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Basin Bridge Project

Technical Report 4: Assessment of Traffic and Transportation Effects

Basin Bridge Project

Technical Report 4: Assessment of Traffic and Transportation Effects

© Opus International Consultants Ltd 2013

Prepared By Opus International Consultants Ltd Sarah Baxter Wellington Civil Transportation Engineer L7, Majestic Centre, 100 Willis St

PO Box 12 003, Wellington 6144 New Zealand

Reviewed By Telephone: +64 4 471 7000

David Dunlop Facsimile: +64 4 471 1397 Principal Transportation Planner

Date: May 2013 Reference: 5C1617.94

Status: Final

Approved for Release By

David Dunlop Principal Transportation Planner

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Basin Bridge Project: Technical Report 4: Assessment of Traffic and Transportation Effects Opus International Consultants Ltd

Executive Summary

The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) is lodging a Notice of Requirement (NOR) and resource consent applications to construct, operate and maintain the Basin Bridge Project (the Project). The Project has been identified as a sub Project of the ‘Wellington Northern Corridor Road of National Significance’ (RoNS) in terms of the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport Funding (GPS 2012/13 – 2021/22) and is one of eight that is to be substantially progressed within the next ten years.

This report provides an Integrated Transport Assessment (ITA) of the potential effects of the Project, and will be used to inform the Assessment of Environmental Effects (AEE) for the Project and any transport evidence presented at the Board of Enquiry. Integrated transport planning aims to embrace a range of perspectives traditionally addressed separately, including:

A variety of forms of transport (private and public, motorised and non-motorised); The relationships between transport and land use; and Transport’s contribution to other economic, social, health and environmental objectives.

Options for improving the transportation network around the Basin Reserve have been considered at various times over the past 50 years. In 2001 investigations into a scheme to improve the east-west traffic movements around the Basin Reserve was undertaken 1 , recommending grade separation, as proposed in this notice of requirement.

Between 2006 and 2008 the need for transportation improvements around the Basin Reserve was further investigated as part of the Ngauranga to Airport Strategy Study2. The Strategy Study investigated the future transportation needs for the Wellington City along the transport corridor between Ngauranga and the Airport in response to increasing population on the growth spine.

A steering group that consisted of Transit NZ (now NZTA), WCC and GWRC took into account technical work and the views of the public following public engagement and agreed that an integrated solution would best provide for Wellington City’s future transport needs. The steering group recommended Scheme 33 which formed the basis of the Wellington Regional Land Transport Strategy and adopted Ngauranga to Airport Corridor Plan in October 2008. This Plan included a Project to grade separate competing traffic streams around the Basin Reserve.

Over the past five years there have been a large number of options considered for the Basin Reserve, ranging from at grade improvements, tunnels under the Basin Reserve (both directions) and a combination of local road and State Highway 1 (SH1) grade separation options. As a result of this analysis, the Project team recommended that the NZTA adopt Option A as the Preferred Option. A number of refinements have been made to this option in order to address community 1 NZTA, Interim Scheme Assessment report, prepared Meritec, December 2000 and NZTA SH1 Basin

Reserve Long Term Solution, Scheme Assessment Report, prepared by Meritec, 2001.

2 NZTA, WCC, GWRC, Ngauranga to Airport Strategy Study, Technical Report 1: Technical Report 1: Description of Options, Prepared by Opus, April 2007.

3 NZTA, WCC, GWRC, Ngauranga to Airport Strategy Study, Technical Report 3: Technical Report 3: Recommended Strategy, Prepared by Opus, May 2008.

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and stakeholder concerns and aspirations for the area. The final preferred scheme is the subject of this report

Currently movements at the Dufferin/Paterson Streets intersection conflict and traffic signal timing must balance the time allocated to each movement. The Adelaide Road/Rugby Street intersection is also congested; however the Paterson/Dufferin Streets intersection is currently a bottleneck and therefore limits the volume of traffic reaching this intersection. Any capacity improvements to the Dufferin/Paterson Streets intersection will therefore result in the Adelaide Road/Rugby Street intersection becoming more congested due to increases in traffic reaching it.

In the future additional traffic flows on SH1 are also limited by the capacity of the Mount Victoria Tunnel. Since demand for travel between the eastern suburbs and the CBD or the north continues to grow, additional traffic uses local roads.

Sussex Street is also forecast to become more congested due to high volumes of traffic on Buckle Street backing up onto Sussex Street. A high number of weaving manoeuvres occur around the Basin Reserve as both vehicles and buses try to get to the correct lane to reach their destination. Weaving manoeuvres are especially high on Sussex Street and result in an increased risk of crashes.

The problem is not limited to traffic and freight as the movement of people around and through the Basin Reserve is important to the accessibility of the surrounding area. The north south corridor between Kent/Cambridge Terraces and Adelaide Road acts as a significant public transport, walking, cycling, and emergency service link. Access to and from the Mount Victoria Tunnel is particularly important for pedestrians and cyclists.

The Project will provide significant transport infrastructure forming a key link in the Wellington Northern Corridor, grade separating SH1 westbound, and removing the existing conflict at the Dufferin/Paterson Streets and Adelaide Road/Rugby Street intersections.

The Project will significantly reduce at grade State highway traffic and improve the provision of pedestrian and cycle facilities including infrastructure such as the shared bridge from Paterson Street to Buckle Street and connecting north and south bound links into existing facilities on Adelaide Road, Buckle Street, Kent and Cambridge Terrace and the Mount Victoria Tunnel. Current demand (pedestrian and cyclist) for the bridge is assumed to be approximately 625 trips for a week day and 299 on a weekend. Demand is forecast to grow at 2% per annum.

Public transport facilities have also been provided in the form of bus lanes, bus priority and improved bus stop facilities, which will contribute to significant improvements to current operation, while also facilitating and safeguarding for future provision. Analysis of the existing bus journey times (2009) and the 2021 modelled bus journey times for the do minimum and the option display that without the Project travel time and variability increases. Following the implementation of the Project bus journey times are predicted to be significantly better than the existing journey times recorded (by approximately 50%) with very little variability between time periods or direction predicted in the future.

The Project will significantly improve journey times on SH1 and local roads in the area. Journey times on SH1 westbound are predicted to improve by as much as 7.5 minutes in a morning peak period and eastbound by approximately 77 seconds in the evening peak. The Project will help to relieve the network of congestion caused by State highway and local road users having conflicting

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movements at key intersections (Dufferin/Paterson Streets and Rugby Street/Adelaide Road) around the Basin Reserve. Journey time variability will also improve as a result of the Project, with a reduction of approximately 294 seconds in variability for westbound SH1 in the PM peak period.

The assessment has identified some likely adverse effects, which are associated with:

Access changes for Mount Victoria; Parking provision; and Construction.

Proposed mitigation of these effects includes:

Access from Mount Victoria (from Hania and Ellice Streets) is restricted as part of the Project. Vehicles will only be able to access SH1 eastbound or Paterson Street southbound via a low volume link road connecting Ellice Street with Paterson Street. Proposed mitigation for this effect includes upgrading the Pirie Street intersection to improve access. With this mitigation the effect is considered positive and this will result in improved accessibility for Mount Victoria residents while also removing conflicts and safety concerns associated with the current configuration from Hania and Ellice Streets.

There will be a net loss of 12 parking spaces within the Project Area. There will also be a loss of 21 parking spaces on Vivian Street between Tory Street and Cambridge Terrace in the AM and PM peak periods only through the introduction of a clearway. A parking survey was completed to assess the effects of these changes. A number of areas have low utilisation and the parking loss at these locations is considered insignificant. There are however areas where parking utilisation is high, particularly on Pirie Street and Ellice Street, and at these locations there has been provision made to replicate existing parking at St Joseph’s Church and Regional Wines and Spirits. The effect of parking loss at other locations is considered minor and will result in improvements in traffic flow and safety.

During the construction period there will be negative effects on the transport network. In terms of the network capacity the level of service will be maintained at a level which is considered acceptable to transport users through the sequencing of the Project and staging to ensure improvements to the network are provided in advance of reductions in capacity associated with the construction of the bridge and associated retaining walls. Works will also be programmed to be undertaken during periods of low activity such as during school holidays, while other mitigation such as variable message signs, publicity and alternative transport facilities (such as passenger transport, walking and cycling) will be utilised.

Overall it is considered that this ITA demonstrates that the proposed Project and identified mitigation measures will be consistent with the Project objectives and significantly contribute to the improvement in transport provision for Wellington and the local network.

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Contents

Executive Summary .................................................................................................... i

1 Introduction ........................................................................................................1 1.1 Purpose and Scope of Report ................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Structure of the Report .......................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Assumptions and Exclusions in this Assessment................................................................ 2

2 Project Description ............................................................................................ 3 2.1 Transport Improvements...................................................................................................... 4 2.2 Urban Design and Landscape ............................................................................................... 6 2.3 Related Projects ..................................................................................................................... 9

3 Transport Assessment Tools ............................................................................ 10 3.1 Travel Demand Information ............................................................................................... 10 3.2 Transportation Models ....................................................................................................... 10 3.3 Assumptions and Exclusions ............................................................................................... 12

4 Assessment Criteria ..........................................................................................16 4.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................16 4.2 National and International Best Practice Criteria .............................................................16 4.3 Statutory Considerations ..................................................................................................... 17 4.4 Project Objectives ................................................................................................................ 18

5 Baseline.............................................................................................................19 5.1 Population .............................................................................................................................19 5.2 Land Use .............................................................................................................................. 34 5.3 Changes in Land Use ........................................................................................................... 35 5.4 Pedestrians and Cyclists ..................................................................................................... 36 5.5 Passenger Transport ............................................................................................................41 5.6 Emergency Services............................................................................................................. 49 5.7 Road Network ...................................................................................................................... 50 5.8 Parking ..................................................................................................................................77 5.9 Accessibility ......................................................................................................................... 80 5.10 Existing Transport Problem ............................................................................................... 85

6 Transport Alternatives ..................................................................................... 89 6.1 Early Projects and Options ................................................................................................. 89 6.2 Multimodal Options ............................................................................................................ 89 6.3 Options for the Basin Reserve ............................................................................................ 90

7 Assessment of Effects ........................................................................................91 7.1 Pedestrian and Cyclist Assessment .....................................................................................91 7.2 Passenger Transport Assessment ....................................................................................... 99

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7.3 Road Network Assessment ............................................................................................... 103 7.4 Parking Assessment ........................................................................................................... 127 7.5 Basin Reserve Northern Gateway Building and Relocation of Gates ............................ 128 7.6 Emergency Services Assessment ...................................................................................... 130 7.7 Safety Assessment .............................................................................................................. 131 7.8 Accessibility Assessment................................................................................................... 132 7.9 Construction Assessment.................................................................................................. 136 7.10 Summary of Effects ............................................................................................................ 141 7.11 Assessment against the Regional Land Transport Strategy (RLTS) .............................. 143

8 Measures to Avoid, Remedy or Mitigate Adverse Transport Effects.................146 8.1 Mount Victoria Accessibility ............................................................................................. 146 8.2 Parking ................................................................................................................................ 147 8.3 Construction ...................................................................................................................... 149

9 Future Proofing and Sensitivity Tests .............................................................. 152 9.1 Wider Strategy ....................................................................................................................152 9.2 Assessment of Effects ......................................................................................................... 153 9.3 Sensitivity Testing .............................................................................................................. 153 9.4 Summary ............................................................................................................................ 158

10 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 159 10.1 Appendices .......................................................................................................................... 161

Figures Figure 4- 1: Project Area showing the proposed roading layout and land to be designated................ 3 Figure 4- 2: Proposed traffic directions for the Project.......................................................................... 5 Figure 4- 3: Urban and landscape zones for proposed works outside of the traffic lanes ................... 7 Figure 4- 4: Model Relationships .......................................................................................................... 10 Figure 4- 5: Wellington Region: Resident Population ..........................................................................19 Figure 4- 6: Population Growth for Wellington City (source: Statistics NZ)...................................... 20 Figure 4- 7: Population Density (2006 Census Data) .......................................................................... 22 Figure 4- 8: Percentage of Population Age by Unit Area (2006 Census Data) ................................... 23 Figure 4- 9: Area Unit Locations ........................................................................................................... 24 Figure 4- 10: Employment Status by Unit Area .................................................................................... 25 Figure 4- 11: Percentage of Students by Unit Area ............................................................................... 25 Figure 4- 12: Median Income per Household by Unit Area ................................................................. 26 Figure 4- 13: Motor Vehicles Accessible per (Occupied) Private Household by Unit Area ............... 27 Figure 4- 14: Employee Density (2006) ................................................................................................ 28 Figure 4- 15: Proportion of Residents Commuting 4 km or Less to Work by Unit Area ................... 29 Figure 4- 16: Travel to Work Mode Choice by Unit Area .................................................................... 30 Figure 4- 17: Residents Commuting to Work Using Active Modes (%) by Unit Area ......................... 31 Figure 4- 18: People Commuting to Work Using Passenger Transport (%) by Unit Area ................. 32 Figure 4- 19: Residents Commuting to Work using a Private Vehicle (%) by Unit Area .................. 33 Figure 4- 20: Predominant Land Uses within Project Area ................................................................. 35 Figure 4- 21: Existing Pedestrian and Cycle Facilities ......................................................................... 36

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Figure 4- 22: Location of Pedestrian and Cyclist Counts around the Basin Reserve (7:00am – 6:00pm) Pedestrian (P) and Cyclist (C) ................................................................................................ 37 Figure 4- 23: 2012 Pedestrian Survey ................................................................................................... 39 Figure 4- 24: Bus Stop Locations ............................................................................................................41 Figure 4- 25: Bus Lanes on Adelaide Road and Kent Terrace ............................................................. 42 Figure 4- 26: Northbound Average Number of Boarding and Alighting Passengers ......................... 44 Figure 4- 27: Southbound Average Number of Boarding and Alighting Passengers ......................... 44 Figure 4- 28: Northbound Bus Occupancy (average) ........................................................................... 45 Figure 4- 29: Southbound Bus Occupancy (average) ........................................................................... 46 Figure 4- 30: Bus travel time Adelaide Road and Kent/Cambridge Terrace ...................................... 47 Figure 4- 31: Key corridors in Wellington City ..................................................................................... 50 Figure 4- 33: Annual Average Daily Traffic, 2007 – 2011 .................................................................... 55 Figure 4- 34: Vivian Street 2011 Average Hourly Flow Profile ............................................................ 56 Figure 4- 35: Paterson St 2011 Average Hourly Flow Profile Eastbound ........................................... 56 Figure 4- 36: Paterson St 2011 Average Hourly Flow Profile Westbound .......................................... 57 Figure 4- 37: Crash Analysis Area .......................................................................................................... 58 Figure 4- 38: Number of Crashes by Location (reference CAS 2011) .................................................. 60 Figure 4- 39: Project Traffic Count Locations, 2009............................................................................ 62 Figure 4- 40: Base Model Traffic Flows, 2009 ..................................................................................... 64 Figure 4- 42: Base Scenario Eastbound Journey 2009 ........................................................................ 68 Figure 4- 43: Base Scenario Westbound Journey 2009 ....................................................................... 69 Figure 4- 44: Do Minimum Scenario Eastbound Journey 2021 .......................................................... 70 Figure 4- 45: Do Minimum Scenario Westbound Journey 2021 .......................................................... 71 Figure 4- 46: Key SH1 Corridor 2009 Surveyed Journey Times (Evans Bay Parade – Willis Street) .................................................................................................................................................................. 72 Figure 4- 47: Selected Routes Journey Times ....................................................................................... 74 Figure 4- 48: Key Intersections.............................................................................................................. 75 Figure 4- 49: Parking Study Area .......................................................................................................... 78 Figure 4- 50: Number of Pedestrians between 3 and 4 pm ................................................................. 82 Figure 4- 52: Wellington College ........................................................................................................... 83 Figure 4- 53: Wellington East Girls’ College ......................................................................................... 83 Figure 4- 54: Photos of the School Bus Stop and Pick Up Area of Dufferin Street ............................ 85 Figure 4- 56: Northbound (NB) and Southbound (SB) Local Roads 2009 Base Model vs. 2021 Do Minimum Model Journey Times ........................................................................................................... 87 Figure 4- 57: Proposed Pedestrian and Cycle Facilities ....................................................................... 93 Figure 4- 58: Kent / Cambridge Terrace Median Existing View ......................................................... 97 Figure 4- 59: Kent / Cambridge Terrace Median Proposed View ....................................................... 97 Figure 4- 60: Travel Time Routes ........................................................................................................ 100 Figure 4- 61: Southbound Bus Routes 2021 Travel Times ................................................................. 100 Figure 4- 62: Northbound Bus Routes 2021 Travel Times ................................................................ 100 Figure 4- 64: Kent Terrace Existing Pedestrian Crossing with Bus Presignal Proposed View........ 102 Figure 4- 66: Project Scenario Eastbound Journey 2021 ................................................................... 110 Figure 4- 68: 2021 Southbound Journey Times .................................................................................. 112 Figure 4- 69: 2021 Northbound Journey Times .................................................................................. 112 Figure 4- 70: 2021 SH1 Eastbound Journey Times ............................................................................. 113 Figure 4- 71: 2021 SH1 Westbound Journey Times ............................................................................ 113 Figure 4- 73: SH1 Eastbound Journey Time Variability ..................................................................... 114 Figure 4- 74: Key Intersections ............................................................................................................. 115

