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ISSN 1173–1826 (Print)

Issue 09Summer 2010

Rugby World Cup – what’s different5

Learning to drive with Practice3

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Safer journeys this holiday seasonThe NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and our road safety partners are urging drivers to stay safe during the holidays.PAGE

Keeping track at the TRC6PAGE

Regional updates

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What’s been happening in your region

Travelling can be more risky and tiring when having to deal with increased traffic. Even if some drivers are travelling on familiar roads, others may not be.

Many of our beautiful holiday spots are reached via narrow winding roads that demand continuous concentration, and are not forgiving of mistakes.

We’re encouraging drivers to have their vehicles checked, schedule stops and allow plenty of time. On the road, drivers should always keep left and maintain a safe following distance. Mobile phones should go in the boot if they are a distraction.

We’re also urging motorcyclists and road cyclists to make themselves as visible as they can and for drivers to look out for these vulnerable road users and give them plenty of space.

The NZTA and our road safety partners are working hard to create an environment where skilled, competent, alert and sober drivers travel at safe speeds in safe vehicles on safe roads that are predictable and forgiving of mistakes. All road users can play their part by recognising how much attention good driving really needs.

Drivers also need to be aware of the physical features which affect the safety of the road or roadside and adjust their driving in response to these conditions. The KiwiRAP star ratings for rural state highways can help road users understand what roadside hazards are.

To find out more, go to the website: http://kiwirap.co.nz/regional_brochures.html

pathways | NZ Transport Agency Summer 20102

Chief Executive Geoff Dangerfield

WelcomeThe year is rapidly drawing to a close so it’s a good time to reflect on all that has been achieved.

We recently released our annual report covering the first full year of operations since the NZTA was established in August 2008. We have made strong progress on our strategic priorities in support of the government’s economic development focus. At the same time, we released our National Land Transport Fund (NLTF) annual report, which outlines how the NLTF has been invested to build a better land transport system. Both documents are available on our website.

One of the key achievements highlighted in the annual report is the work we’ve done to improve customer service. I see this growing across the organisation every day – a strong sense of the needs of transport system users, our partners in local government, our service agents and contractors and consultants, and others.

Another key highlight for me this year was working with newly formed leadership groups for public transport and freight. In both these areas, we are focused on getting a better understanding of their needs and facilitating more coordinated action planning and delivery.

Throughout the following pages, you can read about progress on our other strategic priorities, including good progress on the roads of national significance projects and new safety initiatives.

I hope you find this summer issue of Pathways an interesting read and I wish you a safe and happy Christmas.

Safer journeys for cabbies next yearRule changes to ensure better safety for taxi drivers and their passengers are being finalised and should come into force next year.

The new rules will make it mandatory for taxis operating in large towns and cities to have security cameras and be monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The rule changes have come about after a series of assaults on taxi drivers in recent years.

Between January 2000 and February 2010, there were 677 recorded assaults on taxi drivers. Since December 2008, two drivers have been killed in attacks in their taxis.

‘Most of the taxi industry welcomes the mandatory use of in-vehicle cameras,’ says Commercial Operators Road and Rail National Manager John Doesburg.

‘This is an important safety initiative for taxi drivers and their passengers and will hopefully mean that tragedies such as driver deaths and serious assaults will be dramatically reduced.

‘The cameras should help to deter crimes, but in the unfortunate event of a driver being attacked, the monitoring system will enable the driver to quickly call for help.’

Cameras in vehicles have proved to be successful overseas. In Australia, cameras have been used in major cities for at least five years and are attributed with a 70 percent decrease of both assaults and fare evasion.

The amended rule should be in place on 1 February 2011 and taxi operators have until the beginning of August to install security cameras. Taxis that have already fitted in-vehicle security cameras will have until February 2012 to have them approved by the NZTA. If their current cameras don’t meet required standards, operators will need to install new approved cameras.

Cameras will be positioned to record a clear view of all the people in the taxi and notices will be required to ensure that passengers are aware of the camera.

Stay in MantrolThe NZTA and the New Zealand Police have recently launched a new advertising campaign – Mantrol – which primarily targets young male drivers (16–29 years). These are not boy racers. They’re not driving deliberately recklessly. They’ve just grown comfortable with speed and they don’t see any issue with going a little faster than others.

Speed is still one of the lead causes of crashes, casualties and fatalities on our roads. Last year 114 people were killed and 2497 were injured in speed-related crashes. At least 28 percent of all fatal road crashes last year were caused by excessive speed and 79 percent were the fault of male drivers.

