Terms of reference – Tauranga
Public Transport Joint Committee
Membership
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Chairperson
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Chair Anne Tolley
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Deputy chairperson
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Cr Andrew von Dadelszen
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Members
Bay of Plenty Regional Council
Tauranga City Council
External Member (non-voting)
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
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Cr Paula Thompson
Cr Andrew von Dadelszen
Chair Anne Tolley
Commissioner Stephen Selwood
Jessica Andrew
TBC - Alternate
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Quorum
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Two members, consisting of half
the number of members, of which one must be from each respective Council.
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Meeting frequency
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Bi-monthly or as required by the
need for decisions.
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Appointment of the Chair and Deputy Chair
and associated administrative support to be rotated between the two partner
councils on an annual basis.
Purpose
Provide
strategic and operational advice and direction for an integrated public
transport system for Tauranga city and monitor implementation delivery.
The aim is
to ensure that decisions in relation to all relevant parts of the transport
system are taken collectively, and deliver outcomes that are greater than the
sum of these parts. These outcomes are set out in the Urban Form and
Transport Initiative (UFTI) Programme Business Case and Tauranga Transport
System Plan (TSP).
Role
The Tauranga
Public Transport Joint Committee is a joint committee of Bay of Plenty Regional
Council and Tauranga City Council that report to their respective councils.
The area covered
by the Joint Committee extends to the Tauranga City Council boundaries. The
role includes:
· Enabling
integrated decision making for Public Transport in Tauranga City.
· Preparing
and reviewing a Tauranga City Integrated Public Transport Work Programme.
· The
Work Programme to include:
o Projects
and business cases as outlined in Annex 1 (and prioritised accordingly).
o Providing
advice and guidance on Tauranga-specific content of the Regional Public
Transport Plan (RPTP), for consideration by the Public Transport Committee.
o RPTP
policy implementation in relation to the Tauranga City Council area.
o Tauranga
city parking strategy and implementation.
o Travel
behaviour management programmes (including The Wednesday Challenge).
· Funding
and financing (includes updates on Tauranga road pricing, bus fares, parking
charges and third party funding).
· Monitor
and review the implementation of the Work Programme.
· Receive
reporting on the performance of public transport services and infrastructure,
and making recommendations for improvement.
· Provide
quarterly implementation updates to the Public Transport Committee.
For the
avoidance of doubt, the Joint Committee’s role does not include
adopting, varying or renewing the Regional Public Transport Plan, which is a
function of the Regional Council.
Reports to the
Joint Committee will be prepared in partnership between the two councils. Where
differences of view at officer level are apparent, these will be clearly set
out in order for Councillors and Commissioners to make an objective and
balanced decision.
Power
to Act
To make all
decisions necessary to fulfil the role and scope of the Joint Committee; with
relevant powers delegated from the respective council committees.
Any
recommendations that impose financial commitments to either party are to be
referred to the respective councils for approval.
Any variation to
the Joint Committee’s terms of reference are by formal agreement by both
councils.
Power
to Recommend
The Joint
Committee has a recommendatory power in relation to Tauranga City public
transport matters to be considered as part of the Regional Public Transport
Plan (RPTP) process.
Adopted by Tauranga City
Council – 8 February 2022
Adopted by Bay of Plenty
Regional Council – 17 February 2022
Annex
1: Projects and Business Cases
Priority
Projects
The
following projects are to be implemented, commencing in the next six months:
·
Tauranga CBD Interchange Temporary Relocation.
·
Bus Stop Improvements.
·
Bus Shelter Improvements.
The following
projects are to be implemented, commencing in the next twelve months:
·
Low Cost Low Risk projects relevant to public transport.
·
Tauranga Network Refresh Phase 2.
Business
Cases
The
following business cases will be progressed, broadly in priority order:
·
Tauriko Early Works.
·
Arataki Bus Interchange.
·
Public Transport Services & Infrastructure.
·
Tauriko Long Term.
