Multi-Prong Approach Needed Note: The cycling issue is still a hot button issue provoking emotions from all sides of the debate. Talking Auckland welcomes objective debates and comments in … Continue reading Cycling Accident Leaves Larger Questions To Be Answered
I caught this article in the NZ Herald yesterday on my so-called favourite second topic: Auckland Transport. Actually two articles caught my attention and I seriously wonder if I am having a case of De-ja-vu here in regards to Auckland‘s Transport.
The two articles of notice were these ones, both from Mathew Dearnaley:
Starting with “Public transport decline threat to future funding,” this is what had to be said:
From the NZ Herald
Public transport decline threat to future funding
Auckland’s public transport patronage continues to languish.
Trip numbers over the past 12 months ended 3.3 per cent lower than for the previous year.
Patronage to August 31 amounted to 69.2 million passenger trips, down from the previous annual figure of 71.5 million, according to a report to Auckland Transport’s board yesterday.
Trains accounted for the largest proportional loss, down 7.5 per cent to 10.1 million trips, despite the added contribution of the new Manukau line.
Even so, rail is starting to show a slight recovery, after its annual patronage drop from almost 11 million trips.
It notched up just over a million trips last month, 1.7 per cent higher than in August last year, despite one fewer business day.
But much more is needed, making a promised new fares strategy all the more pressing.
The Government requires Auckland Transport to have almost doubled its annual patronage to 20 million trips by 2020 before it will accelerate its 50 per cent funding for the city’s $2.86 billion underground rail project.One encouraging statistic is an improvement in punctuality. Close to 89 per cent of trains arrived at their final destinations in August within five minutes of scheduled times, up from a 12-month average of 86.2 per cent.
…
Just a quick note; going back over the Prime Minister’s speech in regards to that 20 million figure it was also stated that if AT could show around 8% growth in rail patronage year in year out then the Government would look at starting the CRL around 2018.
To the main matter though what is seriously going on and why does this issue keep popping up.
Regular and historic readers of Talking Auckland would have read here at the blog of the ups and downs we have had with Auckland Transport. At the same time there has been copious amounts of (and not solely from the blog either): public flaying, constructive criticism, submissions, feedback, presentations to committees, lobbying and even meetings to try to offer what assistance once can give to help get our public transport systems (especially rail) back on track.
The results? Two fold:
Still from the NZ Herald piece:
Trains accounted for the largest proportional loss, down 7.5 per cent to 10.1 million trips, despite the added contribution of the new Manukau line.
Even so, rail is starting to show a slight recovery, after its annual patronage drop from almost 11 million trips.
…
Even there the recovery is at risk of stalling again.
So what to do folks because I am now seriously lost after nearly two years of trying. Anything that would get patronage realistically back up gets shunned while anything that would be a detriment to patronage happens (otherwise patronage would not have slipped as far as it has).
$3.3b by the time the project gets started and there is a risk of a further blow out – owing to history some of our civic projects. This was noted in the Herald article “Rail delays threaten big blowout.”
I am sure I have said the Rail Fallacy would occur with the City Rail Link using comparisons from other projects overseas – and I could still end up being correct despite earlier ridicule on the matter. The Rail Fallacy Commentary previously mentioned on Talking Auckland can be found here: https://voakl.net/tag/rail-fallacy/
Do I want the Rail Fallacy to occur with the City Rail Link though? HECK NO! But pragmatism and harsh reality I must also bear in mind – kind of like risk management. The Rail Fallacy acknowledgement in part was me running a crude risk management exercise across multiple levels on the CRL. At least this way I knew/know the risks and can adapt for it accordingly where required.
Put it this way, at least if (political) reality bites and The Rail Fallacy does happen I was certainly most prepared – unlike others. I would also say this was good business sense in play too.
