Transport strategy. National Road Safety Strategy 2010-2020: Safer Journeys Government’s 2010-2020 national road safety strategy takes