·
Hewlett’s Road Sub-area.
·
Turret Road / 15th Avenue.
·
Cameron Road Stage 2.
·
Accessible Streets Area A (Mount / Papamoa / CBD).
·
Accessible Streets Area B (Otumoetai / Bellevue / Brookfield).
Operations
Matters could
include:
·
Coordination of highway works to minimise bus service disruption.
·
Bus service and work programme disruptions as a result of
COVID-19.
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Tauranga
Public Transport Joint Committee meeting Agenda
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1
May 2024
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10 Business
10.1 15th
Avenue to Welcome Bay SSBC Update
File
Number: A15770764
Author: Derek
McFadden, Senior Project Manager
Authoriser: Nic
Johansson, Head of Transport
Purpose of the Report
1. To
provide an overview of the Fifteenth Avenue to Welcome Bay Single Stage
Business Case (SSBC) and to seek endorsement and / or support for the Project.
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Recommendations
That
the Tauranga Public Transport Joint Committee:
(a) Receives
the report ‘15th Avenue to Welcome Bay SSBC Update .
(b) Supports
and / or endorses the Project.
(c) Notes
that Council is scheduled to consider the Project at its meeting of 20 May
and to approve the completion of Pre-implementation and subsequent
commencement of Implementation (which would be subject to NZTA approval of
the SSBC and funding). The SSBC will not be finalised by 20 May, but Council
will have the Executive Summary to consider. Consequently, Council will be
asked to delegate authority to the CE to approve submission of the final SSBC
to NZTA.
(d) Notes
that at its meeting of 20 May Council will also be asked to decide on
strengthening of the abutments of the Hairini Bridge to improve seismic
resilience of this structure and the harbour crossing.
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Executive Summary
2. This Project aims
to enhance the Fifteenth Avenue, Turret Road, and Welcome Bay Road corridor to
alleviate congestion, improve options for active modes of transportation and
public transit, and enhance access to essential destinations such as schools,
marae, and shops. The corridor's significance lies in its role as the primary
link connecting Welcome Bay, Ohauiti, Hairini, Maungatapu, and the central and
northern Te Papa Peninsula.
3. The Western Bay of
Plenty Transport System Plan (TSP) identified parts of this corridor as having
high operating gaps in level of service. It ranked as high as #4 in terms of
the worst peak hour congestion, and there is level of service deficiencies for
bus passengers, pedestrians and cyclists. These problems were confirmed through
the Investment Logic Mapping process. The future form of the corridor is
recognised as one of the key issues to address in the Western Bay of Plenty.
This emphasises importance of this Project in addressing identified gaps in
level of service, access and safety, particularly for cyclists.
4. The SSBC commenced
with the Indicative Business Case (IBC) phase in March 2022. Presently the
Detailed Business Case (DBC) phase is nearing completion. At the Council
meeting of 20 May, Council will be requested to approve Project Implementation
conditional upon New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approval of the
SSBC, which is not expected until October 2024.
5. This SSBC is a
result of collaborative efforts between Tauranga City Council, tangata whenua,
Bay of Plenty Regional Council, NZTA and stakeholders.
6. The SSBC
identifies a Preferred Option which includes:
(i) Three-laning of Turret
Road and the Hairini Bridge and Causeway.
(ii) A tidal-flow (dynamic
lane) system along Turret Road to provide an additional lane of capacity in the
peak directions of travel.
(iii) High Occupancy Vehicle
(HOV) lanes along Fifteenth Avenue and Turret Road – starting as T2, but
potentially changing to T3 or bus lanes at some point in the future.
(iv) Improved walking and cycling
facilities, targeting the key journeys to schools.
(v) Safety improvements.
(vi) Opportunities to include
cultural design elements that recognise the significance of the corridor to
mana whenua.
7. The investment is
proposed to be implemented from mid-2025 to mid-2029 and financed from the
National Land Transport Fund and IFF. The total project is estimated to be
$117M (P50 rounded) and $150M (P95 rounded) and with an overall Benefit Cost
Ratio (BCR) of 2.6.
