Public Transport Committee Agenda

NOTICE IS GIVEN that the next meeting of the Public Transport Committee will be held in Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chambers, Regional House, 1 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga on:

Thursday 26 August 2021 COMMENCING AT 9.30 am

This meeting will be recorded.

The Public section of this meeting will be recorded and uploaded to Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s website.  Further details on this can be found after the Terms of Reference within the Agenda.

 

 Please note: If Covid-19 Alert Level 3 or 4 is in place this meeting will be held via Zoom only.

Fiona McTavish

Chief Executive, Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana

19 August 2021

 


Public Transport Committee

Membership

Chairperson

Cr Andrew von Dadelszen

Deputy Chairperson

Cr Lyall Thurston

Members  

Cr Norm Bruning

Cr Jane Nees

Cr Stacey Rose

Cr Paula Thompson

External Members

Two Tauranga City Council representatives

 

 

One representative each:

Rotorua Lakes Council

 

Western Bay of Plenty District Council

 

Whakatāne District Council

 

All of whom are voting members.

 

One Waka Kotahi NZTA non-voting representative

 

Commissioner Stephen Selwood

Commissioner Bill Wasley (Alternate)

 

 

 

Mr Phill Thomass (Lakes Community Board)

Cr Tania Tapsell (Alternate)

 

 

 

Mayor Garry Webber

 

Mayor Judy Turner

Deputy Mayor Andrew Iles (Alternate)

 

 

 

Vacant

Ex Officio

Chairman Doug Leeder

Quorum

Six members, consisting of more than half the number of voting members of which four must be BOPRC members

Meeting frequency

Quarterly

Purpose

Set the strategic and operational direction for approved Regional Council public transport policy and strategy, and monitor how it is implemented.

Role

·            Prepare and review the Bay of Plenty Regional Public Transport Plan.

·            Implement, monitor and review operational public transport policy and plans.

·            Implement, monitor and review the Western Bay of Plenty Public Transport Implementation Plan.

·            Advocate for public transport with NZTA, territorial authorities and central government.

·            Set and monitor targets for public transport in the region.

·            Receive reporting on the performance of the Passenger Transport Activity.

·            In coordination with the work programme of the Regional Transport Committee, guide and review the public transport components of the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) and make recommendations to Regional Transport Committee for incorporation into the RLTP.

Power to Act

To make all decisions necessary to fulfil the role and scope of the committee subject to the limitations imposed.

Power to Recommend

To Council and/or any standing committee as it deems appropriate.

The Public Transport Committee reports to the Regional Council.

Recording of Meetings

Please note the Public section of this meeting is being recorded and will be uploaded Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s web site in accordance with Council's Live Streaming and Recording of Meetings Protocols which can be viewed on Council’s website. The recording will be archived and made publicly available on Council's website within two working days after the meeting on www.boprc.govt.nz for a period of three years (or as otherwise agreed to by Council).

All care is taken to maintain your privacy; however, as a visitor in the public gallery or as a participant at the meeting, your presence may be recorded. By remaining in the public gallery, it is understood your consent is given if your image is inadvertently broadcast.

Opinions expressed or statements made by individual persons during a meeting are not the opinions or statements of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Council accepts no liability for any opinions or statements made during a meeting.

 


Bay of Plenty Regional Council - Toi Moana

Governance Commitment

mō te taiao, mō ngā tāngata - our environment and our people go hand-in-hand.

 

 

We provide excellent governance when, individually and collectively, we:

·        Trust and respect each other

·        Stay strategic and focused

·        Are courageous and challenge the status quo in all we do

·        Listen to our stakeholders and value their input

·        Listen to each other to understand various perspectives

·        Act as a team who can challenge, change and add value

·        Continually evaluate what we do

 

 

TREAD LIGHTLY, THINK DEEPLY,
ACT WISELY, SPEAK KINDLY.


Public Transport Committee                                                  26 August 2021

Recommendations in reports are not to be construed as Council policy until adopted by Council.

Agenda

1.      Apologies

2.      Public Forum

3.      Items not on the Agenda

4.      Order of Business

5.      Declaration of Conflicts of Interest

6.      Public Excluded Business to be Transferred into the Open

7.      Minutes

Minutes to be Confirmed

7.1      Public Transport Committee Minutes - 27 May 2021                                                  3

8.      Reports

8.1      Chairperson's Report                               3

Attachment 1 - Deloitte - Summary Report BOPRC                                                                      3

Attachment 2 - Deloitte - Detailed Report BOPRC                                                                      3

Attachment 3 - Stantec - Summary Report BOPRC                                                                      3

Attachment 4 - Stantec - Detailed Report BOPRC                                                                                   3

Attachment 5 - 2021-NZERA-342                         3

8.2      Public Transport Arotake Tuawha - Performance Monitoring Report July 2020 to June 2021                                    3

Attachment 1 - Public Transport Arotake Tuawha Q4 20-21                                                                   3

8.3      Bus Network Refresh - Connecting Tauranga City with the Mount, Pāpāmoa and Te Puke                                             3

Attachment 1 - Proposed Changes                      3

Attachment 2 - Bus Network Refresh Technical Report - final draft                                                  3

8.4      Improving Our Network                           3

8.5      Strategic Direction                                   3

Attachment 1 - PT Projects High Level Summary                                                                                   3

8.6      Regional Public Transport Plan Review Update                                                     3

Attachment 1 - Regional Public Transport Plan Review Progress                                                     3

9.      Reports

9.1      PRESENTATION: Tauranga City Council – Cameron Road Multi-Modal Project

10.    Public Excluded Section

Resolution to exclude the public

Excludes the public from the following parts of the proceedings of this meeting as set out below:

The general subject of each matter to be considered while the public is excluded, the reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter, and the specific grounds under section 48(1) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 for the passing of this resolution are as follows:

Item No.

Subject of each matter to be considered

Reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter

Grounds under Section 48(1) for the passing of this resolution

When the item can be released into the public

10.1

Public Excluded Public Transport Committee Minutes - 27 May 2021

As noted in the relevant Minutes.

As noted in the relevant Minutes.

To remain in public excluded.

 

Minutes to be Confirmed

10.1    Public Excluded Public Transport Committee Minutes - 27 May 2021

91.    Public Excluded Business to be Transferred into the Open

12.    Readmit the Public

10.    Consideration of Items not on the Agenda


Public Transport Committee Minutes

27 May 2021

 

Public Transport Committee

Open Minutes

Commencing:             Thursday 27 May 2021, 9.30 am

Venue:                         Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chambers, Regional House, 1 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga

Chairperson:               Cr Andrew von Dadelszen – Bay of Plenty Regional Council

Deputy Chairperson:  Cr Lyall Thurston – Bay of Plenty Regional Council

Members:                    Bay of Plenty Regional Council

                                    Cr Norm Bruning

Cr Jane Nees

Cr Paula Thompson

Cr Stacey Rose

Chairman Doug Leeder - Ex-Officio (from 9.47 am)

 

Lakes Community Board/ Rotorua Lakes Council

Phill Thomass

 

Whakatane District Council

Mayor Judy Turner

 

Tauranga City Council

Commissioner Stephen Selwood

In Attendance:            Bay of Plenty Regional Council: Mat Taylor – General Manager – Corporate, Namouta Poutasi – General Manager, Strategy and Science, Jessica Easton – Legal and Commercial Manager, James Llewellyn – Transport and Urban Planning Manager, Ruth Feist – Team Leader Urban, Nick Renton – Senior Transport Planner (via Zoom), Amanda Namana – Committee Advisor

 

External

Cole O’Keefe – Lead Strategic Planner, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (via Zoom), Alistair Talbot - Team Leader: Transport Strategy & Planning, Tauranga City Council

Apologies:                  Mayor Garry Webber – Western Bay of Plenty District Council

 

Please note that this meeting was recorded via Zoom and is available on Council’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5RQruyTEa4

 

1.     Apologies

Resolved

That the Public Transport Committee:

1       Accepts the apology from Mayor Garry Webber tendered at the meeting.

Rose/Thomass

CARRIED

2.     Public Forum

2.1

Harry Perry and Lucas Daum – Tauranga Boys High School Year 9 students

Presentation: Tauranga's New Bus Plan: Objective ID A3813744

 

Key Points:

·       As frequent users of the bus system they were not satisfied with the current service provided

·       Provided a brief history of how public transport had evolved in Tauranga

·       Outlined the consequences of the current bus network – unreliability, unpunctual, under-serviced and with slow travel times

·       Noted that Tauranga no longer had just one hub, but five: CBD, Mount Maunganui, Bayfair, Pāpāmoa, Bethlehem and Tauranga Crossing

·       Described a new network initiative consisting of buses orbiting and connecting through the five hubs

·       Changes to fares and schedules for the proposed new network were suggested

·       Location and number of bus stops should be adjusted and provide shelter

·       Proposed a new App that ran similarly to Transit, named Hopit

·       Further information was available on the students’ website: https://lucasharry.editorx.io/tgabusplan

In Response to Questions

·       Rather than being an on-demand service, this was about significant changes to routes and schedules to gain all over improvement to the network and service

·       The new plan would utilise existing buses for the connecting ones and potentially smaller buses for the orbiters.

3.     Declaration of Conflicts of Interest

None declared.

4.     Minutes

Minutes to be Confirmed

4.1

Public Transport Committee Minutes - 18 March 2021

 

Resolved

That the Public Transport Committee:

1                    Confirms the Public Transport Committee Minutes - 18 March 2021 as a true and correct record.

Nees/Thurston

CARRIED

9:47am – Chairman Leeder entered the meeting.

5.     Reports

5.1

Chairperson's Report

Legal and Commercial Manager Jessica Easton, Transport and Urban Planning Manager James Llewellyn and Team Leader Urban Ruth Feist presented this item, supported by Tauranga City Council Team Leader: Transport Strategy & Planning Alistair Talbot.

Key Points:

·     Anticipated decision on funding from Waka Kotahi through the National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) in August 2021 for the Western Bay Public Transport Services and Infrastructure Business Case

·     A key challenge for the Point of Entry (POE) business case was the number of business cases that were potentially being promoted through the Tauranga Transport System Plan (TSP)

·     It was important to first make better use of existing resources, market the services better and introduce the travel demand management and behaviour change initiatives before committing significant additional  resources to increase frequencies

·     Maintaining a security presence at key bus stop locations held a significant cost of $700,000 per annum, all of which was currently funded by Regional Council

·     Police had noted a dramatic decline in calls since the security presence at bus stops in Willow Street and Farm Street

·     There was an opportunity to streamline and get better planning and governance

·     Council would ideally like to achieve flexibility from the Public Transport Operating Model (PToM) review

·     One of the biggest challenges the industry needed to plan for was the decarbonisation of the bus fleet and existing operators would have the advantage of existing infrastructure

·     The overarching issue with regard to fares was the challenge of finding a balance between generating revenue for reinvesting in services and the need to keep fares affordable and fair for passengers.

Key Points - Members:

·     12-18 months to complete a business case was a long time considering the amount of information on the network available

·     The PToM submission should be a combined submission with all other affected councils

·     Recent experience in Whakatāne had highlighted that trialling different initiatives provided substantive benefits in discovering what could change human behaviour

·     Essential for mode shift change was staff working together in an integrated collaborative manner across councils.

In Response to Questions:

·     Discussions had commenced with Rotorua operators regarding implementation of the living wage

·     The last living wage increase in September 2020 was currently going through the Long Term Plan (LTP) process and provided this was adopted by Council on 24th June 2021 then this would be back paid

·     The Cameron Road project was programmed to start construction in August 2021 and would also provide a proof of concept for other projects

·     The POE work was completed internally by staff and the cost of the business case was expected to be approximately $650,000

·     The Transport Special Interest Group (TSIG) had a workstream to review the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) process.  One option within this review would be proposing a more devolved model of funding and decision making

·     If Waka Kotahi saw a successful outcome from the Innovating Streets fund, other trial based options may be considered

·     The issue that any prospective bus operator had was the large upfront investment required to bid and service a contract

·     Research undertaken to date for the parking strategy suggested that maintaining availability of parking was key, relative to the desired outcomes of each particular area.

 

Items for Staff Follow Up:

·       Provide regular updates to future meetings on TSP and on the Cameron Road project 

·       Circulate minutes to members from the Western Bay of Plenty Community Panel.

 

Resolved

That the Public Transport Committee:

1       Receives the report, Chairperson's Report;

von Dadelszen/Rose

CARRIED

2       Invites Harry Daum and Lucas Perry to attend the Western Bay of Plenty Public Transport Community Panel.  

Thurston/Thompson

CARRIED

 

 

10.56 am – The meeting adjourned.

