Some Musings on the City Centre Future Access Study

And

Power Shifting (Auckland) – Forward

While it is peak sun outside as I write this post (meaning not a wise idea to be outside right now tending to the garden) I though I might gather some of my musings on the CCFAS – to which the City Rail Link is based around.

Just a brief recap first:

The City Centre Future Access Study was released last week to the  much generation of all things spin and PR exercise from our usual quarters in the debate. I embedded the CCFAS report into my “CITY CENTRE FUTURE ACCESS STUDY” post so that readers could read the large pdf files without blowing their bandwidth (especially on tablets and smart phones). Currently myself I am halfway reading through Section 1 of 2 of the CCFAS study (I do have a life you know outside of this blog 😉 ) so I would not expect any full-blown commentary on this matter until around  February next year.

After the CCFAS report came out and the spin had started, I wrote my “open letter” to Prime Minister John Key and the National Government for the Minister of Finance to sign the cheque for the CRL and let Auckland do the rest. My “A Message to the New Zealand National Government” post has that letter and generated quite a bit of traffic in both Facebook and Twitter over the coming days after the initial post was released. Even card-carrying National Party members see the benefits of the CRL and are in the mood of disdain against their own party with their constant dithering around with the ideological blinkers well and truly on – firmly.

And for the reminder and reference to my stance and all work and commentary on the City Rail Link; you can read my “ME AND THE CITY RAIL LINK” post and check out my regularly updated City Rail Link Debate category which has all my commentary and even operational proposals on and post City Rail Link.

But as the debate continues to go around and around and around – with little actual progress being made outside route and land designation/protection, some extra musings of my own came up. From my BR:AKL Facebook page:

My comment to the NZ Herald on the City Rail Link (was limited to 1000 characters so kept it short): http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10854019

The simple answer is we need the CRL. Without there is no (multi-modal) second Harbour Crossing, there is no airport line, no Botany Line, no North Shore Line and no fully integrated multi-modal transit system if we can not unlock a crucial part of Auckland’s transit system – the rail system. The CRL’s benefits lie far beyond the CBD where it will be built and will allow as part of the puzzle enable ALL of Auckland to travel efficiently, quickly and in an affordable across the city.

If the Western Ring Route is the crucial part to our road network, then the CRL is the crucial part to our Mass and Rapid Transit Network – pure and simple. To do nothing is condemning the entire city to congestion, economic inefficiencies, and social/environmental costs beyond what is acceptable.

Choice on transit mode will always remain for the commuter, but let’s make that choice on an equal level playing field for one’s journey and destination.

And the second musing which is going to lead to a new project spanning off my CRL Operation Proposals starting in the new year:

A question has come to mind over this CCFAS study. I note the CRL has a BCR of 0.9 and the measurements only go through to 2041. How about we do the CCFAS again but push the measurements through to 2050 and also bring into the mix The Airport Line being complete and opened by 2025, the Botany Line complete and opened by 2030 as well, the North Shore Line complete and operating by 2035 and the South West – Avondale Link complete and operating by 2028.

So add those lines into the CRL mix for the CCFAS study and what shows up

Now that comment has basically kicked off me starting the process in drawing up an extensive submission of a “whole-hog” approach into our mass-transit system investment through to 2050 ( beyond the current 2041 scope of most of the reports and plans being generated). At the moment the submission is tentatively called “Operation Power-Shifting – Forward,” owing its name borrowed from the recent Power Shift conference held in Auckland at the beginning of the month (and I thought the name was quite apt in the given situation – all things considered). Operation Power-Shifting – Forward is basically looking at bringing all large scale mass transit ideas through to 2041 including the CRL into one an all-encompassing focus so that proper debate, planning and Benefit:Cost Ration (BCR) analysis can be properly done in bringing Auckland actually into the 21st Century and beyond.

Currently the CRL has a BCR of 0.9 which strictly in paper means we should not progress with this as for every dollar sunk in, we only get 90cents in returned benefits (which means why are these mega-motorway projects continuing with BCR’s around the 0.1-0.4 mark) according the CCFAS study. However the CRL (coupled with an integrated surface bus investment) with its 0.9 BCR was treated in my opinion isolation to the wider picture and investment the CRL would allow for Auckland.

So we have the analysis in the very fine CCFAS report telling us the CRL on its own (well with surface bus investment as well) has a BCR 0.9. Now lets include into the CCFAS report the following further investments which spawn off the CRL (completion by 2025) and see what BCR we get from this all-encompassing effort:

• the Airport Line (completed by 2025),
• the Botany Line (bring it forward for completion by 2028),
• the Westfield-Avondale South West Rail Bypass Line (completion 2028)
• and the North Shore Line (as far as Albany completed by 2032, Silverdale by 2045).

Now I know for starters if we went down this all-encompassing – whole hog approach to which the CRL is the actual linchpin, then a lot more of Auckland would be within very easy reach of a very rapid, very frequent, and very high quality rapid (rail) transit system to cross-commute across Auckland (and that has even before major bus investments such as the North West Bus-way is brought into consideration). However trying to bring all that into fruition outside of other large-scale projects in Auckland (shifting a port any one) is going to take considerable effort, resources and leadership so that Auckland is the most world’s most unique liveable city.  BUT it is time we take off the blinkers, time to get out of that square of conventional thinking, time to get out of this short and medium term approach and Power Shift (Auckland) – Forward.

Oh and even before one of you mention that word cost, I have this to say. Cost is being considered but right now an idea has been floated and the idea needs to be nurtured through (bringing into account all things benefit and cost) to see when we can bring this through to full fruition!

So some musings, and me now thinking beyond the CRL and starting to encompass other brings into the mix as the next logical step. What are your thoughts on this – leave your comments as always below.

Operation Power Shifting – Forward: Power Shifting Auckland – Forward