In the end though unless Auckland Transport pulls finger I am going to struggle to see how the CRL will not start until 2020. Oh and for those like ATB who might put their faith in the EMU’s. Having flash new trains will provide some kick but not the silver bullet needed to bring the CRL forward to 2018. No amount of new rolling stock will counter: getting stuck behind the increasing amount of freight trains with out the third line fully complete, fare products not lined up properly and missing simple links such as the Manukau Rail South Link to attract more actual patronage. So again AT needs to pull finger and get the right things done – no excuses.
Final remark
Trains accounted for the largest proportional loss, down 7.5 per cent to 10.1 million trips, despite the added contribution of the new Manukau line.
Hmmm – waiting for that South Link that will feed real numbers in the Manukau Line and station… Lets try and not keep the wards of Manurewa/Papakura and Franklin waiting much longer please AT. There is a pent up demand waiting for a direct service from Pukekohe/Papakura to Manukau via the South Link and some modelling I ran estimates that 20 minute, 7 day a week services using that link would mean patronage levels rivalling our Ellersile and Glen Innes Stations. So lets try and get this built in the upcoming Christmas Block of Lines – okay – please.
I have been watching the developments of this since it broke into the Main Stream Media recently. This being the Serious Fraud Office poised to investigate Auckland Transport after irregularities its consequences spill from AT to now the main Council.
The most recent piece from the NZ Herald:
Senior council workers in probe
By Bevan Hurley
A corruption inquiry at Auckland Transport has widened as a manager under suspicion has gone on sick leave.
The senior staff member is one of at least three Auckland Transport employees to have their computers seized as part of an internal inquiry into roading contracts.
The Serious Fraud Office is poised to step in. The usual $2-million threshold for an SFO inquiry would not be required due to the high public interest, a spokeswoman said.
Auckland Transport manager Murray Noone was fired last week after an internal investigation found “serious conflict-of-interest and performance issues”.
Noone was running a private consultancy business, Preside Consulting, while working for Auckland Transport.
Auckland Council member Wayne Walker said serious questions around contracts to large contractors had been raised. “The tendering process is increasingly shutting out the small and medium-size players,” he said.
…
You can read the rest over at the Herald site.
My only comment to this mess over at Auckland Transport is this: “Why-o-why?” It does not make life easy for the small or medium fellows that is for sure. And the saying goes: Bigger is not always better.
I caught this on Twitter last night while at the launch of (Deputy Mayor) Penny’s Hulse’s campaign launch in Henderson last night
Photo Credit: Port of Auckland
Hi @mayorlenbrown, your new train set has arrived at your port 😉 @AklTransport pic.twitter.com/cEjV9J5JpV
That is the two motor units and the middle “trailer” unit that will make up our first EMU commuter/metro train.
The consist will head down to the new Wiri Depot for extensive testing before it will come into service next year. Exciting times ahead.
Mayor Len Brown was also at Penny Hulse‘s campaign launch last night and I was able to deliver him the good news of the EMU arrival after seeming it on Twitter (thank you POAL for the Tweet and photo).
I can safely say there was excitement all round after the announcement.
Talking Auckland will be looking back at the journey of electrification and will produce a series of it very soon.
But for now Auckland takes one step closer towards the 21st Century with its transport system
Gallery of my own Alternative This is a Gallery of basic Sketch Up mock ups of my alternative to Auckland Transport‘s Manukau Interchange. You can see yesterday’s post about … Continue reading Manukau Interchange – An Alternative
Sorry Not Inspiring I have read the plans about five times now in regards for the proposed Manukau Interchange that will be discussed tomorrow at the Auckland Plan Committee. … Continue reading The Manukau Interchange
I caught the update to the train incident that was reported in the NZ Herald on Monday and subsequent reaction in Talking Auckland soon afterwards.
This is the update from Stuff:
After Transdev and Auckland Transport viewed Colour CCTV footage there was more to the saga than meets the eye originally when reported from the black and white CCTV footage at Takanini Station.
