This is what your Otahuhu Transport Interchange will look like

Next week the Otahuhu-Mangere Local Board will meeting for its monthly meeting. The SOUL group that is currently rallying against the Special Housing Area in Mangere is due to give public input at the meeting.

Also on the agenda is the usual transport update in which I see the final designs for the Otahuhu Transport Interchange are up. The agenda can be seen here: http://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2015/08/MO_20150819_AGN_5509_AT_WEB.HTM

Auckland Transport Update – August 2015

File No.: CP2015/16100

Purpose

1. This report provides an update on local transport matters over the last month for the Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board (MOLB).

Executive Summary

1. This report contains a general monthly update on transport matters both locally and from across Auckland and a list of issues currently being addressed by Auckland Transport for the MOLB.

Responding to Resolutions

1. No ‘Resolutions’ require responses this month.

Discussion

Security at Mangere Town Centre

1. On 29 July 2015 the Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board held a meeting to address crime safety issues in and around the Mangere Town Centre Bus Station.

1. This issue was first raised in May 2015 and, as was reported, Auckland Transport worked closely with Auckland Council’s Parks Team to cut back shrubs and flax and install better lights on the road. But a key issue at this time is getting better lighting under the bus station shelter and on routes leading into the town centre. This is currently being addressed and a verbal update will be provided at the local board’s August meeting.

Regional Land Transport Programme

1. In June Auckland Council adopted its 2015-2025 Long Term Plan. This plan sets Auckland Council’s planned budget for ten years in outline and the next three in detail.  It also confirms Auckland Council’s commitment to the Regional Land Transport Programme (RLTP).

1. The RLTP is the combined plan for Auckland Transport, New Zealand Transport Agency, and Kiwi Rail for the next ten years. Auckland Transport provided an opportunity for all southern local board members to get an overview of what the RLTP will deliver in south Auckland on 22 July 2015.

1. Auckland Transport will also discuss the local implications of the RLTP with the Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board on 2 September 2015.

Rail Security

1. Rail security is an issue that has been raised by both the Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board and the wider community. Auckland Transport and the New Zealand Police have been working very hard to make sure that security issues are effectively managed and that people on trains and at stations are safe and secure.

1. In summary the steps that are being taken include:

• More NZ Police are travelling on trains and shadowing rail ticket inspectors;

• There is a station ‘blockade’ programme in which Auckland Transport’s 45 ticket inspectors are supported by the NZ Police personnel to ‘swamp’ stations and remove fare evaders;

• Additional security guard services are being provided at fourteen stations identified as higher risk. Security guards are provided for  twelve hours each day, seven days a week;

• There is regular communication between Auckland Transport, Transdev and the NZ Police including monthly planning and intelligence meetings;

• Auckland Transport is trialling  CCTV ‘body cameras’ on ticket inspectors;

• Pacific wardens are now being deployed on train services;

• NZ Police and Auckland Transport are developing a video management system that allows better ‘real-time’ information sharing of CCTV information between our control room and Police District command centres. This should be in service in the next few months;

• NZ Police  are committed to providing a permanent presence at Britomart during special events;

• NZ Police District command centres are provided with shared CCTV monitoring of stations; and

• Police ‘stings’ on the rail network included a south Auckland operation in June and July 2015 putting up to 100 police officers on the ground.

1. In summary Auckland Transport and NZ Police are working hard to improve security on the rail network. NZ Police are supporting Auckland Transport’s staff and steps are being taken to link CCTV systems together so that all agencies have the best possible ‘intelligence’ to plan operations and respond quickly to problems.

1. The other information that helps to provide perspective, is provided in the following graphs that compare ‘incidents per 100,000 passengers’ in Auckland with Sydney. Auckland’s highest month April 2014 is still lower than Sydney’s lowest month.  While the objective has to be no incidents, it is interesting to see this from a wider perspective. Auckland’s overall trend is relatively consistent with a couple of spikes in April and November last year, 2014.

Future Streets

1. The ‘Future Streets’ project continues to progress. Currently the project’s initial designs are being reviewed and updated after being circulated around supporting council departments (e.g. Parks, who will be responsible for on-going maintenance of the street plantings).

1. The resource consent application is being finalised and will be submitted in August 2015.  This will take at least a month to process. When this is complete the project will be confirmed and the process of getting the Traffic Control Committee to ‘resolve’ the changes will start.

1. The project’s design and delivery teams are meeting to sort out a plan for construction that will allow delivery of the highest profile elements of the project first. It is still planned that construction will start in October 2015.

East West Connections

1. East West Connections is a project to analyse transport routes between SH20 and SH1 and develop solutions for managing an anticipated increase in road freight of 60% through that corridor in the next 30 years. In particular, the objective will be to permit better connectivity for the industrial areas of Onehunga-Southdown, East Tamaki-Highbrook, the Airport, Wiri and southern Mt Wellington.
2. A meeting took place with the Transport Portfolio Leader on 9 June 2015. The project team briefed the Transport Portfolio Leader and on 1 July 2015 the team briefed the whole local board.
3. From the local board’s perspective, the most important part of the East-West Study relates to the proposed frequent bus service – Route 32, that will link Sylvia Park, Otahuhu and Mangere.  The route is being funded mostly by the New Zealand Transport Agency, although Auckland Transport is contributing to the project.
4. The project will include identifying the route, upgrading existing roads and intersections to make them easier for buses to use and upgrading key interchanges so that people are able to connect easily with other buses or trains at key locations like Otahuhu, Mangere and Sylvia Park.
5. At this stage the works planned to implement Route 32 include development of the Mangere Town Centre bus interchange, but construction is not planned to start until 2022.

Otahuhu Bus Rail Interchange and Linkages Project

1. On 1 July 2015 the team building the Otahuhu Bus-Rail interchange briefed the whole local board on the Bus-Rail Interchange and on the Linkages Project.
2. The bus-rail interchange is funded and is set to be delivered by mid-2016.

Figure 1 – Concept Pictures of the Planned Otahuhu Interchange

Otahuhu Transport Interchange 1 Source: Auckland Transport

Otahuhu Transport Interchange Source: Auckland Transport

Local Board Transport Capital Fund (LBTCF):

1. The local board had a total pool of approx. $1,971,770 available in this electoral term to spend on transport projects.
2. In its first electoral term the MOLB requested a number of projects and the progress of these projects is summarised in Attachment C.
3. So far in this electoral term the Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board has identified six projects and these are discussed in detail in Attachment C.
4. Construction of the walking route in the car park linking Mason and Station Roads in Otahuhu is complete.
5. The MOLB requested that the Bader Drive/Idlewild Intersection be reinvestigated. It has been, and the Transport Portfolio Leaders were briefed in detail and the results of the investigation reported in the July 2015 Monthly Report.

Attachments

Signatories

————-

I love the Otahuhu Transport Interchange concepts. Simple, efficient and very effective with the linear design. Could Auckland Transport please translate this design over to the Manukau Transport Interchange (taking into account scale with Lot 59) seeming you are dithering around and struggling with budget.