8. At its meeting of
Wed 17 April 24 the TSP Governance Group recommended that in the light of the
current draft GPS investment priorities the Project economics should be
presented for the following two scenarios:
(i) BCR presented for the entire Project, i.e.,
all four zones are approved and constructed.
(ii) BCR presented for each of the following two
stages (Stage 1 being the more aligned with the current draft GPS and therefore
more likely to be approved by NZTA and attract funding):
§ Stage 1
– Full Zone 1 / Full Zone 2 / Part Zone 3 delivery (i.e., any
interventions in Zone 3 required to realise the benefits of Zones 1 and 2)
§ Stage 2
– Part Zone 3 / Full Zone 4
Relevant
BCR calculations and costs will be worked on over the period from the 17 April
to the 1 May to provide an update at the 1 May Joint PT Committee meeting.
Background
9. In
October 2021 Stantec was commissioned to conduct a strategic review of the
Project and offer recommendations to frame the scope of the business case. This
ensured a well-informed and strategic approach to the Project's development.
10. Following a competitive bid
process the SSBC phase commenced in March 2022 with Stantec as the main
business case consultant. At the same time Aurecon was direct appointed to
provide specialised advice on the condition and performance of the Hairini
Bridge and Causeway. Aurecon’s work has confirmed that three-laning of
the bridge is possible.
11. In February 2023, the
Commissioners agreed to an investigation of the option of a clip-on shared use
path (SUP) on the Hairini Bridge. This SUP will provide a safer way for
pedestrians and cyclists to cross the harbour, whilst creating space for an
additional lane (for traffic) to be added onto the existing bridge.
12. Following public consultation
in September 2023 the Commissioners approved the Preferred Option and the
commencement of the DBC phase.
13. On 12 February 2024, the
Commissioners approved early Pre-implementation activities between
March-September 2024 that are required to be completed before the expected date
of NZTA approval of the Project (October 2024). This will ensure that the
Project meets the Long-term Plan (LTP) construction start date of July 2025.
This approval was for $3.5M at 100% TCC risk.
14. On 12 April 2024 the Western
Bay of Plenty Transport System Plan (TSP) PMG agreed to recommend to the TSP
Governance Group that it supports the Project, which it did at its meeting on
17 April.
15. The Council is scheduled to
consider the Project at its meeting of 20 May and to approve the completion of
Pre-implementation and subsequent commencement of Implementation (which would
be subject to NZTA approval of the SSBC and funding). The SSBC will not be
finalised by 20 May, but Council will have the Executive Summary to consider.
Consequently, the Council will be requested to delegate authority to the CE to
approve submission of the final SSBC to NZTA.
16. At its meeting of 20 May
Council will also be requested to decide on strengthening of the abutments of
the Hairini Bridge to improve seismic resilience of this structure and the
harbour crossing.
Strategic / Statutory Context
17. Turret Rd is one of only two
bridges across the harbour that connect Tauranga’s central Te Papa
peninsula to the east. This connection is of key strategic importance to the
region. With existing and growing congestion, upgrading this route is
paramount to economic growth and productivity of the region.
18. Subsequently, the Project has
been identified as a priority in transport plans in Tauranga and the Bay of
Plenty. The Project is one of Tauranga City Council’s five major
transport projects and is included in the Long-term Plan (LTP). It is listed as
the sixth highest strategic priority in the Bay of Plenty Regional Land
Transport Plan 2024-34 (RLTP). It is listed as with the highest priority of
’High’ in the TSP. The Urban Form and Transport Initiative notes
the Project as a ’key move’ for the central corridor, and as one of
the UFTI implementation first steps’ ’transport delivery actions.