The Mantrol advertising campaign can be viewed at www.nzta.govt.nz/about/advertising.

pathways | NZ Transport Agency Summer 2010 3

Learning to drive takes time and plenty of PracticeWhile getting a driver licence is an exciting ‘coming of age’ milestone that means greater independence and freedom for teens, it also means stepping into a world where there are real consequences to making mistakes. Crashes are one of those consequences.

Young drivers are currently over-represented in crash statistics. This is why they’re a focus for the government’s Safer Journeys strategy, which aims to guide improvements in road safety from 2010 to 2020.

One of the proposed changes to legislation will strengthen the restricted driving test to encourage supervised practice of 120 hours, which is the international ‘gold’ standard for novice drivers.

The NZTA and ACC support the Safer Journeys strategy through the existing

Practice programme for learner drivers. Practice, a free web and print-based resource, aims to reduce young driver crash risk by addressing one major factor – that of inexperience.

‘For many New Zealanders, parents are a fundamental part of learning to drive, and the reality is that most parents are providing some level of guidance for the next generation of drivers,’ says Michael Cummins, the NZTA’s National Manager, Road User Behaviour.

‘Having lessons from a professional driving instructor, supplemented by lots of supervised practice with family and experienced friends, is the best way to learn to drive. However, parents may not always know what they need to teach their children or be aware of the amount of practice needed,’ added Michael.

To help those who are teaching young drivers, Practice provides structured advice on how to clock up the recommended 120 hours of experience across a range of driving and weather conditions before they apply for a restricted licence.

International research shows new drivers are 40 percent less likely to have a crash if they get 120 hours of supervised driving practice in a range of road and weather conditions before driving solo.

Once registered for Practice, supervisors receive a small booklet and driving manual which provide a step-by-step framework for teaching a teen to drive. The young drivers can also gain access to an interactive website where they can learn skills and track their progress – www.practice.co.nz.

Stars for better heavy vehicle safetyThe new safety rating system targeting heavy vehicle users is a significant part of the NZTA’s strategy to make New Zealand roads safer.

The NZTA’s Operator Rating System Manager, Bridget Neylan, says the initiative is designed to showcase the safety standards of transport operators.

‘It is designed to help ensure trucks, buses and other heavy vehicles are maintained in top order 365 days a year and that drivers are skilled and obey road rules,’ Bridget says.

The ratings will give operators a score of between one and five stars, and are produced from information collected about safety events such as certificate of fitness (CoF) inspections, roadside safety inspections and offences committed by an operator or driver of a commercial heavy vehicle. Scores will be applied based on the types of faults found at CoF and roadside inspections, the types of offences committed and the impact of those faults and offences on road safety – more dangerous faults and offences will lead to a poorer rating.

An excellent safety record will achieve five stars and an extremely poor operator will get a one star rating.

’We’ve been collecting information since July this year and heavy transport operators will receive their first preliminary rating in February. After that they will get two more assessments before the ratings are made public for the first time in 2012,’ says Bridget.

’This gives operators time to address any issues that may have resulted in a less than optimal outcome, although all events since July 2010 will be taken into account for the 2012 rating.’

The Operating Rating System (ORS) has been designed in consultation with transport industry groups, the Ministry of Transport and NZ Police.

As well as improving safety, the new ORS has been designed to increase efficiencies for both operators and enforcement agencies. Under the ORS, enforcement can be more targeted so operators who are performing well will be stopped less often, saving time and money.

Bridget says, ‘Clearly, a good rating will result in commercial benefits for a transport operator. The higher their rating, the more attractive they’ll be to customers but it also means that our enforcement resources are used more effectively. Together, this will help underpin the expected achievement of better safety outcomes.‘

pathways | NZ Transport Agency Summer 20104

A national approach to integrated ticketing

Bus quality standards reviewed

As part of the push to get better efficiency and value for money from public transport, the NZTA is taking a more active role in transport technology. An important part of that is the national integrated ticketing programme.

It will be easier to collect vital public transport information with a national integrated ticketing approach, and public transport users will value the fast and convenient ticketing.

Fully multi-modal smart card integrated ticketing will have many benefits. Using smart card technology, passengers will be able to travel across a city or region using buses, trains and ferries while getting the best available fare for their journey.

Dave Brash, the NZTA’s Group Manager, Regional Partnerships and Planning says, ‘Some regions already have integrated smart card solutions. The NZTA is now working on a national approach that will give regions good value for money while still providing them with regional flexibility, including the ability to continue to choose their fare solutions and improving contestability for ticketing suppliers and onboard equipment.

‘The central system which provides core processing services will be owned by the NZTA and will be made available to regions to use via an ‘arm’s length’ company, New Zealand Transport Ticketing Ltd (NZTTL). However, regions will be able to opt into the central system and manage their smart card ticketing devices and functions at a regional level.

