Devonport-Takapuna Lecal Board 46 May 2017 Auckland Transport - Overview Lake Road Improvements Indiciative Business Case File No.: CP2017/09005 Purpose 1. This report is to introduce and provide an overview of the draft Indicative Business Case (IBC) for the Lake Road Improvements project, ahead of planned public consultat Auckland Transport (AT) is planning to consult on both a proposed approach and three possible levels of investment. 2. While the local board may wish to provide any initial direction and input into the IBC, staff advise that an additional report, which will include the findings and analysis will be reported to the local board following the completion of the public consultation. This process will allow the local board to consider the issues raised during public consultation, and formulate a position on each of the key matters. 3. Suggestions are however sought from the local board on ways for AT to undertake the public consultation, for instance running sessions in conjunction with the draft Local Board Plan engagement. Executive summary 4. There has long been community frustration at how unreliable and congested travel can be along the Lake Road corridor, as well as the lack of attractive alternatives to driving a car. AT has developed a draft Indicative Business Case (IBC) as a first step towards identifying a solution and securing funding to address these issues. The IBC will not be finalised until AT has received and considered public and local board feedback. Support from the community ‘and local board is vital for any package to move forward and enable AT to seek funding in upcoming Long Term Plan/Regional Land Transport Programme rounds. 6. The draft IBC contains @ range of technical material and AT plans to summarise this and place it in a funding context for consultation with the community. AT’s investigations, which included looking at the role of Esmonde Road, sought options to. © Improve the ‘people throughput of the Lake Rd corridor; © Improve journey time reliability; and ‘* Improve travel choices by improving the attractiveness of alternatives 7. The draft IBC considers a range of material, including growth projections and data from recent travel surveys and other studies. 8. The range of options considered by AT included many put forward over time by the community or local board. The essessed options included «creating altemative corridors; + changing the current lane arrangement; + widening Lake Rd in various ways; + traffic ight phasing changes; ‘+ removing or altering the cycle lanes; ‘+ improved bus or ferry services; * various technology or travel planning initiatives. “Auskland Transport - Overview Lake Road Improvements indiciaive Business Case Pages Item 14Item 14 Dovonport-Takapuna Local Board 46 May 2017 9. 10. " a2) 13, 14, 15. The resulting draft IBC has recommended that a package of improvements be implemented, as there was found to be no single intervention which addresses all the problems. ‘The proposed approach consists of a mix of transit lanes (to support higher occupancy vehicles and buses), walking and cycling improvements, travel behaviour change initiatives, and technology improvements. The aim is to improve the reliability and productivity of travel choices to and from the Devonport peninsula — particularly for shorter local trips which make up almost haff of trips using Lake Rd. It is important to acknowledge that there is no funding confirmed for the delivery of any Lake Rd improvement project beyond currently programmed maintenance or operational work. The role of the IBC is to confirm the importance of resolving Lake Rd transport problems and put the case for necessary funding to to be allocated in the upcoming LTP. Therefore, AT will be seeking feedback not only on the proposed approach but also the ‘optimum level of investment, acknowledging that each investment level has inherent risks, impacts and benefits. All investment options seek to improve the people-moving productivity of Lake Rd and offer greater travel choices to travellers in the Devonport peninsula. Any Lake Rd investment will be prioritised against other transport funding requests from across the region, so the package which provides the best value in addressing the problems is most likely to progress, While the local board may wish to provide any initial direction and input into the IBC, staff advise that an additional report, which will include the findings and analysis will be reported to the local board following the completion of the public consultation. This process will alow the local board to consider the issues raised during public consultation, and formulate a position on each of the key matters. AT will use the report to consider public feedback before finalising the IBC. ‘Suggestions are however sought from the local board on ways for AT to undertake the public consultation, for instance running sessions in conjunction with the Local Board Area Plan engagement. Recommendation/s That the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board: a) ») 16. 