JOINT EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF THE RICCARTON/WIGRAM AND SPREYDON/HEATHCOTE COMMUNITY BOARDS AGENDA WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH 2015 AT 5.30PM IN THE BOARD ROOM, BECKENHAM SERVICE CENTRE, 66 COLOMBO STREET, CHRISTCHURCH Riccarton/Wigram Mike Mora (Chairperson), Helen Broughton (Deputy Chairperson), Natalie Bryden, Vicki Buck, Community Board: Jimmy Chen, Peter Laloli and Debbie Mora Spreydon/Heathcote Paul McMahon (Chairperson), Karolin Potter (Deputy Chairperson), Phil Clearwater, Community Board: Melanie Coker, Helene Mautner, Tim Scandrett, and Rik Tindall Community Board Adviser Community Board Adviser Peter Dow Faye Collins Phone 941 6501 DDI or 027 4893749 Phone 941 5108 DDI Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] PART A - MATTERS REQUIRING A COUNCIL DECISION PART B - REPORTS FOR INFORMATION PART C - DELEGATED DECISIONS INDEX PG NO PART C 1. APOLOGIES 2 PART B 2. DECLARATION OF INTEREST 2 PART B 3. DEPUTATIONS BY APPOINTMENT 2 PART A 4. ANNEX/BIRMINGHAM/WRIGHTS ROUTE UPGRADE 3 For copies of Agendas and Reports, visit: www.ccc.govt.nz/thecouncil/meetingminutes/index.aspx 11. 3. 2015 - 2 - 1. APOLOGIES 2. DECLARATION OF INTEREST Members are reminded of the need to be vigilant to stand aside from the decision making when a conflict arises between their role as a member and any private or other external interest they might have. 3. DEPUTATIONS BY APPOINTMENT Joint Extraordinary Meeting of the Riccarton/Wigram and Spreydon/Heathcote Community Boards 11 March 2015 Agenda 11. 3. 2015 - 3 - 4. ANNEX/BIRMINGHAM/WRIGHTS ROUTE UPGRADE Contact Contact Details Executive Leadership Team General Manager, Culture, Leisure N Member responsible: and Parks Officer responsible: Unit Manager, Transport and City N Streets Author: John Edmonds, Project Manager Y 941-8611 1. PURPOSE AND ORIGIN OF REPORT 1.1 This report relates to the Annex/Birmingham/Wrights Route Upgrade project, which is part of the Capital Programme in the Council’s Three Year Plan (2013 – 2016), shown on page 305. 1.2 The purpose of this report is to: 1.2.1 Update the Spreydon/Heathcote and Riccarton/Wigram Community Boards on the preferred scheme design for the Annex/Birmingham/Wrights Route Upgrade project, following the consultation process; 1.2.2 Request that the Spreydon/Heathcote and Riccarton/Wigram Community Boards recommend that the Council approve the preferred scheme design for the Annex/Birmingham/Wrights Route Upgrade project outlined in Attachment 1 and as described in this report. 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2.1 The purpose of the Annex/Birmingham/Wrights Route Upgrade project is to improve the network capacity and safety in the Middleton Business Park Area. It has ID1341 on Page 305 of the Planned Capital Programme in the Three Year Plan (TYP). 2.2 The Wigram/Magdala overbridge and roading link construction project has now been contracted for construction. The bridge and link will provide a new connection from Wigram Road to a new signalised intersection at Annex/Birmingham/Magdala. The traffic using the new link will have an effect on traffic distribution and level of service through the Middleton Business Park area. This upgrade project is proposed to improve the network to accommodate the additional demands and ensure safe movement corridors for all users. General Arrangement 2.3 The four roads of the project; Annex Road, Birmingham Drive, Wrights Road and Matipo Street are designed to have a consistent cross-section throughout, comprising: 2.3.1 2.5 metre central median 2.3.2 3.3 to 3.5 metre traffic lanes 2.3.3 1.8 metre cycle lanes. 2.3.4 1.5 metre (minimum) footpaths (on each side) 2.3.5 On-street parking provided where corridor and kerb to kerb width permits. 2.4 This cross-section will allow improved vehicle flow over the existing situation, allowing vehicles turning into and out of property accesses to utilise the central median, out of the active traffic lanes. On road cycle lanes, footpaths and shared path facilities respond to the needs of the active modes in the area. The typical cross-sections for each of the four roads are shown in Attachment 2. Joint Extraordinary Meeting of the Riccarton/Wigram and Spreydon/Heathcote Community Boards 11 March 2015 Agenda 11. 3. 2015 - 4 - 4. Cont’d 2.5 It is intended to replace the existing roundabout at Birmingham/Wrights/Vanadium with a signalised intersection. The preferred configuration also includes signalising the Annex/Lunns intersection. 2.6 A series of shared use cycle and pedestrian paths are proposed for Annex Road on the southern approach to the rail crossing, and from the rail crossing to Blenheim Road. Shared use paths are the preferred treatment due to the overall complexity of movements for all road users at the Annex Road intersections with Lunns Road, the rail crossing and at Blenheim Road. 2.7 The carriageway changes have necessitated the removal of on-street parking. There are currently 357 on-street car park spaces in the project area (note that this does not include the area around the signalised intersection at Annex/Birmingham/Magdala). The rearrangement of the road cross-sections removes 190 of those parks. 