NZ Transport Agency
The purpose of this report is to recommend investment for widening the SH20A trench under Kirkbride Road, to future proof for a rapid transit network between Auckland’s city centre and the airport, at a cost of $19.1 million.
A companion paper entitled ‘Auckland: Rapid Transit to the Airport’ (Board paper 16/06/1029 refers) discusses the proposal of providing a rapid transit network to the Airport in the future, which the SH20A/Kirkbride Trench Widening caters for.
10 June 2016
The New Zealand Transport Agency Board:
|
a. |
approved funding of $19.1 million for the design and construction of Auckland Transport’s Rapid Transit Network to Airport - SH20A/Kirkbride Trench Widening project and a financial assistance rate of 51% (Transport Agency share $9.74 million) |
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b. |
agreed to vary the 2015-18 National Land Transport Programme to include the Auckland Transport Rapid Transit Network to Airport - SH20A/Kirkbride Trench Wideningprojectwith ‘probable’ funding priority |
| c. | noted that the profile for the project has been assessed as High strategic fit, Medium effectiveness and High benefit and cost appraisal and the reasons for the recommendation. |
The ‘Auckland Transport RTN to Airport - SH20A/Kirkbride trench widening construction improvements’ project has been assessed against the NZ Transport Agency’s Assessment Framework.
The assessment profile for the project is: High strategic fit, Medium effectiveness and a High benefit and cost appraisal. The project’s value is as an option to future proof the intersection for a future rapid transit network, be that bus or rail. Multi criteria and cost comparison analyses were employed and the project promoted on the merits of “future proofing” and a Net Present Value that shows it is favourable to include it now as part of the current construction.
The future proofing has been incorporated into the design of the Transport Agency’s ‘SH20A to Airport’ project and into the scope of the preferred option. Agreement was reached with Auckland Transport that it would accept the extra costs of future proofing as a component of its transport programme and apply for funding assistance. The cost estimate for the extra costs has recently been confirmed at $19.1 million ($11 million lower than the original estimate).
The Sub-regional Strategy that arose from the South Western Airport Multi Modal Corridor Project identified the need for high speed and high capacity public transport service from the airport to the Central Business District.
The Strategy also identified the need for a progression plan for public transport and suggested that in the short term, shoulder-running buses would be the likely solution. Longer term, as capacity of the system constrains effectiveness of the service, there would be a transition to a higher capacity option of busway, light rail or heavy rail.
Additional width in the trench is necessary to accommodate any of the options of kerbside bus, central busway, central light rail transit, or bus rapid transit. The additional width proposed is sufficient for each of the options presented.