 

10:56 am - Chairman Leeder withdrew from the meeting.

 

11.15 am – The meeting reconvened.

Decisions Required

5.2

Bay of Plenty Travel Demand Management and Behaviour Change Programme

Presentation: Travel Demand Management and Behaviour Change Programme: Objective ID A3813745

Transport and Urban Planning Manager James Llewellyn presented this item.

Key Points:

·       Travel planning for employers, schools and hospitals was crucial

·       Acknowledged the work of Tauranga City Council, in particular in addressing the challenges of the school bus services

·       There was a significant opportunity to improve in the mobile technology space

·       Accommodating new areas of housing growth was a key factor in  policy and planning

·       Services provided needed to be integrated with travel demand management measures

·       Understanding how people view their lifestyles and how transport fit within those lifestyles was a key consideration

·       A key challenge was altering people’s perception of public transport to view it as a sign of living in a vibrant and successful community.

Key Points - Members:

·       A fundamental issue was clearly identifying the target market and applying this to the sub-regions

·       Focus on providing services that meet people’s individual needs

·       Break down the market segments in the objectives in order to have a more focused approach

·       Provided statistics on the journeys people travelling to jobs in the city took – they came from 77 different origins which provided the reason people were currently car dependent

·       Requested direction in regard to providing disincentives for car travel

In Response to Questions:

·       Desired outcomes from new developments was a significant increase in the number of journeys by modes other than single occupancy cars

 

Resolved

That the Public Transport Committee:

1       Receives the report, Bay of Plenty Travel Demand Management and Behaviour Change Programme.

2       Approves the high level scope and timeframes for the programme as outlined in this report;

3       Also recognises the jurisdictions of all entities and the need for integration.

von Dadelszen/Thompson

CARRIED

 

5.3

Accessibility Concession - Addition of a Plus 1 Concession

Senior Transport Planner Nick Renton presented this item via Zoom.

Key Points - Members:

·       Commended the initiative for promoting inclusion and creating empowerment

·       Requested the data was tracked to correlate with the Total Mobility scheme.

In Response to Questions:

·       There was a Total Mobility Advisor also working on the project.

 

Resolved

That the Public Transport Committee:

1       Receives the report, Accessibility Concession - Addition of a Plus 1 Concession;

2       Notes the inclusion of a ‘Plus 1’ Concession in the roll-out of the Accessibility Concession scheme from July 1, 2021.

Thompson/Thurston

CARRIED

 

5.4

Rotorua Public Transport Review Consultation Feedback

Presentation: Rotorua Public Transport Review: Objective ID A3813743   

Transport and Urban Planning Manager James Llewellyn and Team Leader Urban Ruth Feist presented this item.

Key Points - Members:

·       Expressed support for the CBD Orbiter initiative in revitalising the previous CBD area

·       Suggested seasonal buses to Lake Ōkāreka

·       There was strong support from iwi/hapū and from residents of rural areas for public transport options.

 

Resolved

That the Public Transport Committee:

1       Receives the report, Rotorua Public Transport Review Consultation Feedback.

2       Notes the community consultation results for the Rotorua Public Transport Review, and that a decision has been made as part of deliberations on the Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s Long Term Plan 2021-2031.

Thomass/Thurston

CARRIED

 

5.5

Improving Our Network

Transport and Urban Planning Manager James Llewellyn and Team Leader Urban Ruth Feist presented this item.

Key Points:

·    Address the concern over needing to interchange at Bayfair by providing additional direct services between Pāpāmoa and the CBD

·    Noted that all of the proposed changes were within existing budgets

·    Additional services would be added to route 125 between Kawerau and Whakatāne at the end of May 2021, which had called into question the rationale of progressing with the on-demand service.

In Response to Questions:

·    Confirmed that this would be making better use of existing buses, not putting additional buses into service

·    Keeping pace with the school service demand was an ongoing challenge and an additional three buses had been added to the network.

 

Items for Staff Follow Up:

·    Report to the next committee on meeting the demands of the school service.

 

Resolved

That the Public Transport Committee:

1       Receives the report, Improving Our Network;

2       Agrees to reconsider the Kawerau On-Demand Trial once the service enhancements to the Kawerau-Whakatāne bus service have been in operation for at least twelve months;

3       Notes that the Super Gold Card concession has been extended from 3.00pm to 6.30pm on weekdays for 12 months to 30 June 2022.

Rose/Thurston

CARRIED

Information Only

5.6

Updated Bus Non-User Survey

Legal and Commercial Manager Jessica Easton presented this item.

Key Points:

·       73% would consider using public transport in the future

·       62% of people stated convenience as the reason for not using public transport.

 

Resolved

That the Public Transport Committee:

1       Receives the report, Updated Bus Non-User Survey.

Rose/Thompson

CARRIED

 

5.7

Public Transport Arotake Tuatoru - Performance Monitoring Report July 2020 to March 2021

Legal and Commercial Manager Jessica Easton presented this item.

Key Points:

·       A stop had been added to Route 85, the Waihī Beach town connector at the medical centre as requested from community feedback

·       Positive feedback had been received from the additional Total Mobility services provided, particularly in Katikati.

 

Resolved

That the Public Transport Committee:

1       Receives the report, Public Transport Arotake Tuatoru - Performance Monitoring Report July 2020 to March 2021.

Thurston/Nees

CARRIED

6.     Public Excluded Section

Resolved

Resolution to exclude the public

1       Excludes the public from the following parts of the proceedings of this meeting as set out below:

The general subject of each matter to be considered while the public is excluded, the reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter, and the specific grounds under section 48(1) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 for the passing of this resolution are as follows:

Item No.

Subject of each matter to be considered

Reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter

Grounds under Section 48(1) for the passing of this resolution

When the item can be released into the public

6.1

The Living Wage for Bus Drivers in the Bay of Plenty

Withholding the information is necessary to protect information where the making available of the information would be likely to unreasonably prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information; Withholding the information is necessary to enable any local authority holding the information to carry out, without prejudice or disadvantage, commercial activities.

48(1)(a)(i) Section 7 (2)(b)(ii); 48(1)(a)(i) Section 7 (2)(h).

To remain in public excluded.

2       That Alistair Talbot - Team Leader: Transport Strategy & Planning, Tauranga City Council be permitted to stay in the public excluded section of the meeting due to his knowledge of the matter under discussion.

von Dadelszen/Thurston

CARRIED

12.57 pm – the meeting closed.

 

 

Confirmed                                                                                          

                                                                    Cr Andrew von Dadelszen

Chairperson, Public Transport Committee


 

 

 

Report To:

Public Transport Committee

Meeting Date:

26 August 2021

Report Authoriser:

Mat Taylor, General Manager, Corporate

 

 

Chairperson's Report

 

Executive Summary

This report highlights matters of interest that the Committee Chair considers to be relevant to the business of the Public Transport Committee.

The report includes updates on:

·          the national context including additional funding from Waka Kotahi, rest and meal break assurance programme and Employment Relations Authority determination on split shifts;

·          public transport including patronage updates; and

·          free bus services that Council will provide to our Community.

 

Recommendations

That the Public Transport Committee:

1       Receives the report, Chairperson's Report.

 

1.        Matters of Potential Interest

1.1      National Context

Waka Kotahi additional funding for 20/21

Waka Kotahi approved an additional $366,000 of funding at the end of the 20/21 financial year. 

Council encountered additional costs following the service level performance issues in 2019 which resulted in a change to the operating model.  These changes saw an increase in services and greater depot requirements.  An additional $345,000 was approved to cover these amounts in addition to $21,000 for bus shelters which is passed onto our District Council partners.

Completion of rest and meal break assurance programme

Waka Kotahi appointed consultants, Deloitte and Stantec, to provide independent confirmation to the Government (Waka Kotahi) and Councils that:

·     Operators’ scheduling decisions to deliver timetables while also complying with new rest and meal break requirements introduced under the ERAA are reasonable in the circumstances without undue passenger disruption and driver impacts. That is, that the Operator has not over-estimated the additional resources required to deliver timetables and breaks due to inefficient scheduling decisions; and

 

·     Operators’ pricing of additional resources required to meet new rest and meal break requirements for employees is consistent with an appropriate pricing approach and reasonable in the circumstances.

Stantec was engaged as the Scheduling Consultant. Deloitte was engaged as the Pricing Consultant.  The Detailed and Summary Reports from Deloitte and Stantec are found at Attachments 1 to 4

In summary:

1.   Deloitte were satisfied that the Operators’ pricing of additional resources required to meet rest and meal break requirements is consistent with an appropriate pricing approach and reasonable in the circumstances.

 

2.   Stantec were satisfied that there are limited passenger and driver impacts as a result of the operator response to the ERAA, and that the scheduling approach taken to achieve compliance with the ERAA is appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances.

No further action was recommended by either Deloitte or Stantec.

Employment Relations Authority on split shifts

A recent decision of the Employment Relations Authority (New Zealand Tramways and Public Passenger Transport Employees Union V Tranzurban Hutt Valley Limited [2021] NZERA 342) found in favour of the Union in a dispute over the meaning of a “work period” in the Land Transport Rule: Work Time in Large Passenger Service Vehicles 2019.

The dispute arose following the implementation of the rest and meal break changes in Wellington last year.  The Union’s position was that a driver can only have one start and one finish time each day rather than the split shift model of two start and finish times each day.

The Authority determined that the Union was correct and the term work period covers all time between an employees’ initial commencement and final cessation on any given day. By reason of this definition, drivers will be entitled to an additional break in their day where they are performing a split shift.

It is expected that the previous working groups set up to implement the rest and meal breaks legislation will need to reconvene to consider the effects of this determination.  Rostering will need to be reprogrammed by Operators and there may be requirements for additional drivers in order to achieve compliance.

 

A copy of the Employment Relations Authority determination is found at Attachment 5.

 

1.1      Public Transport Update

Patronage Updates

Regional bus patronage for the 2020/2021 period was 2.66 million, an increase on 2018/19 and 2019/20. 

School services in Tauranga are the primary driver of growth in the region. Patronage for the school network in June 2021 was the second highest month ever recorded (after March 2021), with 83,676 trips taken.

The final year patronage trends can be summarised as follows:

·     The Tauranga urban network increased by 7.5% on 2019/20 and 1.2% on 2018/19;

·     The Rotorua network decreased 18.4% on 2019/20 and 36.5% on 2018/19; and

·     The Whakatāne network was fairly similar to patronage levels in 2019/20 but had decreased 29.9% on 2018/19.

More detailed information and analysis is contained in the Public Transport Arotake Tuawha – Performance Monitoring Report July 2020 to June 2021 later in the Agenda.

Accessibility concession

The Accessibility Concession was successfully implemented on 1 July 2021.  This has seen a very positive uptake from our community with 3,111 tag ons in the month of July plus 92 boardings for those eligible for the +1 concession in that period too.

More detail will be provided in the Improving Our Network report later in the Agenda.

Kawerau changes

Timetables enhancements for Kawerau were implemented on 31 May 2021.  This saw a significant uptake in patronage in the first month of use of 101%.

More detail will be provided in the Improving Our Network report later in the Agenda.

School bus removal

Due to concerns around late running and reliability across the Tauranga network, Council engaged:

1.   Bethlehem Coachlines to operate five school routes (operated by 6 vehicles) effective Monday 21 June; and

 

2.   Uzabus to operate six school routes (operated by 8 vehicles) effective Monday 26 July. 

These change freed up six NZ Bus drivers who were performing school services only and allowed them to transition to the urban network.  Consequently, while addressing reliability on the school network, we also relieved some pressure on the urban network and positively affected reliability there too.

In addition to these changes, NZ Bus have made internal changes to improve resourcing within their depots in Tauranga. 

Since these changes were implemented, there has been a marked improvement on reliability across the school and urban networks.

Safety and Security at Bus Interchanges

At the previous Committee meeting, it was reported that Council was the sole funder of security services in Tauranga and, with no funding support, the service would end on 30 June.  Since then Waka Kotahi have agreed to fund 51% of the cost of security around the three main bus interchanges in Tauranga. 

With a 51% funding assistance rate from Waka Kotahi, this Council has agreed to fund the remaining share.

The security service provides benefit to residents beyond the bus services. Waka Kotahi agreed to fund this activity due to the transport system benefits and, as such, it now makes it more affordable for Tauranga ratepayers to maintain this service.

Council is currently working with Rotorua Lakes Council to maximise funding through Waka Kotahi for security services at the bus interchange at Fenton Street, Rotorua. 

