Tomorrow is the next AT board meeting and as usual I’ve been through the reports to pull out the stuff I find interesting.

The closed session is where all of the really interesting stuff happens, my comments in italics.

Decisions for Approval/Decision

  • Quarterly Report
  • AMETI Delivery Strategy
  • CAP Programme Business Case – This is briefly described in the business report as

The Programme Business Case for the Central Access Plan (isthmus to city centre) has been developed jointly with NZTA and Council. A recommended integrated programme (IP) will be provided to the AT Board in April and NZTA Board for approval in May. The IP identifies a range of investments to address growing bus patronage demands against corridor / terminus capacity constraints.

  • Road Stoppings
  • Lodgement of Lincoln Rd NoR
  • Station Security & Fare Enforcement – This will likely relate to changes announced last year including changing some stations including changing access to platforms etc.
  • Integrated Fares Product, Pricing – With integrated fares only a few months away I’m sure AT are finalising the details for it now.
  • CRL Enabling Works Update
  • CRL Procurement update – AT appear to be finalising how they’ll procure the main works part of the CRL

Items for Noting

  • 2016/17 Budget
  • Deep Dive – Harbour Master
  • CRL Communications Update
  • AT Deliverables
    1. Results for Projects completed to 31 March 2016
    2. AT Deliverables – Tasks for completion by 30 June 2016

In the open session there is an item looking at the final design of the New Network on the North Shore, I’ll look at that in more detail tomorrow.

On to the main Business Report. These are listed in the order they appear in the report

From the technology team there is this about AT HOP. It’s not clear just what this entails or what parts of HOP infrastructure are classed as aging.

A programme has been established to address the aging AT HOP infrastructure and the associated support requirements. This will also incorporate increased capacity if required; following the Integrated Fares rollout.

Project Updates

  • They say the design of Nelson St phase 2 is 85% complete and construction is due to start in October. As yet there is still no indication of just what the final decision about what side it will go on.
  • On the trains they’re now trialling harmonic reducing software and other power management tools presumably to improve reliability of the trains further.
  • The hearing for the bridge to replace the Sarawia St level crossing was held last week. Hopefully we can get a resolution on this project soon.
  • Otahuhu Bus/Train interchange is on track for completion in August which is earlier than I thought was intended.

Not in the project section but this chart below shows how AT are tracking on their PT project spend for the financial year and as you can see there’s still quite a bit to go in some areas. On the bus infrastructure improvements they say they are still on target as a lot of works are due to happen in May and June however on the bus priorities and bus lanes they say

As a result of delays in receiving project mandates, we are forecasting a $1.3m underspent this financial year. It is proposed to defer the underspent amount to next financial year. That way we will still be on track to deliver the overall three year programme. We continue to work with Metro to improve program and gateway handover’s

2016-04 PT Infrastructure spend

When AT introduced the city centre parking zone a few years ago it also came with a policy about how AT would review the pricing on a regular basis. The pricing is meant to be demand responsive to ensure that occupancy of the carparks is in the 70-90% range and as part of that the hourly price increases if you stay in the park longer. The point of that is to encourage long term to parking buildings and leave on street parking just for short stay parking. As part of this the first 10 minutes are also free. As a result of the regular review AT plan to make some changes to prices.

In area one prices will go from $4/hour for the first two hours with $8/hour thereafter to $4.50/hour for the first two hours then $9/hour for every subsequent hour. In area 2 there are two different prices and AT will standardise them to $3/hour for the first two hours and then $6/hour for every subsequent hour. That’s an increase for some areas such as at Wynyard but no change elsewhere. Occupancy of the areas is shown below.

Of course some media have already picked up on this and are using it to make headlines.

2016-04 City Centre Parkting Zone changes

There’s a section of the report talking about a Waterview Connection Completion Plan which appears to be the NZTA and AT working out how everything will operate but it also says some physical works will be needed to local roads as a result. It also says this is needed “due to the requirement to manage traffic in the Waterview Tunnel”. The wording of the information suggests to me that the NZTA don’t want traffic backing up in the tunnels and so they will restrict access to them at times (presumably during the peak) and divert extra traffic to local roads. I’ve asked the NZTA for more info about this.