‘Many regions will be looking at upgrading their systems in the next few years. This is when the national integrated ticketing programme will provide an opportunity for them to upgrade cost-effectively, and collect important public transport usage information efficiently.

’Achieving value for money remains the NZTA’s key criterion for funding support. However, we will also require ticketing systems to comply with the national inter-operability standards and to supply data to the national data warehouse.

‘The ongoing development of new smart card systems as a high-tech alternative to current ticketing solutions is one of a range of measures that will help achieve increases in public transport usage of more than three percent a year over the next five years. That’s because smart cards give passengers a fast, reliable and convenient option that works on all services, automatically giving them the best available fares.

‘In New Zealand the national integrated ticketing approach could also potentially be used for parking, park and ride, tolling, the SuperGold card and so on.’

Auckland consumers will be the first to benefit from the new national integrated ticketing approach. Auckland Transport will be responsible for overseeing a limited functionality pilot on some routes next year. Then in 2012–13, the fully functional Auckland integrated fare system (AIFS) will be rolled out across all modes of transport throughout the city, ie trains, buses and ferries.

An important part of a public transport passenger’s customer experience is the quality of the vehicle travelled on. As public transport continues to increase in popularity, the NZTA is reviewing the current national urban bus quality standard.

This review forms part of the Public Transport Effectiveness Plan and is the result of a request made by the Bus and Coach Association of New Zealand that the NZTA should review the Requirements for urban buses in New Zealand. This is a national urban bus quality standard used by regional councils in their vehicle quality standards. They incorporate it into their contracting documentation for urban services.

A key issue for the project is identifying the benefits and quantifying the costs of a more nationally consistent approach to urban bus quality standards specified by regional councils, and identifying any barriers to achieving this.

Draft research commissioned by the NZTA indicates the cost savings from a nationally consistent approach are significant – at least $2 million per year over a 10-year period (after discounting). Once the research is complete, it will be discussed with stakeholders. The review will also respond to issues raised by stakeholders, including investigating provision of a new option for wheelchair space and restraint requirements, rear door placement, standards for existing buses, parent and child seat width, grab handles and plinth heights to accommodate larger chassis and wheel sizes.

While feedback on the original quality standard has been positive, this review will ensure that it remains closely aligned with the new direction set out for public transport through the public transport effectiveness framework.

A technical working group with representatives from regional councils, operators and bus builders is being set up, and stakeholders have been asked whether any further issues concerning vehicle quality standards should be considered.

The NZTA will release a consultation document in early 2011.

pathways | NZ Transport Agency Summer 2010 5

Message to World Cup rugby fans: ‘Be careful on our roads’The Rugby World Cup will bring about 85,000 additional overseas visitors to New Zealand, and many of them will be hiring cars and camper vans and driving to and from games. Some will take the opportunity to have a longer holiday in New Zealand.

Most visitors will come from the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Australia and South Africa. Our challenge is to make sure they realise that driving here can be different from driving in other countries. Distances can look short on paper, but our roads can cover hilly terrain and be windier than drivers may be used to, so travel times can vary a lot. They need to get adequate sleep before driving especially after long flights, and with all of the celebrations we need to remind them to have a sober driver at all times.

The NZTA will be working with others, including the NZ Police, the AA and local councils, to get safe driving messages to these visitors.

The first challenge is to reach them before they get here. That means getting driving tips on websites and making sure travel agents have copies of the NZTA’s leaflet What’s different about driving in New Zealand? This is written in several languages and is a useful guide to driving on our roads.

We are also looking at how to target visitors as soon as they get off the plane, and when they first turn up to hire a vehicle.

The Rugby World Cup is going to be a huge event and we want our international visitors to have a great time travelling around the country. Safety is the number one priority.

For copies of What’s different about driving in New Zealand, go to our website: www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/whats-diff-driving-nz/

Classifying the state highway network

The more we know about how our main roads are used, the better we’ll be at achieving our goal of boosting New Zealand’s economy. If, for example, we know that a highway is vital to moving people to and from jobs or freight to ports and airports, then we can make sure that the road performs that function as efficiently and safely as possible.

That’s why the NZTA is looking at classifying the state highways – or establishing the function of a key road. It may be that a highway is used primarily as a tourist route or to link major population areas. Or it could be used for a combination of reasons.

We’ll be talking to local authorities and road users in the new year to get their views about the function of our state highways. We’ve suggested certain criteria to help establish the function, and we want feedback on them. These include measuring freight highway volumes, annual average daily traffic, tourist numbers on highways or centres of population.