1.2      Free buses for our Community

Anchor AIMES Games

Council, together with Tauranga City Council, will again support athletes, officials and supporters to get around at the Anchor AIMS Games from 5 to 10 September 2021.  This year three free Park & Ride buses will operate from the Mount Hot Pools to Gordon Spratt Reserve stopping at Blake Park, Baywave, Trustpower Baypark Arena in both directions.

Australasian Police & Emergency Services Games

The 18th edition of the Australasian Police & Emergency Services Games will be held from 4 to11 March 2022 in Rotorua.

The purpose of the Australasian Police and Emergency Services Games is to build camaraderie and promote a healthy lifestyle through participation in sport while heightening the public's awareness of Police and Emergency Services. Over 50 sports will be held in Rotorua during the event.

Council is currently exploring the provision of a free bus service for the Games. We do not often have the opportunity to support such events in Rotorua and so this event provides a great opportunity for Council to support the Rotorua community.

 

Attachments

Attachment 1 - Deloitte - Summary Report BOPRC

Attachment 2 - Deloitte - Detailed Report BOPRC

Attachment 3 - Stantec - Summary Report BOPRC

Attachment 4 - Stantec - Detailed Report BOPRC

Attachment 5 - 2021-NZERA-342  

 


Public Transport Committee                                       26 August 2021








Public Transport Committee                                       26 August 2021
















Public Transport Committee                                       26 August 2021

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Report To:

Public Transport Committee

Meeting Date:

26 August 2021

Report Writer:

Jessica Easton, Legal and Commercial Manager

Report Authoriser:

Mat Taylor, General Manager, Corporate

Purpose:

To provide an overview of performance monitoring for Public Transport in the Bay of Plenty for the 12 months ended 30 June 2021.

 

 

Public Transport Arotake Tuawha - Performance Monitoring Report July 2020 to June 2021

 

Executive Summary

This report provides an overview of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s performance monitoring for Public Transport as set out in the Bay of Plenty Public Transport Plan for the 2020/21 financial year.

Attached as Appendix 1 to this report, is our monitoring report Public Transport Arotake Tuawha – July 2020 to June 2021.  Public Transport Arotake brings together information and data for Public Transport across the region and includes the following sections:

·          Executive Summary – includes high level patronage overview over the reporting period along with financial and non-financial performance information;

·          Public Transport Updates – including updates on bus services, and an overview of patronage, reliability and customer experience;

·          Customer experience updates;

·          Technology – including an overview of the Regional Integrated Ticketing System and the Bee Card;

·          Total Mobility updates; and

·          Finance - detailed financial information for key areas within the Transportation Group of Activities budget.

 

Recommendations

That the Public Transport Committee:

1.      Receives the report, Public Transport Arotake Tuawha - Performance Monitoring Report July 2020 to June 2021.

 

1.        Introduction

This report provides an overview of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s performance monitoring for Public Transport as set out in the Bay of Plenty Public Transport Plan for the 2020/21 financial year.

Attached as Appendix 1 to this report, is our monitoring report Public Transport Arotake Tuawha 2020/21 – July 2020 to June 2021. Public Transport Arotake brings together information and data for Public Transport across the region.

1.1      Alignment with Strategic Framework

 

A Vibrant Region

We lead regional transport strategy and system planning, working with others to deliver a safe and reliable public transport system.

 

1.1.1    Community Well-beings Assessment

Dominant Well-Beings Affected

þ Environmental

Low - Positive

þ Cultural

Low - Positive

þ Social

Medium - Positive

þ Economic

Medium - Positive

 

 

 

2.        Public Transport Arotake Tuawha

2.1      Patronage Highlights

Patronage has shown a robust recovery following the COVID-19 restrictions in 2020, with year-on-year growth across most areas of the network.

There were 2.66 million trips taken in the region this year, a slight increase on 2018/19 and significantly higher than 2019/20.

The Tauranga network (urban and school combined) patronage for the year has increased by 19.5% on the last year and 13.1% on 2018/19.

Passenger patronage on the urban network increased by 7.5% on last year and 1.2% on 2018/19. 

Tauranga school services have continued to reflect positive patronage levels, with a full year result of 660,085 compared to 405,409 last year and 419,770 in 2018/19 (increases of 62.8% and 57.2% respectively).

In Rotorua full year patronage was down 18.4% on last year and 36.5% on 2018/19. 

The Rotorua network has been impacted by roadworks on SH30 and the commencement of roadworks on SH36 and SH5 at Ngongotahā.  These roadworks have resulted in diversions for some routes and delays as a result of significant congestion within the area.

The Eastern Bay Network seems to have been particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 lockdown last year, which is reflected in the 2019/20 results.  Full year patronage was up 0.27% on prior year and down 29.9% on 2018/19.

The improved Kawerau to Whakatāne route went live on 31 May 2021.  Comparing patronage figures from May 2021 to June 2021 patronage levels have doubled.

For Tertiary/Commuter services the second year trial began on 18 February 2021.  A slower start was observed compared to the 2020 trial however, Quarter 4 averaged 846 trips per month, up 11% on the average monthly patronage of August to November 2020 (the period following the lifting of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions).

2.2      Reliability

The period 1 April 2021 to 30 June 2021 showed an average of 472 trips missed per month, 1.65% of the total scheduled trips. Following a concerning increase in missed trips in May due to driver availability issues, Bay of Plenty Regional Council and NZ Bus implemented a series of measures to improve reliability across the network. Missed trips have reduced significantly throughout June and this trend has continued since.

2.3      Customer Experience

In Quarter 4 2020/21, during business hours, a total of 5,100 transport related calls were received. This equated to around 41% of all calls to Bay of Plenty Regional Council taken for this period. After hours, Tauranga City Council dealt with 1520 transport related calls and this equated to 79% of all after hours calls taken during this period.

Tauranga and Rotorua mystery shopper results remain positive during this quarter and at year end.  Rotorua again experienced an increase for Friendly & Helpful and Initial Impressions and Tauranga reached 100% for Quality & Comfort.

2.4      Regional Integrated Ticketing Solution

As at the end of June 2021 there was a total of 57,422 Bee cards issued in the Bay of Plenty region, a 5.9% increase on Quarter 3.  Of those cards, 39,631 have been registered on-line, continuing the positive movement of cards being registered.

2.5      Total Mobility

As at 30 June 2021 there were 4,025 clients in the Bay of Plenty using the Total Mobility scheme.  There were 917 applications processed this financial year.

The effects of COVID-19 continued to affect the travel patterns of people using the Total Mobility scheme.  Trips and membership were up 10% and 8% respectively on prior year yet expenditure was down around 9%.  Anecdotally it has been suggested that people were cautious to return to ‘normal’, instead preferring to travel locally resulting in shorter trips taken.

As reported in the Arotake Tuatoru performance monitoring report, six new operators joined the scheme this year; three in Tauranga, one in Katikati and two in Rotorua.  The addition of these new operators has been well received, not only because they offer more choice but because they have added more vehicles equipped with hoists for people using a wheelchair to mobilise.

 

2.6      Budget Update

The key budget highlights for the 12 months ended 30 June 2021 are as follows:

·     Revenue at the end of Quarter 4 2020/21 is $0.6 million higher than budget.

·     Operating expenditure at the end of Quarter 4 is $0.4 million higher than budget. This is mainly due to higher RITS operational costs and the unbudgeted security costs.

·     Capital revenue at the end of the year is $0.7m higher than budget, and Capital expenditure at the end of the year is $0.1m higher than budget due to the RITS implementation subsidy and costs.

3.        Considerations

3.1      Climate Change

The aim of this section is to ensure your thinking and assumptions around climate change are explicit and to provide visibility as to how our work relates to climate change. Consider:

1.  Is the initiative sensitive to climate (e.g. changes in rainfall, temperature, wind, sea-level)? If so, what are the likely impacts and how have they been accounted for?

2.  In what way does the initiative relate to climate change (use the building block below to illustrate)?

3.  Which of the guiding principles does the initiative encompass in relation to climate change (see the detailed guidance for information on these principles)? Provide more detail where appropriate.

Use the building block below when considering Climate Change implications.

Crtl + click for guideline material.

 

Mitigation

Adaptation

Reduce GHG emissions

Produce GHG emissions

Sequester carbon

Anticipate climate change impacts

Respond to climate change impacts

The matters in this report relate to Focus Area 3 (the services we provide as a Regional Council) in the Bay of Plenty Regional Council Climate Change Action Plan and Goal 10 – reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the region.

 

3.2      Implications for Māori

There are no specific implications for Māori as a result of this report.  Implications resulting from projects or items considered in this report will be addressed within those projects or processes.

3.3      Community Engagement

 

Adobe Systems

INFORM

Whakamōhio

To provide affected communities with balanced and objective information to assist them in understanding the problems, alternatives and/or solutions.

 

3.4      Financial Implications

There are no material unbudgeted financial implications and the overall position is in line with Annual Plan 2020/21. Additional costs due to COVID-19 were fully funded by Waka Kotahi through 2020/21.

Looking ahead, Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s Long Term Plan 2021-2031 was adopted in June 2021 following external audit clearance. Recommendations from the Public Transport Committee will be incorporated into Council’s forecasts through its in-year monitoring processes.

 

4.        Next Steps

As this report is for information only, no further steps are required.

 

Attachments

Attachment 1 - Public Transport Arotake Tuawha Q4 20-21   


Public Transport Committee                                       26 August 2021

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Report To:

Public Transport Committee

Meeting Date:

26 August 2021

Report Writer:

Melissa Winters, Transport Advisor (Network Optimisation)

Report Authoriser:

Namouta Poutasi, General Manager, Strategy & Science

Purpose:

This report provides a summary of the ‘Bus Network Refresh – connecting Tauranga City with the Mount, Pāpāmoa and Te Puke’ project, and seeks approval to implement proposed service changes.

 

 

Bus Network Refresh - Connecting Tauranga City with the Mount, Pāpāmoa and Te Puke

 

Executive Summary

There is general agreement around the need to significantly increase levels of bus patronage on services in Tauranga.  The main purpose of the Bus Network Refresh project is to implement an improved service to meet passenger needs, within existing budgets, in response to community feedback. 

Part one of this Refresh project is ‘Connecting Tauranga City with the Mount, Pāpāmoa and Te Puke’, and accordingly is focussed services in that part of the city.  Part two will focus on the remainder of the Tauranga network and will be completed in 2022.  This report relates to Part one only.

A key part of the Long Term Plan (LTP) and also the Waka Kotahi National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) is to optimise the use of existing assets and services before making substantial new investment.

Following completion of the Tauranga Transport System Plan (TSPP), the PT Blueprint Phase 3 review has continued with a focus on Pāpāmoa bus services, the impact of transfers at Bayfair and the provision and adequacy of interchange facilities.  This has resulted in the Bus Network Refresh project (part one), which addresses these issues.

The Bee card system, which began operation in July 2020, has provided significant data on patronage, journeys taken and bus stop usage.  This has allowed staff to analyse the network in Tauranga in far more detail than was previously possible.  It is now possible to assess the performance of individual services both as a whole and by time of day.  There is also the ability to assess which are the busiest sections of the network.

This project has been undertaken in consultation with NZ Bus and Tauranga City Council to ensure that the final recommendations are robust and take all operational concerns into account.

This report provides:

·          A summary of the issues that have been addressed through this project;

·          A summary of the community consultation held from 28 June – 18 July 2021; and

·          Recommendations to implement proposed changes to the Tauranga public transport network.

 

Recommendations

That the Public Transport Committee:

1       Receives the report, Bus Network Refresh - Connecting Tauranga City with the Mount, Pāpāmoa and Te Puke.

2       Approves the recommended changes to the Tauranga Public Transport Network as detailed in Section 3, with an indicative implementation date of 15 November 2021.

 

      Introduction

The Bus Network Refresh project scope was approved at the Public Transport Committee meeting on 18 March 2021, with four objectives:

1.      To understand current service performance issues which are affecting reliability and convenience of bus services.

2.      To optimise services within key corridors of the network, by making better use of existing budgets.

3.      To serve the community by improving public transport services and legibility of timetables.

4.      To identify any service improvements that require future increases to budgets.

1.1      Background

The public transport network in Tauranga changed significantly with the PT Blueprint network implementation in December 2018. 

The Blueprint was based on a ‘hub and spoke’ model, which required passengers to change buses at hubs where multiple higher frequency and shorter services connected.  This model relies on good quality infrastructure at transfer hubs, and the ability to adhere to the timetable reliably and consistently.