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Figure 4- 75: Vivian/Kent/Pirie/Cambridge Intersection .................................................................. 118 Figure 4- 76: Cambridge/Kent/Link Road intersection ...................................................................... 119 Figure 4- 77: Hania/Ellice intersection ............................................................................................... 120 Figure 4- 78: Paterson Street and Dufferin Street Intersection ......................................................... 121 Figure 4- 79: Rugby Street/Adelaide Road Intersection .................................................................... 122 Figure 4- 80: Sussex/Buckle Intersection ........................................................................................... 123 Figure 4- 81: Taranaki/Buckle Intersection ........................................................................................ 124 Figure 4- 82: Parking Changes.............................................................................................................. 127 Figure 4- 84: Proposed Relocated Dempster Gate ............................................................................. 129 Figure 4- 85: St Marks School Proposed Access Layout .................................................................... 134 Tables Table 4- 1: Summary of Modelling Assumptions ................................................................................... 15 Table 4- 2: 2009 and 2012 Pedestrian Survey Comparison ................................................................ 38 Table 4- 3: Bus Services through the Basin Reserve ............................................................................ 42 Table 4- 4: Southbound Passenger Transport Passenger Numbers .................................................... 43 Table 4- 5: Northbound Passenger Transport Passenger Numbers .................................................... 43 Table 4- 6: Northbound Average Journey Speeds ................................................................................ 47 Table 4- 7: Southbound Average Journey Speeds ................................................................................ 48 Table 4- 8: School Bus Routes ............................................................................................................... 48 Table 4- 9: Average Annual Daily Traffic Volumes on SH1 ................................................................. 55 Table 4- 10: Crash Locations .................................................................................................................. 60 Table 4- 11: Crash Summary................................................................................................................... 60 Table 4- 12: Pedestrian and Cyclist Crash Summary.............................................................................61 Table 4- 13: Traffic Count Data, 10 February 2009 .............................................................................. 62 Table 4- 14: 2009 and 2021 Do Minimum SH1 Eastbound Daily Flows (Vehicles per Day) ............ 66 Table 4- 15: 2009 and 2021 Do Minimum SH1 Westbound Daily Flows (Vehicles per Day) ........... 66 Table 4- 16: 2009 and 2021 Daily Flows on Selected Roads within Road Network (Vehicles per Day) .......................................................................................................................................................... 66 Table 4- 17: LOS Classification Data (Volume/Capacity classification).............................................. 67 Table 4- 19: Do Minimum Journey Times on Selected Routes for 2021 Peak Periods (seconds) ..... 74 Table 4- 20: 2021 Queue Lengths (maximum number of vehicles in queue/lane) ............................ 76 Table 4- 21: Existing Parking Spaces ..................................................................................................... 79 Table 4- 22: 2021 AADT Traffic Flows ................................................................................................ 106 Table 4- 23: 2021 AM Peak Traffic Flows ........................................................................................... 107 Table 4- 24: 2021 IP Peak Traffic Flows .............................................................................................. 107 Table 4- 25: 2021 PM Peak Traffic Flows ............................................................................................ 108 Table 4- 26: 2021 Queue Lengths (maximum number of vehicles in queue/lane) AM Peak ........... 116 Table 4- 27: 2021 Queue Lengths for PM Peak Period ........................................................................ 117 Table 4- 28: Changes in Public Parking. .............................................................................................. 127 Table 4- 29: Do Minimum with Stages 1 and 2 implemented less Stage 3, Journey Times (seconds) ................................................................................................................................................................. 137 Table 4- 30: RLTS Assessment ............................................................................................................ 143 Table 4- 31: Mount Victoria Accessibility: Assessed Adverse Effect and Proposed Mitigation....... 146 Table 4- 32: Parking: Assessed Adverse Effect and Proposed Mitigation ......................................... 147 Table 4- 33: Construction: Assessed Adverse Effect and Proposed Mitigation................................ 149

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Table 4- 34: Paterson Street NZTA Count Site Data; Two Weeks Before and After Christmas ...... 150 Table 4- 35: Do Minimum 2021 and 2031 Daily Flows (Vehicles per Day) .......................................154 Table 4- 36: Do Min and Project 2031 Daily Flows (Vehicles per Day) .............................................154 Table 4- 37: 2021 Do Minimum Medium and High Growth Daily Flows (Vehicles per Day) .......... 155 Table 4- 38: 2021 High Growth Demand Daily Flows (Vehicles per Day) ........................................156 Table 4- 39: 2021 Do Minimum Medium Growth and Additional Development Daily Flows (Vehicles per Day) .................................................................................................................................. 157 Table 4- 40: 2021 Additional Development Daily Flows (Vehicles per Day) ................................... 158 Appendices 4-A Qualifications and Experience 4-B Wellington CBD Paramics Model Validation Report 4-C Technical Note 29: Demographic Inputs to WTSM 4-D Policy Documentation 4-E Pedestrian Survey 4-F CAS Outputs 4-G Network Flow Diagrams and Network Statistics 4-H Parking Survey 4-I Pirie/Kent/Cambridge/Vivian Intersection Memorandum 4-J Paramics Model Outputs 4-K Road Safety Audit and Response Form

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1 Introduction

1.1 Purpose and Scope of Report

In 2012 Opus International Consultants was commissioned to undertake an Integrated Transport Assessment (ITA)4 of the Basin Bridge Project (the Project).

This report presents the findings of the ITA, which has been conducted as part of the assessment of environmental effects for the Project and will be used as evidence for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hearing where consents and an alteration to the designation is being applied for. All transportation effects of the Project are discussed, including the operation and performance of local and State highway transportation networks.

This report captures both positive and negative transportation effects and documents how negative effects are avoided, remedied or mitigated.

This report is part of a suite of documents that assess the environmental effects of the Project.

Qualifications and experience of the author of this report can be found in Appendix 4-A.

1.2 Structure of the Report

This report has been developed using a consistent format to that prepared by other experts working on the Project. In doing so the ITA has been split into the following sections:

Project Description – providing the context and history of the Project; Transport Assessment Tools – documenting mechanisms utilised to assess the Project; Assessment Criteria – documenting best practice criteria and statutory considerations; Baseline – providing existing details on land use, the different transport modes, crash

history and accessibility. This section also discusses the existing problem within and outside the Project Area;

Transport Alternatives – summarising the early projects and options for the Basin Reserve;

Assessment of Effects – assessing the effects to all transport modes based on forecast data for the existing and Project scenarios;

Measures to Avoid, Remedy or Mitigate Adverse Transport Effects – detailing mitigation measures for both the operational and construction scenarios;

Future Proofing – discussing the wider strategy and how the Project has been developed to take into account the future strategy; and

Conclusions.

4 An ITA is an assessment of effects on all transport modes that may occur from land use and environment changes. An ITA will include a traffic impact assessment (TIA) however this forms only part of an ITA. A TIA assesses the impacts of traffic on the surrounding network from land use change alone.

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1.3 Assumptions and Exclusions in this Assessment

This ITA considers how the Project meets the Project objectives and relevant policy at Government (GPS) level through to Regional and Local levels. The assessment also considers how the existing transport network would perform in a forecast 2021 assessment year with and without the Project. Due to longer-term forecasting being subject to a greater degree of uncertainty arising from underlying demographic and economic forecasts 2031 was not used as an assessment year however it was used for sensitivity testing.

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2 Project Description

The Project proposes to construct, operate and maintain new transport infrastructure for State Highway 1 at the Basin Reserve. A key component of the proposal is a multi-modal bridge that connects Paterson Street with Buckle Street. The bridge will provide a two lane one-way carriageway for SH1 westbound road users and includes a shared walking and cycling path on its northern side.

Proposed at-grade road improvements include changes to Dufferin Street and sections of Paterson Street, Rugby Street (including the intersection with Adelaide Road), Sussex Street, Buckle Street (SH1), Taranaki Street, Vivian Street (SH1), Pirie Street, Cambridge Terrace, Kent Terrace (SH1), Ellice Street and Hania Street. The overall road layout is shown diagrammatically on Figure 4- 1 below.

Figure 4- 1: Project Area showing the proposed roading layout and land to be designated

The Project also provides urban design and landscape treatments. These include new landscaped open space areas, a new building under the bridge on the corner of Kent Terrace and Ellice Street, a new entrance and Northern Gateway Building to the Basin Reserve, an improved streetscape entrance to Government House and adjacent schools, a modified car park for St Joseph’s Church, dedicated bus lanes and bus stops around the Basin Reserve, as well as new walking and cycling paths.

Proposed landscaping and urban design treatments include low level plantings, raingardens, trees, terracing, architectural bridge design including sculptured piers, furniture and paving. These measures aim to contribute to the overall integration of the proposed bridge structure into the surrounding urban environment.

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2.1 Transport Improvements

The Project proposes a grade-separated route (the bridge element) for SH1 westbound traffic on the northern side of the Basin Reserve. As a result, SH1 traffic will be removed from the local road network around the eastern, southern and western sides of the Basin Reserve.

The bridge soffit will be up to 7.3m above the ground surface and the top of the guard rail will be up to 10.5m high above the ground. The bridge is approximately 263m long or 320m long if both abutments are included. It will be supported by six sets of piers (2 are double piers) and six smaller piers to support the western end of the shared pedestrian and cycleway where it splits away from the main bridge structure. The bridge has a minimum width of approximately 11.3m and a maximum width of approximately 16.7m. There are two bridge joins, one at each end.

The Project proposes changes to the SH1 westbound route, the SH1 eastbound route, and other roads on the network where they connect with SH1, including clearways on the eastern part of SH1 Vivian Street (from Tory Street to Cambridge Terrace). These propose to improve the efficient and safe movement of traffic (including buses), pedestrians and cyclists through intersections and provide entry and exit points for SH1. Supplementary works on the existing local road network are also proposed to be undertaken to take advantage of the additional capacity created by the SH1 improvements.

The Project proposes new pedestrian and cycling routes throughout the Project area as well as improvements to existing infrastructure. The majority of the works to improve the walking and cycling routes are located on the north side of the Basin Reserve and connect with Mount Victoria suburb, Mount Victoria Tunnel and schools on Dufferin Street. These improvements will connect with the National War Memorial Park which is currently under construction and also with potential future duplication of Mount Victoria Tunnel.

A reduction in state highway traffic on the roads around the Basin Reserve allows for more efficient northbound and southbound movements from Kent and Cambridge Terrace to Adelaide Road. Accordingly, new dedicated bus lanes are proposed to provide for better public transport movements around the Basin Reserve.

The key traffic flows around the Basin Reserve following the implementation of the proposed Project are shown in Figure 4- 2 below and described thereafter.

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Figure 4- 2: Proposed traffic directions for the Project

The package of transportation improvements proposed by the Project are summarised below and followed by a brief description of the works:

SH1 westbound (from Mount Victoria Tunnel to Buckle Street)

The Bridge - new direct link from Paterson Street to Buckle Street via a bridge;

Buckle Street three laning - provision of third lane along Buckle Street between Sussex Street (including minor modifications to Sussex Street) and Taranaki Street to improve capacity and accommodate the two lanes from the bridge; and

Taranaki Street improvements – modifications to the layout of Taranaki Street and Buckle Street intersection to accommodate the three laning of Buckle Street and to increase capacity.

SH1 eastbound (from Vivian Street – Kent Terrace - Mount Victoria Tunnel)

SH1 Eastbound re-alignment - realignment of SH1 eastbound between Hania Street and Brougham Street; and

Vivian Street and Pirie Street Improvements – as part of the modifications to the intersection of Pirie Street and Kent / Cambridge Terraces and Vivian Street, clearways on Vivian Street are proposed. The combination of improvements increases the capacity of the intersection for all traffic movements including public transport.

Improvements to roads around the Basin Reserve

Paterson Street / Dufferin Street intersection – layout modifications to change in priority at the signals including provision of a significant increase in priority to Dufferin Street (south bound traffic from Kent Terrace/ Ellice Street);

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Adelaide Road / Rugby Street intersection – reducing through lanes along Rugby Street from 3 lanes to 1 and allowing Adelaide Road traffic and Rugby Street traffic to flow at the same time. Pedestrian and cycling crossings will be via on-demand signals. Two lanes for access into Adelaide Road would remain with one operating as a dedicated bus lane;

Ellice Street link – new road link from Ellice Street to Dufferin Street/Paterson Street intersection (a similar vehicular movement can currently be made between Ellice Street and Dufferin Street). A new shared pathway for pedestrians and cyclists would be provided adjacent to this link to facilitate movements between the Mount Victoria suburb, the schools on Dufferin Street, and further south toward Adelaide Road;

Dufferin Street improvements – works to modify the layout of the road space and bus drop off zones on Dufferin Street and Rugby Street on the south east corner of the Basin Reserve and to improve vehicular access to Government House; and

Basin Reserve Gateway – treatment to Buckle Street where it meets Kent/Cambridge Terraces, and retains an entry point to the re-aligned SH1 eastbound.

Walking, Cycling, Public Transport (throughout the Project Area)

Walking and cycling path on bridge – new walking and cycling path on the bridge between Paterson Street and Buckle Street / NWM Park;

Existing pedestrian and cycle routes – existing at-grade pathways are retained or enhanced and additional and alternative routes are provided. Additional and improved pedestrian and cycling access would be provided in the landscaped area on the corner of Cambridge Terrace and Buckle Street and between Brougham Street and Kent Terrace. These routes link to the proposed pedestrian and cyclist facilities proposed through NWM Park;

Public Transport - new dedicated bus lanes are proposed on Ellice Street, Dufferin Street and Buckle Street, and the southbound bus stop is proposed to be relocated from Adelaide Road onto Rugby Street; and

Public Transport - existing priority for buses from Kent Terrace onto Ellice Street is retained.

Detail of the proposed road design layouts are shown in Volume 5: Plan and Drawing Set.

2.2 Urban Design and Landscape

Proposed urban design and landscape treatments to areas outside of the road carriageway form part of the Project works. The development of the proposed Project design has been iterative, responsive and collaborative. As such, it has been developed through an Urban Landscape and Design Framework (refer to Volume 3: Technical Report 2) to address the specific urban design principles for the Project. The Project proposes treatments to areas adjacent to the road network that would assist with the integration of the proposed bridge into the surrounding urban context.

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Six zones and elements (Zones) for the Project area have been identified within which character and zone specific principles for those areas have been developed to define the design intent and to provide a framework for post RMA consenting detailed design development. The zones are shown on Figure 4- 3 below.