Once we’ve collected different views, we’ll use the final lists of criteria to put highways into different categories. These will make up the final classification system, and this will help us to decide how best to provide for journeys on different highways, ie what kind of driving experience or level of service should each category of highway deliver? Drivers should be able to expect consistent travel times, and similar safety and design features.

Highway classification systems are common overseas, and we’re drawing on international best practice in developing our approach, as well as on our own existing work.

Current NZTA funding parameters will remain the same. The classification system will simply be another tool to help determine ‘strategic fit’ and to help us decide what operational approaches or improvements to prioritise.

Keep an eye on the NZTA’s website in the new year for more information on the proposed classification system and for details of how you can send us feedback.

pathways | NZ Transport Agency Summer 20106

Roads of national significance on trackThe seven roads of national significance (RoNS) are progressing well and we’re on schedule to substantially complete them within 10 years. This is an ambitious target but it’s one that we’re determined to meet.

The focus remains on consultation with the public over final routes, and on design and planning. However, construction is already underway with some RoNS projects.

Here are recent highlights:

• We are investigating options to improve the Ngauranga to Aotea Quay section of the Wellington Northern Corridor, to improve safety and ease congestion.

• A timeline for public consultation on refined route options for the MacKays to Peka Peka SH1 expressway was announced recently. It’ll be followed next year by consultation on Peka Peka to Otaki, and then The Terrace Tunnel to Wellington Airport.

• Some sections of the Waikato Expressway are already completed. Consent processes for others are underway.

• Construction of the first stage of the Christchurch Southern Motorway is running ahead of schedule, although the completion date remains unchanged. Public consultation is underway for other sections of the road.

• Details of the planned route between Puhoi and Warkworth have been announced. The Puhoi to Wellsford project has been the least developed of the seven RoNS, but could now become one of the fastest ever major highway projects to be completed.

• Construction of the Victoria Park Tunnel in Auckland continues. The 123-year-old Rob Roy Hotel was successfully moved 40 metres to make way for the tunnel, using carefully constructed runway beams and 14 hydraulic jacks. It was a huge challenge because of the age of the building and the fact that it is built from bricks and mortar.

Keeping track – vehicles and driver licencesThe Transport Registry Centre (TRC) is the central nervous system of New Zealand’s transport industry. It tracks information on the country’s four million-plus registered vehicles and more than three million drivers.

It also acts as the collection point for the billions of dollars that flow into transport from registration and licence holders – everything from driver licence fees to the proceeds from our toll roads. The Palmerston North based centre employs 300 people and collects a massive $2.5 billion from licensing, road user charges and fuel excise duty as well as $50 million in ACC levies.

Clearly it’s an integral part of the NZTA.

‘Most New Zealanders probably think of the NZTA as a roading organisation, yet the Transport Registry Centre is the one part of the NZTA that has a direct interaction with most of the public,’ says Brett Dooley, Manager of the TRC. However, he concedes that ‘many people may not even realise they’re dealing with us.’

Given the extraordinarily high level of transactions each day, many of which are

done through our nationwide agent network, it’s vital that the system works as efficiently and effectively as possible.

The TRC underpins the core functions of vehicle and driver licensing, business support services, a contact point for the public and the collection of crown revenue.

But in the end it all comes down to people, management and customer service.

‘Robust systems and providing great customer service is the cornerstone of the business,’ says Brett.

Providing great customer service may seem like an almost impossible task when you have more than three million customers and you get more than 18 million online requests for information from local authorities and industry every year.

The contact centre for all this is staffed by 180 people in 13 teams.

‘It’s critical that we are a helpful face to people, whether it’s the country’s young drivers going for their first licence or older drivers doing the driver’s medical review.’

And a look at the numbers gives an indication of the scale of the task.

In terms of driver licences each month there are:• 16,600 new driver licences issued • 17,200 licences renewed• 4900 older driver licences renewed• 3600 overseas licences converted• 6500 demerit warning letters issued• 2000 licences suspended due to

excessive demerit points or court action

• 2800 medical reviews completed.

They also monitor usage and collect revenue from the Northern Gateway Toll Road – no small numbers either – an average of 14,000 trips daily with a peak of 22,721 on 2 January 2010.

The TRC also has the job of managing the funds that flow in from road user charges and contacting the people who try to evade them.

‘As revenue collecting systems get more streamlined and sophisticated, so too do some of our customers’ efforts to avoid paying licence fees. Yet we do achieve a 98.5 percent level of compliance in the vehicle registration area,’ says Brett.

