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Resolution
number WTK/2024/97
MOVED by Chairperson
G Presland, seconded by Member M Allen:
That the Waitākere Ranges Local Board:
a)
whakarite / provide the following feedback on the Draft
Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-2034:
i)
note that a late change in the
Government Policy Statement on Transport has meant that the preparation of
the draft statement has been rushed.
Climate change
ii)
note that Auckland Council declared a
climate emergency in 2019
iii)
note that Auckland Council’s
Transport Emissions Reductions Pathway (TERP) plan has the target of a 64 per
cent reduction in transport emissions by 2030
iv)
note that the draft plan states that
there is insufficient funding to deliver the level of transport investment at
the pace and scale required to achieve a 64 per cent reduction in transport
emissions by 2030, and consequently TERP’s objectives will not be met
v)
urge the plan to be amended to be
bolder, to increase public transport and support improved walking and cycling
options.
Park and ride
vi)
note that park and rides have been
given a relatively low ranking in the Auckland region’s priorities for
transport funding list
vii)
request that park and rides are
ranked higher in the Auckland region’s priorities for transport funding
list
viii)
note that the opening of the City
Rail Link may result in high demand for park and ride parking spaces,
particularly in the western park and rides at Swanson, Sunnyvale and Glen
Eden
ix)
note that park and ride usage at the
edge of the city achieves considerably greater congestion benefits. This is
because the saved trips are longer and also they serve areas that are
otherwise deprived of public transport, such as the rural and coastal parts of
the Waitākere Ranges rohe
x)
support the First and Final Leg
program (improving access to railway stations)
xi)
support the First and Final Leg
program being rolled out over time to the whole of the western line.
Level crossings
xii)
note that there is funding available
for level crossing removal at Takaanini but nowhere else
xiii)
note the comment in the draft plan
that “addressing level crossings becomes a more pressing issue due to
impacts on local traffic and safety. Auckland Transport is progressing a
regional programme of level crossing removals but faces significant funding
challenges to implement these as fast as required”
xiv)
note that the advent of the City Rail
Link will cause havoc in Glen Eden where the rail line crosses Glenview Road
close to a major intersection and we appeal to the Committee to address this
issue as a priority.
Walkways and cycleways
xv)
support the prioritisation of
walkways and cycleways
xvi)
note that walkways and cycleways are
some of the cheapest and most efficient means of improving sustainability and
reducing congestion
xvii)
support state highway improvements
being ranked as a lower priority
xviii)
note that the Waitākere Ranges
Local Board has a Greenways Plan
xix)
note that the implementation of the
Waitākere Ranges Local Board Greenways Plan remains largely incomplete
xx)
note that the Waitākere Ranges
Local Board Greenways Plan could provide significant congestion benefits if
implemented
xxi)
request that the projects in the
Waitākere Ranges Local Board Greenways Plan are given consideration
xxii)
note as an example that the Sunnyvale
to Glen Eden cycleway, which potentially uses Waikumete Cemetery, could
provide significant connectivity between Glen Eden and Sunnyvale and also
provides increased access to the Twin Streams cycleways
xxiii)
note that “Cycling projects
that will increase the size of the cycling network” are one of the
options for funding to be considered
xxiv)
note that walkways and cycleways
will: contribute to optimising traffic movement on our road network and
motorways, encourage more sustainable modes of travel from key growth areas
and provide opportunities for investment in safety infrastructure to reduce
deaths and serious injuries on our transport network.
Importance of footpaths
xxv)
note that too many local footpaths
are currently of low quality
xxvi)
support increased emphasis on the
importance of ongoing footpath maintenance
xxvii)request greater priority be given to adding to the
footpath network where community have indicated a strong desire to utilise
use them.
Northwest Rapid Transit
xxviii)
note that the Northwest is an area of
rapid growth and that the north western motorway suffers from significant
congestion during increasingly large parts of the day
xxix)
support the introduction of quality
public transport in the northwest region but note that any development must
future proof rapid transport, preferably for rail or light rail
xxx)
note funding issues for the Northwest
Rapid Transit project. Our suggested solution is NZ Transport Agency Waka
Kotahi (NZTA) is persuaded to transfer the funding from the State Highway
Improvements activity class to the Public Transport Infrastructure activity
class.
Public transport
xxxi) note that an increased uptake of public transport is a
major element of Transport Emissions Reductions Pathway (TERP)
xxxii)
note that it is predicted that
funding will be sufficient for existing services, City Rail Link-enhanced
services and “potentially a portion of new bus services”
xxxiii)
note that TERP requires a five-fold
increase in the number of public transport trips taken and that this proposal
is not close to achieving that level of public transport patronage
xxxiv)
note that increased farebox recovery
will put a dampener on the need to dramatically increase public transport use
xxxv)
note that there needs to be an
increased focus on safety, particularly at transport hubs
xxxvi)
support the establishment of new
public transport routes, especially to the coastal communities out west which
currently do not have any access to public transport. This will require small
local buses, and greater frequency and reliability
xxxvii) strongly advocate for investment in smaller buses to
improve connection to the major transport routes, protect our rural/coastal
roads and increase public transport patronage in our outlying areas.
East West Link
xxxviii)
propose that the funding for the East
West Link project ($651 million over ten years) is saved and put to better
use, preferably a project that will not increase greenhouse gas emissions.
CARRIED
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