Figure 4- 3: Urban and landscape zones for proposed works outside of the traffic lanes

These are briefly described for the urban and landscape zones below:

Zone 1 Cambridge/Buckle Bridge Interface Zone - proposed landscape treatments to land between Cambridge Terrace and the NWM Park, which includes rain gardens and wetland plantings for stormwater treatment. This landscape area has been designed as a continuation of NWM Park. The terracing in the NWM Park starts from Kent and Cambridge Terraces and are reflective of the cultural heritage of the area, as cultivation terraces. Wetland planting reflects the former Waitangi Lagoon which is now the Basin. The landscaping also provides an interface with the curtilage of the newly relocated Home of Compassion Crèche (former)5.

Zone 2 Kent/Cambridge Basin Gateway: proposed landscaping between Kent/Cambridge Terrace responds to tangata whenua values in relation to the proposed historical wetland ecology and provides a safe and enlarged public access and gathering area relative to the Basin Reserve entrance. The proposed landscape aims to facilitate

5 The Home of Compassion Crèche (former) is being relocated as part of the National War Memorial Park project.

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gathering and includes reconfigured pedestrian crossings, bus stops and Basin Reserve entrance.

Element 2.1 Entrance to the Basin Reserve – proposes a combination of planting (pohutukawa trees) and a new Northern Gateway Building on the northern boundary within the Basin Reserve. The combination of new Northern Gateway Building and pohutukawa trees screen the bridge from general views from within the Basin Reserve. The new Northern Gateway Building is designed to specifically remove potential views of traffic on the bridge from the views of batsmen (facing bowlers from the north). The new Northern Gateway Building) would provide space for player facilities and includes a wider entrance for visitors to the Basin Reserve that is aligned with the new entrance plaza located between Kent and Cambridge Terrace.

The new structure will occupy the space between the RA Vance Stand and the existing toilet block at the edge of the northern embankment. It will be approximately 65m long and up to 11.2m high and includes a screen above the existing player’s pavilion between the new building and the RA Vance Stand. This option is preferred by the Basin Reserve Trust.

Alternative mitigation proposals entail a 45m long structure and a 55m long structure and consequent increases in proposed tree planting have also been considered and are assessed within this report.

Zone 3 Kent/Ellice Street corner zone – proposes a new building under the proposed bridge at the corner of Kent Terrace and Ellice Street which would be made available for commercial use. It is intended to re-establish the historical built / street edge in this location and the building helps incorporate the bridge into the built urban environment. A green screen is proposed to be located above the new building to provide a level of screening for the adjacent apartment building and assist to visually integrate the bridge with the buildings at this corner.

Zone 4 Paterson/ Ellice/Dufferin Interface zone – proposes to continue ground landscape linking from across Kent/Cambridge Terraces and additional tree planting around the Basin Reserve’s outer square.

The Project proposes works within St Joseph’s Church property using land that is currently used for car parking. Thus, the Project proposes to remove the existing building at 28 Ellice Street and to adjust the existing car park and provide landscape improvements for the Church within the remaining space. All of these works are located on land owned by the Church.

Zone 5 Dufferin/Rugby Streets, Schools/Church/Government House Interface zone which serves as a vehicular and pedestrian access area serving key adjacent land uses of the schools and Government House. Proposed works include the re-allocation of space in the roading corridor, layout modification and urban design and landscape treatments.

Zone 6 The Bridge Element – the horizontal alignment of the Bridge has retained a close reference to the historic street pattern (the Te Aro Grid) to strengthen and define the

9


Basin square. The vertical alignment has utilised underlying landform to achieve grade separation between north-south and east west routes. The width of the bridge has been kept to a minimum that meets safe traffic design standards for a 50km/h road. Abutments are integrated and grounded in the form and material of the landscaping. Lighting on the bridge seeks to minimise glare and spill onto surrounding areas and integrates with the bridge form and with the adjacent NWM Park. Architectural lighting is provided underneath the bridge and across the landscape, highlighting forms, surfaces and textures of the superstructure, under croft, piers, abutments and landscape. The combination of treatments and design promote the perception of the bridge being an elevated street rather than motorway flyover.

The Project will result in a number of transport benefits for the State highway network and the local road network (including public transport and walking and cycling) as well as new buildings, structures and landscape treatments for the Basin Reserve area.

Construction of these transportation improvements is currently scheduled to start in 2014/15.

2.3 Related Projects

The Project forms part of the Tunnel to Tunnel package of works that in combination would improve traffic and transportation between the Terrace Tunnel and Mount Victoria Tunnel. The Tunnel to Tunnel package also comprises of:

the Buckle Street Underpass as part of the National War Memorial Park project by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage. This project is currently under construction and expected to be completed by the end of 2014.

Other NZTA studies of SH1 sections that are also being considered or are being progressed concurrently within Wellington:

Duplication of Mount Victoria Tunnel (construction planned for 2017/18).

Duplication of the Terrace Tunnel (subject to feasibility investigation in 2013/14).

Roading improvements along Cobham Drive and Ruahine Streets (construction planned for 2017/18).

While there are linkages between these projects, each one is complex and entails significant use of resource. As a consequence each is being progressed separately while maintaining the appropriate design standards and specifications in order to achieve the NZTAs strategic objectives for the RoNS.

10


3 Transport Assessment Tools

3.1 Travel Demand Information

A range of different tools including various transportation models have been used when completing the transportation assessment. They have been used to assess:

travel demand; mode choice; transport routings; bus patronage; and traffic volumes.

Census data, including journey to work, and traffic count data, including pedestrian and cyclist surveys, manual turning counts, tube counts, and origin-destination surveys provide information on current travel patterns and travel demand. This information allows the Project team to understand the current demands on the transportation network. In addition to this information land use plans and population, employment and household Projections are then used to develop future year forecasts which form part of the transportation models.

3.2 Transportation Models

This section provides an overview of the models used to forecast future travel conditions and provides a high level summary of the relationship between models used in the Wellington area. For more details on the links between the models refer to the Wellington CBD s-Paramics Model Validation Report (Appendix 4-B).

Figure 4- 4: Model Relationships

Each of these models is discussed in more detail in the following sections. Sidra, which is an intersection specific model, is also discussed. The assumptions regarding which components on the wider network are implemented in future years are documented in Section 3.3. The use of this hierarchy of models is accepted as best industry practice, however it should be noted that

WTSM (EMME/2) Wellington Region

SATURN Wellington City

PARAMICS Wellington CBD

Increased Level of Detail

Larger Model Area

11


the use of these tools is to inform and not drive the assessment. It should also be noted that the WTSM, SATURN and Paramics models meet NZTA’s validation criteria and have been subject to external peer review.

3.2.1 WTSM

The Wellington Regional Transport Strategy Model (WTSM) covers the whole Wellington Region. WTSM enables the Project team to forecast the number of people that will be travelling by car or by public transport. The model also allows the Project team to understand at a high level where transport movements within the city will begin and end (trip matrices). These trip matrices are then used as the basis for more detailed trip matrices used within the SATURN and Paramics models.

WTSM can also forecast the proportion of trips made using non-motorised transport (i.e. on foot or by bicycle). However, the mode choice models are not sufficiently detailed to forecast the number of pedestrian and cyclists using the streets around the Basin Reserve. Therefore, this is generally forecast manually on the basis of trend analysis and professional judgement.

At the time that this ITA was being prepared WTSM was being updated to a 2011 base model and was also building a more detailed public transport model. These models however were not available to complete this assessment. This is however an inevitable consequence of the modelling approach and re-emphasises the requirements for the modelling tools to inform as opposed to drive the assessments. As an interim measure, GWRC have rebased the 2006 WTSM model to 2011 trip demands and forecast years of 2021 and 2031. The WTSM matrices extracted for use in SATURN and then Paramics models assume a medium growth scenario6.

3.2.2 SATURN

The Wellington SATURN model 2006 covers most of the city. It is used to assign the WTSM traffic demand onto the road network and assess route choice. It is a traffic model used to assess re-routing associated with congestion and infrastructure changes. The SATURN model was developed and validated to a base year of 20067 before the inner city bypass was complete. The SATURN model has subsequently been updated to reflect the current (2009) road network including the inner city bypass8. Demands from the WTSM are taken to predict forecast year changes in traffic for 2021 and 2031.

The do minimum SATURN model includes AM and PM peak bus lanes in both directions on Adelaide Road and Kent / Cambridge Terrace. The model includes bus movements, but only from a traffic perspective and is not able to forecast bus occupancy; however mode share is adequately addressed in the WTSM.

6 There are low, medium and high growth scenarios, however the medium growth scenario has been discussed and agreed with GWRC and NZTA as being the most appropriate for use in this assessment. The different growth scenarios take into consideration population, employment and household variants.

7 2006 Wellington City Council Traffic Model –Validation and Forecasting Report, Opus International Consultants Limited, 2009. A peer review of the base model has been completed by Tim Kelly.

8 2009 Wellington SATURN Traffic Model Validation and Forecasting Report, Opus International Consultants. A peer review of this report and the modelling undertaken has been completed by Sinclair Knight Merz Ltd (SKM).

12


The Wellington SATURN model has been used to undertake strategic assessment of forecast changes in traffic flows associated with the Project and carry out sensitivity tests associated with other changes to the network or forecast demands. The traffic demands are then extracted out of the model to provide matrices for the detailed Wellington s-Paramics model.

3.2.3 PARAMICS

The Wellington s-Paramics model 2009 covers the area between the CBD and Ruahine Street. S-Paramics is a micro-simulation tool that represents individual vehicle movements. The level of detail possible within s-Paramics means that it is well suited for traffic design and assessment. It is very good at modelling the operation of signalised intersections, bus priority, and pedestrian crossings. It is therefore the primary traffic engineering design tool for the detailed analysis.

The s-Paramics trip matrices for 2009 and 2021 were created based on the SATURN trip matrices.

3.2.4 SIDRA

Sidra was used to model and assess the performance of individual intersections since SATURN and s-Paramics model outputs cover a wider network and therefore the performance of individual intersections cannot be determined according to measurable statistics. Sidra is a good tool for comparing alternative intersection layouts and identifying an optimised layout for testing as part of the wider network using SATURN and/or s-Paramics.

3.3 Assumptions and Exclusions

There are a number of different assumptions that have been used for the completion of this ITA, covering a range of transport, landuse and construction activities. This section documents these assumptions to provide a point of reference for the reader.

3.3.1 Population, Households and Employment

Changes in population and employment play a significant part in current, future and planned transportation Projects. The assumptions used for this ITA include:

Due to the postponement of the 2011 Census, base population and employment information was updated for GWRC by Prism Consulting (refer Technical Note 29: Demographic Inputs to WTSM) and peer reviewed by John Bolland (refer to Appendix 4-C).

Forecasts for 2021 and 2031 have been rebased to the 2011 figures provided by Prism Consulting. This was done by calculating the percentage change in the values used in the 2006 WTSM model between 2011 and each forecast year (2021 and 2031). This percentage change was then applied to the new 2011 figures from Prism Consulting to create new 2011 based WTSM forecasts for the horizon years.

All forecasts have been based on a medium growth scenario (noting that low and high growth scenarios have also been developed).

13


3.3.2 Landuse

All land use assumptions have been based on work undertaken by GWRC, WCC, NZTA and Opus in order to establish an appropriate basis for assessment, which includes:

WTSM landuse scenarios have been used in order to be consistent with current and forecast regional Projections, which are generally accepted as the best available forecasts for the region.

Additional demands have been added to SATURN and Paramics model matrices to include specific permitted land use, which includes: Rugby St New World Supermarket, John St Countdown Supermarket, Adelaide Road growth node, and the ASB Sports Centre9.

Scenarios have also been developed for a number of different land use scenarios (including population, employment and household variants) which were developed to assist in understanding the outcome of different forecast situations (refer to Technical Note 29: Demographic Inputs to WTSM) (Appendix 4-C).

3.3.3 Transportation Projects

The Do Minimum scenario represents the minimum investment to maintain network operation. It however does include a number of other transport initiatives planned outside of the Project area on State highways and local roads that are supported by key agencies including the NZTA, GWRC and WCC. These transport initiatives are included in both the Do Minimum and Project modelled scenarios. A summary of the planned transport initiatives that are included in the 2021 Do Minimum modelled network are included in Table 4- 1.

Local Road Improvements (included in 2021 and 2031 Do Minimum models):

Courtenay Place bus lanes (Manners Mall to Cambridge Terrace, bus lanes to operate 24 hours in both directions);

Kent and Cambridge Terrace (AM and PM Peak) (Kent Terrace (Majoribanks to Ellice Street) additional clearways are provided for PM peak bus lane. Cambridge Terrace (Ellice Street to Courtenay Place) additional clearways are provided for AM peak bus lane);

Adelaide Road bus lanes both directions (AM and PM Peak); and 30Km/h speed zone changes for Tory/Tasman Street and Cuba Street (Rugby Street to

Courtenay Place and Webb Street to Ghuznee Street.

Other NZTA improvement Projects (included in 2021 and 2031 Do Minimum models):

Buckle Street Underpass (Construction of the War Memorial Park Underpass on Buckle Street, tunnel includes three lanes, two of which will be operational);

9 Note that additional demands on the network caused by consented activities have been assumed to be included through the medium growth scenario, which has been agreed with GWRC and NZTA as appropriate. Additional demands however have been added onto the network for activities within the immediate Project area, such as the Rugby Street Supermarket, as sensitivity testing.

14


ICB improvements (as per moderate intervention10) (Optimising the performance and operation of the Inner City Bypass. Northbound SH1 (Taranaki Street to Terrace Tunnel and Terrace Tunnel to Tory Street);

Aotea Quay to Ngauranga Gorge capacity improvements; MacKays to Peka Peka (M2PP) (outside of WTM SATURN area but included in 2021

WTSM); and Peka Peka to Otaki (PP2O) (outside of WTM SATURN area but included in 2021

WTSM).

Sensitivity Test Only:

Airport to Mount Victoria – Ruahine Street, Wellington Road improvements plus Mount Victoria tunnel duplication (includes improvements to Ruahine Street and Wellington Road and duplication of the Mount Victoria Tunnel) (included in 2031 Do Minimum model);

Terrace Tunnel – Duplication of tunnel (included in 2031 Do Minimum model); Otaki to north of Levin (outside of WTM SATURN area but included in 2031 WTSM)

(included in 2031 Do Minimum model); Linden to MacKays (Transmission Gully) (outside of WTM SATURN area but included

in 2031 WTSM) (included in 2031 Do Minimum model; and Petone to Grenada link road (included in 2031 Do Minimum model).

These sensitivity tests are used to assess what effect the additional traffic and changes in traffic patterns will have on the Project.

10 Moderate intervention includes four laning Vivian St between Willis and Victoria; widening Victoria St between Vivian and Webb; and banning all Cuba turning movements; provision of additional turn bays on Karo and Willis at the Karo/Willis/Abel Smith intersection.

15


Table 4- 1: Summary of Modelling Assumptions 2021 Do Min

2021 Project

2031 Do Min

2031 Project

Loc

al

Roa

d Im

pro

vem

ents

Bus Lanes: Courtenay Place (All Peaks) Kent, Cambridge Terraces and Adelaide Road (AM and PM Peak only),

√ √ √ √

30Km/h speed zone Tory/ Tasman and Cuba Streets √ √ √ √

NZ

TA

Im

pro

vem

ents

Buckle Street Underpass √ √ √ √

Inner City Bypass Optimisation (moderate intervention) WB to Terrace Tunnel, EB to Tory Street)

√ √ √ √

Aotea Quay to Ngauranga Gorge (8 laning) √ √ √ √

MacKays to Peka Peka* √ √ √ √

Peka Peka to Otaki* √ √ √ √

Airport to Mount Victoria X X √ √

Basin Reserve X √ X √

Terrace Tunnel Duplication X X √ √

Transmission Gully* X X √ √

North of Otaki to Levin*11 X X √ √

Petone to Grenada link* X X √ √

*These Projects have been included in WTSM modelling but are located outside of WTM SATURN and Wellington S-Paramics model areas. It is important to note that Projects geographically remote from the Basin Reserve will have negligible impact on the assessment.