The Rob Roy Hotel – on the move

pathways | NZ Transport Agency Summer 2010 7

People, not pavementCustomer service on the highways is of increasing importance to the NZTA, says Highways and Network Operations Group Manager Colin Crampton.

Colin says that while a key function of the NZTA is the building and maintaining of roads, the NZTA is looking ‘beyond the pavement’ and focusing on users’ needs.

‘We’re not here just to build roads. We’re here to provide a safer, more efficient transport network. Ultimately, asset and project management is all about helping road users get where they’re going, as safely and with as little delay or fuss as possible. It comes down to people, not pavement.’

Colin says the state highway network provides an invaluable service to its customers. To cater for these customers, the NZTA oversees 10,894 kilometres of state highway, on which there’s around 20 billion vehicle kilometres travelled every year. This amounts to $23 billion worth of assets and an annual state highway spend of $1.5 billion.

The NZTA recently carried out a survey of its customers to better identify their expectations.

‘Among the feedback we’ve taken on board is the importance of scheduling roadworks in a way that minimises inconvenience to road users while completing it in a timely manner, and clearing away road cones and signs when they’re not needed.

‘And the NZTA continues to focus on providing better information to help people plan their journeys through the NZTA’s Highway Info web service and electronic message signs, including the new travel time signs recently installed in Auckland.’

Colin says that the NZTA is working on identifying opportunities to meet the rising expectations of customers.

‘Customer expectations will continue to rise and we’re doing pretty well. It’s important we rise to the challenge and continue to make better journeys for New Zealanders on our highways an ongoing priority.’

New measures to simplify road user charges should be in place by mid-2012.

The legislation will make road user charges easier for transport operators to comply with, as well as making the enforcement system more efficient. It is due to go to Parliament before the end of this year.

The changes have been proposed following the independent road user charges review, convened in response to calls by the heavy transport industry for a more simple, easy to comply with system.

The review investigated implementing a diesel tax as an alternative to road user charges and did not recommend that option.

Road user charges are an essential revenue gathering tool that last year contributed over $900 million to the National Land Transport Fund, to help maintain and establish better road transport networks.

‘Our highways are critically important for moving goods and therefore vital to the country’s economic development,’ says the NZTA’s Access and Use Group Manager Ian Gordon.

Continuing to improve our roads, particularly our state highways, coupled with more efficient and effective revenue collection will benefit the transport operators and the country’s economy.

‘The new system should be introduced following extensive consultation to ensure we get the best legislation possible,’ says Ian.

Heavy transport industry to benefit from simpler road user charges

The NZTA is a major contributor to public transport initiatives in Auckland, and has already invested significant funding in six new or refurbished rail stations in the region over the past two years. An old line to Onehunga was recently re-opened and a new Onehunga station built. The last of these new stations to be completed is at Manukau, serving the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and the shopping and civic centres there.

The NZTA is also on track to make a contribution to a detailed study of the implications of building a passenger rail loop for the Auckland central business district. It’s proposed that a loop run from the existing Britomart Station to Albert Street, Karangahape Road and Mount Eden.

Auckland’s rail network will get a major boost with the electrification of the system. Work has already started on this programme. New electric trains and locomotives are due to arrive in 2013 and the introduction of integrated ticketing is planned (see page 4).

Already this major investment in passenger transport by central government and local agencies has seen significant increases in patronage on bus and rail services throughout Auckland.

Passenger rail

pathways | NZ Transport Agency Summer 20108

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The sweeping changes brought about by the creation of the new Auckland Council will have a very direct effect on the NZTA and how it does business in partnership with Australasia’s largest local government authority – starting now.

REGIONAL UPDATES

Auckland/Northland

The reorganisation involves the amalgamation of seven local authorities and the regional council into a single unitary council. It provides a great opportunity to plan for and deliver vital infrastructure services at a truly regional level. The emphasis is not just on what the wider community wants, but also on achieving better outcomes for individuals and smaller communities of interest.

The NZTA will also work closely with Auckland Transport, the Waterfront Development Agency and other key council controlled organisations (CCOs) that also have regional responsibilities.

Newly appointed NZTA Auckland/Northland Regional Director Stephen Town says it’s now up to all those involved with infrastructure management to deliver the vision that both central government and the people of Auckland and New Zealand have long awaited – coordinated planning, a renewed impetus, and transport and other infrastructure of world class.

Auckland spatial planOnce back from the summer break, planners, politicians and partners will start putting the vision into practice by getting together to guide the development of the Auckland spatial plan, a process managed and led by the Mayor and the Auckland Council. It will be an overriding blueprint for the entire Auckland region, which now has a population of more than 1.4 million and is predicted to grow to over two million people in around 20 years. The NZTA will be guided by, and will also make a major contribution to, the Auckland plan.

