Land Transport NZ is now
part of the NZ Transport Agency
www.nzta.govt.nz
Accessibility | Help | Site index | Contact us
Transport network optimisation
Print version: Transport network optimisation (PDF, 2.12 MB, 53 pages)
6. Local and regional opportunities for action
A number of possible tools are available to implement desirable changes in New Zealand’s transport systems. This list comprises actions mostly available to local and regional councils. There are many other actions for national government agencies to undertake, but that is not the focus of this discussion document and there are other processes in play to identify and advance national initiatives. Typically, the actions identified in this list (see Table 1) will be most successful when implemented with other measures as part of comprehensive, integrated packages.
Strong leadership by elected officials and senior technical staff at the local and regional level will be essential to accomplish change.
Table 1: Tools for influencing travel choices
| Actions | By | Comment or explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Land use and transport planning integration | ||
| 1. Foster intense land use around public transport hubs and corridors | Local & regional | While national initiatives such as a National Policy Statement or the Government Policy Statement on transport may reinforce this, local councils can already use their district plans and resource consent processes to implement this. |
| 2. Set the direction for urban growth with outline development plans | Local & regional | Letting individual subdivisions occur in an ad hoc manner often results in urban sprawl that is hard to service with sustainable transport modes. |
| 3. Require new developments to pay sustainable transport contributions or levies | Local | This would be analogous to the existing requirement where new developments pay reserve contributions for new parks and playgrounds. The revenue could be used to support public transport, walking or cycling. |
| 4. Change district plan parking requirements from minimums to maximums | Local | Most councils require minimum numbers of car parking spaces for new developments, typically based on floor area or number of employees. Changing this to maximums would result in less land being consumed by car parking, less car traffic induced, and more intense land use. These trends support sustainable travel modes. |
| 5. Develop and implement regional parking strategies for both offand on-street parking | Local & regional | Development of regional parking strategies with the assistance of local councils will allow consistent approaches to this essential tool to manage car traffic growth. Implementation will usually be a local function, but elected representative leadership at both local and regional levels will be essential. |
| 6. Adopt appropriate uNZTS targets in local plans and strategies | Local & regional | National and regional targets are being set through the uNZTS targets. Each council should adopt these or better them, where possible. |
| Attitudinal and behavioural measures | ||
| 7. Implement travel plans at schools, workplaces and new subdivisions | Local | Helping users understand their travel options can reduce VKT, especially when people have changed circumstances such as starting a new job or school, or moving to a new location. |
| 8. Start marketing campaigns aimed at reducing urban speeds | Regional | Physical changes (such as traffic calming) will need to be supported by publicity campaigns, changing attitudes towards speed and then driver behaviour. |
| 9. Lead by example | Local & regional | Introduce staff travel plans targeting walking, cycling and public transport. Achieve a sustainable travel environment for staff, so that their personal experiences can flow into their work. |
| Optimising traffic operations | ||
| 10. Optimise traffic operations continuously in towns and cities | Local | For example, undertaking traffic signal audits or optimisation exercises on 1/3 of a city every three years would provide more traffic capacity, but also provide opportunities to improve conditions for walking, cycling and public transport. |
| 11. For example, undertaking traffic signal audits or optimisation exercises on 1/3 of a city every three years would provide more traffic capacity, but also provide opportunities to improve conditions for walking, cycling and public transport | Local | Considering pedestrians first (followed by cycles, buses, trucks and cars) in all traffic engineering and planning functions will progressively change the “balance of power” on streets in favour of more sustainable modes of travel. |
| 12. Introduce bus priority measures wherever buses are routinely caught in congestion | Local & regional | This will need to be a collaborative approach between both levels of government. Regions are responsible for public transport and local councils are responsible for road and traffic operations. |
| 13. Introduce traffic calming and/or 30 km/h areas in residential and CBD areas | Local | Reducing motor vehicle speeds in urban areas is a powerful way of encouraging walking and cycling. |
| 14. Protect local roads from through traffic and make the local road network less “permeable” for cars | Local | Providing opportunities for people to walk and cycle more freely through neighbourhoods and CBDs gives these modes a competitive advantage over cars and helps people choose to walk and cycle. |