11 At the time modelling was completed the North of Otaki to Levin was a Project. It has since been announced that an upgrade of this section of SH1 to expressway standard is no longer being pursued in favour of more limited safety and capacity improvements. Regardless the distance from the location of this Project means that assumptions in this respect will be of negligible consequence for this assessment.

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4 Assessment Criteria

4.1 Introduction

There is no singular guidance document to reference for the completion of an ITA. Due to the range and scope the assessment requirements also change. Due to the scale of the Project and its location this ITA will be extensive.

4.2 National and International Best Practice Criteria

A search on National and International best practice has been completed. The following guidance has been identified as best practice and used as part of this assessment.

4.2.1 National

Integrated transport assessment guidelines November 2010 (NZ Transport Agency research report 422)12

Planning policy manual for integrated planning and development of state highways version 1 effective from 1 August 2007 (Transit New Zealand)13

Integrated Transport Assessment Guidelines & Supplementary Documents October 2007 (Auckland Regional Transport Authority)14

Guidelines for undertaking transport assessments in New Zealand and Australia (Flow Transportation Specialists Ltd and Auckland Regional Transport Authority)15

4.2.2 International

Transport assessment best practice. Guidance document. May 2006 (Transport for London)16

Transport Assessment and Implementation: A Guide. August 2005 (Scottish Executive Development Department)17

Transport Assessment Guidelines for Developments. Version for Trial and Evaluation August 2006 (Western Australian Planning Commission)18

12 http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/research/reports/422/docs/422.pdf

13 http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/planning-policy-manual/docs/planning-policy-manual-cover-contents.pdf

14 http://www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz/about-us/publications/ManualsandGuidelines/Documents/AT-ARTA-Guidelines-IntegratedTransportAssessmentGuidelinesandSupplementaryDocuments%5b1%5d.pdf

15 http://www.flownz.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=tHbH4gQ-6dU%3D&tabid=8206&language=en-US

16 http://www.tfl.gov.uk/microsites/interchange/documents/transport-assessment-guidance-2006.pdf

17 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/57346/0016796.pdf

18 http://www.planning.wa.gov.au/publications/1197.asp

17


The above guidelines have been used as a basis for this ITA. Peer reviews have also been incorporated into the process.

4.2.3 Assessment Criteria

The assessment considers walking and cycling, passenger transport and the road network. The assessment compares the Do Minimum and the Project for a forecast year of 2021.

The forecast year of 2021 has been used due to it being approximately 5 years after construction is programmed to be complete and avoids the effects associated with significant RoNS Projects such as the Terrace and Mount Victoria Tunnel duplication processes. These Projects will significantly increase traffic volumes within the Project Area (which will be effects associated with these Projects), and although the Project will facilitate this increase in traffic moving through the Project Area an assessment year of 2021 allows the effects of the Project itself to be quantified and qualified. It should be noted that the design process for the Project has considered these Projects and future assessments have also been carried out as part of this assessment in Section 9, Future Proofing.

In comparing the Do Minimum and the Project, the assessment also considers; the environment, safety, integration, the economy and sensitivity in relation to modelling assumptions linking to the Project objectives and whether the Project is meeting them.

4.3 Statutory Considerations

4.3.1 National Standards

The principal relevant statutory provisions and programmes in NZ include:

The Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) The Land Transport Act 1998 (LTA) The Land Transport Management Act 2003 The Local Government Act 2002 (LGA) The Public Transport Management Act 2008 The Government Roading Powers Act 1989 National Land Transport Programme 2009-2012

4.3.2 Regional and District Plans and Policy

Wellington City District Plan 2000 Regional Policy Statement for the Wellington Region Regional Passenger Transport Plan 2007-2016 Government Policy Statement on Land Transport Funding, 2009/10-2018/19 and

2012/13 -2021/22 Wellington Regional Land Transport Strategy 2010-2040 Regional Land Transport Programme 2009-2012 Wellington City Long Term Council Community Plan 2012-2022 Transit Planning Policy Manual 2007 National State Highway Strategy 2007

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Getting There - On Foot, By Cycle 2005 Wellington Regional Strategy 2012 Greater Wellington 10-year Plan 2012-22 Wellington City Urban Development Strategy 2006 Other Wellington City Policies and Strategies

Further details associated with these policies and can be found in Appendix 4-D.

4.4 Project Objectives

The objectives for the Project are:

(a) To improve the resilience, efficiency and reliability of the State highway network:

by providing relief from congestion on State Highway 1 between Paterson Street and Tory Street;

by improving the safety for traffic and persons using this part of the State Highway 1 corridor; and,

by increasing the capacity of the State highway corridor between Paterson Street and Tory Street.

(b) To support regional economic growth and productivity:

by contributing to the enhanced movement of people and freight through Wellington City; and,

by in particular improving access to Wellington’s CBD, employment centres, airport and hospital.

(c) To support mobility and modal choices within Wellington City:

by providing opportunities for improved public transport, cycling and walking; and,

by not constraining opportunities for future transport developments.

(d) To facilitate improvements to the local road transport network in Wellington City in the vicinity of the Basin Reserve.

4.5 Summary

The assessment of the Project, included in Section 7, has been informed by the best practice guidance, policies and Project objectives provided in this section.

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5 Baseline

This section describes the baseline (existing transport environment) and includes land use, pedestrians and cyclists, passenger transport and the road network including its operation. It also describes the expected future baseline network operation and traffic volumes.

5.1 Population

Based on the 2011 data19, Wellington City’s population was around 200,000 people. Between 1996 and 2011 Wellington City’s population increased by 42,378, a 27% increase. The population of Wellington City relative to the other districts in the Wellington Region is shown in Figure 4- 5.

Figure 4- 5: Wellington Region: Resident Population20

In comparison, the population of the Wellington Region was 488,000 in 201121. NZ Statistics forecast a population of between 475,000 and 591,000 for the region. NZ Statistics forecast for the ‘low growth rate scenario’ indicates that the region’s population is expected to stabilise at or just below its present figure. In 2031 Statistics New Zealand forecast the region’s population to be between 466,000 and 619,000.

19 Source: Statistics New Zealand produced 2011 data.

20 Statistics New Zealand, 2006 Census Data - note: only one ward of the Tararua District is in the Wellington Region. This ward has not been included in this graph. District populations outside of Wellington City are relevant to this Project given the linkages the Project will enhance to regional facilities such as the airport and hospital (2021 option model predicts approximately 40% of trips to/from the airport and approximately 4% to/from the hospital will be made from districts outside of Wellington City via SH1 and SH2.

21 New Zealand Statistics.

0

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Nevertheless, Wellington City is expected to grow at a faster rate than the region, and to keep on growing even though the rest of the region may not. Consequently, the city can be expected to have an increasing proportion of the region’s population 22 in future years. By 2031, Wellington City’s population is expected to increase between 10,000 and 67,700, depending on the growth scenario as shown in Figure 4- 6. The medium growth scenario shown in this figure has been used for this Project.

Figure 4- 6: Population Growth for Wellington City (source: Statistics NZ)

The Projected population growth rate of only 0.4% to 0.5%23 per annum to the year 2021 appears very modest. The landscape coupled with the vibrancy and diversity of Wellington’s central city creates an attractive, positive environment for significantly higher growth figures. Wellington has all the qualities to be part of the next generation of cities to experience significant growth over the next 20 years, as Melbourne and Vancouver have over the last 20 years. A key element to the growth success of these cities was their investment in transportation corridors, including high quality passenger transport systems.

Compared with the rest of NZ, where only 14% of new dwellings are medium to high density development, Wellington City constructed 40% of its new dwellings as medium to high

22 GWRC “CBD Corridor Study, Pressures and Issues”, Page 5.

23 WCC, ‘Quantifying the Growth Spine, supply, demand and capacity for residential development in Wellington City’, September 2006.

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Previous Low Medium High

21


density24. This trend is making Wellington City more compact, and is in turn reducing the length of trips people need to make. Furthermore, it is making passenger transport a viable alternative to the private motor car, which is also forecast to undergo growth and is discussed in Section 5.5. Given the level of medium to high density construction in previous years, the City’s plan to accommodate a significant proportion of the future population growth within intensified areas and growth nodes appears to be an achievable target subject to the appropriate provision of infrastructure such as water and sewerage, which also emphasises the need for an enhanced passenger transport spine.

Over 50% of population growth within Wellington City is expected to occur in the CBD area25

(in the form of high density apartments). 25% is expected to occur in “brownfield”26 suburban growth nodes at Johnsonville, Newtown and Kilbirnie. The remaining 25% of growth is expected to occur in the “greenfield” northern suburbs 27 . The suburban growth nodes at Johnsonville, Newtown and Kilbirnie form part of what has been referred to as a “growth spine” extending from Johnsonville to Kilbirnie. It is emphasised, however, that while this has been referred to as a growth spine, it is not intended that intensified mixed use growth will occur along the full extent of this spine. Rather, three separate growth nodes are proposed, perhaps connected by a high quality rapid transport corridor.

This growth has significant implications for the Project because the Basin Reserve is the key link in the transportation network which connects three of these growth nodes; the CBD, Newtown and Kilbirnie. The intensified growth in these three nodes will result in increased demands for walking and cycling, passenger transport, and private motor vehicles through the Basin Reserve.

5.1.1 Population Density

Wellington has a high population density within the central city area, as shown in Figure 4- 7. Densely populated neighbourhoods include:

Mount Victoria; Willis Street; Lambton Quay area; Mount Cook; Newtown; Hataitai; Brooklyn; and Kilbirnie.

Population density tends to decrease with increasing distance from the central core of the city.

24 “Quality of Life in NZ Eight Largest Cities, 2003, Page 76.

25 If transport costs continue to increase in future years, the region may see future increases in the present trend for apartment living in the CBD and surrounding suburbs.

26 Brownfield is an existing developed site suitable for re-development.

27 WCC, ‘Urban Development Strategy, Working Paper 4’, May 2005, Appendix 5.

22


Figure 4- 7: Population Density (2006 Census Data)

23


As identified earlier, the proposed PT Spine and associated land use restrictions are likely to result in higher population density along the Kent/Cambridge and Adelaide Road corridor.

5.1.2 Population Age

Figure 4- 8, below presents the percentage of the population within each age range for the 2006 Census unit areas near the Basin Reserve. The extent of these unit areas is shown on Figure 4- 9. The overall average age for the entire Wellington City is provided as a comparison. Very few children (under 15 years of age) live in the areas immediately surrounding the Basin Reserve. Instead these neighbourhoods are inhabited by a high proportion of people aged 15-29.

The population age of the areas surrounding the Basin Reserve will have minor implications for the Project. Because of the high proportion of 15-29 year olds there is likely to be a high proportion in full time work or study and therefore are likely to be travelling during peak periods, especially in the AM Peak for those who study. Also, due to the closeness to the CBD and the type of residences surrounding the Project Area there are not likely to be many people driving to work as they are more likely to be using active modes or passenger transport. This means that high quality active mode and passenger transport connections through the Project Area are likely to be the key desires for residents in the areas surrounding the Basin Reserve.

Figure 4- 8: Percentage of Population Age by Unit Area (2006 Census Data)

0%

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Figure 4- 9: Area Unit Locations

25


5.1.3 Employment

Employment in the area surrounding the Basin Reserve is summarised in Figure 4- 10 below. ‘Unemployed’ includes people who are not currently working but available for work and actively seeking work. ‘Not in the work force’ includes individuals who are not working and not seeking work (such as retired people and students who are only studying).

The proportion of people employed part-time is relatively constant across all the neighbourhoods, although a lower proportion of people from the Mount Cook and Adelaide Road areas are employed full-time. This corresponds with the higher proportion of people from these neighbourhoods who are studying, as shown in Figure 4- 11. The WTSM model predicts 12% growth in employment for Wellington City and 12% growth across the region between 2011 and 2031 under the medium growth scenario28 (Appendix 4-C).

Figure 4- 10: Employment Status by Unit Area

Figure 4- 11: Percentage of Students by Unit Area

28 Wellington Transport Models TN 29: Demographic Inputs to WTSM.

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26


The median income of households in private dwellings in each of the neighbourhoods is summarised in Figure 4- 12 below. The median incomes in Mount Cook and Adelaide Road areas are all below the overall average income for Wellington City. This corresponds to the neighbourhoods which have a lower proportion of people employed full-time.

As discussed above the high proportion of full time workers are likely to be travelling during peak periods. However, due to the relatively high proportion of students the travel patterns of that particular demographic might not be aligned with the commuter peaks. The implications for the Project are that during the peak periods the demand will not just be for motor vehicles but also for active modes and passenger transport. The high proportion of students is likely to result in a high proportion of active mode users in the inter-peak.

Figure 4- 12: Median Income per Household by Unit Area

5.1.4 Access to Motor vehicles

The number of motor vehicles accessible per household is presented in Figure 4- 13 on the following page. The number of households with access to one motor vehicle is relatively constant between each of the areas around the Basin Reserve and the overall Wellington City average. However, the proportion of households without access to a motor vehicle in the central city area is very high relative to the overall average for Wellington City. This is most likely due to the compact and easily accessible nature of these neighbourhoods, meaning people do not need access to a vehicle to retain their mobility.

As discussed above, due to the closeness to the CBD and the lower proportion of access to motor vehicles there are not likely to be many people driving to work as they are more likely to use active modes or passenger transport (refer to Section 5.1.5). This places an emphasis on creating high quality passenger transport and active mode connections through the Project Area.

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Figure 4- 13: Motor Vehicles Accessible per (Occupied) Private Household by Unit Area

5.1.5 Travel to Work

Travel to Work Destinations

In Wellington City there is an extremely high density of employees working around the Lambton Quay area. Thorndon, Lambton, and Willis Street to Cambridge Terrace also have high employment densities, as does Wellington Hospital and a few mesh blocks along Adelaide Road. This is illustrated in Figure 4- 14 .

This means that a high proportion of the people who live in the southern or eastern suburbs and work in the CBD or suburbs to the north of the city must pass through the Project Area during their commute. The Project needs to cope with a high demand for non-motorised and motorised users through the Project Area during the peak periods.

Travel to Work Trip Length

Most people living near the Basin Reserve have a commute to work that is less than 4 kilometres, as shown in Figure 4- 15. Trips of this length can be easily walked or cycled29.

The implications of the travel to work trip length for the Project are that the areas directly surrounding the Basin Reserve have some of the shortest travel to work trip lengths of anywhere in the city. The Project can help these trips be made by active modes by providing high quality active mode and passenger transport connections through the Project Area.

29 Based on (1) Pedestrian Planning and Design Guide, average walking speed 5.4 Km/h, 82% of trips up to 20 minutes giving distance of 1.9 km. (2) Cycle Network and Route Planning Guide, median trip length of 5 km.

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Figure 4- 14: Employee Density (2006)

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Figure 4- 15: Proportion of Residents Commuting 4 km or Less to Work by Unit Area

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Travel to Work Mode Choice

The travel mode used by residents on the 2006 census day is summarised in Figure 4- 16 to Figure 4- 19. It should be acknowledged that this data relates to a single day in a census year and is therefore susceptible to weather related variation. Significantly less people in the Project Area use a private vehicle to commute to work compared with the overall average for Wellington City.

Active travel modes are predominantly used by residents in the neighbourhoods closest to the CBD. As the distance from the CBD increases, the proportion of residents using active modes for their commute to work decreases. As the proportion of residents using active modes for their commute to work decreases, the proportion of residents using passenger transport increases.

Similar to the passenger transport trends, the proportion of residents who use a private vehicle to commute to work increases with their distance from the CBD.

The high proportion of residents from south of the Basin Reserve who use active or passenger transport for their commute highlights the importance of providing a high quality facility and associated network for them through the Basin Reserve area.

The implications of the information presented is that high quality active mode and passenger transport connections through the Project are key to successful operation of the transport network in this part of the city.

Figure 4- 16: Travel to Work Mode Choice by Unit Area

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Figure 4- 17: Residents Commuting to Work Using Active Modes (%) by Unit Area

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Figure 4- 18: People Commuting to Work Using Passenger Transport (%) by Unit Area

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Figure 4- 19: Residents Commuting to Work using a Private Vehicle (%) by Unit Area

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5.1.6 Summary

Wellington City’s population is growing faster than other parts of the region and is dominated by growth in medium to high density households in close proximity to the Wellington CBD.

