Ngauranga to Airport Strategic Transport Study Submission from Living Streets Aotearoa Inc. Thank you for the opportunity of making a submission on this important topic. Established in 2002, Living Streets Aotearoa Inc. works to advocate for and to develop pedestrian friendly communities throughout New Zealand, and to promote the social, environmental and economic benefits of walking as a means of transport and recreation. The Ngauranga - Airport transport corridor is vital, both to Wellington and as part of SH1 and the North Island Main Trunk railway. It includes the heart of Wellington, so it is also vital as a place where people live, work and play. The transport function and the living function are not always compatible. It is self-evident that the living function cannot take place anywhere else, so the transport function has to adapt. This means that transport that does not need to use the CBD should not do so, and transport that does need to should be carried in a way that minimises its adverse effects. Environmental benefits (less CO2; fewer particulates, especially from cold starts for short journeys; support for passenger transport), social benefits (mental and physical health, social cohesion) and economic benefits (retail health plus business networking) abound from a pedestrian-friendly (not necessarily pedestrian-only) CBD, and the regional sub-centres of Johnsonville, Newtown and Kilbirnie should also prioritise active modes. For passenger transport, this means encouraging the use of active modes (walking and cycling) and public transport, particularly those forms using renewable energy sources, and facilitating or minimising interchange between modes. Significant freight transport nodes are the ferry terminals, the port, the rail yards and the airport. Line-haul movements should be excluded from the CBD, and interchange between rail, road and shipping (including ferries) facilitated. Our comments on the specific topics raised are as follows: Congestion, including The Terrace and Mt Victoria tunnels Congestion should be managed primarily by modal shift, not by increasing road space. Specifically, we do not wish to see widening of either of these tunnels, since this will only create pinch points elsewhere. We oppose opening Pirie St bus tunnel to any other traffic, since this would at least destroy the advantages it offers bus passengers, and the consequent wider benefits. Access to the airport and surrounding commercial area Access to the airport by public transport should be improved. Anecdotally, half of peak-hour traffic on Cobham Drive is taxis heading to or from the airport, many of them to/from the CBD. Encouraging public transport use by increasing speed and frequency and improving access at the airport has the potential to have a significant effect on traffic levels. A bus lane along Cobham Drive would facilitate rapid bus access via Pirie St tunnel and a Cambridge Terrace bus lane to the city. Currently the Flyer is tucked away round the corner of the airport terminal, in a place with no shelter from the southerly. Its stop should be directly outside the terminal doors. In the longer term, light rail along the CBD-Newtown-Airport axis would improve access to the airport greatly. The airport is very close to the Eastern peninsula and the CBD, but there is no apparent facility for secure cycle parking and access on foot is not easy. People appreciate a chance to stretch their legs between flights so better provision of pedestrian access to Evans Bay, through the subway to Kilbirnie and down to Moa Point would be a boon for passengers who have to wait an hour or two between flights, or when a flight is delayed. There is no footpath alongside the airport/golf course boundary, but the grass shows the wearing of intrepid feet, indicating desire lines are not being catered for. Pedestrian access to the waterfront The opening of the inner city bypass means that traffic that needs to drive along the waterfront should be reduced significantly. The opportunity should be taken to change the emphasis of the Quays from being a vehicular route parallel to the water, to being people routes to and from the water, by reducing the width and the speed of the road, and increasing the number and attractiveness of the crossings. A cycle lane in each direction would remove some pressure from the waterfront. Access to the hospital Wellington Hospital is served by many bus routes, but parking is always seems to be seen as a problem. Improving access to the bus stops and extending bus priority measures to the whole of the Ngauranga-CBD-Newtown spine would help alleviate this. In the longer-term, the provision of light rail along this spine and extended to the airport would improve access to the hospital greatly. Over 60% of Wellington Hospital workers live within 5 km of this destination – ideally suited to greater use of active modes. Emergency vehicles can use bus lanes, so the provision of bus (and possibly HOV) lanes facilitates emergency access, and access for those too unwell to manage by themselves. General traffic lanes do not do this. Given the separation of some services, Wellington city people need to access Kenepuru so the hospital to hospital route needs better support from shuttle services or similar. Protection of heritage and urban form This is essential for Wellington to be a vibrant, living city. Urban form in Wellington includes rectilinear blocks, narrow streets and a fairly strict urban containment policy Any changes that are more than minor in this area should be a last resort, and the urban form should be encouraged by traffic-calming and public transport priority methods, including bus lanes and light rail, as is common overseas.. Increased population density at Johnsonville, Newtown and Kilbirnie could support public