AT are closely monitoring traffic in the city especially so with all of the disruption that is and will be going on for some time to come. They say this highlighted issues with bus journey time reliability which seems mostly related to works that were happening such as the CRL enabling works on Victoria St. In response to this they’re making changes such as to signals to reduce impacts. The wording seems to suggest they’re only worried about traffic flow and I hope those changes that are being made aren’t also negatively impacting on pedestrians as a result.

There are a number of PT Updates, some of the more interesting are:

  • AT are in discussions with Birkenhead Transport for them to buy double deckers for use on Onewa Rd in the future.
  • In what is likely related to the PT financial tracking, AT say that as part of the new network for South Auckland, 32 projects for new or upgraded bus stops are under construction or about to start with another 152 in the pipeline.
  • AT are working on moving the Glen Eden Park n Ride which is due to be completed in June
  • On-board train digital information screens have been installed on one train and will be tested in May while they say the screens on buses will be trialled from April
  • AT include information on the number of complaints they have had about PT. With crowded buses in February and March it’s no surprise bus complaints have jumped up recently.

2016-04 PT Complaints

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52 comments

    1. I believe that Birkenhead Transport Limited has no current plans of purchasing them..so I don’t think they’re coming anytime soon. But then, you never know… see what happened in the South Auckland tender… Never say never…

      1. With the integration and restructuring of bus timetables will AT roll out a singular bus design livery? After moving to Auckland from small town NZ I found all different bus companies confusing… ta

      2. Hi there. With the new integration of stops, routes and bus services is AT planning to introduce a one livery design like the trains in future? Since moving to Akl from small town NZ over a year ago I found it abit confusing with all the different companys.. ta

        1. Yes, @Jossy, you can read all about it in the local newspaper how people are outraged that all the buses are becoming one colour (see letters to the editor re: Birkenhead buses in North Shore Times over the last few weeks). To be honest, while I don’t like the new dark colours Auckland Transport chose, I think there are bigger fish to fry. One benefit is that on one route AT can potentially run multiple operators.

        2. It will be a very sad day when Birkenhead Transport are forced to repaint their buses. They have been the only point of constancy in the wacky and ever changing world of Auckland public transport since before I was born. They have had essentially the same livery since at least the 1960s (i cant find colour photos earlier than that, so its hard to say. Apparently they used to be red and silver back in the 1930s).

  1. I have noticed that the pedestrians sequences have already changed to favour cars significantly. The doubles Barnes dance seems to be gone whenever I am walking to and from the bus. There have also been times (during the peak) that the pedestrian sequence does not automatically get started (The read man does not come up right after a sequence ends). All in all not a good result for people walking. It looks like the car focused part of AT has control of Queen St. Pity as the other side of AT do seem to be trying to improve things.

    1. I noticed that too. Very annoying. I spoke to someone at AT and their excuse is that they’re prioritising buses apparently. I beg to differ. They got their priorities really wrong. Another stupid example of such ridiculous timing favouring cars is Symonds Street and Wellesley St intersection – only during peak times – the wait for peds is about 2 minutes (maybe longer?) and that’s so the pedestrians can admire the stationery cars stuck in traffic. They’re probably “prioritising” buses again, yeah right.

  2. > A programme has been established to address the aging AT HOP infrastructure

    It’s only 4 years old! Although some parts, like the website, seem like they were obsolete the day they were released.

    1. Could this mean back-end infra? Like the IT systems – who knwos whether they were fully new when implemented?

  3. If they are updating Hop infrastructure I’d like to see tag posts co located with the top up machines so passengers don’t have to walk halfway along the platform after they have topped up.

      1. ++
        How hard can it be to add a tag reader on the machine box itself – there’s already all the wiring and a reader already in there for goodness sake! Should be cheap as chips, and a big upgrade in user experience.

        1. Tag point needs to be at least a step away from the machine, so that numpties can’t block access to the machine while they tag on after topping up.