Neighbourhoods immediately south of the Basin Reserve have lower median incomes than the median for Wellington City households (see Figure 4- 12), lower proportions of residents employed full-time, and a higher proportion of students.

The inner city neighbourhoods (Willis Street and Mount Victoria) are predominantly inhabited by young working professionals.

A high proportion of households do not have access to a motor vehicle within the inner city neighbourhoods.

Active modes are well used by inner city residents for their commute to work, including residents who travel through the Basin Reserve area.

The implications of this data for the Project can be summarised below:

Without the Project the conflicts between local and State highway movements and between walking, cycling, passenger transport and vehicles will intensify over time.

Forecast population growth, employment growth, and changes in land use activity (i.e. shopping facilities and recreational areas) around the Project Area will place increased pressure on transport facilities through the Basin Reserve.

High quality active mode and passenger transport connections through the Project Area are vital, given educational facilities in the area as well as the number of persons using active modes for trips less than 4 km that live in the Project Area.

During the peak commuter periods there will be a high demand for active modes, passenger transport and vehicles based on employment to/from the CBD and other community facilities in the local area (e.g. schools and the university).

5.2 Land Use

The area around the Basin Reserve comprises a mix of land uses, including commercial, residential and institutional, with some significant community facilities. The Basin Reserve, which is used for national and international cricket fixtures and recreational events such as Carols by Candle Light, can at times create a significant number of pedestrian movements in and around the Basin Reserve. In addition there are four schools in the area with approximately 3,000 students. Even though students tend to use public transport and private cars instead of walking to school, they do nevertheless generate a large number of pedestrian movements in and around the Basin Reserve. The Basin Reserve area is also home to several churches and Massey University’s Wellington Campus. Features of national significance include Government House to the south east and the National War Memorial on Buckle Street. Overseas dignitaries visiting New Zealand use the Basin Reserve to access Government House, and travel around the Basin Reserve during formal processions between Government House and Parliament. Figure 4- 20 shows the different land uses within the Project Area.

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Figure 4- 20: Predominant Land Uses within Project Area

5.3 Changes in Land Use

Land use and transportation demand are interconnected. Changes in land use influence transport demand and changes in the road network influence changes in land use.

With over 50%30 of population growth forecast to occur in the CBD, and a further 25% expected in suburban growth nodes at Johnsonville, Newtown and Kilbirnie the Project forms a key link between these nodes. The intensified growth will result in increased demands for walking and cycling, passenger transport, and private motor vehicles through the Basin Reserve area, in the north – south and east – west directions.

A key outcome from the Ngauranga to Airport strategy was to develop a passenger transport spine through Adelaide Road and Kent and Cambridge Terrace, which connects the CBD, Newtown and Kilbirnie growth nodes. The Project assists in realising this passenger transport spine by grade separating State highway traffic around the Basin Reserve. The Project outcomes will enable WCC to further develop the passenger transport spine and achieve the growth and development forecast.

In addition to these growth nodes identified above, there are further land use changes planned and proposed that are linked to the Project Area. These include:

Adelaide Road growth node; Rugby Street New World (consented) and John Street Countdown (built) supermarkets;

30 See Section 5.1 of this report.

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The Wellington Indoor Sports Centre (location built); Airport Retail Park (On-going Development); Airport Masterplan; and Miramar Peninsular growth plan and intensification.

The implications of these changes in land use include:

An increased demand for transport through the Basin Reserve using active transport modes, PT and vehicle trips; and

A reliance on good quality transport provision to facilitate development and meet the expectations of businesses and the community, especially for just in time operations at the airport and local businesses.

5.4 Pedestrians and Cyclists

This section discusses pedestrian and cyclist flows, existing facilities and demand in the Project Area. Facilities proposed in the Project Area are discussed in Section 8, when assessing the effects of the Project.

5.4.1 Pedestrian / Cycle Facilities

There are pedestrian footpaths on both sides of all roads around the Basin Reserve, and on the northern side of the Mount Victoria tunnel. Footpaths, shared paths, on road cycle facilities and formal crossings are shown in Figure 4- 21.

Figure 4- 21: Existing Pedestrian and Cycle Facilities

There are no pedestrian crossing facilities located on the western side of the Basin Reserve between Adelaide Road and Cambridge Terrace.

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There are very few facilities for cyclists around the Basin Reserve. There is a small section of marked cycle lane on the southeast corner of Rugby Street and Adelaide Road. Cyclists are able to cycle around the edge of the cricket grounds as an alternative to cycling around the Basin Reserve and use this route in preference to on road alternatives.

Through the Mount Victoria tunnel, cyclists are required to use the footpath which is shared with pedestrians. However, once cyclists exit the tunnel there are very few facilities for them on Paterson Street. Cyclists are not permitted on the Paterson Street footpath west of Brougham Street. Instead, cyclists must use Brougham Street then Ellice Street (or travel through the church car park) to access any locations west of the Mount Victoria tunnel.

A shared facility also runs along the north side of Buckle Street however it is not linked by a signalised cycle crossing due to the signal phasing and capacity at the Tory Street intersection.

The only signalised cyclist crossings within the Project Area are at the Adelaide Road/Rugby Street intersection and on the northern side of the Buckle Street/Taranaki Street intersection. At all other crossings cyclists are legally required to dismount when crossing.

5.4.2 Flows

On Tuesday 10 February 2009 pedestrian and cyclist count surveys were completed by videotaping six different intersections around the Basin Reserve between 7:00am and 6:00pm. The survey results are shown in Figure 4- 22 below. The counts were undertaken during February and were assumed to be higher than what would be typical in winter months.

Figure 4- 22: Location of Pedestrian and Cyclist Counts around the Basin Reserve (7:00am – 6:00pm) Pedestrian (P) and Cyclist (C)

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The numbers in Figure 4- 22 show the total number of pedestrians and cyclist (on or off road) passing through the intersection for the duration of the counts.

Pedestrians also cross the road at other uncontrolled locations around the Basin Reserve when traffic flows permit. Numbers of pedestrians making such movements were not captured in this survey but are expected to be low in comparison to the numbers that cross at controlled crossing points.

Further discussion around school travel patterns and pedestrian counts between 3 and 4 pm can be found in Section 5.9, Accessibility.

5.4.3 Movements and Desire Lines

On Friday 30 March, Tuesday 3 April and Thursday 5 April in 2012 pedestrian interception surveys were completed. The surveys were used to identify preferred routes of pedestrians in the Basin Reserve area. Information collected included the journeys’ origin street and suburb, destination street and suburb, route used, number of times a week the journey was made, and age and gender of the pedestrian.

A total of 1129 surveys were completed. When comparing this number to the pedestrian and cyclist counts completed in 2009 (Section 5.4.2) it shows that the sample size surveyed captures a significant percentage of the people that use the Basin Reserve area. Table 4- 2: 2009 and 2012 Pedestrian Survey Comparison below shows the 2009 pedestrian count numbers and the 2012 pedestrian surveyed number. Although the surveyed numbers only represent between 15 and 30% of the 2009 count number it is considered a large enough sample to draw sound inferences and supplement previous survey data to gain a greater understanding of movement patterns and desire lines.

Table 4- 2: 2009 and 2012 Pedestrian Survey Comparison

Intersection Time Period

2009 Pedestrian

Count

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Survey31

2021 Forecast Pedestrian Demand32

Buckle Street and Kent/Cambridge Terrace

8am-9am 352 60 436 3pm-4pm 166 53 206

Adelaide Road and Rugby Street

8am-9am 493 69 611 3pm-4pm 360 75 446

Analysis of the 2012 pedestrian survey is shown in Figure 4- 23. Although the survey collected origin, destination and route used information the analysis has assumed paths pedestrians would take. It was assumed that pedestrians would take the shortest path with the least number of road crossings along a given route. Figure 4- 23 includes these assumptions when illustrating the survey data.

31 Note that this is not the recorded number of pedestrians but is the number of completed surveys which formed the sample.

32 Pedestrian and cyclist assessment work has been completed for the economic appraisal of the shared path bridge facility. The assessment used 2006 census data and an assumed 2% growth rate per annum. These assumptions have been used to forecast pedestrian count figures for 2021 at these intersections.

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Figure 4- 23: 2012 Pedestrian Survey

Legend Survey Points Pedestrian Link Flows (All Ages) Count

51 - 100 101 - 150 151 - 200 201 - 250 251 - 278

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From Figure 4- 23 the following observations can be made:

The strongest desire line is north-south. There are frequent pedestrian movements along Tasman and Tory Streets More pedestrians walk on the eastern side of the Basin Reserve (via Rugby, Dufferin and

Ellice Streets) compared to the western side (Rugby and Sussex Streets) A large number of pedestrians use the Adelaide Road/Rugby Street and Paterson

Street/Dufferin Street intersections Few pedestrian movements head to Buckle Street.

Results from the survey can be found in Appendix 4-E.

5.4.4 Demand

There are a number of factors that can influence pedestrian and cyclist demand around the Basin Reserve. People are more likely to walk or cycle during the summer months when the weather is typically warmer and the days longer.

The nearby schools have an impact on pedestrian numbers, especially at the eastern side of the Basin Reserve where there are three schools located. Pedestrian flows are likely to be significantly lower during the summer holiday over December/January as well as during shorter school holidays in April, July and October.

The pedestrian interception surveys showed that in the morning (8-9 am) the number of pedestrians between 15 and 19 years of age was between 20 and 30 on Rugby Street, between Adelaide Road and Dufferin Street. In the afternoon (3-4 pm) this pattern differs significantly with a large number of pedestrians present between 15 and 19 years of age around the southern and eastern sides of the Basin Reserve as well as travelling through the reserve itself. Along Rugby Street these numbers are as high as 46 to 72. On Dufferin Street and Ellice Street the numbers reach between 31 and 45. Through the Basin Reserve the numbers are between 16 and 30. As discussed in Section 5.4.3 the survey results can be found in Appendix 4-E.

Game days at the Basin Reserve will also impact on pedestrian flows. During summer months both national and international cricket fixtures are held at the ground during weekdays and weekends, and can vary in length from one to five -days. These games, especially international fixtures, are likely to attract a significant number of pedestrians. The maximum capacity of the ground is 11,600 people. Crowds of this size can be expected up to two times per season with large international fixtures, with numerous other smaller crowd events such as provincial games. With minimal on-site car parking most of the spectators who drive, park on nearby streets or carparks and make their way to the ground on foot. Most of these spectators could be expected to access the ground from Adelaide Road or Kent/Cambridge Terrace.

Concerts such as ‘Carols by Candlelight’ and ‘Summerset’ are also held at the Basin Reserve over summer and can typically attract crowds of up to 7,000, again mostly pedestrians.

During winter months club rugby games are held at the Basin Reserve, although these do not typically attract large numbers of spectators.

Facilities available and heavy traffic also influence demand.

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5.5 Passenger Transport

5.5.1 Bus Stops

Figure 4- 24 shows the locations of the bus stops in the vicinity of the Basin Reserve. It also shows the distance between each stop.

Figure 4- 24: Bus Stop Locations

All bus stops except those immediately north and south of the Basin Reserve are closer than the best practice33 spacing of 400m between stops. Guidance also states that bus stops should be easily accessible and located close to major passenger attractors. Both of the stops on the south side of the Basin Reserve currently serve the major attractors of the schools and an opportunity exists to improve the stop capacity and design.

5.5.2 Bus Priority

The bus route from the Wellington CBD to southern Wellington via Kent/Cambridge Terrace and Adelaide Road is a major passenger transport spine. A key outcome of the Ngauranga to Airport Strategy Study and hence a core objective of the Project is to improve passenger transport operation along this spine. The four key transport elements to be led by NZTA in conjunction with WCC and GWRC in Wellington City included:

33 ARTA Bus Stop Infrastructure Guidelines 2009 and HiTrans Best Practice Design Principles 2005.

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A high quality and frequency PT spine;

Highly accessible and attractive ‘activity’ or shopping streets;

A reliable and accessible ‘ring’ or bypass route for vehicles; and

Interconnected and convenient local streets, walking, cycling and PT transport networks.

The planned growth node at Adelaide Road further emphasises the need to create a high quality passenger transport link between the southern suburbs and the CBD.

Currently seven different bus routes operate along Adelaide Road and travel directly through the Basin Reserve. In addition to the bus services on Adelaide Road, there are three routes which provide service on Wallace Street then Taranaki Street. Bus routes through the Project Area are summarised in Table 4- 3: Bus Services through the Basin Reserve:

Table 4- 3: Bus Services through the Basin Reserve Service Number Route Description1 Wellington - Island Bay 22 Mairangi - Wellington - Southgate 23 Mairangi - Wellington - Houghton Bay / Southgate 3 The Green Route (Lyall Bay - Wellington - Karori) 4 Wellington - Happy Valley 43 Khandallah - Wellington - Strathmore 44 Khandallah - Wellington - Strathmore

Note there are a large number of school buses passing through the area servicing St Marks/ Wellington East Girls’ College and Wellington College (refer to Section 5.5.4).

There is existing bus priority signal pre-emption at the Kent Terrace pedestrian crossing facility.

Bus lanes currently approach the Basin Reserve from the north and south. The northbound bus lane on Adelaide Road operates in the AM peak only and the southbound bus lane on Kent Terrace operates in the PM peak only.

Existing northbound AM Peak bus lanes along Adelaide Road – looking south.

Existing southbound PM Peak bus lanes along Kent Terrace – looking south.

Figure 4- 25: Bus Lanes on Adelaide Road and Kent Terrace

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WCC will be implementing bus schemes on Courtenay Place, Kent and Cambridge Terrace and Adelaide Road in the near future (assumed to be in 2021 modelling).

The Courtenay Place bus lanes will operate full time and the Kent/Cambridge Terrace and Adelaide Road bus lanes will operate during the AM and PM peak periods only.

5.5.3 Bus Passenger Volumes

The volume of passengers using passenger transport within the Project Area has been taken from the WTSM model. These numbers have been summarised in Table 4- 4 and Table 4- 5 for southbound and northbound passenger volumes respectively, for the AM, interpeak and PM peak periods34.

Table 4- 4: Southbound Passenger Transport Passenger Numbers35

Southbound - Do Minimum 2011 2021 2031

AM IP PM AM IP PM AM IP PM Kent Tce 419 346 1348 729 471 1718 619 468 1876

Ellice St 429 372 1402 732 500 1773 623 493 1930 Dufferin St (Nth of Paterson) 418 360 1360 715 485 1721 607 476 1864 Dufferin St (Sth of Paterson) 426 366 1368 723 492 1734 619 482 1880 Rugby St 337 387 1373 600 509 1732 528 496 1871 Adelaide Rd 337 387 1373 600 509 1732 528 496 1871

Table 4- 5: Northbound Passenger Transport Passenger Numbers

Northbound - Do Minimum 2011 2021 2031

AM IP PM AM IP PM AM IP PM Adelaide Rd 1954 322 496 2402 404 630 2341 414 695 Rugby St 1884 330 523 2325 426 671 2287 431 730 Sussex St 1884 330 523 2325 426 671 2287 431 730 Sussex St (Nth side of Basin Reserve) 1769 319 516 2195 423 806 2203 430 851 Cambridge Tce 1768 316 511 2193 422 802 2202 429 846

5.5.4 Boarding and Alighting Patterns

Surveys conducted in September 2009 collected data associated with the number of bus passengers boarding and alighting buses near the Basin Reserve. Surveyors travelled on buses recording the number of passengers boarding and alighting. At the same time they also recorded the time of arrival and departure at each bus stop. Surveys were completed for the AM (7-9 am), IP (11am-1pm) and PM (4-6pm) time periods.

Figure 4- 26 and Figure 4- 27 show the average passenger turnover for each of the bus stops surveyed.