The NZTA’s special interest in this first plan involves the proposals for an additional Waitemata Harbour Crossing. It’s long been recognised that the existing harbour

bridge brings considerable constraints for commercial, private and public transport across the harbour. The NZTA has already initiated voluntary management of heavy vehicles on the bridge and further steps will be taken to ensure it will provide a reliable contribution to the network for many years ahead.

Over the last few months of 2010, the NZTA commissioned extensive studies on the preliminary business case for an additional Waitemata Harbour Crossing. The conclusions from these studies will be presented to local government, transport organisations, the government and the public through a series of briefings in the new year. Planning and consultation will be integrated with the Auckland Council’s spatial plan process.

The council is committed to adopting the spatial plan late in 2011. By then good progress will have been made on taking the next steps in delivering further key improvements to the region’s transport infrastructure – that includes planning for the decision on a crossing, continued emphasis on rail and provision of other major passenger transport initiatives. The key challenge for Auckland is that the road corridors, rail network and bus priority measures are all only partly completed. This means the investment needs to continue for all modes and be sequenced as smartly as possible.

Significant progress on projectsThis past calendar year has seen considerable progress on a number of major roading projects in Auckland and Northland. Key events include:

• the opening of the Manukau Harbour Crossing, which doubled capacity on the key access to and from Auckland Airport

• completion of the first section of the Newmarket Viaduct

• completion of SH20, the Southwestern Motorway which takes motorway traffic off 12 Manukau centre intersections

• construction starting on the Victoria Park Tunnel and a new interchange on SH16 at Lincoln Road.

Cycling has also received a boost with the completion of foot and cycle bridges over SH18 at Clarks Lane, Hobsonville and SH20 at Beachcroft Avenue, Onehunga and the completion of a footbridge and cycle links to the extensive Manukau Harbour foreshore pathways.

Through 2011, a new southbound lane from Newmarket to Greenlane will be opened, as will the Hobsonville deviation (SH16–18) and a start will be made on a footbridge at Westgate. The Hobsonville deviation will create a vital east–west link across the north of Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour.

A new, wider gantry is placed across lanes on SH1 at St Mary’s Bay, a part of the Victoria Park Tunnel project

pathways | NZ Transport Agency Summer 2010 9

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yThe summer construction season is now in full swing, and other areas of the NZTA’s work in the Waikato/Bay of Plenty region are also making solid progress.

Waikato/Bay of Plenty

TEL sod turning (from left to right: Minister Steven Joyce, Kaumatua Teia Williams from Tapuika Iwi, Minister Mackie Watson from Waitaha-a-hei Hapu, Mayor Ross Paterson, Western Bay of Plenty District Council)

RoNS updatesBoth Waikato/Bay of Plenty RoNS projects recently achieved important milestones.

TEL construction underwayTransport Minister Steven Joyce marked the start of construction on the Tauranga Eastern Link (TEL) in November, more than six months earlier than expected.

At $455 million the TEL is the largest single construction project ever carried out in the Bay of Plenty and one of the largest ever undertaken by the NZTA or its predecessors.

The Fulton Hogan-led consortium is starting site work by constructing trial preload embankments and off-road haul routes, while at the same time progressing the detailed design of the route and structures.

The TEL will be a 23km, four-lane highway from Te Maunga (near Baypark Stadium) in Tauranga to the existing junction of SH2 and SH33 (the Rotorua and Whakatane highways) near Paengaroa. It is expected to be open to traffic in 2016.

Funding for Ngaruawahia section approvedThe Ngaruawahia section of the Waikato Expressway has moved a step closer with the NZTA Board’s approval of $169 million of funding to build the project.

The 12.5km Ngaruawahia section connects the Huntly and Te Rapa sections of the expressway. It includes upgrading SH1B (Gordonton Road near Taupiri) and connects to Horotiu, just north of Hamilton. Contract documents are being drawn up with the view to put them out to tender before the end of the year. The successful contractor will be appointed in January and construction is due to get underway in March.

Bridging the gap

Following a four-week closure of the Narrows Bridge on SH21 near Hamilton Airport, a 52m long temporary Bailey bridge is now providing one-lane, controlled access across the Waikato River.

Hamilton State Highway Manager Kaye Clark says a huge effort by all involved got the bridge operational in record time.

Once the existing Narrows Bridge is reopened it will be restricted to one-lane traffic to allow river bank erosion protection and stabilisation work to be carried out.

The Bailey bridge will remain open for southbound traffic until the work is completed and the Narrows Bridge is restored to full two-lane operation. This is expected to take three to four months.