| 15. Review and adjust kerb lane widths on all arterial roads to accommodate cyclists, or provide cycle lanes | Local | Kerb lanes need to be at least 4 m wide to safely accommodate cyclists. A less desirable alternative is to have very narrow kerb lanes so cyclists can “hold” the lane, but this should be accompanied by 30 km/h speed limits and complete parking prohibitions. Widths between 3.0 m and 4.0 m should be avoided. These widths should be increased by 0.2 m if buses or trucks are prevalent. |
| 16. Improve traffic counting systems for all modes | Local | Good traffic data are the foundation of all traffic management systems. |
| Public transport | ||
| 17. Implement integrated ticketing throughout all metropolitan areas with public passenger transport services | Regional | A single ticketing system, allowing users of buses, trains, trams and ferries as appropriate to transfer between services run by different operators, improves the level of service for users and allows “seamless” journeys. |
| 18. Ensure there are adequate incentives for public transport drivers and operators to keep to timetable | Regional | Nothing is more dissatisfying for public transport patrons than buses that leave the bus stop early, even by one minute. Conversely, services that run “like clockwork” and provide certainty of arrival time are highly valued. Regional councils can provide strong incentives to reward operators, who can then reward their bus, train and ferry drivers for punctuality. |
| 19. Improve access to realtime information for public transport patrons | Regional | Access to bus, train and ferry arrival times at the nearest stop can be made available on cell phones, at stops and by internet. This improves service and perceptions of safety for patrons. |
| 20. Require bike racks on buses in all new public transport service contracts | Regional | Many overseas bus operators provide this option for patrons to cycle to or from a bus route and then take their bikes with them. A recent trial in Christchurch has been successful. |
| 21. Allow bikes to travel free on commuter and long-distance trains | Regional | Many overseas train operators provide this option for patrons to facilitate longer journeys by cycle and train. Suburban trains in Auckland and Wellington allow off-peak carriage of bikes but charge for the privilege. |
| 22. Enable bus drivers to order taxis to meet passengers at bus stops to complete journeys door to door at night | Regional | People can be encouraged to use public transport if they are provided surety of door to door service at night. This could work in both directions. |
| Walking and cycling | ||
| 23. Develop and implement walking and cycling strategies | Local & regional | District, city and regional councils that don’t have a walking, cycling, or combined strategy should be encouraged to develop one. Set measurable targets that correspond to the uNZTS. Include an implementation plan connected to LTCCP. |
| 24. Increase funding for footpath maintenance | Local | Although not subsidised nationally like other transport projects, footpath maintenance is essential for a good walking environment. Councils should attempt to provide a safe and secure travelling surface for pedestrians, including those in wheelchairs. |
| 25. Implement the model communities project (one of 10 initiatives in the implementation plan for NZ’s national walking and cycling strategy | Local & regional | By being involved in this initiative, councils will have a cost-effective way to get major changes to enhance walking and cycling implemented in their communities. |
| 26. Review public cycle parking provision and implement more at key destinations | Local | Provision of appropriate parking facilities at key destinations (retail, leisure, school and workplace) encourages cycling. |
| 27. Arrange for arterial roads and cycle lanes to be swept weekly or monthly for broken glass | Local | Broken glass (especially after Friday and Saturday nights) causes frequent punctures for cyclists and can force them to abandon cycling. Regular sweeping (ideally on Sundays or Monday mornings) helps mitigate this risk for cyclists. |
| Freight | ||
| 28. Improve data collection on freight operations | National & regional | Data quality is poor for freight. Data collection at the local or regional level will be imperative to understand the issues and monitor trends before remedial actions can be identified. |
| 29. Encourage use of the voluntary operator rating system for freight carriers | National, regional & local | Data quality is poor for freight. This voluntary system provides much-needed data on freight movements. |
| Pricing and charging measures | ||
| 30. Implement regional fuel taxes | Regional | These can help fund transport improvements (especially sustainable transport facilities and services). They can be made revenue neutral if desired by reducing property taxes (“rates”), as a large proportion of these goes to road maintenance and construction. |
| 31. Co-ordinate off-street and on-street parking charges regionally | Regional & local | Different charges in neighbouring council areas can undermine a consistent approach to parking charges, encouraging car use instead of more sustainable modes. |
| 32. Introduce road pricing on congested corridors and bridges | Regional | Ensuring users pay the full price of travel encourages people to reduce trips and choose the right mode for each trip, thus improving community outcomes. |
| 33. Improve data collection and analysis from public transport, traffic counts, traffic signal systems and parking systems. | Regional | This will assist with policy and pricing refinements. |
Page created: 10 October 2008