Auckland Transport chairman says zero road deaths achievable, hints at slashed speed limits

Wednesday, 20 June 2018

$110 million will be spent on emerging technology to help solve congestion in Auckland if AT approves its 10 year transport plan.

Auckland Transport's chairman believes the region can achieve zero road deaths and injuries and has hinted at his board's desire to see sweeping speed limit reductions.

Dr Lester Levy made the comments after he and the AT board signed off on a multibillion-dollar regional transport plan on Wednesday, four months after it rejected an earlier strategy.

The 10-year, $28 billion Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) features a spend of nearly $110 million on 'emerging technology' to help ease Auckland congestion. It also contains wins for the region's bus network, cycleways and road safety.

Levy said the AT board wanted to see extended lower speed zones through the region's town centres, outside schools not in low-speed zones already and along unsafe rural roads.

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'It's not that straight forward,' Levy said.

'We don't necessarily have the power to just reduce speeds. There are some issues around what we have permission ourselves to do.

'You cannot change speeds without some process of consultation, so we just want to try find a way that we can work with these agencies in order to get the process done quickly.'

Chief executive Shane Ellison said AT needed to work with New Zealand Transport Agency and the Ministry of Transport 'to make the changes we need to'.

Levy said the aim of having zero injuries and deaths on Auckland's roads may be achievable.

'One day no-one will get killed on our roads,' he said.

'If you look what's happened in some of the cities in Sweden with Vision Zero it may ultimately be achievable.

'But if you aim for something that's different to that, why would you? So we want to actually get down to the fact that nobody gets hurt and killed on our roads.

'It could take a very long time, but if you have a look at what they've done with Vision Zero, it is actually quite feasible.'

Vision Zero was passed by the Swedish parliament in 1997.

The programme aimed to achieve a transport system with no fatalities or serious injuries. Today, the number of traffic deaths there is half that of New Zealand.

PLAN GIVEN GREEN LIGHT

Wednesday's RLTP signing comes after AT back-pedalled on the controversial plan earlier this year.

The AT board ordered a re-write to better reflect the priorities of the AT, Auckland Council and the Government.

The new plan included an unprecedented contribution of $16.3b from the Crown's National Land Transport Fund.

The top-up is 'significantly higher' than what has been provided for Auckland in the past, according to the plan.

Levy said the plan aligned with the aims of Auckland Council, the AT board and the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) - something the previous plan failed to do.

It also gave 'certainty that we don't always have' and placed an emphasis on road safety.

The new plan proposes spending nearly $110m on an intelligent transport system, which would 'take advantage of emerging technologies to manage congestion, improve safety and influence travel demand'.

A rural road safety programme, to address the highest risk rural roads and intersections, would get nearly $122m.

The city's bus users would also be big winners – more than $316m has been earmarked for a Pakuranga bus station and Reeves Rd flyover as part of the new Eastern Busway.

Just over $153m has also been set aside to finish the city's current cycleway programme. Responding to an earlier deputation, Levy said the organisation believed active transport remained a 'massive part of the ultimate solution' to the city's commuting problems.

The capital programme shows a number of expensive projects remain unfunded for now.

About $396m-worth of additional initiatives from the Auckland Cycling Programme business case targeted towards South Auckland are on the back burner.

The city's ferry network also appears to be a big loser.

A $20.9m ferry terminal at Browns Bay sits unfunded, as does $16m and $17m terminals at Pine Harbour and West Harbour respectively.

'We do see a potential for ferries, there's no doubt about that, but that might be another area that if we had more money definitely we would be able to do more,' Levy said.

Enhanced park and ride programmes, worth $115m, have also been put on the scrap heap for now.