        2. Also people would inadvertently tag on/off when just wanting to check card or other such misc things.

  4. I had to laugh at the idea of people panicking at $42/day for parking, they should go to Brisbane, that won’t even get you an hour in some parts of the city!

    1. I have had a lot of fun on Facebook today with all the faux outrage by various political petrolheads complaining about the CBD parking costs. Reminding them that this is downtown Auckland in 2016, not 1966, and that nobody with any smarts expects to be able to drive into the CBD and park all day on the street.

      1. The new parking cost are only a revenue grab as well as the council forcing people onto PT to make there so called amazing projects look good we all know that

        1. Market rates what a load of rubbish .Mate at the rates we see in the paper its going to cost more to park that it is to live in a 2 bed room flat ..Do your numbers over a 7 day period buddy .. most wont like what they see when the size of the area is only big enough to park a car..If thos goes ahaed the parking cost will drive people out of the city which includes business .Good thinking ay

        2. Hey Mike, how can it be a ‘grab’ when it’s entirely voluntary? Just stay away from city, or leave your lump of metal behind when you do visit. Then you can laugh at all those choosing to help fund the city out of the goodness of their hearts… Up to you bro, no one is demanding you drive there.

        3. I wondered when Patrick was going to have his say ,I have just spent 5 days in Christchurch most this week i was parked in a council parking spot right next to the council building as I had meetings with council members .The cost of parking only $25 a day .AFFORDABLE dont you think .We all need to think about the number of parking spots that are under control of Auckland city council
          When it comes to Auckland we are looking at soon to be $63 a day at that cost the normal family wont come to the city as the cost of parking will keep them away .JUST REMEMBER most people are no on over one hundred grand a year .On top of putting the car parking up its that time of year when rates will rise as well

        4. Mike, if you are going to a meeting , you are very unlikely to be there all day. This is exactly behind the price change. If you are going to be there all day, find a much cheaper parking building. Meanwhile, short visits are very well taken care of, for much less than $42 per day.

        5. Mike, in my reply I state 2 options – either short or long / all day. Do you need another option?

        6. Mike, I don’t know if you are intentionally winding us up or if you are actually hard of reading?

          You are talking about parking on the street in the central core of downtown Auckland. There’s no space for anyone to park all day, what kind of idiot plans on parking in a CBD street for 7 days, or seven hours even? Actually I would ask what kind of selfish prick thinks they deserve to take up a roadside carpark in the middle of town all day long? Seriously.

          If you want all day parking then go into one of ATs parking buildings, it costs a maximum of $24 a day. That’s a dollar cheaper than your Christchurch example by the way. If you want short term parking then park on the street, it’s only $3 an hour for the first two hours. Just don’t expect to park on Queen street for eight hours and it be affordable!

          Sorry but you are a complete moron if you drive into town and try and park on the street all day long. You’d deserve to lose $63!

        7. Bryce, you stated 2 options but missed the 3rd of renting an apartment and keeping your car in there, which by all accounts would be cheaper.

        8. You can rent a parking spot without an apartment. Prices are about $60 per week. And I think you’ll find cheaper prices if you shop around a bit.

        9. Hi Roeland .your right with those prices quoted problem is those car parks are far and few .My comment was form what was published in the hearld .
          Some people on here like Nick E think they are above everyone else when they are put on a spot the start name calling .What everyone dont know i have dealing with nearly every council in the country and have done so for a number of years ,All say the same about AT and the polices that are not been used. The the Auckland code of compliance in this document it says use polyurethane or epoxy resin binders for coloured surface .yet we see a product called MMA which is plastic (cols applied plastic) been used ,there are numbers of other areas in the code of compliance that are totally ignored .Why did the rate payer pay for 2 years work on this document for it to be ignored by the very people who put it together

      1. Just had a look at that. I cannot see any discussion on an Onewa busway station or the lack thereof. I certainly commented on this, and judging by the comments on this blog at the time I am sure others did as well. If anyone can find if/where they have discussed this I would be very interested.