34 AM Peak Period 7 – 9am, IP Period 11am – 1pm, PM 4 – 6pm.

35 WTSM 2011 Base PT Passenger Volumes.

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Figure 4- 26: Northbound Average Number of Boarding and Alighting Passengers

Figure 4- 27: Southbound Average Number of Boarding and Alighting Passengers

The stops on Kent and Cambridge Terrace adjacent to Vivian/Pirie Streets demonstrated reasonable levels of usage, with high levels boarding in the southbound direction and alighting in the northbound direction. It was assumed that this was associated with Mount Victoria residents and Wellington East Girls College students travelling to and from Newtown and the Southern suburbs.

The stops on Adelaide Road adjacent to Hospital Road also demonstrated reasonable levels of usage, with high levels boarding in the northbound direction and alighting in the southbound direction. It was assumed that this was associated with hospital staff and patients travelling to and from the CBD and northern/western suburbs.

The bus stops immediately south of the Basin Reserve on Adelaide Road were the busiest in the surveyed area for both boarding and alighting. It was observed that this was because these stops were the closest stops to the schools in the area and a significant number of students travel to school via conventional buses as opposed to school buses. This was reflected in the high number of alighting passengers in the AM peak in both directions.

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It is also the fare boundary and therefore passengers travelling south of this point in either direction pay an increased fare and consequently some passengers with destinations south of this point may get off and complete their journeys on foot and vice versa for northbound journeys.

5.5.5 Bus Occupancy

In September 2009 during the AM (7-9am), IP (11am-1pm) and PM (4-6pm) periods bus occupancy data was collected. Figure 4- 28 and Figure 4- 29 show the occupancy rate of buses passing around the Basin Reserve. The occupancy percentage is derived by assuming that the average bus has a maximum capacity of 67 passengers (44 seated and 23 standing)36. It should be noted however, that smaller buses are sometimes used on the corridor. Figure 4- 28 and Figure 4- 29 show the average occupancy for a full two hour peak period for all routes travelling around the Basin Reserve. It should be noted that certain routes are busier than others and that there are peaks in demand within the peak period which are not captured by these graphs. However, these figures clearly show the higher occupancy rates associated with the commuter peaks (i.e. northbound in the AM and southbound in the PM).

Figure 4- 28: Northbound Bus Occupancy (average)

36 Based on bus capacity data provided by Greater Wellington.

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Figure 4- 29: Southbound Bus Occupancy (average)

The buses were the most crowded during the Friday PM peak in the southbound direction and in the AM peak in the northbound direction. Generally the key strategic bus routes (1 and 3) were more crowded than the non-strategic bus routes (22, 23, 43 and 44)37.

A feature of both charts is that bus occupancy remains much the same through the study area, meaning the number of passengers boarding is similar to the number of passengers alighting. This means that currently most bus users travel through the area, rather than travelling to or from it. The proposed development of the Adelaide Road Growth Node is likely to increase the number of passengers in this area.

5.5.6 Journey Time and Travel Speed

In September 2009 during the AM (7-9am), IP (11am-1pm) and PM (4-6pm) periods bus travel speed and time data was collected. Figure 4- 30 displays the travel time for buses through the Project Area northbound between Adelaide Road and Cambridge Terrace (Douglas Street – pedestrian crossing) and southbound between Kent Terrace and Adelaide Road (Pedestrian crossing – Girton Terrace.

37 Strategic routes 1 and 3 serve Island Bay and Lyall Bay respectively. The non-strategic routes serve Southgate, Houghton Bay and Strathmore.

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Figure 4- 30: Bus travel time Adelaide Road and Kent/Cambridge Terrace

Table 4- 6 summarises the average travel speed38 of buses between stops near the Basin Reserve during the AM, IP, and PM periods in the northbound direction. It shows that northbound travel speeds are lowest between bus stops on Cambridge Terrace. Delays for this part of the bus route are caused by the Vivian Street/Cambridge Terrace intersection.

Table 4- 6: Northbound Average Journey Speeds

Section Average Speed (Km/h)

Bus Lane No. of Traffic Signals AM IP PM

Adelaide Road Southern End 29.2 26.5 21.0 AM Peak only 2 Adelaide Road Northern End 29.5 27.2 20.5 AM Peak only 0 Around the Basin Reserve 19.9 19.9 17.4 No 2 Cambridge Terrace 13.8 13.1 12.3 No 1

The Basin Reserve also has low travel speeds relative to Adelaide Road. This is because of the bus unfriendly geometric alignment (tight curve radii) and congestion. Also the buses have to switch lanes at least once during the route around the Basin Reserve; there are also many conflict points and poor signal interaction.

All of the peak periods show the same trend of increasing speeds as the distance from the CBD increases. The journey times along Adelaide Road in the AM peak are significantly better than in the PM peak because of the peak hour bus lanes.

Table 4- 7 summarises the average travel speed of buses near the Basin Reserve during the AM, IP, and PM periods in the southbound direction. Similar to the northbound direction, it shows that the largest southbound delay between bus stops is on Kent Terrace, closely followed by the Basin Reserve itself. Journey times along Adelaide Road are much better.

38 Average travel speed has been calculated from distance and time travelled over the different links.

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The table demonstrates the impact traffic congestion has on bus speeds. The primary reasons why travel speeds are lower on Kent Terrace and around the Basin Reserve are:

Buses must pass through Vivian/Kent Terrace intersection; and Buses must pass through the Dufferin/Paterson Street intersection.

Although southbound journeys have bus priority provision, the buses must still obey traffic signals. In the PM peak, bus priority allows buses to travel faster than private motorists. However they do not totally avoid delays associated with accommodating conflicting traffic flows and congestion.

Table 4- 7: Southbound Average Journey Speeds

Section Average Speed (Km/h)

Bus Lane No. of Traffic Signals AM IP PM

Kent Terrace 11.1 12.2 10.5 PM Peak only 1 Around the Basin Reserve 14.6 16.5 14.2 No 3 Adelaide Road Northern End 28.1 27.7 27.4 No 0 Adelaide Road Southern End 29.3 24.5 21.4 No 2

5.5.7 School Bus Services and Facilities

A large number of students use buses that service schools around the Basin Reserve. Table 4- 8 summarises the routes that service Wellington East Girl’s College. It should be noted that the routes with an * beside them also service St Marks School:

Table 4- 8: School Bus Routes

Service Number Route Description707 Wellington Station to Wellington East Girls 711* Moa Point to Wellington East Girls 712* Miramar to Basin Reserve 714 Strathmore to Wellington East Girls via Miramar, Kilbirnie, Hataitai 715* Lyall Bay to Wellington East Girls 725* Houghton Bay to Wellington Girls East College 734 Brooklyn to Wellington East Girls 720 Wellington East Girls to Seatoun 721 Wellington East Girls to Lyall Bay 722 Wellington East Girls to Strathmore 723 Wellington East Girls to Miramar 724 Wellington East Girls to Seatoun 728 Wellington East Girls to Happy Valley 730 Wellington East Girls to Island Bay 731 Wellington East Girls to Happy Valley 735 Wellington East Girls to Brooklyn

In total there are seven routes that service the WEGC in the morning, three of which also service St Marks School. In the afternoon nine routes service WEGC, none of these serve St Marks School. There are however four school buses that collect St Mark’s students after school directly.

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5.6 Emergency Services

Currently the Basin Reserve acts as a key north-south link to the Wellington Regional Hospital, and an east/west link between the CBD and the eastern suburbs. The operation of the Basin Reserve currently impacts the ability of emergency services to respond with State highway and local traffic demands conflicting and heavy congestion during peak periods and in the weekends which results in regular periods of “gridlock”.

The following are comments that have been received from key emergency service providers in relation to the Basin Reserve Project.

5.6.1 New Zealand Police

Discussions were held with the police and a written submission was made during the engagement process for the Project. The following concerns were raised during this liaison:

(a) Direct access to the Mount Victoria Tunnel from the central city and the ability to go direct from Newtown is required.

(b) The police have a growing number of dignitaries which they escort to Government House and the War Memorial. Visitors to the War Memorial may require temporary closure of Buckle Street and these closures may increase in frequency in the future.

(c) Concerns were raised about how traffic travels between Kent and Cambridge Terrace to Adelaide Road and vice versa.

(d) Parents and guardians of St Mark’s pupils who have parking issues are vocal.

(e) Police responses are more likely to require a car to go from the central city to the Eastern Suburbs rather than vice versa.

(f) Need to ease the pressure off the bottom end of Vivian Street.

(g) Network Access - For emergency response vehicles this should be provided to give efficient access to all parts of the new network.

5.6.2 New Zealand Fire Service

No submission was received from the NZ Fire Service. Feedback however was received from a meeting held in 2009, which included;

(a) The fire service raised they were finding it increasingly more difficult to travel between the city and Newtown.

(b) Fire engines go through the tunnel when travelling from the central city to the Eastern Suburbs as travelling around the bays is too slow.

(c) The fire service has stations at Kilbirnie, Brooklyn, Newtown and Oriental Bay.

(d) Fire engines are often called upon to go from Oriental Bay to the Eastern Suburbs.

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5.6.3 Wellington Free Ambulance

No written feedback was received from the Wellington Free Ambulance, however it is acknowledged that the Basin Reserve area is a key strategic linkage to and from the Wellington Hospital.

5.7 Road Network

5.7.1 Road Layout and Hierarchy

The road network within the Project Area consists of a hierarchy of roads which serve a variety of purposes. At the highest level is SH1. Currently, SH1 traffic must go around the Basin Reserve. At the next level are local arterials, which are important for the movement of traffic within the city. Examples of local arterials include Kent and Cambridge Terraces. There are then principal roads for example Adelaide Road, and local roads for example Tasman Street. Some of these roads are key corridors for passenger transport, walking and cycling. Figure 4- 31 illustrates the key corridors in Wellington City.

Figure 4- 31: Key corridors in Wellington City

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5.7.2 Existing Road Network

The following section describes the existing road environment within the Project Area.

During the peak periods the Basin Reserve operates at or above capacity. Inefficiencies arise from the conflicting requirements of SH1 east/west and local north/south movements. Subsequently both SH1 and local traffic face significant delay and congestion due to the limited road capacity and high demand. Figure 4- 32, below shows the number of lanes around the Basin Reserve and the signal locations (currently there are also signals at the Tory/Tasman/Buckle Street intersection however these are currently being removed as part of the Memorial Park Project).

Figure 4- 32: Existing Number of Lanes and Signal Locations

State highway 1 operates as a two way pair between the Terrace Tunnel and the Mount Victoria Tunnel.

Eastbound SH1:

Within the Project Area, eastbound SH1 consists of Vivian Street turning right into Kent Terrace and around the north eastern corner of the Basin Reserve via Ellice and Dufferin Streets, before turning left onto Paterson Street. These sections of State highway operate with different functions for WCC, with Kent Terrace, Ellice Street and Dufferin Street forming part

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of the city's passenger transport spine. Sections of this route also have high pedestrian and cyclist activity. A summary of the different roads that make up this section of the State highway are summarised below:

Vivian Street (Tory Street - Cambridge Terrace)

Vivian Street is a one way street with two lanes along its length opening out into three lanes at the Vivian/Cambridge intersection. These lanes are designated left, through and right, and right. Along the left hand side of Vivian Street there is parallel parking. Footpaths are provided on either side of the street with signalised pedestrian crossings at both the Vivian/Tory and Vivian/Cambridge intersections. At the Vivian/Cambridge intersection the pedestrian crossing on the northern side of the intersection allows pedestrians to cross both Cambridge and Kent Terrace however on the southern side pedestrians are only able to cross over Cambridge Terrace to the central island between Kent and Cambridge Terraces.

Kent Terrace (Pirie Street – Ellice Street)

As well as being designated State highway, along this section of Kent Terrace it also functions as an arterial road for Wellington City, providing a key link in the city’s passenger transport spine.

Kent Terrace is a one way street with three lanes for traffic and parallel parking and footpaths on either side. Between 4 and 6 pm the parking on the left hand side of Kent Terrace becomes a clear way for a PM peak period bus lane, creating four lanes along this section of State highway during this time.

Towards the Basin Reserve end of Kent Terrace there is a pedestrian crossing which provides a formal crossing point for pedestrians between Kent and Cambridge Terraces. There is also a bus pre-emption signal for bus priority at this location.

Ellice Street (Kent Terrace – Dufferin Street)

Similar to Kent Terrace, along this section of Ellice Street the road performs a dual role as State highway and as an arterial road for Wellington City, providing another link to the city’s passenger transport spine.

As well as providing access for Mount Victoria residents, Ellice Street provides access to/from Wellington East Girl’s College and St Joseph’s Catholic Church both of which are located on Ellice Street. The street also provides access for the Street City Church and the Greek Orthodox Church with both churches being located on Hania Street, which intersects with Ellice Street.

There are three lanes along this section of State highway, with parallel parking provision located on the left hand side and footpaths located on both sides. For pedestrians and dismounted cyclists to continue their journey around the Basin Reserve on the left hand side of Ellice Street they are required to cross at uncontrolled crossing points. To cycle through this section cyclists will be required to cycle in existing traffic lanes.

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Dufferin Street (Ellice Street – Paterson Street)

Similar again to Kent Terrace, along this section of Dufferin Street the road performs a dual role as State highway and as an arterial road for Wellington City, providing another link to the city’s passenger transport spine.

Dufferin Street widens into four lanes, two lanes being for eastbound State highway traffic turning left into Paterson Street to continue their journey through the Mount Victoria Tunnel and two lanes being for traffic continuing their journey though the Dufferin/Paterson intersection and around the Basin Reserve.

The Dufferin/Paterson intersection has signalised crossing facilities for pedestrians’ crossing over both Dufferin Street and Paterson Street. Along this section of State highway there is no parking provision.

Westbound SH1:

Within the Project Area, SH1 westbound travels along Paterson Street before entering the Basin Reserve gyratory. The highway travels around the Basin Reserve via Dufferin Street, Rugby Street, Sussex Street and onto Buckle Street. These different sections of westbound SH1 operate differently, with some roads forming part of the Wellington City passenger transport spine as well having high pedestrian numbers. A summary of the roads that make up westbound SH1 follow:

Paterson Street (Mount Victoria Tunnel – Dufferin Street)

Paterson Street operates with two lanes in each direction over much of its length. Westbound the State highway enters the Paterson/Dufferin intersection with two lanes, both turning left to continue around the Basin Reserve.

There are footpaths on both sides of Paterson Street with the northern path being a shared facility for both pedestrians and cyclists approaching the Mount Victoria Tunnel.

As noted previously at the Paterson/Dufferin intersection there are signalised pedestrian crossing facilities, however these are not cyclist crossings and therefore cyclists are not permitted to cycle across these crossings.

Dufferin Street (Paterson Street – Rugby Street)

As well as being designated State highway Dufferin Street continues to function as an arterial for Wellington City providing another link to the city’s passenger transport spine.

There are footpaths located on either side of Dufferin Street, with an access road along the left hand side for St Marks Church School. Along this access road there is parallel parking provision and a zebra crossing linking across to the school bus pick up and drop off facility. The access road is busy in the morning and afternoon when students are dropped off and collected.

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Rugby Street (Dufferin Street – Sussex Street)

As well as being designated State highway Rugby Street continues to function as an arterial for Wellington City providing another link to the city's passenger transport spine.

Between Dufferin Street and Adelaide Road, Rugby Street has four lanes that flare out into five lanes at the Adelaide/Rugby intersection. At this intersection there are two left turning lanes that continue down Adelaide Road and three through lanes that continue around the Basin Reserve. At the Adelaide/Rugby intersection there are also cyclist crossing facilities, providing crossing provision for both pedestrians and cyclists. There are also short sections of shared paths on Adelaide Road for northbound and southbound cyclists, and a short section of cycle lane for southbound cyclists.

Between Dufferin and Adelaide Road there is also parallel parking and footpaths located on both sides of Rugby Street.

After the Adelaide/Rugby intersection parallel parking is only provided on the right hand side of Rugby Street. Footpaths continue on both sides, however for pedestrians located on the left hand side to continue their journey around the Basin Reserve they are required to cross at uncontrolled crossing locations at the Rugby/Sussex intersection and Belfast Street.

