Open Minutes
Commencing: Thursday 27 August 2020, 9.30 am
Venue: Regional House Chambers and via Zoom (on-line meeting). A recording of this meeting was made available at the Council's YouTube channel after the meeting.
Chairperson: Cr Andrew von Dadelszen
Deputy Chairperson: Cr Lyall Thurston
Members: Cr Norm Bruning
Cr Jane Nees
Cr Stacey Rose
Cr Paula Thompson
Rotorua Lakes Council
Mr Phill Thomass
Western Bay of Plenty District Council
Mayor Garry Webber
Whakatāne District Council
Mayor Judy Turner
Deputy Mayor Andrew Iles (Alternate)
Tauranga City Council
Mayor Tenby Powell
Cr Heidi Hughes
Waka Kotahi - NZTA
Member (non-voting) Natalie van Rossen
In Attendance: Bay of Plenty Regional Council: Cr Stuart Crosby, Cr David Love and Cr Kevin Winters
Namouta Poutasi – General Manager, Strategy & Science, Mat Taylor – General Manager, Corporate, Jessica Easton - Legal and Commercial Manager, Jen Proctor - Public Transport Delivery Team Lead and Ruth Feist - Team Leader Urban, Joe Metcalfe – Consultant (via Zoom), Simon Barnett – Waka Kotahi (via Zoom), Clare Cassidy – Senior Transport Planner TCC (via Zoom), Bron Healey - Principal Advisor, Regional Development (via Zoom), Brendan Bisley –Director of Transport TCC (via Zoom), Tone Nerdrum Smith – Committee Advisor
Apologies: Chairman Doug Leeder (Ex-Officio) and Cr Norm Bruning (early departure)
1. Apologies
|
That the Public Transport Committee: 1 Accepts the apologies from Chairman Doug Leeder (Ex-Officio) and Cr Norm Bruning for early departure tendered at the meeting. CARRIED |
2. Public Forum
|
Max Lewis |
|
|
|
· Concerns centred around the 400m walk to bus stop provisions within Te Papa Indicative Business Plan · Those with the condition ‘shortness of breath on exertion’ (SOBOE) would struggle with this walking distance · Those physically challenged struggled or were unable to access kerbside bus services · Concerned that the Western Bay PT Blueprint did not adequately cater for those with physical disabilities or medical conditions.
In Response to Questions · Was aware of the availability of Total Mobility transport services for those unable to use the bus service · Main concerns related to those who were still mobile, yet unable to walk 400m due to SOBOE.
Key Points – Members · Noted that the 400m walking distance to a bus stop was within the levels of service for the PT Blueprint · On-demand transport service was available and subsidised · Those unable to walk 400m would be eligible for a Mobility Support Card. |
|
|
· Council staff would provide a response to the concerns raised. |
3. Petitions
|
Cr Heidi Hughes - Tauranga City Council Tabled Document 2 - Cr Heidi Hughes - Petition Links Avenue: Objective ID A3624036 Tabled Document 3 - Petition from Wairakei Avenue/Emerald Shores: Objective ID A3616957
|
|
|
|
Cr Heidi Hughes presented two petitions on the following topics: Key Points · Wairakei Avenue/Emerald Shores (Tabled Document 3) o The bus route had been changed which meant a high number of buses were going through and idling in Wairakei Avenue/Emerald Shores o The buses were causing road damage; contributing to noise/air pollution and creating an unsafe environment for children who were now reluctant to walk and cycle in the area o Re-route the buses away from Wairakei Ave and Emerald Shores and back to Pāpāmoa Beach Road. Buses could instead turn at the end of Pāpāmoa Beach Road, which was designed for ongoing and heavy traffic. o Sought engagement with the Council with regards to safety and environmental impacts · Links Avenue/Gold Road safety concerns (Tabled Document 2) o Significant safety concerns with regards to children travelling to/from school on Links Avenue and the corner of Golf Road o Sought an urgent review of the shared path and the impact of the existing bus lane on pedestrians and cyclists.
Key Points – Members · Noted that the Committee was not able to pass any resolutions with regards to the petitions at today’s meeting
Items for Staff Follow-up · Petitions were referred to staff for action, then would be reported back at the next meeting of the Committee.
|
4. Declaration of Conflicts of Interest
None declared.
