Category: Transport Planning

Looking at Transport Planning and Design

$75m offer for AT’s Downtown Car Park

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Should the Council take the money and invest?

 

I saw this come up from Stuff earlier this morning:

Council offered $75m for car park

ELLEN READ Last updated 09:00 06/06/2014

Auckland Council has been offered $75 million by two businessmen keen to snap up one of its inner city car park buildings.

James Brown and Simon Rowntree, who run Tournament Parking, said their offer for the multilevel 890-space Downtown building on Customs Street would give the council funds to fast track rail-link plans without having to consider selling two other high profile CBD sites.

Recent reports have suggested the council might sell a section of Queen Elizabeth Square and privatise sections of Queens Wharf.

Brown and Rowntree said the offer was unconditional. They visited council authorities this morning with a $7.5m deposit cheque this morning and said their proposed settlement date for the remaining $67.5m was July 1.

The Council has yet to respond to the offer.

The pair said they were prompted to make the offer after proposals were made to privatise inner city public space including Queen’s Wharf and Queen Elizabeth Square.

“The rail link is essential for Auckland but it’s wrong for the council to sell public space to fund it,” their spokesman said.

“This offer would keep Queen’s Wharf and Queen Elizabeth Square in public ownership while providing $75m cash to kick-start Mayor Len Brown’s vision for long-awaited first-world public transport.”

They say the $75m offer was a significant premium on the carpark’s value and included clauses preventing them from increasing casual parking rates, presently $3 an hour at the Council-owned site, above the rate of inflation for at least five years.

Tournament Parking casual rates for some Auckland sites are $4 for half an hour

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/10126538/Council-offered-75m-for-car-park

 

A rather interesting development this morning that no doubt will have Auckland Transport, Council, and the wider city debating over the offer and whether to accept it or not.

 

I suppose the questions I have over this offer would be the following:

  1. The CV of the site is at $65 million. So is $75 million a good offer or a bit of a bargain here
  2. Will Tournament who if successful in their offer redevelop the site according to the wishes of the City Centre Master Plan. If not then would it be better if Council via Auckland Transport (who currently own the site) to hang on to it
  3. Would the loss of income from the parking building be a detriment to Auckland Transport and Auckland Council on upcoming capital expenditure programs
  4. Does this need to go through the Auckland Transport Board and the main Council Governing Body before any cheques are accepted for the parking building.

 

We all await a reply from Council and Auckland Transport on the offer.

 

Auckland Transport Wants to Talk Parking

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And it will cost you too (potentially)

 

No not the consultation itself but the eventual change in parking regimes might.

Auckland Transport has released their draft Auckland wide parking strategy. Submissions on the strategy start this Saturday (31 May) and close Monday 30th June 2014.

This from Auckland Transport:

Opening the parking discussion in Auckland

28/05/2014 01:02 p.m.

Auckland Transport (AT) is reviewing all aspects of parking in Auckland and wants public feedback on its Draft Parking Discussion Document. Parking problems which affect the entire region have been identified by AT with some possible ways to fix them.  Submissions open online on Saturday 31 May and close on Tuesday 30 June, giving organisations and individuals a month to provide their views.

Auckland Transport’s General Manager Strategy and Planning, Peter Clark, says this is the first time parking is able to be reviewed right across the whole of Auckland.

The review looks at the use of Park and Rides, residential parking zones, managing on and off street parking in the central city, clearest times on arterial roads and parking in town centres.

“We are aiming to set a clear and consistent direction for Auckland’s parking in future, which will be good for all road users, adjacent businesses and residents and we want to make sure we are making the right decisions for Auckland’s future.”

Mr Clark says, “As our city grows and develops rapidly, now is the time to take a look at how we most effectively manage the range of parking options for the city. Parking affects everyone in the region in one way or another.  From the submissions we receive, we will develop a Parking Strategy for Auckland.”

“As Auckland grows, it is an increasing challenge to balance the competing demands on the road network. Parking is not only vital to the safe and efficient operation of that network, but also supports economic development and has a major impact on placemaking, public transport, walking and cycling.Auckland Transport is keen to get the public’s thoughts on a range of recommended approaches to improve Auckland’s parking, but specifically those relating to:

  • The city centre, metropolitan and town centres
  • Residential streets
  • Off-street parking facilities (parking buildings)
  • On-street parking restrictions
  • Arterial roads (phasing out on-street parking)
  • Parking permits
  • Park and rides

For more information and to have your say on improving Auckland’s parking, please visit www.at.govt.nz/parkingfeedback. There you’ll find more details about possible solutions and an online feedback form to fill in by 30 June 2014. If you don’t have access to a computer, call Auckland Transport’s Contact Centre to be mailed a Draft Parking Discussion Document pack.

—-ends—-

Source: https://at.govt.nz/about-us/news-events/opening-the-parking-discussion-in-auckland/

 

The Draft Parking Strategy document from Auckland Transport can be seen below:

 

I am on “parental leave” until June 11 so commentary will be light or delayed until then.