17. ‘Rockland Transpor - Overview Lake Road improvements Indiciave Business Case receives the report introducing the Lake Rd improvements project and notes that feedback will be sought at the Board's next scheduled business meeting or other agreed date; provides suggestions on ways for AT to undertake the public consultation on the Lake Rd project. The high and variable travel demands piaced on Lake Rd have long raised concems from the community. As part of investigating transport issues in the Devonport peninsula, AT found that almost haif of the trips taken on Lake Rd are short local trips. These trips clearly have more opportunity to be changed to being undertaken by a different mode or being done ina different time or different way. This will free up Lake Ra for those longer distance trips or other trips that are more likely to be done by car. AT considers that simply trying to move more cars along Lake Rd will just increase the number of cars and provide only short term benefits — so it is preferred to improve alternatives, and reduce the need to drive for all trips. AT’s proposed approach seeks to move more people along Lake Rd through introducing transit lanes where possible (the extent varies depending on the investment level), to ‘encourage people to use buses and to rideshare (supported by a new rideshare app). AT is investigating converting the existing citybound Esmonde Ra bus lane into a transit lane and connecting it to the motorway onramp. This should allow anyone travelling with others in aDevonport-Takapuna Local Board 46 May 2017 18. 19. 20. 24 car (or on the bus) to avoid a long slow traffic queue on Esmonde Rd, and encourage fewer cars to be on the road. AT also proposes to use technology to give better information on traffic conditions, trip choices and other mode options — to help people plan their travel belter. People may use this information to change the time of their trip, switch to a different mode or at least have a better idea of travelling conditions. This is likely to include new electronic roadside signs with relevant travel times, ‘real time’ congestion maps, a journey planning app and a new ridesharing app. There are a number of local activities and destinations along Lake Rd, and itis in everyone's interest to enable local people to be able to walk and cycle to them. AT proposes to provide for safe cycling facilities along Lake Rd, supported by the parallel Greenway routes to support people cycling in the area, in order to reduce pressure for local trips by car. AT recognises that many people have to, or want to, travel by car and the proposals to move more short local trips out of cars will help Lake Rd move more people with fewer cars. There are already plans to improve bus and ferry services (e.g. the recently consulted New Network bus programme) and these will also support improvements to Lake Rd. The proposed approach also includes walking and cycling improvements along Bayswater ‘Avenue, as well as intersection improvements along the Lake Rd corridor. ‘AT recognises the importance of working with larger organisations (such as the Navy or local schools) to provide assistance with travel planning. The proposed approach includes co-ordinating with efforts by AT’s Travel Demand team, to support any physical changes to Lake Rd. Investment Options 22. 23. ‘Along with the proposed approach, in the upcoming public consultation, AT will be seeking feedback on three possible levels of investment - high, medium and low. Each investment level has different costs, benefits, risks and timelines. The table below summarises the three possible investment levels. The cost ranges are only indicative and will depend on the eventual detailed design. The potential delivery timeframes also relate project costs and available LTP funding. Low Kerbs unchanged, roadmarkings ‘Minar community ‘Easiest io achieve. Quicker to secure Used'o achieve sooments oftranst dlsrupion.Leasl Least delivery isk. funding and deliver evouna sien Ne: Buleryimprovements Cycle beni. Customers eect Likely nnext 5 Janes relained. TDM and technology greater benefit. years ‘components Medium ‘Shit some kerbs to create longer Moderato Moderate delivery Maderate time 10 sections of ransit lanes. Busfery communi Fisk Al works within secure nding and (coun $040M) Semen paces aed, darpion Patel oadresane, Solver Likely 5-10 ‘TOM and technology components. benefits. Underground years services lection High \Widen rad in adjoining properties, ‘High community Harder to achieve. Longer ime fo Full provision for all movements. ruption. Greater Need for property secure funding, (Around $70M*) ——Busiteny improvements. Separated scaleand range of acquistion impacts undertake ‘oydelanes. TDM andtechnology benefits. timo and cost teonsentng, ‘components Underground ‘acquiring and and ‘services ralocation, detver. Likely 10+ years. Consideration and next steps 24. AT is planning to consult in late May/early June on both the proposed approach and three possible levels of investment for this approach. TRucKiand Transport - Overview Lake Road improvements indicative Business Case Page 39 Item 14Item 14 Devonport-Takapuna Local Board 16 May 2017 25. Suggestions are however sought from the local board on ways for AT to undertake the public consultation, for instance running sessions in conjunction with the Local Board Area Plan engagement. 26. AT will use the feedback results from the public and the local board to inform the completion of the IBC (likely in July), which can then be reported back to the Board ahead of LTP. funding consideration. 27. Due to some design elements being further advanced, the proposed Esmonde Road transit lane would be likely to be the earliest component of any project delivery, subject to funding availability (delivery date not yet known) and wor 1g with NZTA. Maori impact statement 28. No specific issues with regard to the Maori Impact Statement are triggered by this presentation’ Implementation 29, Implementation is dependent on the level of investment required and funding availability in ‘Auckland Transport’s next Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP). Attachments There are no attachments for this report. Signatories Authors Daniel Newcombe - City Centre and Regional Transport Network Manager, ‘Authorisers. Auckland Transport Jonathan Anyon - Elected Member Relationship Team Manager, Auckland Transport Eric Perry - Relationship Manager ~pucHiand Transpor- Overview Lake Road Improvements indiciave Business Case Page a0