ARC Advocates $46b, Mostly For Public Transport – But Where’s Money?

ARC: Move away from cars to public transport

ARC’s draft 30 year transport strategy, out tomorrow and ready for public for consultation until December 18, advocates a $46m spend mostly on public transport as the preferred option but warns that funding over the next 30 years “is likely to be insufficient to implement the strategy.”

That is an understatement.

The report explains that while the level of funding available beyond the next ten years cannot be confidently predicted, over the 30-year period of this strategy, a range of $33b to $47b will be available. But the strategy cost totals $46b. The National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) allocates 53 per cent of the transport budget over the next three years to state highway infrastructure and only 19 per cent to public transport.

“If a similar allocation were to be made over the 30-year life of the strategy, a significant shortfall in the funds required for Auckland region’s priority projects would result.”
So the strategy advocates to the Government for a change in funding arrangements to ensure funds are available.
New funding sources, such as developer contributions and tolling, would be necessary to make up the shortfall. New financial mechanisms such, as loan funding and public private partnerships, would also need to be investigated to support timely delivery of the strategy.
Public hearings on the strategy will be heard early in the New Year with the final strategy document published next April.

The ARC draft strategy runs counter to the government’s hunger for more motorways and roading infrastructural development. The draft strategy wants to shift the focus of investment shifts from state highway construction into public transport improvements, behaviour change, walking and cycling and local roads.

As discussed here previously, main components of the ARC’s “Preferred Strategic Option” are: Improve the RTS and QTN networks by:

• electrifying the rail network
• constructing the CBD rail link
• constructing a rail loop to Auckland Airport
• extending the Northern Busway to Orewa
• developing the Panmure-Botany-Manukau bus connection
• developing the Henderson-Westgate-Albany bus connection
• integrated transport ticketing and fares
• higher frequency of services on the RTN and QTN
• continuing growth in behaviour change initiatives,
• Improving the road network by completing the Western Ring Route, constructing the Auckland Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative, improve airport road access.
• Widespread arterial road improvements on public transport and the Regional Strategic Freight Network.
• Other important elements include: walking and cycling infrastructure improvements including completion of the regional cycle network; improved linkages to Northland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty; and road safety and rural transport improvements.

Options for improving public transport tested in the cause of the study development included possible new metro style rail lines, predominantly underground, via Herne Bay to connect to the western rail line at Pt Chevalier and via Remuera, Panmure and Botany to connect to the southern rail line at Manukau City Centre. But this was estimated to result in only a five per cent increase in public transport trips, six per cent increase in vehicle speed and a six per cent decrease in time.
“These results are somewhat disappointing considering the high cost that is likely to be associated with the development of this option.”
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Main projects (as described in the draft):
Rail electrification with 10 minute services and connection of the rail system to Manukau City Centre and Onehunga are projects which have been agreed for some time and are in the process of being delivered. The Onehunga Line and Manukau Link are expected to open in mid 2010, and the first electric trains are targeted to commence service in 2013. These improvements are critical to continuing the growth of rail patronage in Auckland and allowing passenger rail to fulfill its role (along with the Northern Busway) as the Rapid Transit Network which forms the backbone of the public transport system. These activities need to be implemented as soon as possible. Integrated ticketing and fares are critical in making public transport easier to use and more convenient for users.

As the Rapid Transit Network develops, integrated ticketing and fares will become increasingly important to enable passengers to transfer with minimal inconvenience between feeder services and the RTN. It is expected that integrated ticketing and fares will be implemented as soon as possible, certainly within the first 10 years of this strategy.

The Airport rail loop consists of connections to the Airport from the north via Onehunga and from the east via Puhinui Station. As well as serving air passengers, the line will provide accessibility to the fast growing employment area around the Airport and will increase services to the growing centre of Onehunga. Only limited investigations have been carried out to date on the detailed route of the rail connections, how the introduction of rail would be staged, and what bus services should be established in the interim. Priority needs to be given to planning and route protection. It is expected that the Airport rail loop will be constructed in the period 2031 – 2040.

The CBD rail link will play a critical role in providing capacity for the rail system to continue to grow beyond the 10 minute services currently planned, will produce faster journeys from the west of Auckland to the CBD, and will provide greater coverage of the CBD. The capacity of the rail system is currently limited by the constraints on the tunnel leading to the Britomart terminal. Construction of the CBD rail tunnel will allow Britomart to operate as a through station rather than as a terminal. The consequent increase in system capacity will enable trains to be operated at higher frequencies and will provide the ability to operate new services to the CBD, including rail services connecting with the airport and using the Avondale-Southdown Line. The CBD rail link will also provide improved rail coverage to the CBD. Without the accessibility provided by the CBD rail link the growth of the CBD will be constrained as roads become increasingly congested and the number of buses in the CBD becomes harder to manage. The wider economic benefits need to be fully recognised in developing and planning for,theconstruction of the CBD rail link. This needs to be progressed with urgency and the link needs to be operational by 2021.

The Avondale – Southdown rail connection enables the introduction of passenger rail services connecting West Auckland with South Auckland, including provision of services to the Airport. It would provide a more direct route for rail freight from West Auckland and from north of Auckland to the North Island Main Trunk and therefore to both the Port of Auckland and locations to the south. It is expected that the Avondale – Southdown rail connection will be constructed in the period 2031 – 2040.

North Shore Rail - It is expected that the Northern Busway will operate effectively during the period of this strategy. It will provide an attractive public transport connection between the North Shore, the CBD and the rest of the RTN and QTN system, and will provide a strong public transport core for movement around the North Shore. Towards the end of the period of this strategy however the Busway is likely to approach its operational capacity and this may constrain further growth of public transport patronage. It is therefore necessary to continue investigation of rail and to protect the ability for the future introduction of a North Shore rail. The route to be protected across the Harbour is the route identified in study undertaken in 2008, which involved tunnelling from the CBD to a station under Gaunt Street in the Wynyard Quarter, then continuing in tunnel under the Harbour to emerge in the vicinity of the Esmonde Road interchange. This particular option is known as Option 2C (which also includes the road component described in Policy .6.2.2 below). On the North Shore there may be advantages in following a different route from the Northern Busway, in order to access centres not on the Busway and to maximise the benefits of rail in supporting the development of more concentrated mixed use centres in accordance with the Regional Growth Strategy.