SH36 pou to be replacedRepairs are underway on two carved pou following a chainsaw attack on them just two weeks after they were installed.

The pou were installed on SH36 between Tauranga and Rotorua in September to mark the completion of safety improvement work in the Mangorewa Gorge. The pou were carved by Ngati Rangiwewehi and Ngai Tamarawaho iwi whose rohe (areas) meet nearby.

The pou represent the relationship between tangata whenua (people of the land), their ancestors and their environment. They also represent all those who worked on the highway in the past, who will work on it in the future and who use the highway.

Harry Wilson, the NZTA’s Waikato/Bay of Plenty Regional Director, says the public response to the attack has been reassuring.

‘While everyone involved has been deeply hurt by the attack on these taonga, we’ve been heartened by the huge support we’ve received from members of the public. Even though the pou were in place for a short time, many people had admired and appreciated them.’

The Bailey bridge at Narrows Bridge

Ngati Rangiwewehi carving

pathways | NZ Transport Agency Summer 201010

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Construction season is in full swing, and projects throughout the region are swiftly taking shape or nearing completion. We’ve also achieved a number of milestones, including the opening of the Ruby Bay Bypass and the launch of consultation for the MacKays to Peka Peka Expressway.

Central region

Ruby Bay Bypass opens early The hustle and bustle of the construction season is well and truly underway, says Regional Director Jenny Chetwynd, with one major project already open to traffic.

It’s been only two years since the first sod was turned on the NZTA’s $30 million SH60 Ruby Bay Bypass project, but the ribbon has been officially cut on the new bypass – months earlier than scheduled.

Jenny says the bypass, which will improve safety and efficiency along this section of SH60, was originally scheduled to open next year but the team has worked exceptionally hard and, despite the weather being challenging at times, the bypass was officially opened on 22 October.

Vintage cars are among the first to try out the new Ruby Bay Bypass, which opened in October several months ahead of schedule

SH2 Papatawa realignment underwaySafer journeys north of Woodville are also a step closer with the start of construction of the SH2 Papatawa realignment, a $10.9 million project that will ease a number of corners and include a northbound passing lane, a new road underpass and a new bridge over the Manga-atua Stream.

‘This project is a full safety makeover along this three kilometre stretch of highway,’ says Jenny.

‘SH2 between Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay is an economically crucial east–west link and this project will make a big difference to the safety of motorists.’

Expressway consultationOn the Kapiti Coast, the NZTA has begun an extended consultation period on the MacKays to Peka Peka Expressway, which is part of the Wellington Northern Corridor road of national significance. Jenny says the public have until 4 February to give their feedback on the NZTA’s proposal for the expressway.

Terrace Tunnel refurbishmentsThe NZTA will start work on 6 December 2010 to upgrade The Terrace Tunnel’s operating systems. The tunnel’s fire fighting, lighting, ventilation and drainage systems will be upgraded, some earthquake strengthening will be done and two new control buildings will be built.

The upgrade will significantly improve the tunnel’s systems and work is expected to be completed before the Rugby World Cup in September 2011.

The tunnel will be closed overnight from December 2010 to September 2011, usually from Sundays to Thursdays, to minimise disruption to motorists.

Whanganui office relocationFollowing its review of the office locations within the Horizons/Taranaki region, Jenny says the NZTA has decided to close the NZTA’s Whanganui office and move its function to the NZTA’s existing Palmerston North office.

Jenny says the NZTA will also set up a small office in New Plymouth to help provide better service to the Taranaki region.

‘We’ve listened closely to our staff and stakeholders in considering this decision. Having looked carefully at several options we think this is the set-up that will ultimately provide the best results for the public and for our stakeholders across the region.’

Jenny says the Whanganui office staff will be involved in the transition process to make this move easier for them and ensure the new arrangements work effectively.

She says the decision will mean the team will be able to work more closely with other business units within the NZTA, enabling closer interaction across the highways and planning functions. This will help the NZTA develop a more integrated approach to improving transport in the region.

‘The Whanganui office has a superb legacy for the service they’ve provided for the region for the NZTA and its predecessor agencies. We look forward to bringing this commitment to the new location in Palmerston North.’

pathways | NZ Transport Agency Summer 2010 11

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The Canterbury earthquake and a slip at Kaikoura have kept contractors busy in the South Island. Despite these challenges, good progress is being made on planned activities, as well as the repairs.

Southern

Ongoing work to secure massive slipThe NZTA and KiwiRail have finished initial work on stabilising a massive slip that sent 50,000 tonnes of debris crashing down on SH1 near Kaikoura in September.