5. Minutes
|
Public Transport Committee Minutes of 22 May 2020 |
|
|
|
That the Public Transport Committee: 1 Confirms as a true and accurate record the minutes, Public Transport Committee Minutes of 22 May 2020.
Matters Arising · Noted the current free fare trials, · Noted free fare for disabled and sought that funding be considered as soon as possible, i.e. move on this sooner rather than the LTP · Important that all infrastructure costs were included in the overall and complete costings for all projects within the AP/LTP. CARRIED |
6. Presentations
|
Rotorua Mode Shift Framework Presentation: Rotorua Cycleway Update: Objective ID A3610884 ⇨ Presentation: SH30 Te Ngae Road Upgrade: Objective ID A3610885 ⇨ Presented by: Joe Metcalfe (BOPRC-Consultant) and Simon Barnett (Waka Kotahi - NZTA) via Zoom |
|
|
|
· Urban Cycleways Update o Since 2015, 30km of shared path network built o Since 2016, an 81% increase in commuters by bike o 70% male vs 30% female users o 60% used shared paths o Shared pathways were 3m wide o Was exploring secure inner city bike parking to stop cycle usage in the CBD from plateauing · SH30/ Te Ngae Road Upgrade o Eastern Corridor stage two o Stage two project goals o Focus o Public Transport Improvements o Walking/cycling improvements o CIP funding targeted at stage two o Potential staging.
In Response to Questions · Identified the signalised crossing included in the SH30/Te Ngae Road upgrade · Clarified the proposed designs, in particular with regards to footpaths · Te Ngae Road catered for both local buses and inter-city bus services · Recognised that local roads, rather than main access ways, were more suitable for an on-demand service.
Key Points – Members · Drew attention to the Timaru public transport on-demand service which reduced the need for established infrastructure, yet met the needs of the community.
10.20 am – Mayor Powell withdrew from the meeting. 10.30 am – Mayor Powell entered the meeting. |
|
Chairperson's Report Presented by: Jessica Easton - Legal and Commercial Manager, Jen Proctor - Public Transport Delivery Team Lead and Ruth Feist - Team Leader Urban Key Points · Face coverings on the buses would be mandatory as of Monday 31 August 2020, with some exceptions · Waka Kotahi would provide facemasks initially, then passengers would be responsible for their own face covering (not limited to masks) · QR codes on the buses would be mandatory from Thursday 3 September 2020 · It was not the bus drivers’ responsibility to enforce face covering, however further clarification had been sought from Central Government as there were inconsistencies in the information provided · Acknowledged that not all people would register for the Covid-19 App and BeeCard, and that this could not be enforced. Key Points – Members · Sought urgent attention to the establishment of the Western Bay Public Transport Community Panel · Must ensure that the community was well informed and supported any proposed changes to the public transport service.
|
|
|
|
That the Public Transport Committee: 1 Receives the report, Chairperson's Report. CARRIED |
10.45 am – The meeting adjourned.
11.00 am – The meeting reconvened.
Decisions Required
|
Public Transport Strategic Framework and Activity Planning Presentation: Public Transport Strategic Framework: Objective ID A3612724 ⇨ Bron Healey – Principal Advisor, Regional Development presented this item (via Zoom) Key Points of Presentation · Purpose: Introduce thinking on an aligned regional public transport strategic framework · Situation: Complex regional operating environment · Regional Framework: Draft RLTP 2021 visions; BOPRC PT Community Outcome; Regional PT objectives · Draft PT network principles: Simple and direct; Network hierarchy; consistent and reliable; safe and accessible; legible and convenient · Draft KPIs and mission statement · Target Levels of Service · Subregion specific objectives and KPIs: Rotorua; Western Bay; Eastern Bay.
In Response to Questions · Recognised the link between fast/direct services on major access ways vs the services required in the local network · KPIs were set to ensure consistency and accountability; recognising the complex nature of public transport strategy · Integrated planning ensured overall costs were reflected and catered for at a regional level.
