Reeves Road Flyover political football

 

Last night a media advisory came out from Auckland Transport stating a “change of tune” on the Reeves Road – Pakuranga Flyover. The advisory read:

Reeves Road Clarification

Chairman, Dr Lester Levy, wishes to clarify the Auckland Transport Board’s position on the Reeves Road flyover, part of the Auckland Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative (AMETI).

An AT media release dated 12 February 2015 implied that a Board decision had been made to accept a new delivery strategy, which included deferring the flyover and opening the full South Eastern Busway (to Botany) earlier. Dr Levy says the board of Auckland Transport has not made any decision to accept the proposed new delivery strategy including the deferral of the flyover. Rather the board simply noted a report presented to its December meeting which suggested a delay in the timing of the flyover, subject to further  technical and funding feasibility work.

“That work to assess the feasibility of busway route options through Pakuranga town centre and how funding can be secured for Reeves Road flyover to be delivered earlier continues,” he says.

“The Board has not agreed to the proposed new delivery strategy at this point in time, as it still awaits the technical and funding feasibility. When that work has been completed the Board will be able to give this matter further consideration.

“It is regrettable that this AT media release resulted in stakeholders and the community receiving a mixed message, but I want to be very clear that no firm decisions have been made at this time” Dr Levy says.

———

 

This was the original press release on the Reeves Road Flyover deferral:

Major new public transport improvements will arrive earlier for people in Auckland’s south east.

Auckland Transport is aiming to open the full Southeastern Busway to Botany sooner than the 2028 completion date earlier proposed, and AT is investigating extending bus lanes to Highland Park.

Recent work on the Auckland Manukau Transport Initiative (AMETI) has identified that the busway can operate through Pakuranga town centre without the need to build Reeves Road flyover first.

This allows funding to be used to deliver more public transport improvements sooner by deferring the $170 million flyover until next decade. Targeted traffic improvements will also be made to relieve congestion at the intersections of Ti Rakau Drive/Pakuranga Road and Ti Rakau Drive/Pakuranga Highway.

Auckland Transport AMETI Programme Director Peter King says the change means better transport choices for people in the area sooner and supports the roll out of the new public transport network in 2016.

“The recent decision on the Basin Reserve flyover in Wellington shows the challenges of consenting a flyover that has impacts on an urban area and the potential for long delays. This decision allows us to extend the AMETI transport improvements made in Panmure to Pakuranga and Botany as soon as possible while continuing to build the case for the flyover.

“Large numbers of passengers are expected to be attracted by quicker, frequent and more reliable bus journeys on lanes separate to traffic. About 7.4 million trips a year are expected on the busway.

“There are time savings from opening the busway between Panmure and Pakuranga, however they are much greater when the full busway to Botany is open. For example catching the bus and train between Botany and Britomart will take 38 minutes, 17 minutes quicker.

“The change to timing reflects Auckland Transport’s prioritisation of rapid, high frequency public transport and will not require extra funding.”

Work to develop the flyover showed its congestion benefits would be limited until further significant investment along the South Eastern Highway. It also indicated a likely increase in costs with the need to create a quality urban environment beneath it.

Auckland Transport will update the community in early March on the new delivery plan for AMETI and a potential change to the busway route through Pakuranga town centre. Following further feasibility work there will be consultation on any change to the busway route.

Consultation will be carried out on the latest design for the next construction stage between Panmure and Pakuranga, before a Notice of Requirement is lodged in April.

The Panmure to Pakuranga projects include:

• Replacing Panmure roundabout with an intersection with traffic lights and more direct pedestrian crossings.
• Panmure to Pakuranga busway on lanes separate to traffic congestion.
• Panmure to Pakuranga shared cycle/foot path separate to traffic.
• Second Panmure Bridge for busway and shared path.

……..

Transport Blog has pointed the relevant emphasis in bold above: http://transportblog.co.nz/2015/04/16/reeves-rd-back-down/

 

I am aware that Dick Quax, Maurice Williamson and Jami Lee Ross have all gone whinging to Minister of Transport Simon Bridges to try and get the Flyover back on the agenda front and centre after Auckland Transport’s earlier deferral announcement.

So in effect we have a Ward Councillor and two Government MPs subverting democracy by going over Auckland and Auckland Transport’s head on ideological claptrap grounds. Ideological clap trap as all three are trying to push for a 1960’s road-centric scheme against the wishes of their own constituents and possibly their Local Board who via their Long Term Plan (Budget document) submissions were more in favour for public and active transport investment.

 

Page 134 of the Howick Local Board Agenda outlines the top transport priorities:

:

And Page 133 of the same agenda

 

The full agenda: https://www.scribd.com/doc/262103794/Howick-Local-Board-Agenda-April-2015 

 

The Long Term Plan which was written by citizens and businesses in the Howick Ward area clearly illustrates more investment for public transport (even rail) and less (in relative terms) on roads (or rather car centric infrastructure). Howick is asking for AMETI to be complete in which that is the South Eastern Busway linking Pakuranga to the big Panmure Transport Interchange. Howick is also asking for dedicated bus lanes from Highland Park to Pakuranga. Howick is asking for more cycling infrastructure. Howick is even asking for either heavy or light rail (either trams like the Isthmus proposal or even Sky Train) to their Ward which would be the Botany Line. What Howick is not asking for (in majority numbers at least) is the eye sore Reeves Road flyover that would allow cars to get to the Southern Motorway parking lot some three minutes faster.

 

So what part of democracy and Long Term Plan in wanting bus, rail and cycling infrastructure investment do Quax, Williamson and Ross do not get? The pushing for the Reeves Road flyover which would suck the money out to get the South Eastern Busway build AND re-delay the Manukau and Otahuhu Transport Interchanges is nothing more than ideological clap trap from the 1960’s playbook.

 

If all three representatives can not honour the wishes of their constituents made rather clear in a Long Term Plan submission round (and Howick had one of the highest participation rates of all Ward and Local Board areas) owing to their own ideology then it might best for all three to resign.

In this case I ask Auckland Council and Auckland Transport to hold their ground with deferring Reeves Road. The people of Howick are wanting greater investment in public and active transport than in that flyover looking at the LTP submissions. Honour their wishes and not those of three from an era LONG past.