It could be several weeks before further work to reduce the risk of rock falls affecting the main trunk line and highway is completed. Once it is, the railway line will be moved from the highway corridor it has occupied since the slip and re-established on its original alignment. This will allow the state highway that has been temporarily operating on material placed on the foreshore to be moved back to its original alignment.

The NZTA’s Canterbury State Highways Operations Manager, Peter Connors, says clearing this 100m long slip was a major undertaking and the contractors did an outstanding job in clearing it so quickly.

Peter said the five-day closure of the highway was tough on road users and the NZTA appreciates their patience in taking detours that added two hours to some trips.

Contractors clear a section of a major slip on SH1 near Kaikoura. Photo supplied by the Marlborough Express

Net safety gainsFree high-quality netting supplied by Solid Energy is now securing rock, damaged by the Canterbury quake, on the Port Hills above the Lyttelton Tunnel.

Peter says the NZTA is grateful for Solid Energy’s generosity in providing the netting, as part of their contribution to the Canterbury earthquake recovery effort.

Peter said using the strong high-quality netting was a more effective solution. Removal of the rock can be very disruptive to road users and netting enables the rock to be secured more quickly and is therefore less disruptive.

High-quality netting secures quake-affected rock on the hills near the Lyttelton Tunnel entrance

Peddling the ‘share the road’ messageOn average 10 cyclists are killed and a further 300 are hospitalised every year – an alarming figure that road safety stakeholders in Southland, including the NZTA, are working creatively to turn around.

One of the actions in the government’s new road safety strategy Safer Journeys involves using road user education to encourage both drivers and cyclists to share the road safely.

Southland’s Share the Road campaign is largely funded by the NZTA and delivered by Road Safety Southland, Sport Southland, Southern Street SMARTS and police education officers.

In Southland there is no higher profile event for driving home the ‘share the road’ message than the iconic cycling Tour of Southland held every November.

The initiative began in 1999 following the deaths of two young cyclists, one of whom was training to ride in the Tour of Southland. It has now evolved into using a professional cycle race team to promote the ‘share the road’ safety messages while getting people active through safe cycling.

Just before this year’s Tour of Southland the ‘share the road’ team visited several schools and delivered the potentially life-saving ‘share the road’ message to hundreds of students each day. This year’s Tour of Southland ‘share the road’ team won the team section.

Lime Hills School students brave the weather to show their support for the Share the Road cycle team during this year’s PowerNet cycling tour of Southland

For general enquiries or contact information about the NZ Transport Agency please check our website www.nzta.govt.nz or email us at info@nzta.govt.nz

NATIONAL OFFICE Victoria Arcade, 44 Victoria Street Private Bag 6995, Wellington 6141 New Zealand Telephone: +64 4 894 5400 Fax: +64 4 894 6100

TRANSPORT REGISTRY CENTREPrivate Bag 11777 Palmerston North 4412 New Zealand Telephone: 0800 108 809 (motor vehicle registrations) Telephone: 0800 822 422 (driver licensing) Fax: +64 6 953 6406

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New faces on the NZTA’s senior management teamTwo former city council CEOs have joined the NZTA’s senior management team.

Former Tauranga City Council CEO Stephen Town started work as the new Auckland/Northland Regional Director in October. Early in the new year, Dunedin City CEO Jim Harland takes up the role of Southern Regional Director covering Canterbury, West Coast, Otago and Southland.

Jim Harland, who has a Distinguished Service Award from the NZ Planning Institute and a Supreme Managers Award from the Society of Local Government Managers, says he is passionate about transport and excited by the challenge of his new role.

Stephen Town says he has always wanted to make a contribution to the Auckland city and region. He brings to the job an outstanding track record in transport and local government and has a particular interest in the development of the super city.

KiwiRAP is a star performerIn November, KiwiRAP won the ‘Star Performer 2010’ award at the Asia Pacific iRAP workshop in Cambodia. KiwiRAP is a road assessment partnership between AA, the Ministry of Transport, the NZTA, ACC and Police. It is part of an international family of Road Assessment Programmes (RAP). The KiwiRAP star ratings, released in June, are a big step forward for New Zealand, putting a new focus on safer roads and roadsides.

NZTA annual report releasedImprovements to public transport, new plans for managing $25 billion worth of state highways, a new approach to road safety and the commencement of work to complete all seven roads of national significance projects are among the achievements highlighted in the NZTA’s annual report for the year ended 30 June 2010. This is now available online at www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/annual-report-nzta/docs/nzta-annual-report-2010.pdf.

The report covers the first full year of the NZTA’s operations since it was established in August 2008.

Jim Harland Southern Regional Director

Stephen Town Auckland/Northland Regional Director