 

Commentary on the parking strategy will go up onto the blog, it just takes a few days longer than otherwise previous.

 

 

Comment on Selwyn Station

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Chair of Orakei Local Board gives opinion around proposed Selwyn Station

 

This morning I had spotted this photo from the Chair of Orakei Local Board (Desley Simpson) in regards to Selwyn Station:

Photo: Letter to editor published today
Source: Facebook (in public mode)

 

The proposed location around Selwyn Station is here:

Source: http://transportblog.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Selwyn-Station.jpg

 

So I sent of a list of questions yesterday to Desley Simpson seeking her comment around Selwyn Station. These were Desley’s comments to which I thank for her responses:

  • Why do you think Selwyn Station should be built

The original request came from Selwyn College during public consultation over the first Orakei Local Board Plan. In looking at the request it became obvious that in addition to providing easy access to Selwyn College such a station, with appropriate service roads and pathways, would provide a much-needed North/South link plus access to the rail public transport network for the large population in the Gowing Drive area and a number of eastern suburbs.

Currently there is a large percentage of our ward that don’t have access to rail

 

  • Who would be ‘served’ by Selwyn Station?

Suburbs south of Kepa Road and north of St Johns Road would have walking/cycling access.  Other suburbs such as St Heliers, Glendowie, Kohimaramara, Mission Bay and St Johns would have access to the rail system via feeder bus services that the Orakei Local Board have been advocating for since the first Orakei Local Board Plan.

 

  • What facilities should Selwyn Station have?
    1. Park and Ride –New Park & Ride hasn’t been part of the Orakei Local Board advocacy as yet but could possibly apply although the territory is steep and probably not particularly suitable for large-scale park n ride without a large investment in car parks.
    2. Kiss and Ride – definitely kiss and ride since the Orakei Local Board plan is for an access road to go down the Poerewa Valley from  the intersection of St Heliers Bay Rd and St Johns Rd and then bend around to go back up to Kepa Road beside Selwyn College.
    3. Cycle lockers like Papakura and Papatoetoe Stations – the OLB are already advocating for cycle lockers/racks at Orakei and Meadowbank so lockable cycling facilities at the Poerwa Station can be assumed.
    4. A bus bay like Homai, Papakura and Manurewa Stations – I haven’t viewed all the examples given but, as noted above having feeder buses servicing the local population is very much part of the Orakei Local Board advocacy so bus bays will be included.

 

  • When would you like Selwyn Station to be open and operating by (apart from “yesterday”)

The Orakei Local Board advocacy has been to get such a project included in the funding allocated to Auckland Transport in the current LTP.  At this stage it appears that funds have been allocated to carry out a full evaluation including the development of a Tamaki Drive to Glen Innes walkway/cycleway, so getting through that process is the next stage and we would like to think that this will be completed in the 2014/2015 financial year.  Indications are that construction of parts of the walkway/cycleway could be started in the 2014/2015 year.

 

  • Has Auckland Transport given any indication to you when Selwyn Station would be operating by?

It’s all a matter of funds being allocated  but the Orakei Local Board would like to see construction starting in the current term.  Hopefully this is not too optimistic.

 

  • If and when Selwyn Station is operating would you support Meadowbank Station being closed down and if so (or not) why?

We believe that the Meadowbank Station should stay open but maybe not serviced by “express” trains.  Express trains haven’t been discussed with AT but are a feature of train services overseas and our train system has to service the combined needs of “underground” and “suburban” train services so cutting out a station that services a growing community doesn’t make a lot of sense.

 

  • Has AT given any indication of numbers that would use the Selwyn Station both in the peak and off-peak

We don’t have numbers and this will be part of the evaluation process currently being undertaken.

 

  • Any comments to Transport Blog’s Tweet in regards to Selwyn Station: Horrendously expensive for low patronage

We would disagree about low patronage comment. If you consider the number of people residing in the Gowing Drive area with very poor public transport options and then add in the requirements coming out of Selwyn College and activities at the ASB Centre ( its a sporting and community facility) plus future appropriate new housing developments you don’t have to be too optimistic to see several thousand passengers a day.  Rail is expensive anyway but is the backbone of Auckland’s future public transport system and inner city suburbs are surely as entitled to be connected to the rail system as outlying suburbs are .

 

The Tweet from Transport Blog that gave rise to my last question was this one:

 

Again I thank you Desley for taking the time to reply to my questions around Selwyn Station, very much appreciated. 

 

At this point in time I continue to support the Orakei Local Board and their push for Selwyn Station. Of course like the Manukau South Rail Link, Selwyn Station will have to jump through the hoops and have a business case on it to evaluate its viability.

 

However, for now we will have to see if Selwyn will land as a project to do in the 2015-2025 Long Term project and if so when exactly. The 2015-2025 Long Term Plan starts its drafting and consultation processes later this year.