Sussex Street (Rugby Street – Buckle Street)

As well as being designated State highway Sussex Street continues to function as an arterial for Wellington City providing another link to the city’s passenger transport spine.

Along this section of Sussex Street there are three lanes, footpaths on both sides and parallel parking provision on the left hand side only. At the Sussex/Buckle intersection the three lanes are designated left only, left and right, and right only. There are no formalised pedestrian crossings along Sussex Street.

Buckle Street and Arthur Street (Sussex Street – Cuba Street)

Between Sussex Street and Cuba Street the State highway operates as two lanes. There is an access road that runs along the left hand side of the State highway. It should also be noted that this area includes the proposed Memorial Park Project and NZTA has plans to optimise the ICB beyond Taranaki Street in the future (prior 2021).

5.7.3 NZTA Traffic Count Sites

Average Annual Daily Traffic Volumes39 and heavy vehicle percentages for various locations on State Highway 1 within the Project Area have been summarised in Table 4- 9 and are shown in Figure 4- 33.

39 Source: State Highway Traffic Volume Data Booklet 2007 - 2011 (NZTA).

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Table 4- 9: Average Annual Daily Traffic Volumes on SH1

State Highway Route Position (Street) Average Annual Daily Traffic Volumes 2007 - 2011

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 HCV %

SH1/1068/6 (Terrace Tunnel)* 43,688 45,394 45,865 45,337 40,882 2.9

SH1/1075/0.45 (Vivian St) 19,364 20,890 21,383 21,216 20,076 2.8

SH1/1075/1.5 (Kent Terrace)** 19,332 19,376 19,480 19,283 17,891 4

SH1/1075/1.5 (Buckle St) 19,332 19,376 19,480 19,283 17,891 4

SH1/1076/0.25 (Patterson St)* 38,663 38,751 38,960 38,565 35,782 4

*Two way traffic volumes

** Count data is from a virtual TMS count site (i.e. count data has been assumed by halving Paterson Street count site data. It has not taken into account the traffic volume travelling from Kent Terrace to Dufferin Street).

Figure 4- 33: Annual Average Daily Traffic, 2007 – 2011

It should be noted that between December 2010 and March 2012 the Terrace Tunnel and Mount Victoria Tunnel were upgraded. The upgrades resulted in the tunnels having extensive closures, causing motorists to re-route during these periods. The annual average daily traffic has declined during this time and can be assumed to be as a result of these closures. Traffic flows were compared between 1 and 7 July and August for 2009 and 2012, which confirms traffic volumes have increased from before the tunnel upgrades to after they were completed40.

40 Site: 01N01076 (Patterson St (South of Basin Reserve)) SH 1N RS 1076 RP 0.250, 1-7 July weekly traffic volumes in 2009 (before upgrade) was 266,815 and in 2012 (after the upgrade was completed) was 269,107

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Average week day and weekend hourly traffic volume flow profiles are shown in Figure 4- 34 - Figure 4- 3641.

Figure 4- 34: Vivian Street 2011 Average Hourly Flow Profile

Figure 4- 35: Paterson St 2011 Average Hourly Flow Profile Eastbound

(3,076 increase). 1-7 August weekly traffic volumes in 2009 (before upgrade) was 268,601 and in 2012 (after the upgrade was completed) it was 271,677 (3,076 increase).

41 Note average hourly flow profiles were not produced for SH1/1068/6 (located at the Terrace Tunnel and considered outside of the Project area) and SH1/1075/1.5, SH1/1075/1.5 (both sites are virtual count sites). Average weekday and weekend hourly flows have been produced using the first week of each month in 2011 (i.e. 1st to 7th of January through to December, 2011).

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Figure 4- 36: Paterson St 2011 Average Hourly Flow Profile Westbound

From the flow profiles it can be seen that average hourly flows are ceiling at around 1,500 – 1,600 vehicles/h and as a result some peak spreading is increasingly likely to occur as traffic volumes grow over time. It should be noted that these traffic count stations only record passing traffic and if traffic is held back at any other points on the network as a result of congestion then the demand flows could be somewhat higher. Summary descriptions of each of the above flow profiles (Figure 4- 34 to Figure 4- 36) are provided below:

Vivian Street (Figure 4- 34)

In the week days it can be seen there are morning and evening peaks. It also shows that flows start building up from 6 am and drop off by 9 pm. Between the peak periods traffic volumes stay at approximately 1400 vehicles per hour.

During the weekend traffic volumes begin to increase at 7 am and continue to approximately 11 am where they stabilise until 5 pm at approximately 1500 vehicles per hour. After 5 pm traffic volumes start to decrease again.

Paterson Street (eastbound) (Figure 4- 35)

In the week days it can be seen there are morning and evening peaks, with the evening peak being significantly larger than the morning. After the morning peak from approximately 11 am traffic volumes start to increase again to the evening peak. Traffic volumes start to build up from 6 am and drop off by 9 pm.

During the weekend traffic volumes begin to increase at 7 am and continue to approximately 12 pm where they stabilise until 5 pm at approximately 1450 vehicles per hour. After 5 pm traffic volumes start to decrease again.

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Paterson Street (westbound) (Figure 4- 36)

In the week days it can be seen there are morning and evening peaks, with the morning peak being significantly larger than the evening. Between the peak periods traffic volumes stay at approximately 1300 vehicles per hour. Again traffic volumes start to build up from 6 am and drop off again by 9 pm.

During the weekend traffic volumes begin to increase at 7 am and continue to approximately 12 pm where they stabilise until 5 pm at approximately 1450 vehicles per hour. After 5 pm traffic volumes start to decrease again.

5.7.4 Crash History

The road safety analysis has been completed using data from NZTA’s Crash Analysis System (CAS) for a five year period between 1 April 2007 and the 31 March 2012. The CAS system catalogues fatal, serious, minor and non-injury crashes. There is however no legal requirement to record non-injury crashes, which therefore may be understated in this analysis. Figure 4- 37 below shows the crash analysis area.

It should be noted that the ICB Project was opened in 2007 and as a result, some changes to intersections and traffic flows were still occurring in 2007, while there is also a settling down period for new schemes.

Figure 4- 37: Crash Analysis Area

Crash History

A total of 304 crashes have been recorded over the five year period in the vicinity of the Basin Reserve. Of these crashes one has resulted in a fatality, five in serious injury, 48 in minor injury and 250 non-injury. The fatality occurred west of the Taranaki Street/Arthur Street intersection and involved a vehicle travelling westbound on SH1 colliding with an intoxicated pedestrian. The serious injury crashes occurred at the following locations:

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Cambridge Terrace, involving a vehicle losing control whilst turning left. The collision was caused by an illness, such as a heart attack,

Ellice Street, where a southbound vehicle hit a cyclist travelling on incorrect side of the island,

Rugby Street, where a westbound stolen vehicle lost control turning right.

SH1 southbound at the intersection with Ellice Street, where a vehicle did not give way to traffic coming from the right, and

SH1 westbound vehicle lost control travelling too fast and hit the Dufferin/Paterson intersection island.

Pedestrians and cyclists make up 6 per cent of the road users who have been involved in crashes in this area. WCC and GWRC measure travel patterns and model split for trips entering the CBD. For a typical AM peak period the modal split for pedestrians and cyclists is 13%, which indicates that the pedestrian and cyclist make up of crashes in the area is low for Wellington.

The majority (58%) crashes have occurred at intersections. Environmental conditions (such as wet or dark conditions) have not been a prominent factor in crashes around the Basin Reserve.

43 per cent of all crashes are of the rear end/obstruction type. This is typical for a highly congested urban area (such as the Basin Reserve). In these locations merging and intersection queuing is often present. With traffic volumes in excess of 35,000 vehicles per day 42 the potential for this type of conflict is high.

Crash Locations

Any crashes occurring within 35 metres43 of each other were grouped to identify any locations with a high incidence of crashes. Five key crash locations (20 or more crashes) near the Basin Reserve were found, as shown in Figure 4- 38 and Table 4- 10.

42 NZTA TMS count data base site ID: 01N01076 Paterson St (Sth of Basin Reserve). 43 “Hazardous location” defined as five or more crashes; or three injury crashes over the last five year period within a 35m radius.

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Figure 4- 38: Number of Crashes by Location (reference CAS 2011) Table 4- 10: Crash Locations

Crash Location Total Crashes Percentage of All CrashesRugby/Adelaide 46 15% Vivian/Cambridge/Kent/Pirie 43 14% Rugby/Sussex 32 11% Paterson/Dufferin 31 10% Buckle/Taranaki 26 9% All other locations 126 41% Total 304 100%

Table 4- 11: Crash Summary

Year Fatal Serious Minor Non-injury2007 0 2 12 63 2008 0 1 14 70 2009 0 0 8 52 2010 0 1 8 36 2011 1 1 6 29 Total 1 5 48 250

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Details of the types of crashes and influencing factors at these locations are provided in Appendix 4-F.

Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety

During the five year period, a total of 18 pedestrian or cyclist crashes were recorded as shown in Table 4- 12 . There was one fatality, 1 serious injury, 14 minor injury and 2 non-injury crashes. Despite the intersection of Dufferin Street and Paterson Street being the closest intersection to three schools, there have been no pedestrian or cyclist crashes at this location.

Table 4- 12: Pedestrian and Cyclist Crash Summary Year Fatal Serious Minor Non-injury2007 3 2008 1 5 1 2009 2 1 2010 2 2011 1 2 Total 1 1 14 2

It should be noted that the fatality involved a pedestrian and occurred 10 m west of the Buckle/Taranaki intersection on Arthur Street. The crash has been included in our analysis because it was within 35m of the intersection.

At the Adelaide Road/Rugby Street intersection there were four crashes recorded, all involving cyclists. All crashes occurred during daylight in fine weather conditions. The crashes included; a car travelling south on Adelaide Road overtaking a cyclist too closely, a car opening a door inadvertently, a car travelling westbound on SH1 hitting a cyclist crossing on a green light, and a car not stopping at a steady amber light hitting a cyclist crossing before looking.

Summary

Based on the above analysis the following conclusions can be drawn:

Crashes occurring within the gyratory are unlikely to involve serious injury. The low speed, congested environment means that the majority of crashes are typically non-injury and are of the rear end/obstruction crash type.

In general, environmental conditions are not a significant factor in the Project Area’s crash history.

Pedestrian and cyclists account for 6 per cent of all road users involved in crashes within the Project Area. The mode spilt for pedestrians and cyclists is approximately 13% indicating proportionally the number of crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists is low for the area.

More crashes occur at intersections around the Basin Reserve than midblock. Conflict occurs between a variety of transport modes and desired movements on a daily basis at these locations.

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5.7.5 Project Traffic Counts

Traffic counts around the Basin Reserve were completed in February and March 2009, with the base s-Paramics and WTM models being validated with this data. Figure 4- 39 shows the location of each of the count sites where the data was collected. Table 4- 13 summarises the number of cars and heavy commercial vehicles counted during each of the peak periods on 10 February 2009. It should be noted that this data represents a snapshot of travel patterns for this particular date.

Figure 4- 39: Project Traffic Count Locations, 2009 Table 4- 13: Traffic Count Data, 10 February 2009

Ref. Movement AM IP PMHCV Cars HCV Cars HCV Cars

1 Adelaide (S) left to Rugby (W) 16 964 36 804 10 865

2 Rugby (E) left to Adelaide (S) 15 425 16 498 11 632

3 Rugby (E) through Rugby (W) 22 1694 43 1091 9 1329

4 Paterson (E) left to Dufferin (S) 22 1437 54 1083 20 1247

5 Kent (N) left to Paterson (E) 29 1025 31 1185 11 1485

6 Kent (N) through Dufferin (S) 15 682 5 506 0 714

7 Buckle (W) left to Cambridge (N) 6 951 16 627 5 868

8 Buckle (W) through Dufferin (E) 0 0 0 6 0 62

9 Dufferin (W) left to Hania St 0 28 0 41 0 22

10 Dufferin (W) though Ellice St 0 155 0 79 0 58

11 Hania St (N) through Dufferin St 0 41 0 46 0 98

12 Ellice St (E) left to Dufferin St 0 100 0 50 0 144

13 Sussex (S) left to Buckle (W) 25 1542 71 1293 25 1230

14 Sussex (S) right to Buckle (E) 13 1189 8 633 6 803

15 Rugby (E) through Rugby (W) 0 29 0 38 0 65

16 Rugby (W) left to Sussex (N) 0 61 0 31 0 30

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The AM, inter-peak and PM peak period counts correspond to 8-9am, noon-1pm, and 5-6pm respectively. Overall heavy commercial vehicles account for approximately two per cent of the traffic utilising the Basin Reserve. This is low compared to other parts of the State highway network and is likely to be more reflective of the high number of light goods vehicles using SH1 for local trips and the urban nature of the Project Area. There are also a small number of HCVs carrying dangerous goods that use Oriental Bay instead of SH1 and the Mount Victoria and Terrace Tunnels due to the presence of vehicle restrictions.

5.7.6 Modelled Traffic Flows

The following section provides a summary of the modelled traffic flows across the Project Area as obtained from the Project assignment WTA model44 discussed in Section 3. A comparison of the baseline 2009 traffic flows with the forecast Do Minimum traffic flows (excluding the Project however including planned transportation initiatives) in 2021 is addressed.

The traffic flows for 2009 and 2021 are shown in Figure 4- 40 and Figure 4- 41, and summarised in Table 4- 14 - Table 4- 16. The summary tables include the percentage change in traffic growth from 2009 to 2021.

44 AM, IP and PM traffic flows are obtained from the WTA model and the AADT is derived using factors against each of the peak period flows (2xAM + 10xIP + 2xPM).

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Figure 4- 40: Base Model Traffic Flows, 2009

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Figure 4- 41: Do Minimum Traffic Flows, 2021

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Table 4- 14: 2009 and 2021 Do Minimum SH1 Eastbound Daily Flows (Vehicles per Day)

Location Base (2009) Do-Min (2021)

Relative Change45

% Change

Kent Terrace 25,200 28,900 3,700 15%

Ellice Street (SH1 Eastbound) 27,700 30,500 2,800 10%

Paterson Street Eastbound 18,500 18,700 200 1%

Table 4- 15: 2009 and 2021 Do Minimum SH1 Westbound Daily Flows (Vehicles per Day)


Relative Change

% Change

Paterson Street Westbound 19,300 19,600 300 2%

Rugby Street east (at Dufferin intersection) 28,000 31,200 3,200 11%

Rugby Street (through intersection) 20,400 21,100 700 3%

Sussex Street 30,600 33,000 2,400 8%

Buckle Street 21,000 21,200 200 1%

Wider network effects of the growth from 2009 to 2021 are shown in Table 4- 16.

Table 4- 16: 2009 and 2021 Daily Flows on Selected Roads within Road Network (Vehicles per Day)


Relative Change % Change

Adelaide Road NB 11,200 13,300 2,100 19%

Adelaide Road SB 7,600 10,100 2,500 33%

Cambridge Terrace 10,900 11,500 600 6%

Taranaki Street, two way (ICB - Vivian) 17,500 20,100 2,600 15%

Tasman Street, two way (Rugby - Buckle) 3,400 1,600 -1,800 ‐53%

Tory Street, two way (Buckle - Vivian) 8,200 5,700 -2,500 ‐30%

The following observations can be made from Table 4- 14 - Table 4- 16:

Traffic volumes are expected to increase for SH1 eastbound up to Paterson Street. The relative change shown in Table 4- 14 for Paterson Street shows only a minor increase in flow. The Mount Victoria Tunnel is already operating at or near capacity and as a result there is very little growth predicted.

Westbound State highway traffic volumes are expected to increase on Paterson Street to Sussex Street, and a slight increase on Buckle Street. The introduction of the Memorial Park Project limits access to and from SH1 via Tasman and Tory Streets which in turn reduces traffic.