Key Points – Members · Important to clearly recognise the safety considerations of the wider community, i.e. all those who interacted with the bus service, rather than being mainly focussed toward the users · Sought the opportunity to have further discussions with regards to the draft KPIs and mission statements · Encouraged a more joint approach between TCC and BOPRC in the implementation of infrastructure to support an accessible bus service · Sought clarity with regards to emission targets to ensure consistency between all of BOPRC Strategies and Plans · When considering bus contracts, the use of low emission vehicles should be taken into account · Concerned that WBOP stage 3 of the Public Transport Blueprint review was being postponed as this was a significant component where community and user input would be extensively sought · Re-emphasized the importance of actively and successfully obtain community input as part of a comprehensive review · Emphasized the importance of infrastructure costs being included in overall cost estimates.
11.28 am – Cr Bruning withdrew from the meeting.
|
|
|
|
That the Public Transport Committee: 1 Receives the report, Public Transport Strategic Framework and Activity Planning. 2 Receives the Public Transport Strategic Framework and Activity Plan approach as an evolving response to a complex operating environment. 3 Notes that the Public Transport Strategic Framework is designed to reflect and align with the draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2021, Regional Public Transport Plan 2019, Urban Form and Transport Initiative, and the developing Western Bay of Plenty Transport System Plan. 4 Notes that any proposed updates or amendments to regional public transport policy will need to be included in the next review of the Regional Public Transport Plan. 5 Receives the Western Bay of Plenty Transport System Plan public transport related investment objectives and key performance indicators, noting that the metrics are subject to further testing and confirmation through modelling, and that the findings be referred back to the Committee for consideration 6 Notes that Rotorua and Eastern Bay of Plenty activity planning will be progressed through programmed network reviews. 7 Seeks clarification with urgency on the status of the Stage 3 review CARRIED |
Information Only
|
Public Transport Arotake Tuatoru - Performance Monitoring Report July 2019 to June 2020. Presented by: Jessica Easton - Legal and Commercial Manager and Jen Proctor - Public Transport Delivery Team Lead Key Points · Highlighted key aspects of the monitoring report, including a 40% increase of patronage in Tauranga in February 2020, however Covid-19 lockdown had subsequently caused a significant decrease · Continued to work with the bus operators with regards to the complaints received · School bus service was well regarded and supported by the schools · High level of positive customer interaction as part of the introduction of the BeeCard · The on-line card top ups meant less cash handling and reduced risk for bus drivers · Provision of the total mobility service had been more challenging during Covid-19 as its customers were traditionally higher risk.
Key Points – Members · Concerned regarding the voluntary aspects of the speed limit in Links Avenue, which did not always reflect a particular situation, and sought a better way to record and report any issues. Items for Staff Follow-up · Provide reporting on the reliability of the data provided to the Transit App, as its reliability was a key aspect of the bus service.
|
|
|
|
That the Public Transport Committee: 1 Receives the report, Public Transport Arotake Tuatoru - Performance Monitoring Report July 2019 to June 2020. CARRIED |
|
7.5 |
Presentation: Tauranga City Council - Public Transport Infrastructure Presentation: TCC Infrastructure Update August 2020: Objective ID A3612735 ⇨ Presented by: Clare Cassidy – Senior Transport Planner and Brendan Bisley – Director of Transport (TCC). |
|
|
· Cameron Road multimodal project o Stage 1 Design completion: Aug 2020-Apr 2021 o Enabling and Early Works: May2021-Oct 2021 o Construction: Oct 2021-Sept 2023 o Transition from clearway to full bus lanes: 2026-2031 (year tbc) · Arataki bus facilities o Concept design and costing based on two sites o New engagement model planned · Bus stop upgrades and shelters o Bus stop improvement plan developed and Council increased budget to approximately 30 shelters per year o Real-time roll-out continuing.
In Response to Questions · Brookfield interchange was set for further investigation and design in 2021, to identify and incorporate changing needs · The review of the Transport System Plan would identify the requirements of the Brookfield interchange · Council was required to consult with affected residents with regards to bus shelters · Sites for park and ride were being considered as part of the Transport System Plan.
Key Points – Members · There was a genuine need for park and ride sites in rural areas if the public transport service was to be successful.
Items for Staff Follow-up · Report to be provided by TCC regarding park and ride investigations and the ‘real time’ service/facilities l Resolved That the Public Transport Committee: 1 Receives the presentation, Tauranga City Council - Public Transport Infrastructure. CARRIED |
Recording of meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BwXJaZi_Y8
12.55 pm – the meeting closed.
|
|
Chairperson, Public Transport Committee