When the Blueprint network was implemented, it was expected that there would be a hub built at Bayfair to allow passengers to transfer buses in a safe and comfortable environment.  For the new network to be successful, hubs were also recommended at Hairini, Greerton and Brookfield.

At its March 2019 meeting, the Public Transport Committee agreed that the scope of the Phase 3 review would include:

·     Addressing feedback seeking improvements and changes on the urban network;

·     Accessibility and service design in the western suburbs;

·     Convenience of the Papamoa service and impact of services requiring transfers at Bayfair;

·     Provision of quality infrastructure at interchange hubs across the network, particularly at Papamoa and the western suburbs;

·     Right-sizing of buses and identification of capacity constraints; and

·     Current fare structure and potential implications of moving to a zone or distance-based fare.

The purpose of Phase 3 was to look at areas the network that could have minor adjustments, as well as potentially more substantive changes, to ensure that the network meets, or exceeds, customer expectations.  In particular, Phase 3 would address the issues and feedback received that had not already been dealt with during Phases 1 and 2.

The initial expected timing of the Phase 3 components, including public consultation, were identified in March 2019 report to the Public Transport Committee.  At that stage, most of the deliverables were timed to be completed by February 2020.

Since March 2019, some components of Phase 3 have been delivered. Other components have been delayed either due to COVID-19 impacts, or to await the outcomes of the Urban Form and Transport Initiative (UFTI – final report July 2020). Subsequently, the Western Bay Transport System Plan (TSP) was initiated to implement UFTI.  The TSP was completed in late 2020 and has been endorsed by relevant parties.

A number of network improvements were identified under the Phase 3 review, and these were implemented in two stages in October 2019 and June 2020, including:

·     Introduction of service 51 (Pyes Pā to Tauranga Crossing) and 57 (Greerton to Pyes Pā Memorial Gardens);

·     Alterations to the Welcome Bay bus service to include Ranginui Road;

·     Removing buses from Grace Avenue;

·     Extending service 30 to include Okuroa Drive;

·     Minor timetable changes; and

·     Additional services at peak times.

Further investigation was required to address other components of Phase 3, specifically the Pāpāmoa services and the impact of services requiring transfers at Bayfair.  The Bus Network Refresh project (part one) has been instigated primarily to respond to this aspect of the Phase 3 review.  Stage two of this project will seek to address issues related to the western and southern parts of the Tauranga network.

1.2      Alignment with Strategic Framework

 

A Vibrant Region

We lead regional transport strategy and system planning, working with others to deliver a safe and reliable public transport system.

The Way We Work

We deliver value to our ratepayers and our customers.

1.2.1    Community Well-beings Assessment

Dominant Well-Beings Affected

þ Environmental

Medium - Positive

¨ Cultural

 

þ Social

Medium - Positive

¨ Economic

 

 

The outcome of this project is to improve public transport service quality, legibility and choice for the Tauranga community – by better matching the supply of bus services with demand.  The proposed changes aim to have a positive impact on residents looking for reliable transport options by removing the need for many transfers and simplifying services / timetables.

Environmental benefits will be achieved by making more efficient use of the resources currently available.  This will reduce the number of empty and ‘not in service’ buses that are currently visible around Tauranga.

      Scope and Key Challenges

2.1      Scope of project

The project focusses services along the coastal corridor from Mt Maunganui and Pāpāmoa through to Te Puke, and include the Tauranga CBD and Hospital precinct.

Services included in the project are 30, 30x, 33, City Link, Hospital Link, 221, Gold line, 36 and 41.  Service 55 was added as the project progressed due to its frequency along Cameron Road.

2.2      Key Challenges

The 2020 Bus User survey suggests that there is much that existing passengers like about the network.

·     User satisfaction with public bus services is high, with four in every five respondents satisfied with their most recent bus trip. The main drivers of the overall satisfaction with bus services are on-board experience, the Efficiency of the service and Value for money, in order of importance;

·     Users gave high evaluations for their overall satisfaction with public transport (76%); and

·     Almost nine in ten respondents (88%) are likely to advocate for the use of public transport to a friend or colleague.

·     Efficiency has the most significant impact on overall satisfaction with the service aspects of public transport, with Reliability of service a key area for future improvement.

Since the current bus network was launched in December 2018, there are a number of issues that have been identified, including:

·    Relatively low levels of patronage in the study area for the level of frequency provided.  Table 1 shows total patronage in February and March 2021, for the services included in this project:

Table 1: Bus Patronage in February and March 2021

 Service

February Total

March Total

City Link

12,218

14,185

Hospital Link

15,671

19,017

30

9,564

11,513

30x

831

1,181

33

6,296

6,801

221

2,268

3,106

Gold Line

1,699

1,774

36

3,610

5,013

41

757

802

All

52,914

63,392

·    Concerns from passengers around the need to interchange services at Bayfair.  This has been ongoing since the Blueprint changes that took effect in December 2018.  Continued dissatisfaction with layover facilities (i.e. shelters and facilities for passengers) at Farm Street have contributed to the overall high importance of this issue.

·    Confusion as to routings for the City Link and Hospital Link services in the Totara Street / Maunganui Road / Hewlett’s Road triangle.  Passengers often state that they struggle with the fact that the City Link and Hospital Link travel on different services in each direction, so people can end up going on a longer journey than anticipated.

·    Operator concerns about ability to adhere to the current published timetable.  This is a particular issue where there is traffic congestion and a lack of priority for buses.  On service 55 this is primarily seen on Poike Road between Hollister Lane and State Highway 2 in the morning peak time.

·    Bus service timings which do not make for a regular and intuitive headway (ie having a consistent gap between buses).  For example the half-hourly services 30 and 33 inbound towards Bayfair do not maintain a 15 minute frequency between Pāpāmoa Plaza and Bayfair, because they arrive at Pāpāmoa Plaza at almost the same time.

·    Complaints from residents about the presence of buses on local roads - in particular safety and amenity concerns in Wairakei Avenue / Emerald Shores Drive and Links Avenue.

 

3.        Recommended Network Changes

3.1      Summary of Work Undertaken

Table 2 summarises the work that has been undertaken on the bus network refresh project:

Table 2: Summary of Work

Date

Summary of Work

February - March

Analysis of patronage and travel time data

Analysis and summary of previous issued identified

April - June

Meeting with NZ Bus drivers and local depot staff

Design of proposed new services and service changes

Design of proposed new timetables

1 – 28 June

Preparation of proposal collateral and on-line engagement platform

28 June – 18 July

Community Engagement

18 July – August

Analysis of Community Engagement responses and re-design of new services and timetables

Consultation with NZ Bus and Tauranga City Council

3.2      Proposed Changes

An initial proposal was developed and presented through the Community Engagement process, which is detailed in section 4.4.  Following community engagement and partnership conversations with Tauranga City Council and NZ Bus, the following summary contains final recommendations and reflects a number of changes to the original proposal.

Further details of the proposed changes are available in Appendix 1. 

Proposed service maps and timetables are available in the attached technical report.

Strand 1 recommendations:

·     Withdraw services 30, 30x, 33, CL and HL.

·     Implement service 2 from Tauranga CBD to Pāpāmoa via Bayfair, with variations 2B and 2W:

Service 2B travelling via Stevenson Drive.

Service 2W travelling via Wairakei Avenue and Emerald Shores Drive.

Strand 2 recommendations:

·     Implement service 5 from Tauranga CBD to Bayfair via Mount Maunganui (travelling via Links Avenue).

·     Alter timetable of service 55 (Greerton to Tauranga CBD) to allow more running time at peak periods.

Strand 3 recommendations:

·     Withdraw the 221 and Gold Line services.

·     Implement service 20 from Te Puke to Bayfair via Pāpāmoa Plaza.

·     Implement service 21 from Mount Maunganui to Pāpāmoa Plaza.

Strand 4 recommendations:

·     Withdraw services 36 and 41.

·     Implement service 22 from Pāpāmoa (peak hours only) and Maungatapu to Tauranga CBD.

The objectives and benefits of the Refresh project have been addressed – as summarised in Table 4:

Table 4: Achievement of Project Objectives

Objective

Work Undertaken and Key Benefits

To understand current service performance issues which are affecting reliability and convenience of bus services.

·     Detailed analysis of current issues was completed, including timetabling and scheduling concerns raised by NZ Bus.

·     Analysis of run-time data was undertaken to identify specific locations where traffic congestion regularly affects network reliability.

·     Timetables have been adjusted to provide more running and recovery time.

To optimise services within key corridors of the network, by making better use of existing budgets.

·     It is anticipated that the result of this project will be a decrease in the overall cost of delivering the Tauranga urban network - however the final outcome is subject to negotiations.

·     Savings have been realised by reducing the number of peak time standalone services, and replacing these with a connected network providing more choice for residents.

To serve the community by improving public transport services and legibility of timetables

·     A very successful Community Engagement process identified a number of aspects of the network that could be improved, and many of these have been addressed through this project.

·     Passengers travelling from Pāpāmoa to Bayfair will no longer have to transfer at Bayfair.

·     A regular clockface 15 minute headway is now available between Pāpāmoa Plaza and Bayfair.

·     Printed timetable layout and clarity has been improved.

·     Confusion caused by the City Link and Hospital Link services has been resolved by introducing service 2 (which runs in both directions via Hewlett’s Road) and service 5 (which runs in both directions via Totara Street).

To identify any service improvements that require future increases to budgets.

 

·     A number of potential service improvements have been identified, including:

Airport bus;

Extension from Te Puke through to Tauranga CBD and/or Toi Ohomai; and

Direct link from Tweed / Oceanbeach / Golf Road area to Tauranga CBD.

·     These proposals will be considered as part of the Public Transport Services & Infrastructure Business Case or future network refresh activities.

 

      Considerations

4.1      Risks and Mitigations

Key project risks are identified in the table below:

Table 5: Risks and Mitigations


This project responds to the many complaints we have received about empty buses, low patronised services and inefficient operations.  There is a reputational risk associated with not approving this proposal.

 

4.2      Climate Change

 

Mitigation

Adaptation

Reduce GHG emissions

Produce GHG emissions

Sequester carbon

Anticipate climate change impacts

Respond to climate change impacts

By operating a more efficient network and making better use of existing resources, we are reducing the number of low patronised buses on our streets.  We are reducing the number of kilometres travelled by vehicles on our network which will reduce emissions.

4.3      Implications for Māori

Council has responsibilities to Māori under the LGA and the RMA. We are required to meet those responsibilities and identify any potential implications for Māori.  Please consider including this section for reports going to all committees.  The following questions will aid your analysis:

· Are there any positive or negative effects on Māori (social, cultural or economic)?

· What consultation/engagement has been undertaken with Māori and what form did it take? How did Māori contribute to this decision?

· Does the issue require consideration of: iwi planning documents, Treaty settlement legislation or any other document expressing matters of importance to Māori?

Crtl + click for Guideline material.

Improvements to our public transport network via the work components covered in this report have the potential to have positive effects for Māori around accessibility and provision of transport options.  This is particularly in locations where there are higher proportions of Māori in the local population. Public transport services can provide Māori better access to essential services, including employment and education opportunities, and health care services.

4.4      Community Engagement

What level of engagement is council commited to? What actions will be taken

Consider identifying in the report:

• Council’s knowledge of community views on the subject.

• What aspect of the community is involved.

• How the views of the community were obtained.

• How the views were recorded and reported.

Adobe Systems

CONSULT

Whakauiuia

To obtain input or feedback from affected communities about our analysis, alternatives, and /or proposed decisions.

Feedback was sought from the community during a comprehensive campaign held from 28 June to 18 July.  This was done by using a variety of methods:

·     H!ve (Participate BOP) as an online platform;

·     Posters on buses and at key bus stops;

·     Flyers handed out on buses and at key bus stops;

·     Direct email to identified stakeholders and stakeholder groups, including schools;

·     Newspaper and digital media;

·     Radio advertising on Moana FM (targeting Māori audiences);

·     Mail drop to Wairakei Avenue and Links Avenue areas;

·     Booklet drop to locations such as libraries, retirement homes; and

·     Briefing session with Councillors.

The community was shown proposed service designs and indicative timetables, and asked to provide feedback on specific questions.

A full analysis of the Community Engagement responses will be provided when it is completed.

In summary:

·     Approximately 40,000 people were connected with through this process.

·     166 responses were received, 123 via the on-line platform and 43 via email or post.

·     76% of these were from residents who have used the bus service within the last three months.

·     56% reported that they use the bus service three or more times per week.

4.4.1    Outcome of Community Engagement

This section gives details of the questions asked for each service, and a summary of the responses.  In all cases staff are recommending the preferred options as identified through the Community Engagement process.

