Agenda of Public Transport Committee Workshop


Informal Workshop Paper
To:	Public Transport Committee Workshop
	16 February 2022
From:	Bron Healey, Principal Advisor, Regional Development
	James Llewellyn, Transport & Urban Planning Manager Namouta Poutasi, General Manager, Strategy & Science

Regional Public Transport Plan Review

1. Purpose

To continue reviewing the emerging draft Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP) with a specific focus on remaining key policy topics.

2. Guidance Sought from Councillors

Input and feedback on the following matters:

1) Brief recap on the RPTP strategic framework (challenges and opportunities, vision, objectives, focus areas) - revised following feedback at the previous workshop.

2) Future strategy – Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty (draft content).

3) New or revised policy proposals and associated actions covering the following objective areas:

i. Mode shift and carbon reduction;

ii. Service planning and design;

iii. Service and infrastructure delivery;

iv. Public transport and land use integration;

v. Customer experience and information; and

vi. Fares and pricing.

3. Discussion

3.1 Background

The current RPTP is currently being reviewed and revised, with the goal of having the new plan operative by August 2022.

The RPTP is the key statutory document for public transport planning and investment in the region, and must be reviewed as soon as practicable after the Bay of Plenty Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) is finalised (which was June 2021).

The RPTP takes a 10+ year strategic view with a particular focus on the first three years. In doing so, the RPTP describes:

• What we want our public transport system to achieve (our long-term vision and objectives);

• How we propose to get there (the strategies, focus areas, policies and actions that will help us achieve our goals); and

• What public transport services we propose to provide to address our key policy objectives.

Members will recall that we have had two previous RPTP review workshops (October & December 2021) primarily covering the development of the plan’s strategic framework and an initial set of policy proposals.

This workshop will cover the plan content that has been drafted to date, with a particular focus on areas which have been amended in response to previous feedback from the Committee. New proposals for several of the remaining key topics will also be tested with members.

3.2 Revised Strategic Framework

The draft RPTP containing the content prepared as of 10 February is included as Attachment 2. The following highlights some of the more substantive changes made to the proposed strategic framework in the draft document following members’ feedback at the previous workshop.

More detailed information on the Committee’s direction and subsequent amendments can be found in Attachment 1 – Supplementary Information, Section A.

Challenges and opportunities (2.3)

• Re-worded ‘Achieving mode shift’ (Challenge 1) and ‘Integrated delivery’ (Opportunity 2) to be more explicit about public transport’s role in achieving urban transformation.

• Referenced ‘smaller urban centres’ in Challenge 2 ‘meeting the access needs...’.

• Added two new opportunities:

o Public transport marketing, branding and promotion; and

o Innovation and technology.

Vision (3.1)

· New vision statement combining themes from the following two statements:

o Getting more people on board;

o High quality public transport that enhances peoples’ lives and reduces our impact on the environment; and

· Added reference to public transport supporting urban transformation.

Objectives (3.2)

· Added new objective ‘Public transport and land use integration’ to ensure that public transport is integrated within the urban development and transport system; and

· Expanded ‘Fares’ objective to cover ‘Fares and pricing’.

Focus areas (3.3)

· Added references to targeting behaviour change amongst commuters and collaboration; and

· Noted approach is to support rather than duplicate the themes in the objectives.

3.3 Future Strategy – Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty

A draft section has been prepared on the future public transport strategy for Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty.

This maps out the strategic direction for public transport in the UFTI Connected Centres programmes, the Regional Land Transport Plan and the Western Bay of Plenty Transport System Plan (TSP), showing a policy cascade from very long term strategy (UFTI) through to the more detailed short-medium term planning in the TSP (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Tauranga/Western Bay of Plenty public transport strategy

The three strategic documents are highly aligned and consistent in their direction. Consequently, the intention has been to demonstrate the clear line of sight through these strategies to the policies and actions in the RPTP.

Note: future strategy sections for Rotorua and the Eastern Bay of Plenty are currently being prepared.

3.4 New and revised policies

Section 4.2 of the draft RPTP contains the proposed policies and actions, arranged under the seven objectives.

Members will see that this section is still a work in progress. However, proposals have now been developed for most of the key strategic policies. The following tables identify whether the policy is new or was presented to the Committee at the previous workshop and has been revised as a result of feedback. A brief description/rationale for the policy is also included.

The focus of this workshop will be on discussing and receiving Committee feedback on the new policy proposals.

Note: new policies are still to be prepared for the Partnerships objective.

3.4.1 Objective 1: Mode shift and carbon reduction

Policy	Status	Brief description/rationale
1.1 Frequent and reliable services	New	· Implements future public transport strategy in UFTI, RLTP and TSP. · Links to priority action to develop and implement the Western Bay of Plenty Public Transport Services and Infrastructure Business Case.
1.2 Targeted interventions in urban areas	New	· Policy to integrate planning and delivery of services, bus priority infrastructure and pricing mechanisms (fares and parking charges) to achieve mode shift in urban areas. · Links to planning / business case activities identified in RLTP and TSP.
1.3 Travel demand management	New	· Policy to support the development and implementation of the comprehensive region-wide Bay of Plenty Travel Demand Management and Behaviour Change programme.
1.4 Zero emission public transport	Revised	· See Supplementary Information – Section A.
1.5 Mobility as a service	New	· Implements recommendation from RPTP research report. · Draws on Wellington RPTP MaaS policy. · Links to action to work alongside regional sector groups (TSIG) to explore MaaS opportunities.
1.6 Inter-regional passenger rail	New	· Policy to continue exploring opportunities for inter-regional passenger rail with regional partners. · Implements recommendation from RPTP research report. · Links to action to actively participate in central government business cases.