19. This Project delivers on each
of the strategic priorities in the Draft Government Policy Statement on Land
Transport 2024-2034 (GPS). The strong BCR of 2.6 indicates good value for
money. The significant travel time benefits (42% of benefits) deliver economic
growth and productivity. The bridge strengthening that is being considered
would increase resilience. The Project would also generate safety improvements
(3% of benefits). Moreover, the GPS specifically notes interventions such as
dynamic lanes to make better use of assets and deliver value for money.
20. The Project would also
improve multimodal access and help to address current deficiencies in the
Welcome Bay area, including poor connections, lack of Māori land
development opportunities and infrastructure constraints. These improvements
align well with objectives in UFTI, the TSP, the LTP and the RLTP.
21. In summary, the Project is:
(i) of key strategic
importance.
(ii) delivers on strategic
priorities in the GPS.
(iii) delivers on objectives in
UFTI, the TSP, the LTP and the RLTP and
(iv) is identified as a priority
in UFTI, the TSP, the LTP and the RLTP
Options Analysis
22. An initial wānanga held
on 13 May 2022 convened stakeholders from TCC, BoPRC, NZTA and hapū to
establish a strategic vision for a corridor project. This resulted in an agreed
outcome statement: ’Acknowledging kaitiakitanga and improved wellbeing
for future generations by delivering efficient movement and enhanced
connectivity of people, place and identity’.
23. A long-list workshop was held
on 5 July 2022 convening stakeholders from diverse organisations to analyse key
evidence and propose interventions aligned with the draft Investment
Objectives. This resulted in the identification of 112 interventions addressing
themes such as demand management, public transport, intersection upgrades, and
safety measures.
24. The Early Assessment Sieving
Tool (EAST) was systematically used to evaluate potential project
interventions, identifying fatal flaws, out-of-scope initiatives, quick-win
opportunities, and interventions aligned with the investment objectives. This
process ensured prioritisation of feasible, goal-aligned interventions whilst
eliminating those unlikely to deliver desired outcomes.
25.
The Multi-Criteria Assessment (MCA) process, conducted between August and
September 2022, comprised initial briefing sessions on August 30th and
September 9th, followed by a technical moderation session on September 23
rd.
During this session subject matter experts shared scores and discussed
assumptions. Subsequent follow-up sessions were held to further refine scores,
leading to the identification of top programmes for each of the four zones
shown in the figure below. The programmes that were favoured for Zones 1 and 2
where
Walking and Cycling,
Quality of Place and
Transport
Choice; while those for Zones 3 and 4 were
Walking and Cycling and
Do
Maximum respectively.
26. In early 2023 the
short-listing assessment was undertaken confirming Zones 1 and 2 should include the introduction of T2 lanes in
widening areas, raised medians along Fifteenth Avenue across side streets, and
the implementation of new pedestrian crossings and slower speed zones around
schools to enhance transportation and safety.
27. In February 2023
Commissioners agreed to an investigation of the option of a clip-on shared use
path on the Hairini Bridge and conversion to three traffic lanes. This was
subsequently confirmed as technically feasible.
28. Public consultation on the
shortlist options took place during September/October 2023 to help inform
selection of the Preferred Option. There was support for a tidal flow lane
across Hairini Bridge, improved shared/cycle paths and High Occupancy Vehicle
(HOV) lanes along Fifteenth Avenue, with only minor changes needed to the
shortlist options.
29. In October the Commissioners
endorsed the Preferred Option which has subsequently been refined through
further traffic modelling, a Safe Systems Audit and design development.
30. The Preferred Option comprises
the following interventions:
(a) Zone 1 – Cameron
Road to Burrows Street
(i) Widen to create a
consistent four lane corridor - x1 general traffic and x1 high-occupancy
vehicle (T2) lane in each direction.
(ii) New pedestrian/cyclist
signalised crossing at Devonport Road.
(iii) Potential new traffic
signal at Grace Road.
(iv) Raised tables on side roads.