Service 2

2B – We asked for a preference for the existing route via Livingstone Drive or an extended route via Stevenson Drive.

We received 37 responses to this question, with 20 preferring the extended route via Stevenson Drive, 8 that would use either route and 4 that preferred the existing route.  5 had no preference.

2W – We asked for a preference for the existing route via Golden Sands Drive, Wairakei Avenue and Emerald Shores Drive or a shortened route the finishes at Golden Sands Drive.

We received 57 responses to this question, with 36 preferring the existing route, 10 preferring the shortened route, and 11 having no preference.

Service 5

We asked for a preference for this route to travel via Links Avenue or via Maunganui Road (between Golf Road and Concord Avenue).

We received 57 responses to this question, with 40 respondents preferring the existing route that travels via Links Avenue, 11 preferred the alternative route via Maunganui Road, and 4 had no preference.

Service 20

Although we didn’t asked a specific question related to this service, we received feedback around a number of aspects of the route and timetable.  Specifically:

·     Could trips be timed to provide services for school students attending either Pāpāmoa College or schools in Te Puke?

This has been achieved in the proposed timetable.

·     Could the service description include Pāpāmoa Plaza?

This has not been achieved in the proposed timetable, however it may be an outcome of the bus stop safety discussions with Tauranga City Council (see Strand 3 above).

·     Could this service operate seven days a week?

This has been achieved in the proposed timetable.

Service 21

We asked for a preference for one of four options – between Bayfair and Pāpāmoa Plaza; between Bayfair and Tara Road; between Mt Maunganui and Pāpāmoa Plaza, or not to have this service at all.

We received 71 responses to this question, with 38 respondents preferring option 3 (Mt Maunganui to Pāpāmoa Plaza).  16 voted for option 2 (Bayfair to Tara Road) and 5 voted for option 1 (Bayfair to Pāpāmoa Plaza). 12 voted to remove this service from the network.

Service 22

We asked for a preference for the service to finish with the school times trips (last trip departing Tauranga CBD for Pāpāmoa at 3.30pm) or continue with later trips from Tauranga CBD to Maihi Crescent in Maungatapu.

We received 45 responses to this question, with 29 respondents preferring the longer option.  Several respondents suggested having a dedicated school service from Pāpāmoa East to Tauranga Colleges to free up room on this service for commuters, and a number of respondents said that they used service 36 to travel between Cameron Road and Papamoa (rather than from Tauranga CBD).

In this case, feedback from the community has prompted significant changes to the original proposal, including more afternoon trips from Tauranga CBD to Papamoa.

4.4.2    Key Challenges

Key challenges that arose from the Community Engagement held in June/July include:

·    The length of proposed service 5 and how that might affect reliability across the network.  Evidence shows longer services are more difficult to keep to time given traffic congestion issues.

Following consultation this proposed service has split in two - the existing route 55 (Greerton to CBD), and a new route 5 from Tauranga CBD via Mount Maunganui to Bayfair.

·    The use of Totara Street (traffic congestion).

Following consultation this proposed service will continue to use Totara Street in the short term, but alternative routes will be explored in partnership with Tauranga City Council.

·    Express services from Pāpāmoa to Tauranga CBD.

Analysis has proven that there is no time advantage to express services at the present time, with traffic congestion on State Highway 2 caused by the Baylink project being a key issue.  Detailed journey time analysis is available in the Technical Report, attached.

The removal of express buses is more than offset by the extension of service 2 through to Tauranga CBD with no transfers, and the increase in the number of trips (from four in the morning peak to every 15 minutes).

·    The use of bus priority lanes on Links Avenue and Hewlett’s Road.

Following consultation, both services 2 and 5 will travel via Links Avenue, maintaining the current usage of this corridor and accessibility for residents.

Use of Hewlett’s Road priority lanes will decrease by 10 buses per day, but the core usage of 8 buses per hour (four in each direction) will continue as it is now.

·    No direct service from the Tweed/Oceanbeach/Golf Road area to Tauranga CBD.

This has not been resolved in this project, however it remains a consideration for future network enhancements.

 

4.5      Financial Implications

If the recommendation is adopted by Council, will it result in:

-   Unbudgeted work during the current financial year?

-   Unbudgeted work for any of the years remaining in the current Long Term Plan?

If the answer is ‘no’ to both questions please select the dropdown option 1 and complete appropriately.

If the answer is ‘yes’ to either question please select “Budget Implications” in the building block below and liaise with your Management Accountant in order to complete the Financial Impact table.

There are no material unbudgeted financial implications and this fits within the allocated budget.

The outcome from this project is expected to yield some financial savings.  This is subject to final negotiations with NZ Bus.

      Next Steps

Next Steps: What next? What resources are needed? Further analysis? Timeframes ahead. Any consultation planned. Remind Council of the process ahead. Next update to Council?

Conclusion: Short concluding remarks. Referring back to recommendations. No new content.

5.1      Infrastructure Changes

As part of this work and the cross organisational team BOPRC and TCC staff, a small number of infrastructure changes have been identified and sought from Tauranga City Council to support these service changes.

·     Service 2B requires the two bus stops on Livingstone Drive to be moved to Stevenson Drive, and two additional pairs of bus stops to be installed on Te Okuroa Drive and The Boulevard.  Tauranga City Council have agreed to this work and will advise on the most appropriate locations based on safety and pedestrian connectivity.

·     Service 20.  Discussions with Tauranga City Council are ongoing to determine the best way to provide accessibility for pedestrians, especially students walking between the bus stops and Pāpāmoa College.  The proposed solution is to re-route this service to travel via Tara Road and Doncaster Road to Pāpāmoa Plaza, then via Gravatt Road and Grenada Street to Bayfair.  This route provides a safer road crossing for school students at Pāpāmoa College, and also provides connectivitity between Te Puke and Pāpāmoa Plaza.

·     Bayfair – Farm Street Stand B.  This proposal will significantly increase the number of buses using Stand B on the ocean side of Farm Street.  Staff have requested that Tauranga City Council provide a bus shelter at Stand B, in order to provide protection from both rain and also the strong summer sun.  As a result of the direct service 2, there are significant time and operational cost savings associated with removing some of the buses that currently loop around Leander Street in order to terminate at Bayfair.  Furthermore, the problem of buses parked in residential streets during layover time will be reduced as less buses are terminating.  The proposed shelter is a modest additional facility and does not imply that the facility at Farm Street will remain for the long term.  The intent of the Arataki bus interchange business case is to deliver a high quality permanent facility on an alternative site.

5.2      Operations Plan

Following approval of the proposed changes, the project will then proceed into delivery with a proposed go-live date of Monday 15 November 2021.  This date has been agreed by NZ Bus providing that they receive final timetables and service designs in early September.  Conversations with Tauranga City Council with regards to infrastructure are ongoing.

An Operations Plan will set out how all aspects of the service changes will be delivered, including:

·     Driver training and route learning;

·     Ticket machine programming and testing;

·     Timetable and map printing;

·     Marketing and Promotion Plan; and

·    Communications Plan.

Attachments

Attachment 1 - Proposed Changes

Attachment 2 - Bus Network Refresh Technical Report - final draft  

 


Public Transport Committee                                       26 August 2021

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Public Transport Committee                                       26 August 2021

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Report To:

Public Transport Committee

Meeting Date:

26 August 2021

Report Writer:

Melissa Winters, Transport Advisor (Network Optimisation)

Report Authoriser:

Namouta Poutasi, General Manager, Strategy & Science

Purpose:

To provide updates on our current public transport initiatives and improvements to bus services in the region.

 

 

Improving Our Network

 

Executive Summary

This paper provides an update on the following public transport initiatives:

·          Kawerau route 135 Service Enhancements – which has experienced a 101% increase in patronage in the first month of the new route and timetable;

·          Dedicated school services in Tauranga which achieved a monthly all time high of 98,135 passenger trips in July 2021;

·          The region-wide extension of free fares in 2022 and how the Long Term Plan decisions will be implemented;

·          Free bus fares for tertiary students, including current patronage ; and

·          Accessibility Concession – which launched on 1 July 2021.

 

Recommendations

That the Public Transport Committee:

1       Receives the report, Improving Our Network.

 

1.        Introduction

This report firstly provides an update on the success of the service enhancements implemented in Kawerau in June 2021. 

The report also includes information on current patronage of dedicated school services in Tauranga, and implementation of the Council decision to extend free school travel to other urban networks across the Region.

Finally the report includes an overview of the ‘Tauranga Bus Network Refresh – Part 2’ project which aims to complete the city wide refresh that started with Mt Maunganui, Pāpāmoa and Te Puke bus routes earlier this year.

1.1      Alignment with Strategic Framework

 

A Vibrant Region

We lead regional transport strategy and system planning, working with others to deliver a safe and reliable public transport system.

The Way We Work

We deliver value to our ratepayers and our customers.

 

1.1.1    Community Well-beings Assessment

Dominant Well-Beings Affected

¨ Environmental

 

¨ Cultural

 

þ Social

Medium - Positive

¨ Economic

 

 

 

 

2.        Route 135: Kawerau Service Enhancements

Route 135 travels between Kawerau and Whakatāne, via Te Teko, Awakeri and Edgecumbe.  Enhancements to this service began operation on 31 May 2021, increasing operation from two days per week to four days per week, and from two return trips per day to four return trips per day plus a midday ‘Town Loop’ service.

The new timetable has been very successful, with a 101% increase when comparing patronage from May to June (Figure 1).  This increase has mainly come from senior passengers, with passenger trips by seniors (per month) increasing from 37 to 104 (Figure 2).

Figure 1: Total number of boardings on route 135 per month

 

Figure 2: Monthly patronage by fare class.

Month

Adult

Child

Senior

Tertiary

Grand Total

July 2020

52

12

23

1

88

August 2020

54

21

1

76

September 2020

57

4

31

6

98

October 2020

53

3

42

6

104

November 2020

65

24

2

91

December 2020

63

4

40

3

110

January 2021

60

9

31

3

103

February 2021

75

2

30

107

March 2021

54

33

3

90

April 2021

57

29

1

87

May 2021

65

5

37

1

108

June 2021

93

17

104

3

217

Grand Total

748

56

445

30

1,279

Increase (May to June)

43%

240%

181%

200%

101%

3.        Tauranga School Services

3.1      Background

There are currently 56 dedicated school routes operating in Tauranga.  Some of these routes are operated by more than one vehicle, meaning that there are 62 vehicles operating school routes per day.

3.2      Patronage

The number of trips taken on dedicated school services continues to rise, hitting a high of 98,135 trips recorded in June 2021.  This may be due in part to more accurate reporting, but can also be attributed to an increased reliability of the school network.

This represents an increase of 65% on the April-June quarter of 2019, and a 142% increase on the same quarter on 2020 (which was affected by the COVID-19 response).

Patronage on individual dedicated routes varies, with the majority of trips (15) carrying 50 or more passengers and only a small number of trips (2) are carrying less than 15 passengers.

3.3      Contract Changes

In order to address ongoing operational concerns related to reliability, staff have now contracted some of these services to alternative operators:

·     Bethlehem Coachlines: five routes (six vehicles) – contract started 21 June.

·     Uzabus: six routes (eight vehicles) – contract started 26 July.

These two alternative contracts will run until the end of the 2022 school year, giving certainty and consistency for schools and students.  The balance of school routes remain operated by NZ Bus – 45 routes operated by 48 vehicles.

3.4      Forecast for 2022

Staff are continually working with schools and their communities to monitor and refine the school network.  As the population of Tauranga continues to grow, so does the demand for additional routes and buses.

There may be a need for four additional routes for the 2022 school year, to address capacity concerns on existing routes and provide additional capacity in areas where students are overloading the current urban network.  These are specifically in high growth residential areas such as The Lakes, Pyes Pa and Welcome Bay.  Further detail on any changes to the school network for 2022 will be provided once further information is provided from schools, either towards the end of this year or early next year.

4.        Region-wide free school travel

Council’s Long Term Plan committed to the following:

·     Implementing a one-year trial of free bus fares for school children in Tauranga, at any time or day; and

·     Implementing one-year trials of free bus fares for school children in Rotorua and Whakatāne, at arrival and departure times.

The implementation of a one-year trial in Tauranga at any time or day is subject to there being no negative implications on funding from Waka Kotahi. If free fares at all times will cause a reduction in funding, then free fares will continue to be provided before 9am and between 2.30 – 6.30pm on school days only (as they are now).