2.8 Community consultation involved a leaflet and plan drop to stakeholders and owners/occupiers in the area; drop-in sessions; on-site meetings and the Have Your Say website. Consultation was open for four weeks closing on 12 December 2014. Approximately 52 percent of respondents fully supported the project, 23 percent objected. Of the feedback comments, the removal of on-street parking throughout the area was the most significant, followed by commentary around how cycling facilities in the area are planned. In response, it is intended to maintain some of the on-street parking by modifying the kerb positions (namely Matipo Street north of the rail crossing, and Annex Road (south/cul-de-sac). No changes are planned to how cycle movement through the area is configured. The City Plan requires businesses to provide a minimum level of on-site parking sufficient for staff and visitors. This is a newer area, and the Council has no policy to provide long term off-street carparking outside the CBD 2.9 The traffic control and parking controls required for the project will be submitted to later meetings of the Spreydon/Heathcote and Riccarton/Wigram Community Boards, the Infrastructure Transport and Environment Committee, and the Council. 3. BACKGROUND Project Objectives and Feasibility 3.1 The Greater Christchurch Urban Development Strategy (UDS) has identified south-west Christchurch as a major urban growth area, and the area continues to grow quickly since the earthquakes. 3.2 The Christchurch to Rolleston and Environs Transportation Strategy (CRETS) and the South West Area Plan Transport Assessment (SWAPTA) identified Wigram Road as one of the new arterial corridors linking the south-west with the more central part of the city, hence the Wigram-Magdala Link was included in the 2009-2019 LTCCP and the tender has now been awarded for its construction. 3.3 These earlier studies recognised that improvements to Annex Road, Birmingham Drive, Wrights Road and Matipo Street would be necessary to accommodate the growth in vehicle traffic as a result of developing the Wigram/Magdala link. All four roads are currently classified as collectors in the City Plan. The Replacement District Plan considers the Birmingham Drive/Wrights Road/Matipo Street links to be Minor Arterial Roads (urban industrial). Annex Road remains a collector (urban industrial). 3.4 Feasibility options were first examined in 2010/2011. They identified the need to improve traffic flow through the road links in the area, and the need to improve the functioning of the Annex/Lunns, and Birmingham/Wrights/Vanadium intersections. Joint Extraordinary Meeting of the Riccarton/Wigram and Spreydon/Heathcote Community Boards 11 March 2015 Agenda 11. 3. 2015 - 5 - 4. Cont’d 3.5 More recent traffic modelling, using the CAST model identified opportunities to improve the operation of Blenheim Road through the Blenheim Road Optimisation Corridor Study (BROCS). In particular, the study identified that the capacity of Blenheim Road and the intersections at Annex Road and Matipo Street could be improved by providing additional traffic lanes and modifying signal timing. 3.6 The location of the project area is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1: Project Location Plan 3.7 The Community Board areas are shown in Figure 2. Figure 2: Community Board Areas: Riccarton/Wigram is shaded blue - Spreydon/Heathcote is un-shaded. 3.8 Based on the background above, the scheme investigation commenced with the objectives: Joint Extraordinary Meeting of the Riccarton/Wigram and Spreydon/Heathcote Community Boards 11 March 2015 Agenda 11. 3. 2015 - 6 - 4. Cont’d 3.8.1 To improve/enhance the transport network in line with the Christchurch Transport Strategic Plan (CTSP). The CTSP shows the Birmingham/Matipo link (minor arterial and strategic route) forms part of the strategic road network. So the route upgrade should be designed to cater for the additional demands on the link as a result of the Wigram/Magdala Link and managed to maximise journey efficiency and reliability. This will ensure residential and business growth is facilitated in the south-west. 3.8.2 Wrights Road (main distributor in CTSP) and Annex Road (Local Road in CTSP) should be designed appropriately for the road hierarchy classification. 3.8.3 Freight movements in the immediate area (all links) should be catered for through appropriate design and conflict between access movements for freight and through movements for general traffic needs to be managed. There is also a freight hub identified in the area, so provision for that function (which partially exists currently) should be made. 3.8.4 Accommodate the Major Cycle Routes (MCRs) on Annex Road and across Wrights Road.