(v) Shared path between Fraser
Street and Turret Road (to the bridge)
(vi) Raised median (Cameron Road
to Fraser Street)
(vii) Shared path between Fraser Street
and Burrows (on one side)
Zone
1 - Local road improvements
(viii) Cycleway along Thirteenth Avenue to
connect to Tauranga Boys‘ College and Cameron Road.
(ix) Completion of the shared
path along Burrows Street, including new pedestrian crossings.
(x) Shared path along
Eighteenth Avenue, outside of Tauranga Intermediate School
(b) Zone 2 – Turret Road
and Hairini Bridge and Causeway
(i) White fronted tern
habitat relocation.
(ii) Clip-on shared path to
the existing bridge.
(iii) Conversion of the existing
bridge to three lanes.
(iv) Tidal flow system in place
along Turret Road and across the bridge.
(v) New signalised pedestrian
crossing across Turret Road.
(vi) New traffic signal for the
Holiday Park
(c) Zone 3 and 4 –
Welcome Bay Road
(i) Shared path (on one
side) along the full extent of Welcome Bay Road.
(ii) New signalised
mid-block pedestrian crossing close to Kaitemako Road.
(iii) Signalisation of the
Welcome Bay Road/James Cook Drive intersection.
(a) Includes x2 approach lanes
along James Cook Drive (x1 for buses only during the AM peak)
(b) Removal of the right-turn out
from James Cook Drive.
(iv) Mini roundabout at Victory
Street/James Cook Drive.
(v) New roundabout at Waitaha
Road/Welcome Bay Road (LCLR project due for completion in June 2024)
(vi) Raised tables on side roads.
(vii) Recreational boardwalk across the
mangroves, alongside Welcome Bay Road between James Cook Drive and Waitaha
Road.
(viii) Improvements for the Welcome Bay
School (new pedestrian crossings & shared path)
(ix) New signalised mid-block
pedestrian crossing for Tauranga Waldorf School.
31. The Preferred Option has a
Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of 2.6, with benefits split as follows:
(i) Travel time and vehicle
operation costs = 42%
(ii) Public Transport = 3%
(iii) Safety = 3%
(iv) Walking/Cycling = 52%
Financial Considerations
32. The
Forecast Cost at Completion (FCAC) of the Pre-implementation and Implementation
phases of the Project is $117M (P50) and $150M (P95). Cost estimates have
been confirmed via an independent parallel estimate process.
33. The above figures include
pavement rehabilitation estimates of $13M (P50) and $15M (P95) which are not
expected to be funded by NZTA. The FCAC also include forecasts of
Pre-implementation expenditure before the expected NZTA Board approval of the
Project which is also not expected to be funded by NZTA.
34. The LTP Budget for the
Project Pre-implementation and Implementation phases is $142.7M (P95) (i.e.,
total of $146.5M less $3.8M for SSBC costs). Therefore, there is a shortfall at
P95 level of $7.3M. The reason for this shortfall is that the LTP Budget
submission is based on capital cost estimates from early 2023, the most recent
cost estimates not being available until after the LTP Budget submission on 7
March 2024. There have also been a small number of design changes arising from
the Safe Systems Audit that have resulted in a small cost increase.
35. It is proposed to deal with
this shortfall by including a condition on Council approval in May 2024 that
the Project only progresses to Implementation if the FCAC is less than the LTP
Budget or the LTP Budget plus other funding approved by the Council at the
time.
36. The FCAC and available
funding will be monitored and reported to the Major Projects Oversight Group
throughout the Pre-implementation phase to ensure there will be early warning
of any budget shortfall which might put Implementation at risk.
37. Ongoing alignment with
broader transport and City Waters investments will be required to maximise the
expected benefits, reduce disruption and to provide cost efficiencies through
the Pre-implementation phase. The scope of the City Waters projects that will
eventually be included in the scope of this Project is not yet defined. Therefore,
the above FCAC and budgets exclude the City Waters projects.
Legal Implications / Risks
38. There is a risk that the
draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS) may result in delays
of NZTA decision making, or funding potentially not being fully approved.