Staff are making the necessary arrangements to ensure that ticket machines are ready to provide:

a)   Free fares for school children at all times in the Tauranga Urban network (including travel to and from Te Puke), starting on Monday 31 January 2022 (commencement of the school year);

b)  Free fares for school children on urban routes in Rotorua and Whakatane before 9am and between 2.30 – 6.30pm on school days, starting on Monday 31 January 2022 (commencement of the school year).  This will be effective on all urban bus routes excluding those that travel outside or between urban areas. 

Routes which are not part of the free fares for school children trial are:

·     80 and 81 (Katikati and Ōmokoroa to Tauranga).

·     101, 102, 103, 104, 105 (Tertiary and Commuter routes).

·     143a and 143b (Whakatāne to Tauranga).

·     131, 135, 150 (rural Eastern Bay bus routes).

·     15 and 15a (Murupara and Ruatāhuna to Rotorua).

·     147 (Ōpōtiki to Whakatāne).

5.        Regional Tertiary Fare Free Trial

5.1      Background

This trial incorporates five bus routes:

·     101 Whakatane to Tauranga;

·     102 Rotorua to Tauranga;

·     103 Katikati to Tauranga;

·     104 Murupara to Rotorua; and

·     105 Tauranga to Rotorua.

Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP) has converted this trial to a permanent arrangement, subject to confirmation of co-funding from tertiary providers.

The scheme is a joint venture between the University of Waikato, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology and Bay of Plenty Regional Council, with each organisation contributing funds to make the service available, along with a grant from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.

5.2      Patronage

The following tables provides patronage on these five routes over the previous three months and a year to year comparison.  Note that 2020 figures were affected by the Covid-19 response as all schools and tertiary institutes were closed in April and part of May.

Figure 3: Monthly patronage per route.

Route

April

May

June

TOTAL

101

210

372

232

814

102

148

213

126

487

103

127

192

167

486

104

40

88

98

226

105

150

210

166

526

TOTAL

675

1075

789

4,008

 

Figure 4: Monthly patronage on all five Tertiary routes, comparing 2020 and 2021. 

Discussions with tertiary providers are underway and the funding agreements with Toi Ohomai, University of Waikato and Waka Kotahi will be reviewed as a result.

6.        Accessibility Concession

6.1      Implementation

The new Accessibility Concession went live on 1st July and has been very well received by the community.

We have held 11 Public information open days across the region connecting with approximately 200 people. In recognition of the continued barriers those with mobility impairments face, and wanting to make access to the concession as easy as possible, an assessor was available at each event. This allowed those who were eligible to leave with their new concession applied for and able to be used immediately. These events were well attended, particularly within the Tauranga / Western Bay areas.


In addition staff have attended six separate support agency arranged open days across the region, attended by over 150 people.  At two of these we also brought a bus along, providing the opportunity for new users to get familiar with using their Bee cards and practice getting on and off the bus safely. This was hugely popular and enabled those with concerns about how to use our buses the chance to get familiar in a safe and supported way.

The response and feedback from support agencies has been amazing. We currently have 40 assessors from 20 support agencies across Bay of Plenty trained and undertaking the assessments for the new concession with more planned for the coming months. The majority were existing Total Mobility assessors and we are receiving interest from other agencies who work with younger groups of our mobility impaired community showing the interest/success of the initiative.  A further exciting initiative is that we have connected with several Iwi Hauora/ community health groups and currently working to bring them on as assessors.

Existing Total Mobility customers prior to 1st July are automatically eligible. A mail-out to over 4,000 active members has generated 700 applications from this group to date for the new concession. As at the 4th August, approx. 1,000 applications have been received (including Total Mobility customers) of which we have processed just over 900.

6.2      Patronage

The following table shows the number of trips that have been taken across our network using the Accessibility Concession in July.  92 of these trips were ‘plus one’ tickets which enable those with the Accessibility Concession to travel with a carer or companion.

Tauranga Urban network including Te Puke

2,617

Rotorua Urban network including Murupara

454

Whakatāne route 122

77

Regional routes

55

TOTAL

3,203

7.        Considerations

7.1      Climate Change

The aim of this section is to ensure your thinking and assumptions around climate change are explicit and to provide visibility as to how our work relates to climate change. Consider:

1.  Is the initiative sensitive to climate (e.g. changes in rainfall, temperature, wind, sea-level)? If so, what are the likely impacts and how have they been accounted for?

2.  In what way does the initiative relate to climate change (use the building block below to illustrate)?

3.  Which of the guiding principles does the initiative encompass in relation to climate change (see the detailed guidance for information on these principles)? Provide more detail where appropriate.

Use the building block below when considering Climate Change implications.

Crtl + click for guideline material.

 

Mitigation

Adaptation

Reduce GHG emissions

Produce GHG emissions

Sequester carbon

Anticipate climate change impacts

Respond to climate change impacts

All public transport projects seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by promoting mode shift from private vehicles to shared transport solutions.

 

7.2      Financial Implications

There are no material unbudgeted financial implications and this fits within the allocated budget.

7.3      Implications for Māori

Improvements to our public transport network via the work components covered in this report have the potential to have positive effects for Māori around accessibility and provision of transport options.  This is particularly in locations where there are higher proportions of Māori in the local population. Public transport services can provide Māori better access to essential services, including employment and education opportunities, and health care services.

8.        Next Steps

Next Steps: What next? What resources are needed? Further analysis? Timeframes ahead. Any consultation planned. Remind Council of the process ahead. Next update to Council?

Conclusion: Short concluding remarks. Referring back to recommendations. No new content.

 

·     Kawerau Service Improvements: staff will continue to monitor patronage and will consider small service improvements where indicated by the bus operator or passengers.

·     School fare free trial: work will be undertaken to confirm Waka Kotahi funding as it applies to this initiative.

·     Tertiary fare free services: funding agreements with Toi Ohomai, University of Waikato and Waka Kotahi will be reviewed.

 


 

 

 

Report To:

Public Transport Committee

Meeting Date:

26 August 2021

Report Writer:

James Llewellyn, Transport & Urban Planning Manager

Report Authoriser:

Namouta Poutasi, General Manager, Strategy & Science

Purpose:

To provide councillors with an update on the strategic direction of public transport projects for progression over the next 12 months.

 

 

Strategic Direction

 

Executive Summary

Following adoption of the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) and Regional Council Long Term Plan (LTP) at the end of June 2021, this report provides an update on the key projects and timeframes being progressed.

The immediate focus is on projects to refresh the local bus networks across the region, which aim to optimise service provision and increase patronage, within existing budgets.  The specific initiatives are:

·     Rotorua Public Transport Network Refresh;

·     Eastern Bay Public Transport Network Refresh;

·     Western Bay Public Transport Refresh Phases 1 and 2;

·     On-demand service trial; and

·     Ōmokoroa Ferry Business Case.

Medium to longer term projects include:

·     Public Transport Services and Infrastructure Business Case;

·     Travel Demand Management and Behaviour Change Programme;

·     Bus Fare and Parking Policy Review;

·     Bus fleet decarbonisation;

·     Mobility as a Service (MaaS); and

·     Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP).

These projects continue to make steady progress, and there is a specific update on the RPTP which is being reported separately to this meeting.

 

Recommendations

That the Public Transport Committee:

1       Receives the report, Strategic Direction.

 

1.        Introduction

The 2021 work programme was adopted by the Public Transport Committee at its 18 March meeting.

Following adoption of the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) and Regional Council Long Term Plan (LTP) at the end of June 2021, this report provides an update on key projects being taken forward.

Passenger numbers on bus services across the region are increasing following the COVID-19 pandemic.  There are a several factors which will help grow patronage, including the reliable and frequent services enabled through the provision of bus priority on key routes.  Services need to be backed up with increases in parking charges and the provision of good quality bus stops and hubs.  Services also need to be adjusted to better meet the expectations of both existing passengers and people who would like to use the bus.

Councillors have previously provided their support for proposals to improve levels of bus patronage, including:

·    Approval of the bus network refresh project for the Pāpāmoa – Bayfair – Mount Maunganui – Tauranga CBD – Hospital corridor (reported separately to this meeting);

·    Approval of the Travel Demand Management and Behaviour Change programme;

·    Provision of a concessionary fare for people with mobility impairments; and

·    Support for further of trials of free fares for school children.

The purpose of this report is firstly to provide an update on strategic direction of short term future public transport service improvement projects which aim to deliver a bus network that is more reliable, convenient and easy to use for our passengers.  At Regional Council we are constantly seeking to understand how our network is operating, and make improvements as part of our regular review processes.

The report also summarises progress on medium to longer term initiatives.  The Public Transport Services and Infrastructure Business Case, to be commenced later in 2021, will consider investment priorities for the next 10 years – with funding from both the LTP and the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP).  At the same time, the new Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP) will develop long term policy and strategy for the network – including issues such as fares.

A high level summary of the programme is attached.

1.1      Legislative Framework

Regional Council undertakes its transport functions under the Land Transport Management Act 2013.

1.2      Alignment with Strategic Framework

 

A Vibrant Region

We lead regional transport strategy and system planning, working with others to deliver a safe and reliable public transport system.

The public transport work programme aims to give effect to the vibrant region priority by delivering a series of projects which collectively will increase sustainable access and travel choice to communities in the Bay of Plenty.  There will also be a strong emphasis on making better use of existing resources through optimisation of existing investment.

1.2.1    Community Well-beings Assessment

Dominant Well-Beings Affected

¨ Environmental

High - Positive

¨ Cultural

Medium - Positive

¨ Social

High - Positive

¨ Economic

Low - Positive

Key outcomes sought by public transport planning relate to:

·     Environmental – reducing transport emissions, including greenhouse gases (carbon).

·     Cultural – providing transport choices for Māori communities to access essential services, education and employment; and involving Māori in decision-making.

·     Social – providing sustainable transport choices and opportunities for the community (this is the main contribution to community well-being). Social benefit is the key wellbeing relevant to many public transport decisions, particularly fares and service routes and frequencies.

·     Economic – improvements to economic productivity through the reduction of traffic congestion (where sufficient people change from single-occupancy cars to public transport). This is more applicable in dense urban areas.

 

 

2.        Short Term Projects

2.1      Introduction

The following service improvement projects are priorities in the next year:

·    Rotorua Public Transport Network Refresh;

·    Eastern Bay Public Transport Network Review;

·    Western Bay Public Transport Refresh Phase 1 and 2;

·    On-demand service trial; and

·    Ōmokoroa Ferry Business Case.

These projects were supported by the LTP decisions.  This committee has also provided previous direction and advice around the priorities.

2.2      Rotorua Public Transport Network Refresh

2.2.1    Previous Direction and Action

Previous committee direction and action is summarised as follows:

Date

Direction / Action from Public Transport Committee

27 November 2020

Public consultation on the Rotorua Public Transport Review prioritised for autumn 2021

April 2021

Public consultation on the Rotorua Public Transport Review took place

27 May 2021

Noted results of public consultation and inclusion in the council’s Long Term Plan (LTP)

The LTP subsequently adopted the “Balanced Network” option as presented to this committee on 27 May, which proposes:

·    Increasing number of buses to enable both frequencies and greater service reliability to be delivered;

·    New signage and wayfinding within the CBD;

·    Extension of service operating hours to 8.00pm;

·    Additional services at weekends;

·    A CBD “orbiter” shuttle; and

·    New cross-town service (Ngongotahā to Airport).

·    Development of a bus shortcut to the Redwoods to bypass congestion on Te Ngae Road.

·    Investigations and investment for bus lanes and clearways starting from 2025.

There are also some “priced” options for new services around the lake and also to key tourist destinations.

Discussions with Rotorua Lakes Council have led to a two-pronged approach:

·    Proceed immediately with a network refresh to optimise the existing network and assess the extent to which improvements (such as the CBD Orbiter or revised airport link) could be delivered within existing budgets.

·    Assess feasibility, costs, benefits and delivery requirements for the future network enhancements which require additional funding.

2.2.2    Proposed Scope of Work

The scope of the network refresh project will include:

·     Use of Bee card and fare revenue data to understand currently service performance;

·     Liaison with key stakeholders such as Rotorua Lakes Council and the bus operator;

·     Investigation of the causes of the current performance of the bus network;

·     Design and implementation of revised routes and timetables to optimise current bus services;

·     Investigation of innovative fare products to encourage travel amongst specific groups of people;

·     Assessment of the existing publicity material and implementation of changes to improve legibility and understanding of the network;

·     Identification of any recommendations for Balanced Approach service improvements that can be implemented using cost savings; and

·     Identification of recommendations for Balanced Approach service improvements that can be implemented using additional funding identified in the Long Term Plan (LTP).