transport more thoroughly and make more frequent services cost-effective. Land use planning so that people have a chance to live nearer their work also reduces car dependency. Increased residential development near Kilbirnie could reduce some traffic to/from the airport if workers can live nearby. Mixed use planning also increases the possibility of more journeys being undertaken by active modes. Inner city speed limits The inner city should not be a through route except for public transport, so speeds should be slowed to a level appropriate to a people (not vehicle) oriented environment. The approved speed limit reduction on Lambton Quay is an excellent start. We propose that the current 70 km/h speed on SH1 Ruahine St be reduced to 50 km/h, since it is just a short but with houses along part of it with an awkward intersection in the middle, and the density of traffic means that a speed higher than 50 km/h is often not possible anyway. It is inconsistent with the 50 km/h limit that we understand is planned for the inner-city by-pass. Hataitai Park and the routes to Newtown and Mt Victoria are separated from most Hataitai residents by busy traffic. Access to the airport should not be at the cost of local liveability. Passenger transport, including bus lanes Encouraging and facilitating passenger transport through the CBD are vital to the city's future. This should include bus lanes, traffic signal pre-emption, and restrictions on other vehicles impeding bus flow. Bus flows through the CBD are already taxing the capacity of road space, and the next stage of capacity increase would be to introduce light rail - provision should be made for light rail along the Railway Station - Newtown spine. Examples overseas (eg Sheffield, Croydon, Strasbourg, Grenoble) show how light rail improves both accessibility and the whole urban environment. The Golden Mile should be public transport, cycle and delivery vehicles only at peak hours at least, and possibly from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Another vital part of the passenger transport network along the corridor is the railway, carrying passengers to/from the CBD and freight to/from the freight terminal, the port and the ferry. Both of these make major contributions to reducing road congestion. The rail mode could be enhanced by adding extra tracks between the NIMT/Wairarapa Line junction and the station, eliminating a major pinch-point, and by providing direct access from the NIMT to the ferry terminal. For passengers, the enforced mode change at the railway station is a major disincentive physically, adding both time and cost in terms of paying another fare. A light rail extension through the CBD would minimise time loss and physical inconvenience, while integrated smart-card ticketing, like London's Oyster card, would eliminate the latter. Encouraging passenger transport also has positive environmental effects, particularly when powered by renewable energy sources. Electric trains, trolleybuses and light rail all fit this bill. Bus lanes are very helpful to cyclists provided the buses are considerate. Bus lanes must be effectively enforced to prevent private vehicles reducing their benefit by clogging the ends, e.g. in Adelaide Road. Walking and cycling These modes have very different characteristics, and should be treated separately. The lengths of journeys, speeds, range of users, including age and ability, and their needs are very different for the two modes. Sharing space often means that space is taken away from the pedestrian, creating a slow facility for cyclists and a threatening environment for pedestrians, and doing nothing to change modal share. Without people walking in it, the city centre would be dead. Pedestrian activity should be encouraged, by traffic calming, improved pedestrian routes, better footpaths and shelters, improved signage, removal of obstacles on footpaths, and high-quality street furniture. Signage of key routes and shortcuts is important. Cycling reduces the number of vehicles on the road, and should be encouraged. In the urban environment, separate cycle facilities are needed, not shared with pedestrians. The waterfront route is too narrow for fast cyclists to share, especially round Shed 5 - better provision should be made along Jervois and Customhouse Quays. Cycling is particularly useful for the commuting journey since it suits the working age population and covers longer distances. Linkages with the railway station Good linkages are essential, both by public transport and on foot. The railway/bus station complex should be signed better and managed as a single entity, so that it is easier to understand which services depart from where. Bus & train timetables should be co-ordinated, so that where services are relatively infrequent (half-hourly or less) they connect at the station. Pedestrian access across the forecourt should be improved - people and vehicles compete for space directly outside I the forecourt, and in Bunny St. Availability and cost of parking Parking is important, but its provision and pricing need to take account of the negative effects of the car on the urban environment (both when in use and when parked, taking up space), and on competing uses for road space. Movement of goods to & through the city Freight transport takes two main forms: line-haul and local collection and delivery. Line-haul trucks should be excluded from the CBD, using the by-pass instead. Local collection and delivery should be timed to avoid times of high pedestrian activity. There need to be adequate loading bays, and loading restrictions enforced strictly. Funding availability Funding will always be scarce, and projects need to be prioritised. The emphasis should be on improving the quality of life in the city. Mike Mellor for Living Streets Aotearoa, Inc.