        1. Me too… here’s a copy of my submission:

          Onewa Road Northern Busway station – it’s absolutely critical to connect the Kaipatiki to the rest of the public transport network. Please prepare plans immediately, get the NIMBYs used to the idea that it’s coming. Use up the existing infrastructure (pedestrian tunnel). It doesn’t have to be grand, just need good quality shelters and some pretty AT flags on each side of the motorway by Police and on the other side, and it’s all done! We can’t listen to local Northcote Point residents who are living in a close proximity of a transit corridor to disadvantage everyone else in west North Shore.

  5. anyone know the plan for Glen Eden park n ride? just moved out there and with all those long roads like glendale, captain scott, glenview, woodglen, rosier….it would be a sitter for a giant cycle park n ride instead if you could put decent facilities along those roads, secure bike parking, and a way to get across west coast rd that wasn’t hopeless. would have the effect of making it easier for kids to get to schools along those roads too. there’s so much of GE that’s within bikeable but not walkable distance to the station.

      1. That would be ride and ride, wouldn’t it? And if you add a bike share/hire at the destination it would be ride, ride and ride again!

    1. I think it was headed for Waikumete Road, near the cemetery…? On walkability – GE is quite a large area, but plenty is in good walking catchment. Areas like Rosier are more tricky, but plenty of people get the 153/154 to the station. Would be better if AT synchronised train and bus times better here in future – will be interesting to see if the 10min train schedule improves this. Currently very common to get off the train and see a bus pulling away, especially in the evenings…

    2. From what I remember, the plan is to move the Park n Ride down Waikumete Road (the road with the fire station on the corner) – not sure what will be done with the existing facility.

      Agree that much of GE isn’t bikeable: West Coast Rd is a particular nightmare. But there’s also a fair few hills which are difficult to avoid, particularly in the area bounded by Glengarry Road and West Coast Road. Around Pleasant Road as well. Those hills and valleys were ideal for sun-oriented orchards; cycling, not so much.

      (PS: Welcome to Glen Eden!)

  6. I would like to know what is At doing about policing there code of compliance ..In lots of areas the code of compliance says only these products are to be used .But sadly we all see that they been been adhered to .This code of compliance was a costly document to the city only to be ignored

  7. Looks like it is finally dawning on someone that Waterview is not going to be a straightforward and unmitigated success. Despite being the most logical of the city’s mway projects as it completes a major bypass, it also seems likely to deliver great clots of traffic unrationed into the city, along with similarly unrationed lumps down the supersized SH16. This is going to strain the CMJ, and lead to passages of gridlock and frustration.

    So it looks like this bypass will now require up-sized local roads to keep it functional. Despite a major point of urban m’ways is to enable local roads to become civil again by removing traffic from them, in practice this of course seldom happens. More evidence that all massive urban road spending achieves is more massive road spending around and alongside it. Great business to be in: Every failure or complication just leads to calls for ever more building and ever more public cost….

    1. It won’t just strain the CMJ. I suspect the connection southbound from SH20 to SH1 at Manukau will become impassable during peak hours unless the traffic light controls are abandoned.

      1. The project to widen SH1 south of the SH20 junction is already underway.
        The CMJ is a problem possibly without a fix due to lack of space.
        The current connections from SH18 to SH1 north & south are only single lane. Each of these would need to be 2 lanes, but then there’s no way these could merge onto SH1 as lanes can’t be added at VPT or Khyber Pass / Mountain Rd. SH18 will be an even worse carpark city bound than it is now.

        1. But Anthony you say ‘fix’ like it has meaning; of course that’s nonsense, any widening anywhere leads to the ‘need’ for more ‘fixes’ elsewhere; this is just an infinity device of makework for the highway/sprawl industry. Incentivising driving is no fix; it is the cause!

          Congestion is too many cars, not too few roads. Good grief this isn’t hard.

    2. Perhaps the traffic light controls on roads parallel to Waterview need two control modes – a “normal” one that places a low priority on traffic that could otherwise go through Waterview, and an “emergency” one for when the tunnel is blocked. This way the local residents get some benefit from the new motorway through reduced local traffic, and puts a dampener on induced traffic.

  8. The moving target for opening Parnell Station seems to have moved again – “… by the opening of Parnell station with the proposed early 2017 Timetable upgrade.”

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