Some initial high level analysis of Bee Card data suggests that passenger numbers are very low on all routes, averaging less than 2.7 per trip.  With two exceptions, even on the busiest journey of the day on each route the buses are less than one-third full.  On the very busiest trip at weekends, the bus is only 17% full.  Overall, weekend journeys average less than 1.5 per trip.  These figures demonstrate the need for the refresh.

Work to assess future service enhancements can also proceed.  Whilst the exact scope is still to be agreed, potential tasks could include:

·     Development of service options for the Balanced Approach (including the “optional extras”);

·     Service costing and demand forecasting;

·     Feasibility and costing for the Redwoods bus short cut;

·     Infrastructure audit;

·     Assessment and prioritisation of infrastructure improvements; and

·     Detailed public and stakeholder engagement.

2.2.3    Proposed Timescales

 Timescales for the network refresh work are summarised below:

A programme for the Balanced Approach work will be developed and reported to the next meeting of this committee.

2.3      Eastern Bay Public Transport Network Refresh

2.3.1    Previous Direction and Action

Although small in size, the Eastern Bay bus network provides an essential lifeline for many isolated and disadvantaged people.  Therefore proposals for improvement can have a disproportionally large benefit to people who often have little, if any, choice of how they access jobs and essential services.

The Public Transport Committee meeting of 27 November 2020 received a presentation from Whakatāne District Council (WDC) on the current public transport services in the Eastern Bay of Plenty and opportunities for improvement.  Officers from the Regional Council met with WDC in December 2020 and agreed to progress a network review as soon as possible in 2021.  The Strategic Direction report to this committee (18 March 2021) identified the network review as a priority.  Provision for staff resources to undertake this work has been included in the LTP.

The committee meeting of 27 May 2021 agreed to reconsider the trial of on-demand services in Kawerau once enhancements to the existing route 135 have been operating for at least 12 months. 

2.3.2    Proposed Scope of Work

The scope of work will follow a similar methodology to the Rotorua refresh – commencing with data collection and analysis into performance of each route in the current network.  Development of alternative service options using existing budgets will be identified, along with any “priced” improvements which extend the coverage and / or frequency of conventional services.  In addition, opportunities for improvements to infrastructure (in particular bus stops) will be investigated and prioritised (in conjunction with WDC).

A wider review of the Eastern Bay network will also undertake a deeper dive into wider issues of community-based transport and requirements of specific destinations such as the hospital.  To that end, stakeholder engagement will seek to understand how people get around in the absence of regular public transport services, and what can be done to better publicise and co-ordinate shared transport resources across schools, care homes, medical facilities and marae.

The work will also undertake further engagement in Kawerau around the potential for introducing the postponed on-demand service, if there is evidence of unmet demand.

2.3.3    Proposed Timescales

The timescales for the work are also likely to be similar to those in Rotorua, although this will be confirmed when the detailed project plan has been drafted.

2.4      Western Bay Public Transport Refresh Stage 1 & 2

2.4.1    Previous Direction and Action

Following conclusion of the Urban Form and Transport Initiative (UFTI) Programme Business Case, it was always intended to undertake the stage 3 review of the Public Transport Blueprint.  The intervention of COVID-19 has delayed this work, and has also re-emphasised the issues around delivery of safe, secure and convenient passenger hubs at the major transfer point.

The  first stage network refresh (reported to this committee in a separate paper) has provided confidence that whilst the hub & spoke model is sound, there is an opportunity to address service performance issues on the remainder of the Western Bay bus network.

There have been concerns from passengers and stakeholders about specific parts of the network – particularly around the transfer between buses at Brookfield given the bus hub anticipated as part of the PT Blueprint has not been delivered.  In addition, there has been public requests for changes to routes in Otumoetai and Matua.  Requests to extend routes – for example Cambridge Heights to Bethlehem or Tauranga Crossing – are also received on a regular basis.

Bus routes in the area are highly inter-linked, and it therefore makes sense to consider all of the services in one project.  If there are opportunities to re-allocate and make better use of existing resources, this will be easier to achieve with a comprehensive review.

This project was planned and budgeted for within the Long Term Plan.

2.4.2    Proposed Scope of Work

Following on from stage 1, which focussed on the Mt Maunganui to Pāpāmoa area, stage 2 will focus on the western and southern areas of Tauranga - including Welcome Bay, Ohauiti, Pyes Pā, The Lakes, Cambridge Heights, Bethlehem, Brookfield, Otumoetai and Matua.

As with stage 1 the aim is to produce a revised bus service within existing budget and note any recommendations for service improvements requiring additional budget.

The study area includes the following routes on the Tauranga bus network: 1, 40, 51, 52x, 55, 57, 59, 60, 62, 70, 71, 72a, 72b and Cross Town (CT).

Subject to detailed project planning, the proposed initial timeline is:

2.5      Western Bay On-Demand Service

2.5.1    Definition of On-Demand Public Transport

In contrast to a traditional “fixed route” service, on-Demand public transport enables passengers to book their journey a convenient time (during service operating hours), and to be picked up from an agreed location.  Passengers are able to book online, over the phone or through an App, which allows for a flexible experience for both commuters and service operators.

The underlying principle for On-Demand public transport is that it is convenient and comes to you, rather than being provided on a “no choice” basis. On-Demand Public Transport (ODPT) generally uses smaller (5-22 seat) vehicles.

Whilst the Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP) is developing a policy for provision of on-demand transport, there is an opportunity to undertake a trial in the Bay of Plenty.

2.5.2    Potential Benefits of On-Demand Services

On-demand services enable people to book a journey and be picked up at a safe location of their choice, rather than a fixed bus stop.

There are a number of potential benefits of on-demand services:

·     Trips are designed around passenger demand – no empty vehicles following fixed routes.

·     Small vehicles can access areas that large buses cannot, such as residential streets and shopping mall car parks.

·     Improved access to fixed route public transport by providing a first-last leg connection.

·     Offering an alternative to traditional, fixed-route bus services in certain scenarios such as providing a late-night or weekend service, or to connect Māori communities with their marae or wahi tapu (places of cultural significance).

·     Enabling a shift away from single occupancy car use by making it easier for people to share rides or pay by the kilometre to use a vehicle instead of owning it.

·     Reducing parking stress at key locations.

·     Reducing traffic congestion, vehicle kilometers travelled and air pollution.

·     Increased safety: services help provide a sense of personal safety to many, especially late at night.

The introduction of an area-wide On-Demand service in Timaru has sparked much interest across New Zealand.  Environment Canterbury report a 16% increase in patronage compared with the previous fixed route network, albeit for a significantly higher overall level of investment.

Officers are aware of significant community and member interest in the idea of trialling an On-Demand service within the Bay of Plenty.  Therefore progressing with investigation of an On-Demand trial could be a good opportunity to establish “proof of concept” in the Bay of Plenty.

2.5.3    Proposed Scope of Work

Officers have held exploratory discussions with potential On-Demand service providers and also Waikato Regional Council, who are in the process of procuring a technology partner. 

There are a number of potential areas where an On-Demand service could be trialled.  Advice from Waka Kotahi is that On-Demand services need to provide a clear “point of difference” from conventional fixed route services if they are to be considered for funding.

Therefore it is proposed to fund a feasibility study (from current budgets) which will consider a small number of alternatives and develop a preferred option.  At least one alternative area in each of the three sub-regions (Western Bay, Rotorua and Eastern Bay) will be considered in the short list.

A full project scope, including any assessment for funding to progress a service, will be reported back to this committee.  The funding of any trial will need careful consideration, and one option may be re-allocation of funding from existing fixed route services.  Any assessment work would need to be delivered in conjunction with the three refresh / review projects described above.

2.5.4    Proposed Timescales

Any implementation date for an On-Demand service will be established during the feasibility study, and is dependent on securing funding.

2.6      Ōmokoroa Ferry Business Case

With the continuing growth of Ōmokoroa, and its status as an UFTI “Connected Centre”, a key action is to assess the potential for a ferry to link with the CBD and Mount Maunganui.

A sum of $75,000 for this purpose has been allocated in the LTP.  At the same time the RPTP is investigating the future council policy towards investment in ferry services as part of future network development.

The next stage is to produce a technical scope of work and liaise with key stakeholders – such as Priority One – who have a keen interest in ferry services.  Early engagement with iwi is absolutely essential, given the use of highly culturally valuable natural assets. 

Given the relatively small budget, the business case will need to focus on the strategic case for change as well as understanding the feasibility / practicality of developing a service.  If the case for change is established, there is an opportunity to pursue further work through the Annual Plan process.

3.        Key Medium to Longer Term Projects

3.1      Overview

Whilst short term projects aim to improve services within existing budgets, medium to long term projects will give effect to the Urban Form and Transport Initiative (UFTI) and Transport System Plan (TSP).

3.2      Public Transport Services and Infrastructure Business Case

The Public Transport Services and Infrastructure Business Case will set out the ten year investment strategy to deliver the UFTI medium scenario, for which provision has been made in the LTP.  The Business Case will also examine options for changes to bus fares, and the impact on potential demand.

An experienced independent consultant has been appointed to progress the Point of Entry (PoE) document, which is required in order to unlock the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency funding for the Business Case (which is subject to prioritisation in the National Land Transport Plan).

If the PoE is approved and funding received, the next step is to develop a detailed project plan and engage specialist consultants to undertake work on demand forecasting and the costing of infrastructure projects.

It is important to note that the early Business Case work may identify short term “quick win” projects which, subject to funding, could progress to design and implementation in a relatively short timescale.  There are a number of bus priority and hub improvement projects which could be progressed in this way.

3.3      Travel Demand Management and Behaviour Change Programme

Following this committee’s approval of the programme scope at the 27 May meeting, good progress has been made in setting up the programme.

Activities under way or completed include:

·     Programme Initiation Document (PID) has been drafted and will be updated throughout the duration of the programme;

·     Regular working group meetings between programme partners;

·     Stocktake of available information and TDM activity between programme partners;

·     Regional Council and Tauranga City Council has agreed to fund Carless Wednesday Challenge (CWC), with match contributions from Waka Kotahi to be decided at the end of August; and

·     Consultants WSP commissioned to undertake Investment Logic Mapping (ILM) and objective setting exercises;

·     Review of existing customer research and consider commissioning additional evidence-base collection.       

·     Finalisation of Procurement Plan and Request for Proposal (RfP) for consultants to produce the investment programme.

·     Establishing CWC as a project, with an independent organisation acting on behalf of the funding partners.

3.4      Bus Fare and Parking Policy Review

At its meeting of 18 March, this committee noted that the public transport fares integration process will be progressed through the review of the RPTP and development of a Public Transport Services and Infrastructure Business Case.

Following the LTP decision to continue and extend a number of fare trials, the immediate priority is to improve services through the various refresh projects so that passengers have a much better overall experience.

The refreshed Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP) has started the process of considering future fare setting policy and structures across the region as a whole.  The Public Transport Services and Infrastructure Business Case will undertake detailed modelling of fare options, in conjunction with changes to supply and pricing of car parking.  In addition, TCC has progressed the first stage of its parking strategy, which will need to closely align with the fare review work.

Advice received from Waka Kotahi is that, due to pressure on the NLTP, they will not co-fund any changes to fares which result in a reduction in revenue.

It is important to note that it may be possible for Regional Council to fund targeted promotional fare changes as part of the short term refresh projects described in section 2 above.  For example, as part of a new marketing approach it may be possible to offer various discount deals – for example capping the maximum Bee Card spend at a certain level per week (after which all subsequent travel in that week is free).  The aim would be to offset the lower revenue received by more people taking the bus and paying the capped amount.

3.5      Bus Fleet Decarbonisation Feasibility Study

Following receipt of funding through the LTP, good progress has been made on progressing initial thinking around the scope of the bus decarbonisation feasibility study.

The Transport Special Interest Group (TSIG) is funding a study to establish the potential costs of converting the New Zealand bus fleet to zero emission vehicles, and assess options for funding / financing.  The Regional Council Transport & Urban Planning Manager is leading this work, and the project will provide important information to feed into the Bay of Plenty study.  Auckland Transport has developed a detailed costing model which we will be able to purchase access to.

Productive discussions have taken place with Waikato Regional Council on collaborating on the proposed feasibility study.  It is anticipated that work will start towards the end of the year.

3.6      Mobility as a Service (MaaS)

A number of key stakeholders have been emphasising the need to develop a Mobility as a Service (MaaS) approach in the Bay of Plenty.  MaaS enables users to plan, book, and pay for multiple types of mobility services – including public transport (both fixed route and On-Demand), bikes, scooters, taxis and car share / hire.  The aim is to offer service users a single app through which they can undertake all necessary transactions.