39. The above risk has been
mitigated as far as possible as the SSBC will highlight that: (a) value
engineering has taken place, (b) there is a high BCR for active modes, (c)
there is demonstrated high existing demand for active modes, (d) there is a
clear safety benefit, and (e) the clip-on SUP for the Hairini Bridge is
required to enable the three-laning of the Hairini Bridge and tidal flow
through Zone 2.
40. Council has been advised that
no investment decisions will be made by NZTA’s Board prior to October
2024 in alignment with National Land Transport Funding allocations. Council
will continue to work with NZTA on submitting the SSBC to the NZTA Board for
approval as soon as possible.
41. To meet the LTP date for commencement
of construction Council has already commenced Pre-implementation works which
puts Pre-implementation costs both before and following the date of NZTA Board
approval at risk. Council has accepted it will need to 100% fund
Pre-implementation costs expended before NZTA Board approval. The funding risk
on Pre-implementation costs that will be incurred following NZTA Board approval
is being managed by ensuring that procurement of suppliers for
Pre-implementation works follows NZTA procurement processes.
Consultation / Engagement
42. Community engagement began
with a workshop in May 2022 to connect with partners, discuss corridor issues,
and share stories with representatives from Council, NZTA, Bay of Plenty
Regional Council and mana whenua. Subsequent meetings involved a broader range
of stakeholders, including emergency services, government agencies, community
groups, and more.
43. Mana whenua have been
represented as Project partners on the monthly Project Control Group (PCG)
meetings since the commencement of the SSBC. This representation will continue
throughout the Pre-implementation and Implementation phases as the PCG
transitions to the Project Management Board (PMB) under Major Projects. Several
wānanga and hui have taken place from which a Cultural Map and Cultural
and Urban Design Framework have been produced, both of which will inform
design during the Pre-implementation phase of the Project.
44. Public
consultation was held in June/July 2022 seeking the community’s views of
improving the corridor with a survey asking them to share concerns, ideas on
how they travel, the environment and how community wellbeing could be improved.
The community told us they wanted more lanes, widened roads, an upgraded
harbour crossing, a tidal flow system, improved public transport, alternative
travel modes, improved pedestrian and cyclist safety, reviewed speed limits,
alternative routes and potentially additional schools to mitigate travel
distances for students and parents.
45. Public
consultation on the short list options took place in September/October 2023.
Support was strong for a tidal flow system across Hairini Bridge, improved
shared/cycle paths and HOV lanes along Fifteenth Avenue. Several changes were
made to design details because of the public feedback.
Significance
46. The Local Government Act 2002
requires an assessment of the significance of matters, issues, proposals and
decisions in this report against Council’s Significance and Engagement
Policy. Council acknowledges that in some instances a matter, issue,
proposal or decision may have a high degree of importance to individuals,
groups, or agencies affected by the report.
47. In making this assessment,
consideration has been given to the likely impact, and likely consequences for:
(a) the current
and future social, economic, environmental, or cultural well-being of the
district or region.
(b) any persons who are likely to be
particularly affected by, or interested in, the proposal.
(c) the capacity of the local authority to
perform its role, and the financial and other costs of doing so.
(d) the impacts of construction on residents and
businesses and the staggered construction programme proposed along the
corridor.
(e) the impacts of the Project on
the wider network with its interface with other projects and where the main
arterial flow of traffic will be diverted to, in and the around the city.
48. In accordance with the
considerations above, criteria and thresholds in the policy, it is considered
that the proposal is of high significance.
ENGAGEMENT
49. Taking into consideration the
above assessment, that the decision is of medium significance, officers are of
the opinion that no further engagement is required prior to the Committee
making a decision.
Click here to view the
TCC
Significance and Engagement Policy
Next Steps
50. Council approval that the
Project proceeds to Implementation.
51. Complete the SSBC and submit
it to Waka Kotahi for Board approval.
52. Continue with early
Pre-implementation activities.
Attachments
Nil
