The Transport Agency has been working jointly with local government on the One Network Road Classification, particularly in terms of developing future maintenance programmes that take into account the road user’s desired levels of service.
To embed the One Network Road Classification approach into NLTP funding decisions the Transport Agency is developing the assessment criteria it will use for evaluating proposed maintenance programmes.
In our letter of 1 July, the Transport Agency requested feedback on a proposal to establish baseline funding, and on proposed changes to the assessment criteria. In total, 29 submissions were received, representing 40 Approved Organisations (as some submissions were on behalf of more than one organisation).
View the draft investment assessment criteria here. [PDF, 121 KB]
Some of the feedback supports the proposed changes and direction, but there is also a level of concern around matters such as the timeframes involved with councils needing to prepare their maintenance programme business cases and subsequent funding applications in time for the next NLTP. There were also requests for more detail and guidance, particularly regarding how baseline maintenance programmes are to be established.
You can view the summary of feedback from Approved Organisations here [PDF, 43 KB].
The next steps for this work are to consider the feedback we have received and further refine the assessment framework and criteria for evaluating maintenance programmes. These refinements will be tested in focus groups with the Approved Organisations that are members of the Regional Efficiency Group leadership (REG) group.
The Transport Agency is working closely with the REG and will use the REG information and outputs as a fundamental part of our maintenance investment assessment framework, along with the principles of the business case approach.
More information about the Road Efficiency Group(external link).
The Transport Agency has been working with a number of regions across New Zealand to identify opportunities to lift their economic and social prosperity. The six core regions in the Government’s Regional Economic Development programme are:
In addition, there are four other regions the Government wants to work with in a similar way:
Each region has published activity-led economic action plans (with the sole exception of Gisborne and West Coast, who are still working through the final stages of the process).
The plans have been developed collaboratively by regional stakeholder groups (with representatives from local businesses, councils and iwi).
You can learn more about regional economic development(external link) from MBIE’s website.
The wide range of regional growth work streams is adding to the strategic context of many regions. This means that there may be changes needed to the strategic context and priorities in RLTPs to reflect Regional Economic Development Action Plans. RLTP programmes and activities may also require some updating to reflect the Action Plan initiatives.
As you review your RLTP, consider whether this applies in your region, keeping in mind that Regional Economic Development is not just about building infrastructure – it’s also about being innovative and partnering effectively with others.
One current example the Transport Agency is aware of is using funding through the Road Safety Activity Class to support driver-licensing programmes, based on the link between increased driver licensing and improved employment opportunities.
Those of you working on your Regional Economic Development Action Plans should consider what opportunities there are to support economic development in your region and how transport initiatives might contribute to this.
Our investment in cycling will focus on completing strategic networks in the high growth and main urban areas(external link). Regional Transport Committees and Approved Organisations will need to identify their strategic cycling network and demonstrate that their proposed cycling investments align with this. Investment will also focus on supporting regional economic development through connections to the Great Rides(external link) and high priority Heartland Rides sections of the national cycle network.
Regional Transport Committees and Approved Organisations are expected to take an integrated approach to their cycling programmes. This includes having a clear understanding of who the programme is targeting, and how different activities can complement each other to maximise the benefits of investment. In addition to investing in infrastructure and network development, Approved Organisations and Regional Transport Committees will be expected to implement supporting activities to help ensure any new facilities are well used and accepted by the community.
The Cycle Network Guidance – Planning and Design(external link) should be used to guide appropriate levels of service and determine what is fit-for-purpose on target corridors, when considering new cycling facilities. New facilities need to be considered within the context of the wider transport system, and be designed to suit the target users.
Regional Transport Committees and Approved Organisations should also look to identify opportunities and implement activities across the NLTP, through their local road and state highway improvements, local road maintenance and renewals programmes, and speed programmes to improve outcomes for people on bikes. As getting more people cycling has a number of wider community outcomes, the Transport Agency encourages Regional Transport Committees and Approved Organisations to seek partnerships with other local organisations that have aligned objectives and optimise co-investment opportunities.
Note: ‘High-growth urban area’ means any urban area (as defined by Statistics New Zealand in 2016) that:
This definition is from the National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity 2016. It is a transitional definition, and will be reviewed and amended no later than 31 December 2018.
Conversations regarding risk
In response to the second Safer Journeys Action Plan 2013-15, and working with the sector and the Automobile Association, the Transport Agency developed a Speed Management Guide and a programme of Better Conversations on Road Risk.
The Speed Management Guide has recently been updated to final draft status and the latest version is on the Transport Agency’s Knowledge Base(external link).
The draft guide aims to integrate the new approach into business as usual, to support more informed conversations that benefit from a nationally consistent evidence base. We are aiming to work much closer with communities and supporting them to make strategic decisions together regarding whether to 'engineer up' to make a road safer for the existing speed limit or whether to manage risk by bringing the limit down.
Speed management opportunities that involve investment in roading improvements, should be reflected in Activity Management Plans.
Resources
The Transport Agency’s Better Conversations on Road Risk workstream and resources are designed to help Regional Transport Committees and Approved Organisations consider safety risks (including proposed speed limit changes) with their stakeholders and communities.
The third and final Action Plan for New Zealand’s road safety strategy for 2010 to 2020 has recently been released. The vision is to establish a safe road system, increasingly free of death and injury, using the Safe System approach.
View the 2016–2020 Safer journey’s Action Plan(external link)
In particular, this Action Plan’s focus is to:
With a focus to improve safety on:
High benefit speed management maps
The Transport Agency is also currently developing high benefit speed management maps for each region. We expect these maps to be available in the immediate weeks. The maps will assist in the optimisation of safety and efficiency, ensuring the right intervention for the right road.
High risk local rural roads and high risk urban arterials
We are also working to identify high-risk local rural roads and high-risk urban arterials from national geospatial data sets and to identify priority opportunities for low cost investment to improve safety and efficiency. We expect to have this information available for you in the immediate weeks. The Transport Agency will then work with stakeholders sector to develop a programme of interventions.
Data sets from which the maps are derived will also ultimately be made available to our partners via Te Paparanga Amiki.
Why the Transport Agency is interested in Regional Public Transport Plans (RPTPs)
Regional Public Transport Plans provide relevant information to help inform investment decisions on public transport infrastructure and services.
The RPTPs will need to demonstrate a clear strategic case for investment and make sure that, through testing and optimisation, programmes identify optimal activities, and timing and prices are aligned to the right level of services and standards.
RPTPs and the business case approach
The principles of the business case approach should be applied to RPTPs and there should be a clear investment story that links with an Activity Management Plan.
Alignment of the RPTP with RLTPs
RPTPs should be aligned with the development of RLTPs so that investment stories are well linked.
Fit-for-purpose effort
For smaller regions (particularly those with minimal public transport – ie Total Mobility), the Transport Agency suggests the RPTPs becomes a section of the RLTP.
RPTP guidelines
The RPTP guidelines(external link) are currently being reviewed which are available for viewing.
Your feedback is important to us. If you’d like to know more or have some feedback let us know.
