The National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) contains all the land transport activities, such as public transport services and road construction and maintenance, which are expected to receive funding from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. Waka Kotahi is responsible for allocating funding to land transport.
The 2008/09 NLTP sets out the significant transport issues facing land transport and lists the transport activities that have been given funding from the National Land Transport Fund and also those that may be funded during 2008/09. It sets out forecasts of anticipated expenditure and revenue over 10 years.
Land Transport NZ has assessed how this NLTP contributes to the aim of achieving a safe, responsive, and sustainable land transport system, and also assists economic development, assists safety and personal security, improves access and mobility, protects and promotes public health, and ensures environmental sustainability. The following paragraphs summarise the contribution made by the activities within the NLTP.
Continued funding of road maintenance ensures appropriate levels of service and safety can be delivered. Funding is provided for many road improvement projects, community focused activities and for walking and cycling projects which improve the safety of network users. Allocations within the NLTP also enable an increase in Police numbers and productivity increasing the focus on safe driver behaviour, and the use of safe vehicles.
The allocations made to activities in the NLTP each year reflect the priorities given different activities by Land Transport NZ and the priorities given by organisations to activities they submit for inclusion in the NLTP. For example, the allocations to passenger transport services have increased compared to those previous NLTPs reflecting the priority given this activity by Land Transport NZ and the priority given by regional councils in their increased local share funding. Similarly the funding for walking and cycling has been increased due to the priority given this activity by Land Transport NZ and the increased proposals submitted by approved organisations.
The allocations to transport planning reflect an increased emphasis on strategic planning to both improve the integration of transport plans and increase their effectiveness. They also reflect that transport planning will be better implemented as regions develop their first Regional Land Transport Plans during 2008/09. The government has increased financial assistance for these activities recognizing their importance.
The NLTP is increasingly funding coordinated projects achieving a common aim. There is an increasing amount of funding for infrastructure which supports passenger transport services through the provision of bus priority lanes, park and ride facilities and terminals, and for walking and cycling. While the majority of funding in the NLTP is used for roading projects the amount of funding to other projects specifically focusing on other modes of transport is increasing. In addition, the allocations for roading projects now increasingly provide funding for roadworks that support walking and cycling and support passenger transport. Allocations for local road improvements, and for local road maintenance, for example, are used to: provide and maintain on-road signage and road markings for bus lanes and for cycle lanes; construct signalised intersections with bus priority signals; construct kerb extensions and pedestrian refuges as an integral part of road works.
The anticipated allocations in this NLTP match anticipated revenue for the NLTP and local share funding provided by Local and Regional councils for activities they deliver. The allocations made in this NLTP assist economic development, access and mobility and the other objectives of the Land Transport Management Act so contributing to the confidence Land Transport NZ has in the level of anticipated revenue being available over the ten year period as forecast.
Anticipated expenditure includes significant allocation of funds to activities which reduce the potential adverse environmental impacts of transport, such as for the purchase of new passenger rail rolling stock in Wellington, and the construction of bus priority infrastructure in Auckland.
A considerable portion of NLTP funding assists economic development by improving travel times and by increasing the reliability of travel times. This is achieved through improvement to infrastructure and services for all modes of transport. Funding for both new roads and better management of existing roads increases road capacity so reducing travel times and improves the predictability of travel times. Development of bus priority measures, public transport real time information systems and increased bus services also reduce travel and waiting times.
The allocations in this NLTP contribute to increased access and mobility by increasing transport choice through increased funding of walking and cycling and of passenger transport, and through targeted funding for the transport disadvantaged through the total mobility scheme.
Funding for community focused activities and for improved infrastructure for actives modes of transport protects and promotes public health. For example, funding for school travel plans promotes increased walking and cycling.
The allocations for passenger transport services have increased by 12% between 2007/08 and 2008/09, and have an allowance for 20% growth in services levels over the 10 years of the forecast expenditure, at assumed rates of inflation. There is increased funding for travel behaviour change projects, including school and business travel planning and for minor roading improvements such as pedestrian refuges, or kerb extensions to improve pedestrian safety. Collectively these initiatives promote a transfer of travel from private vehicles to active modes, and to multi occupant vehicles so reducing the discharge of contaminants from low occupancy private vehicles.
The allocation of $6 million for domestic sea freight in support of the Government’s Sea Change strategy aims to improve the energy efficiency of freight transport, and reduce green house gas emissions.
Continued funding is provided for active management of key routes and networks to reduce congestion and improve traffic flow so reducing vehicle emissions.
Before projects are funded their potential impacts on the environment are considered and suitable mitigations measures included in the projects scope to mitigate or eliminate potential negative effects. Examples include the use of noise barriers, and low noise surfacing, the installation of swales1 and other equipment to trap water borne contaminants flowing off roads.
Land Transport NZ provides funding for network management activities. Local network managers routinely review the condition and operating environment on their networks. They implement specific interventions such as intersection improvements to address particular safety issues, and routine works such as resurfacing works, when the condition of infrastructure is deteriorating and becoming unsafe.
Funding for passenger transport interchanges, such as the proposed new CBD interchange in Christchurch and associated infrastructure also targets the personal security of users by, for example, providing adequate lighting and monitoring systems.
1 Swales are devices to capture contaminants in road runoff before stormwater is discharged to watercourses or drainage systems, and to slow the speed of stormwater so it causes no damage to watercourses
Page updated: 30 June 2008