Travel planning typically begins in an app-based journey planner.  For example, a trip planner can show that the user can get from one destination to another by using a combination of modes.  The user can then choose their preferred trip based on their chosen parameters such as cost, time, and convenience.  At that point, any necessary bookings (e.g. calling a taxi, reserving a seat on a long-distance bus) would be performed as a single transaction. 

Together with other emerging vehicular technologies such as automated driving, connected cars and electric vehicles, MaaS is contributing to a new type of future mobility, which is autonomous, connected, electric and based on shared (rather than individual) mobility.

MaaS is identified in the Tauranga Transport System Plan (TSP) in the context of a potential trial on On-Demand services.  The team have also received presentations from a number of technology providers who are understandably keen to develop a MaaS application in the Bay of Plenty. 

MaaS clearly supports all of the other initiatives that are part of this Strategic Direction report.  Therefore the team will use the remit of the Travel Demand Management and Behaviour Change programme to investigate MaaS options; including those for a trial On-Demand service.

3.7      Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP)

Progress on the RPTP is being reported separately to this committee meeting.

4.        Considerations

4.1      Risks and Mitigations

Risks and mitigations are addressed through plans within each project and programme.  For the work programme as a whole, the main risk is associated with resourcing which has been addressed through the Long Term Plan. 

4.2      Climate Change

 

Mitigation

Adaptation

Reduce GHG emissions

Produce GHG emissions

Sequester carbon

Anticipate climate change impacts

Respond to climate change impacts

The planning of public transport services aims to reduce transport emissions by increasing the number of people moved per kg of carbon emitted.

4.3      Implications for Māori

Improvements to our public transport network via the work components covered in this report have the potential to have positive effects for Māori around accessibility and provision of transport options.  This is particularly in locations where there are higher proportions of Māori in the local population.  Public transport services can provide Māori better access to essential services, including employment and education opportunities, and health care services.

Involving Māori in public transport decision-making is particularly relevant in projects that have the potential to affect services to Māori communities.  Public transport reviews, and the Regional Public Transport Plan are projects where consultation with mana whenua will be important.

The engagement requirements of public transport projects will be mapped out to develop an engagement programme that clearly identifies key groups or audiences (e.g. iwi / hapū groups, Māori as bus users) and how best to engage. Opportunities for working with other agencies on engagement events and processes will be pursued. 

4.4      Community Engagement

 

Adobe Systems

INVOLVE

Whakaura

To work directly with affected communities throughout the process to ensure that their issues and concerns are consistently understood and fully considered in Council’s decision making.

 

Whilst the level of community engagement for every project and programme will vary, involving communities in the medium to longer term work is critical if services and infrastructure are to be designed against demand.

4.5      Financial Implications

There are no material unbudgeted financial implications and this fits within the allocated budget. All investigation work proposed in this report is funded through the LTP.  Any implementation funding that is not currently identified in the LTP would need to be requested through the Annual Plan.

5.        Next Steps

Projects described in this report will continue to be progressed and reported on a regular basis to this committee.  The next version of the Strategic Direction report will be produced for the first meeting in 2022.

Attachments

Attachment 1 - PT Projects High Level Summary   


Public Transport Committee                                       26 August 2021

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Report To:

Public Transport Committee

Meeting Date:

26 August 2021

Report Writer:

Bron Healey, Principal Advisor, Regional Development

Report Authoriser:

Namouta Poutasi, General Manager, Strategy & Science

Purpose:

To provide councillors with an update on the Regional Public Transport Plan review

 

 

Regional Public Transport Plan Review Update

 

Executive Summary

This report provides an update on the Bay of Plenty Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP) review.  The RPTP is a statutory requirement of the Land Transport Management Act (LTMA) and must be reviewed at the same time, or as soon as practicable after the public transport service components of a Regional Land Transport Plan are approved.

The RPTP is important because its the key statutory document for public transport planning and investment in the region. It is an instrument for engaging with public on the design and operation of the public transport network in the region for the next 3 to 10 years.

The scope and timeframes for the review were approved at the March 2021 Public Transport Committee (PTC) meeting. The initial phase of the project has been focused on undertaking research on key topics and developing the engagement / communications approach.  Early engagement material has been released on the Regional Council Participate web portal, publicised and shared with partner agencies via social media, and through iwi networks e.g. Toi Moana Komiti Maori e-panui.

The next phase of work will involve preparing a discussion document and targeted engagement via workshops with key stakeholders, including the Public Transport Community Panel, public transport operators, and key sector representatives. A PTC workshop is programmed for 13 October, which will focus on developing the strategic framework for the RPTP.

 

Recommendations

That the Public Transport Committee:

1       Receives the report, Regional Public Transport Plan Review Update.

 

1.        Introduction

The RPTP review process commenced with a project initiation report to the PTC at its 18 March 2021 meeting.  The PTC approved the scope and timeframes for the review, while providing feedback on a number of matters. These included:

·    Project team membership;

·    Stakeholder engagement;

·    Targeting mode shift;

·    Achieving value for money;

·    Making good use of data;

·    Providing policy direction on park and ride services; and

·    Optimising the use of technology.

This feedback has subsequently been factored into the RPTP review scope and process. The following report provides a brief progress update on the review.

1.1      Legislative Framework

The LTMA provides the legislative framework for the development and renewal of RPTPs. The RPTP is a statutory requirement of the LTMA and regional council must adopt an RPTP if it intends to enter into contracts for the supply of public transport services. The LTMA requires the RPTP to be reviewed at the same time, or as soon as practicable after the public transport service components of a Regional Land Transport Plan are approved.

1.2      Alignment with Strategic Framework

 

A Vibrant Region

We lead regional transport strategy and system planning, working with others to deliver a safe and reliable public transport system.

1.2.1    Community Well-beings Assessment

Dominant Well-Beings Affected

þ Environmental

Low - Positive

þ Cultural

Low - Positive

þ Social

Medium - Positive

þ Economic

Medium - Positive

 

Public transport planning and delivery has positive social and economic outcomes for our communities. Well planned and effective public transport enables people of all ages and abilities to access a wide range of social and economic activities.

 

Public transport contributes to positive environmental outcomes through reduced transport emissions when people choose to take public transport instead of private vehicle trips. These environmental outcomes are further enhanced when the public transport trip is in a zero emission vehicle.

 

Public transport also contributes to positive cultural outcomes (refer to the Implications for Māori section of this report).

 

 

2.        Timeline

Figure 1 shows a high level timeline for the RPTP review. The first phase of the project has been focused on undertaking research on key topics and developing the engagement and communications approach (see following section).  The next phase will involve preparing a discussion document and targeted engagement via workshops with key stakeholders.  A PTC workshop is programmed for 13 October, which will focus on developing the strategic framework for the RPTP.

Figure 1         RPTP development timeline

3.        Recent Progress

Progress on key tasks/milestones in the RPTP review process is summarised in Attachment 1.  As noted above, the early focus has been on background research, and engagement and communications.

3.1      Research

Research papers and/or engagement summaries have been prepared on the following key topics:

·    Network planning principles and concepts;

·    Introduction and review of services;

·    School services;

·    On demand public transport;

·    Accessibility;

·    Zero emission public transport;

·    Fares;

·    Rapid transit;

·    Inter-regional passenger rail; and

·    Infrastructure.

These have formed the basis for the early engagement material posted on the BOPRC Participate web portal for public feedback, and will inform the discussion document that is prepared for the next stage of the review.

3.2      Engagement and Communications

An Engagement and Communications Plan has been prepared in conjunction with the multi-agency project team[1]. The planned engagement process is summarised in Figure 2 below.

This has been structured to enable community feedback to inform each subsequent phase. As noted above, early engagement material has been prepared via the project team, and released to the public on the BOPRC Participate web portal (www.participate.boprc.govt.nz). This includes background information on the RPTP review process, along with summary information on the key topics. Each topic area includes some prompt questions and users are encouraged to provide feedback via online forms.

Targeted social media has been used to direct interested people to the RPTP Participate pages. Partner agencies have been given the opportunity to share collateral e.g. Facebook posts through their social media outlets. This material is also being distributed through iwi networks e.g. Toi Moana Komiti Maori e-panui.

Statistics are being collected on the nature and location of website visits and contributions. These figures are being analysed to determine if additional communication methods need to be employed that are targeted on a more specific demographic and/or geographic basis. A verbal update will be provided at the meeting.

Figure 2         RPTP engagement process

4.        Considerations

4.1      Risks and Mitigations

The following table shows potential risks and mitigations that have been identified and are being managed in the review process.

Table 1           RPTP development timeline

Risk

Mitigations

Confusion about the role of the RPTP review project and how it relates to all the other ‘public transport initiatives’.

·     Identify and describe key dependencies.

·     Early communication with key stakeholders on scope of RPTP review, relationship with other initiatives.

Some sectors of the community unhappy with the policies in the RPTP as the review progresses and concludes.

·     Early engagement with community on RPTP review.

·     Clear communication on the benefits of implementing the policies.

Unable to achieve key stakeholder buy-in.

·     Early communication with key stakeholders on scope of RPTP review, relationship with other initiatives.

·     Establish multi-agency project team.

Project team unable to complete work due to other commitments / conflicting demands on their time.

·     Champion project as a priority in the Regional Council work programme.

·     Active project management approach to maintain momentum.

Policy positions required in key areas and topics to inform other work ahead of RPTP timing.

·     Adopt an adaptive, flexible approach to developing the policy positions.

·     Focus on ‘doing the thinking’ to support multiple public transport-related projects and programmes.

Rapid and fundamental shift in assumptions underpinning the Plan - economic trends, travel behaviour, transport costs and revenues, technological change, catastrophic event (e.g. pandemic, natural disaster).

·     Horizon scanning.

·     Further develop understanding of local level impacts of COVID-19 on public transport.

Services identified as being integral to the public transport network are not operated as planned due to external factors e.g. major road works, traffic congestion and a lack of public transport priority, thus undermining public confidence in the system.

 

·     Continue to work beside partner agencies on an integrated approach to the provision of public transport services and infrastructure.

·     Joint development and implementation of management plans for parts of the public transport network subject to significant disruption.

4.2      Climate Change

 

Mitigation

Adaptation

Reduce GHG emissions

Produce GHG emissions

Sequester carbon

Anticipate climate change impacts

Respond to climate change impacts

 

Public transport contributes to reduced GHG emissions because many people in one vehicle produce less emissions than the same number of people in several cars. GHG emissions are reduced further when the public transport trip is in a zero emission vehicle.

The Government has announced its plans to decarbonise the public transport bus fleet. The Government’s commitment is to:

·    Require only zero-emission public transport buses to be purchased by 2025;

·    Target the decarbonisation of the public transport bus fleet by 2035; and

·    Support regional councils to achieve these outcomes through a $50 million fund over four years.

A project has been established to guide BOPRC through the decarbonisation of the public transport bus fleet in order to meet the Government’s requirements. This project is informing the zero emission public transport workstream in the RPTP review.

4.3      Implications for Māori

Public transport has positive effects for Māori through improved accessibility and choice of transport options. This enables Māori to have better access to essential services and opportunities, including employment, education and health care both within major urban centres and between smaller settlements and larger centres.

The RPTP review will support an integrated and transparent approach to the provision of public transport services. The project team includes Maori Policy expertise, and engaging with Māori is forming an important part of the engagement approach that has been developed.

4.4      Community Engagement

Adobe Systems

CONSULT

Whakauiuia

To obtain input or feedback from affected communities about our analysis, alternatives, and /or proposed decisions.

 

Fundamental to the stated purpose of an RPTP in the LTMA is its function as an instrument for engaging with the public in the region on the design and operation of the public transport network.

An Engagement and Communication Plan has been developed, making use of the BOPRC ‘spectrum of engagement’ framework to identify key stakeholders and the level of engagement to undertake with each. This has informed the engagement approach that is currently underway (see preceding update).

4.5      Financial Implications

There are no material unbudgeted financial implications and this fits within the allocated budget.

5.        Next Steps

The next steps in the RPTP review process are:

·    Workshop specific key issues with the Western Bay of Plenty Public Transport Community Panel (23 August). A verbal summary of the workshop will be provided at the meeting;

·    Continue work towards completion of research papers;

·    Collate and analyse feedback received through the Participate web portal; and

·    Prepare a discussion document for the next stage of the review.

Attachments

Attachment 1 - Regional Public Transport Plan Review Progress   


Public Transport Committee                                       26 August 2021

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[1] Includes Waka Kotahi and territorial local authority representatives.