3.4.2 Objective 2: Service planning and design

Policy	Status	Brief description/rationale
2.1 Service planning principles	Revised	· See Supplementary Information – Section A.
2.2 Service classifications	Revised	· See Supplementary Information – Section A.
2.3 Service optimisation	Revised	· See Supplementary Information – Section A. · Note: still awaiting analysis of existing data.
2.4 Urban network operating models	Under development	· Previous policy proposal for ‘Tauranga Urban Network Model’ has been withdrawn. · To be replaced with a more generic policy that will emphasise working with partners in each urban centre to develop an appropriate network operating model
2.6 Community services	New	· New policy added in response to Committee direction to indicate policy direction for rural areas. · See Supplementary Information – Section A.
2.7 On demand public transport	No change	· Retains wording in policy proposal previously tested with Committee.
2.9 School services	Under development	· Awaiting results of further analysis on implications of policy criteria based on school enrolment zones.
2.10 Ferries	No change	· Retains wording in policy proposal previously tested with Committee.

3.4.3 Objective 3: Service and infrastructure delivery

Policy	Status	Brief description/rationale
3.1 Contract units	Under development	· Table still to be completed · No change proposed to policy previously tested with Committee.
3.4 Infrastructure quality	New	· Policy to ensure infrastructure provides a high quality experience for customers, meets best practice standards and supports the efficiency and reliability of public transport services. · Links to other PRTP policies on the Accessible Journey, Safety and Personal Security, Legibility and Amenity.

Policy

Status

Brief description/rationale

3.1 Contract units

Under development

· Table still to be completed

· No change proposed to policy previously tested with Committee.

3.4 Infrastructure quality

New

· Policy to ensure infrastructure provides a high quality experience for customers, meets best practice standards and supports the efficiency and reliability of public transport services.

· Links to other PRTP policies on the Accessible Journey, Safety and Personal Security, Legibility and Amenity.

3.4.4 Objective 4: Public transport and land use integration

Policy	Status	Brief description/rationale
4.1 Public transport and urban intensification	New	· Policy to ensure integration between public transport service provision and planned urban intensification/ increased densities. · Links to National Policy Statement on Urban Development requirements.
4.2 Modal integration	New	· Policy to promote integration between public transport and other modes through various means. · Also links to Park and Ride policy (4.5).
4.3 Services and infrastructure in new urban areas	No change	· Retains wording in policy proposal previously tested with Committee. · See also new policy 4.4 Infrastructure timing.
4.4 Infrastructure timing	New	· Policy added following discussion on infrastructure timing in new development areas at previous Committee workshop. · Draws on similar policies in Auckland and Wellington RPTPs.
4.5 Park and ride	New	· New policy added on principles to be applied when investigating the location and design of park and ride facilities. · Draws on principles/policies in Auckland and Wellington RPTPs – regions with well-established park and ride systems.

3.4.5 Objective 5: Customer experience and information

Policy	Status	Brief description/rationale
5.1 Accessible journey	New	· Updates and extends existing RPTP policy to implement the ‘accessible journey’ approach to public transport.
5.2 Safety and personal security	New	· New policy added to work with delivery partners to identify and resolve public transport safety and security issues. · Links to actions to provide security at priority locations and implement CPTED guidelines.
5.3 Legibility	New	· New policy to support a high-quality and consistent customer experience through improved public transport legibility.
5.4 Amenity	New	· New policy to support a high-quality customer experience through improved amenity of public transport services and facilities. · Draws on RMA definition of amenity.
5.5 Marketing and promotion	New	· New policy to actively promote public transport to change perceptions and support mode shift. · Implements recommendations in RPTP Research Report. · Links to a number of identified actions.
5.6 Branding	New	· New policy to provide a clear and consistent brand experience across the region’s public transport services. · Implements recommendations in RPTP Research Report. · Links to a number of identified actions.

3.4.6 Objective 7: Fares and pricing

Policy	Status	Brief description/rationale
7.1 Fare principles	New	· New policy containing principles for setting fares and pricing. · Implements Committee direction from October 2021 workshop. · Implements recommendations in RPTP Research Report. · Consistent with Waka Kotahi’s Draft Regional Public Transport Plan guidelines for regional fare policy development.
7.2 Fare structure	New	· New policy for setting fare structure. · Implements Committee direction from October 2021 workshop. · Implements recommendations in RPTP Research Report.
7. 3 Fare pricing initiatives	New	· New policy to explore pricing initiatives to encourage more frequent use of public transport and support mode shift goals. · Implements initiatives identified in MR Cagney report: Behaviour Change and Patronage Growth Initiatives – Discussion Paper 2: Behaviour Change.
7.4 Fares and parking policy	New	· New policy to ensure that parking policies in high demand areas in Tauranga and Rotorua support mode shift to public transport. · Emphasises relationship between public transport fares and parking costs. · Consistent with findings in MR Cagney report: Behaviour Change and Patronage Growth Initiatives – Discussion Paper 2: Behaviour Change.
7.5 School students	New	· New policy to implement a fare free system for school students (subject to a number of potential requirements/limitations). · Implements Committee direction from October 2021 workshop. · Consistent with recent BOPRC Long Term Plan decisions.

4. Next Steps

Guidance from members will be incorporated into the next version of the draft RPTP that is presented to the Public Transport Committee meeting on the 17 March.

At the close of the current workshop members’ views will be sought on whether the draft RPTP is sufficiently developed to progress to a decision to release for public consultation at the 17 March meeting (subject to the Committee being comfortable with the remaining content at that meeting).

Attachments

Attachment 1 - Supplementary Information

Attachment 2 - Draft Bay of Plenty Regional Public Transport Plan 2022-2032 ⇩