As a result of this update and the respective Talking Auckland Post on Monday (now fully retracted) I do offer a full and utter apology to Ms Johnson and her children.
In light of the issue, further measures will be put into place to make sure this kind of incident does not occur again at Talking Auckland. In saying that there is always a risk when doing “second-hand” reporting from a Main Stream Media source into a blog post. However, utmost professionalism will occur when running commentary on such emotive issues.
In saying this I need not remind Auckland that the rail network is a very dangerous place and can kill. The case of the dad running to the train as it was departing from Ranui Station last year resulting in the accident and eventual death as he slipped from the platform, underneath the train and was effectively run over in front of his family and other passengers is that STARK reminder of what happens when something can go so utterly wrong.
So please in light of all of this: Please be at the platform 5 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train with your ticket ready or AT-HOP card tagged on.
As for Te Mahia Station – lobbying continues for it to be fully closed!
This morning readers would have seen the post “Daft Behaviour – On a Train” which went under a couple of edits from the original post.
The main edit was to tone the language down back to a more professional level are an deeply charged and emotive original post on the matter at hand.
In light of this I would like to raise a couple of points:
We are all human here and yep it is the old case of think before rattling off especially in the social medial realms. One notes all this and will be more cautious when an emotive issue comes back up again
Ben
Owner – Talking Auckland
Will all the noise at the moment around The Congestion Free Network proposal AND the national transport issues thanks to Campbell Live last night, it might be a good idea to do an information dump on the 2012/2013 (July-June) cycle in regards to Auckland’s transport.
That is all transport in Auckland that is dealt with by Auckland Transport which excludes the State Highway network which is looked after by NZTA. So before anyone decides to have a moan about State Highway’s One and 16 and how much AT sucks there – err go learn something and actually bug NZTA. Auckland Transport have no jurisdiction over our State Highways…
I have four attachments from the June 2013 Auckland Transport Board papers that the AT Board met over yesterday. You can find the agenda and full list of attachments HERE. What is embedded below were the relevant issues around Auckland’s transport especially in light of Campbell Live’s piece last night
Just a note on two points in that document from previous enquiries I have made on two particular topics:
And so for an entire 30 minutes last night, New Zealand got a Campbell Live show dedicated to one of the biggest issues in New Zealand. No it is not the GSCB (yawn) and no it was not about taxation (per se). It was about transport – the nation’s artery system for moving goods and people around that is not in a great state right now.
This would be owing to lack of proper investment in our transport network or Government investing in the wrong areas of the transport equation. Yes I am referring to the Holiday Highway up at the north end of Auckland.
However, I digress. Take a look at the full Campbell Live segment on the Congestion Free Network idea here:
Might as well add the Manukau South Link to that CFN map. I know ATB does not think much of the particular link in itself however, that piece of infrastructure is a virtual go from Auckland Transport once the business case study is reported back late this year. The only thing that can effectively stop the Link from being built is not Port of Auckland’s Wiri Facility but rather politics in itself from Council or NIMBY‘s.
If one is also wondering why Auckland Transport and the Office of the Mayor are rather silent on the Congestion Free Network idea I did go send off some enquiries to both.
Auckland Transport have noted the CFN and will take a look at whether parts could be incorporated into the 2015 Integrated Transport Plan. That draft ITP is not due out for consultation until next year and will be heavily influenced by the Council master budget document – the 2015 Long Term Plan.
I also received a reply in brief from the Mayor’s office as well on the Congestion Free Network. A response is coming on the CFN queries I made under the “media” arm of my consultancy business (TotaRim Consultancy Limited) and should be with me soon. Once I have the response I will run commentary on it.
As mentioned in other posts, I support what Transport Blog and Generation Zero are trying to do in bringing Auckland forward into the 21st Century. It is by no means perfect nor pretty but, it is sure as better than what is in the 2012 Integrated Transport Plan.
Congestion Free Network = a #movingauckland which = a #BetterAuckland
Talking Southern Auckland 