31 January 2007

Integrated regional approach to transport continues in second Auckland LTP

The Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) released its second Draft Auckland Land Transport Programme (Auckland LTP) for consultation today. The first Auckland Land Transport Programme was released in June last year.

ARTA’s Chief Executive, Fergus Gammie says, “The 2006/07 Auckland Land Transport programme was the first integrated programme of transport activities ever produced for the Auckland region. For the first time in one document we had a total list of the (non-state highway) transport activities scheduled for Auckland for the coming year. The LTP approach represents a significant step forward in the development of a co-ordinated transport programme for the Auckland region.

“As the co-ordinator of the Auckland LTP, ARTA has a responsibility to allocate funding to those projects that best work towards resolving the region’s transport problems. In offering an integrated programme of transport services, improvements and maintenance, the Auckland LTP is providing a regionally prioritised and integrated programme to improve Auckland’s transport system.

“ARTA’s action plans to implement the Regional Land Transport Strategy are now taking shape. During the formation of these plans a prioritisation system has emerged designed to suit the unique transportation issues found in the Auckland region. This prioritisation process is ensuring the most essential transport schemes are built first.

“The draft Auckland LTP is now out for consultation and gives Aucklanders an opportunity to tell us if they believe we are heading in the right direction and to give us their thoughts and views on how we are prioritising the region’s proposed transport activities to improve Auckland’s transport system”.

Mr Gammie said he acknowledged with thanks, “the co-operation and support of ARTA’s partners, the Auckland Regional Council, Auckland’s Territorial Authorities and Land Transport New Zealand in implementing the 2006/07 Auckland LTP and preparing this draft 2007/08 Auckland LTP”.

A PDF of the Draft Auckland Land Transport Programme 2007/08 can be found on www.arta.co.nz. Submissions for this year’s consultation process close at 4.00pm on Friday 2 March.
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For media inquiries please call:
Sharon Hunter, Communications Manager, Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) 09 379 4422 x9074, 021 545 230 or email sharon.hunter@arta.co.nz.

About the Draft 2007/08 Auckland Land Transport Programme (Auckland LTP)

Major activities in the Draft 2007/08 Auckland Land Transport Programme (Auckland LTP) include:

 Public Transport Projects
o Bus priority projects
o Completion of the Northern Busway and ensuing service improvements on the North Shore
o Increased seat and service kilometres for rail
o Upgrade of the downtown Ferry Terminal
 Major Construction Projects
o Continuation of the Tiverton Road/Wolverton Road upgrade to SH 20
o Central Transport Corridor
o Pavement Reconstruction Projects region wide
 Major Investigation/Design Schemes
o Auckland Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative (AMETI)
o Mill Road corridor
o Lincoln Road corridor
o Neilson Street corridor
o Mount Wellington Quarry Link Road

Key expenditure items identified in the Draft Auckland LTP include:

 $186.5 M for maintenance and renewal of local roads
 $185.3 M for passenger transport operations
 $143.1 M for road improvement projects
 $28.6 M for system use activities (walking/cycling, travel demand management, community programmes)
 $25.4 M for passenger transport capital projects.

How are funding requests prioritised?

ARTA first assesses each project and gives it a project profile. Ongoing costs such as maintenance and passenger service contracts have first call on available funding with the remaining funds used for improvements. These are allocated to projects with the highest priority using the following criteria:

 The seriousness of the issue
 The effectiveness of the proposed solution in addressing the issue and in delivering regional/national strategic objectives
 The economic efficiency of the proposed solution.

To rank projects with the same ‘seriousness’ rating the urgency of a project is considered in addition to the above. ARTA has also developed a new step which applies strategic balance to ensure all areas of the region are covered and all types of transport included.

ARTA is Auckland’s central transport agency and is responsible for the integrated planning, funding and implementation of all modes of public transport throughout the Auckland region, walking and cycling and for the management of funding and prioritisation for Auckland’s arterial roading network.

Auckland Regional Transport Authority 09 379 4422 www.arta.co.nz

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