45 It is of note that in modelling the 2021 Do Minimum, matrices and networks have been modified (as compared with the 2009 Base Model) to allow for known planned changes to the network as well changes in land use and population/ employment. Key changes to the transport network have included: bus lanes on Manners Mall, Courtenay Place, Adelaide Road and Kent/Cambridge Terraces; signals at Hanson/John Street, Riddiford/Hospital, Constable/Owen, Mulgrave/Aitken; speed reductions on Tory and Cuba Street. These changes all affect the forecasted traffic volumes and provide a more accurate basis for understanding transport and for assessing potential effects.

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On local roads traffic volumes are expected to increase on Adelaide Road, Cambridge Terrace and Taranaki Street. The most noticeable increase is on Adelaide Road, southbound. There is a reduction of traffic on Tory and Tasman Street as a result of the Memorial Park Project as identified above.

On other local roads such as Wallace Street and Evans Bay Parade and Oriental Parade traffic volumes also increase.

Reference should be made to Appendix 4-G for model outputs in more detail.

5.7.7 Level of Service and Link Capacity Demand

Level of service (LOS) is a qualitative measure which describes operational conditions and perception of these conditions by motorists and/or passengers. LOS generally describes operational conditions such as speed, travel time, freedom to manoeuvre, traffic interruptions, comfort, convenience and safety.

LOS analysis has been based on SATURN model link demand flows only and does not include the LOS at intersections. The LOS of intersections has been assessed by queue lengths and journey times, which has provided a more robust way of assessing the performance of the different intersections within the study area46.

LOS was computed using the degree of saturation criteria47 from the Highway Capacity Manual shown in Table 4- 17 and lane capacity defined in Table 4- 18. Measuring the LOS gives a quantitative value to assess the networks performance against.

The LOS and capacity of the eastbound and westbound journeys through the Basin Reserve for the Base and 2021 forecast Do Minimum year are shown in Figure 4- 42 to Figure 4- 45.

Table 4- 17: LOS Classification Data (Volume/Capacity classification) Lower Upper CapacityLOS A 0 0.1999 Below Capacity LOS B 0.2 0.3999 Below Capacity LOS C 0.4 0.5999 Below Capacity LOS D 0.6 0.7999 Approaching capacity LOS E 0.8 0.9999 At capacity LOS F 1.0 10 Above capacity

Table 4- 18: Assumed Link Capacities

Link Capacities (per lane) pcu / hrAt Grade Road 1400 Mount Victoria Tunnel 1600 Grade Separated 1900

46 Further detail on LOS of intersections can be found in Section 5.7.9.

47 LOS A corresponds to V/C ratio of 0-20%, LOS B corresponds to V/C ratio of 20-39%, LOS C corresponds to V/C ratio of 40-59%, LOS D corresponds to V/C ratio of 60-79%, LOS E corresponds to V/C ratio of 80-99%, LOS F corresponds to V/C ratio of 100% or greater. A desirable outcome for the Project given the urban environment is a LOS C/D.

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2009 Eastbound Journey

Figure 4- 42: Base Scenario Eastbound Journey 2009

Figure 4- 42 shows that in 2009 Vivian Street operates at an LOS C with two lane capacity in both the AM and PM peak periods. Kent Terrace operates at an LOS C in the AM and D in the PM peak periods, with three lane capacity. Dufferin Street and Paterson Street operate at LOS D in both the AM and PM peaks with two lane capacity. At the Mount Victoria Tunnel the LOS is F with only one lane capacity.

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2009 Westbound Journey

Figure 4- 43: Base Scenario Westbound Journey 2009

Figure 4- 43 shows that the Mount Victoria Tunnel is a constraint, operating at LOS F in the AM and E in the PM peaks. On Paterson Street the LOS improves to C for both peaks with three lane capacity. The LOS drops again on Dufferin Street to an E for both peaks. On Rugby Street the capacity increases to three lanes and the LOS improves to C in the AM and B in the PM before Adelaide Road dropping to D after Adelaide Road for both peaks. The Buckle Street LOS before and after Tory Street is C and D respectively, with lane capacity of two.

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2021 Do Minimum Eastbound Journey

Figure 4- 44: Do Minimum Scenario Eastbound Journey 2021

Figure 4- 44 shows that in 2021 Vivian Street will operate at LOS E and D in the AM and D in the PM with two lane capacity. Kent Terrace operates at LOS D for both peaks although the lane capacity increases to three. Dufferin Street has LOS F in both peaks and Paterson Street operates at LOS C in the AM and D in the PM. Both Dufferin and Paterson have two lane capacity. The Mount Victoria Tunnel LOS is F for both peaks, with the PM peak indicating operation is particularly constrained with demand far exceeding the available capacity of one lane.

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2021 Do Minimum Westbound Journey

Figure 4- 45: Do Minimum Scenario Westbound Journey 2021

Figure 4- 45 shows that the Mount Victoria Tunnel operates at LOS F in the AM and E in the PM peaks. Again the demand in the AM exceeds the available capacity through the tunnel. On Paterson Street the LOS is D in the AM and C in the PM peaks, and the lane capacity increases from one lane to two. At Dufferin Street the LOS is F in the AM and E in the PM peaks. Rugby Street the capacity increases to three lanes and the LOS improves to LOS E in the AM and D in the PM peaks. From Sussex to Cuba to LOS is D in the AM. In the AM is to D between Sussex and Taranaki then drops to E until Cuba. There is two lane capacity along this section.

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5.7.8 Existing and Future Journey Times

The existing week day (recorded in 2009) and weekend (recorded in 2011) journey times were collected to inform the Project and provide inputs into the development and validation of the s-Paramics model. The journey times have been presented for the key SH1 corridor in Figure 4- 46 below. Figure 4- 46 displays the average journey times as well as the range (variability bars). For SH1 westbound the average journey time is between 387 and 932 seconds in in the eastbound direction the average journey time ranges between 391 and 784 seconds.

Figure 4- 46: Key SH1 Corridor 2009 Surveyed Journey Times (Evans Bay Parade – Willis Street)

Figure 4- 46 also displays the weekend (WKD) peak journey times and the journey time variability associated with the recorded data over the periods in which it was collected. It is evident that there are significant differences in journey time between periods and also travel at different times within the same peak period. For example a trip on this section of SH1 between the CBD and the airport in the PM peak is likely to take twice the time that the same trip takes in the AM or interpeak, while also being subject to 28% variability during the same peak period. This makes trip planning difficult and uncertain for those motorists and freight movements travelling on SH1, especially relevant to airport users.

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The variability of journey times experienced is an important consideration for the existing users of SH1. When travellers plan their trip, they need to allow not only for the expected travel time but also its variability, particularly if their arrival time at their destination is critical (i.e. travelling to the airport). The following journey time variability observations from the existing surveyed data can be made from Figure 4- 46:

In the AM Peak SH1 westbound is subject to 24% variability, whilst SH1 eastbound is subject to 11%.

In the IP period both SH1 westbound and eastbound are subject to 3% and 6% variability respectively.

In the PM peak period variability is as high as 28% for SH1 eastbound. SH1 westbound variability is 11%.

Weekend variability is higher for westbound SH1 than a week day IP period, with variability of 13%. Eastbound SH1 experiences similar variability to an IP period, 5%.

The s-Paramics model was used to derive journey times along selected key routes through the Project Area, Figure 4- 47. Journey times48 for the forecast 2021 Do Minimum are summarised in Table 4- 19.

48 Based on the Paramics model outputs, average of multiple runs. SH1 EB (Terrace off ramp - Goa St); SH1 WB (Goa St to Boulcott St on ramp); Kent Tce to Adelaide Rd (Courtenay Pl - Hospital Rd); Cambridge Tce to Adelaide Rd (Hospital Rd - Courtenay Pl); Adelaide Rd to Taranaki St (Hospital Rd – Taranaki St); Tory St SB (Vivian St – Buckle St); Tasman St SB (Buckle St – Rugby St); Tasman St NB (Rugby St – Buckle St); Tory St NB (Buckle St – Vivian St); Taranaki St SB (Courtenay Pl – Bidwell St); Taranaki St NB (Bidwell St - Courtenay Pl); Brooklyn Rd to Willis St (Nairn St – Dixon St).

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Figure 4- 47: Selected Routes Journey Times Table 4- 19: Do Minimum Journey Times on Selected Routes for 2021 Peak Periods (seconds)49

Route Length(km)

AM IP PM

1 SH1 EB 4.19 468 378 492 2 SH1 WB 4.18 841 381 7513 Kent Terrace to Adelaide Road 1.57 238 222 2734 Adelaide Road to Cambridge Terrace 1.59 305 208 2385 Adelaide Road to Taranaki Street 1.20 295 146 2416 Tory St SB 0.28 36 34 387 Tasman St SB 0.21 24 23 238 Tasman St NB 0.21 26 31 299 Tory St NB 0.28 61 63 5210 Taranaki Street SB 1.12 157 167 21611 Taranaki Street NB 1.12 219 192 18712 Brooklyn Road to Willis Street 1.15 354 233 358

49 Comparing 2021 with 2009 Base model, journey time differences for key movements are up to: 100%, SH1 westbound in AM peak; 9%, SH1 eastbound in AM peak; 22% Adelaide to Cambridge PM peak; and 34% Kent Terrace to Adelaide Road PM peak.

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From the 2021 Do Min modelled data the following observations can be made from Table 4-19 regarding variability between the AM, IP and PM peak periods:

SH1 eastbound journeys times vary by up to 114 seconds (between IP and PM periods), and westbound by 460 seconds (between AM and IP periods).

Adelaide Road to Taranaki Street has high journey time variability, up to 149 seconds between the AM and IP periods.

The Kent Terrace to Adelaide Road route shows variability of 51 seconds between the IP and PM periods.

The Adelaide Road to Cambridge Terrace route shows variability of 97 seconds in the AM peak.

5.7.9 Queues

Modelled queue lengths50 at key intersections for the forecast 2021 Do Minimum AM and PM peak periods are shown in Table 4- 20. The key intersection locations are shown in Figure 4- 48.

Figure 4- 48: Key Intersections

50 Based on average of multiple Paramics model outputs. Average of maximum queue length in a lane. AM 8-9am, IP 12-1pm, 5-6pm.

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Table 4- 20: 2021 Queue Lengths (maximum number of vehicles in queue/lane)

Route AM IP PM

1 Vivian St intersection with Tory St 10 7 62 Vivian St intersection with Kent Tce 17 15 7 Cambridge Tce intersection with Vivian St 14 7 7 Pirie St intersection with Kent Tce 7 8 6

Kent Tce intersection with Pirie St 12 12 12

3 Taurima St intersection with Ruahine St 1 22 7 7

Taurima St intersection with Ruahine St 2 0 0 0


4 Kent Tce pedestrian Signals 10 9 6

5 Hania St intersection with Ellice St 18 0 9

6 Dufferin St intersection with Paterson St 11 7 6

Paterson St intersection with Dufferin St 29 12 23

7 Rugby St intersection with Adelaide Rd 12 6 12

Adelaide Road intersection with Rugby St 21 12 9

8 Buckle St intersection with Taranaki St 43 12 17

Taranaki St (SB) intersection with Buckle St 8 7 10

Taranaki St (SB) intersection with Buckle St RT 4 4 5

Taranaki St (NB) intersection with Buckle St 20 6 7

9 Buckle St intersection with Cuba St 8 6 5

From Table 4- 20 it can be seen that:

The queue length for right turning vehicles out of the Taurima intersection with Ruahine Street is high (28 vehicles).

The queue length at the Paterson intersection with Dufferin is high in both the AM (29 vehicles) and PM (23 vehicles) peaks.

The Buckle Street intersection with Taranaki Street queue length is 43 vehicles long in the AM peak.

The queue length at the Taranaki Street (NB) intersection with Buckle Street is 20 vehicles.

In summary the following links and intersections form major constraints in the immediate vicinity of the Basin Reserve:

The Dufferin / Paterson intersection constrains traffic flow on the network. At this intersection there is a high demand for the eastbound movement along Dufferin Street and also the westbound movement. These movements conflict and the traffic signal timing must balance the time allocated to each movement.

The Adelaide /Rugby intersection is also congested, however the Paterson / Dufferin intersection is the bottleneck and therefore it limits how much traffic can reach the Adelaide /Rugby intersection. Traffic signal coordination between the two intersections increases the efficiency of the Adelaide / Rugby intersection; however any capacity improvements to the Dufferin /Paterson intersection will only result in the Adelaide /Rugby intersection becoming more congested due to more traffic being able to reach it.

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Forecast 2021 Do Minimum traffic volumes on SH1 are restricted by the capacity of the Mount Victoria tunnel. Since demand for travel between the eastern suburbs and the CBD or the north continues to grow, additional traffic routes via local roads such as Constable Street/Adelaide Road or Evans Bay Parade will be used.

5.7.10 Overall Network Statistics

The overall network statistics have been extracted from the SATURN modelling for the entire Wellington City model area, displaying that the total travel time and delay increases significantly between 2009 and the 2021 and 2031 Do Minimum years (refer Appendix 4-G). The increase in total delay time is up to 74% and travel time is up to 35% between 2009 and 2031 despite significant transport improvements in the Do Minimum such as Mount Victoria and Terrace tunnel duplication and ICB improvements. These results emphasise the deterioration of the network in future years despite significant planned investment without the Project.

5.8 Parking

Within the study area in Figure 4- 49 a range of different parking spaces have been identified including: coupon, residential, pay and display and public parking, both on and off street. Table 4- 21 summarises the number of parks that have been assumed within each of the areas identified below in Figure 4- 49. These numbers have formed the basis for calculations using parking survey information completed in April 2012.

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Figure 4- 49: Parking Study Area

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Table 4- 21: Existing Parking Spaces

Location Parks51 Utilisation Assessment

Vivian Street 18 Low to medium utilisation during weekday peak hours and high utilisation during weekday evenings and during weekend

Pirie Street 5 Well utilised

Hania Street 1 28 Well utilised during the day on a weekday and well utilised on a Sunday

The Street Church Private Parking

20 Not well utilised during the week and on a Sunday 70% utilisation

Hania Street 2 30 Well utilised

Hania Street 3 8 Well utilised during the day on a weekday and well utilised on a Sunday

Ellice/Dufferin Corner

5 Well utilised in the morning and early afternoon on a weekday and on a Sunday

Ellice Street 1 21 Not well utilised during a weekday (approximately 50% utilisation), on a Sunday the parks are well utilised

Ellice Street 1 Residential

5 Not well utilised both weekday and weekends the parks are at 40-60% utilisation)

St Joseph's Church Private Parking

41 During a weekday there is 17-61% utilisation of the parking spaces. On a Sunday the car park is well utilised

Brougham Street 9 Average utilisation on a weekday ranging from 11-89%. On Sunday well utilised

Brougham Street Residential

5 Not well utilised on a weekday (0-40%) on a Sunday average utilisation (60-80%)

Ellice Street 2 22 Average to well utilised on a weekday (32-100%). On a Sunday the parks are well utilised (73-95%)


5 Well utilised in the morning and evening during a week day, and during the day the parks have average utilisation (20-80%). High utilisation on a Sunday

Ellice Street 3 6 Average utilisation during a week day (17-83%) with high utilisation in evening. Average utilisation during a Sunday (50-67%)

Ellice Street 3 Bus Stop Parks

6 Average utilisation in the morning and evening on a week day (17-50%) with no utilisation during the day. Low to average utilisation on a Sunday (33-50%)

Ellice Street 4 10 Well utilised in the morning (100%) and evening (75-92%) and average utilisation during the day (50-67%). Well utilised on a Sunday


7 Well utilised during a weekday and Sunday.

Austin Street 1 6 Average utilisation (33-67%) during a week day and weekend

Austin Street 1 Residential

4 Average to well utilised (67-100%)

Ellice Street Parks 4 Low utilisation in the morning and evening on a week day and average utilisation during the day (25-75%). On a Sunday the parks have low utilisation

Kent Terrace 7 Low utilisation during the day with average utilisation between 4 and 6pm (57-71%). Average utilisation on a Sunday (0-57%)

Cambridge Terrace 7 Low to average utilisation on a week day (14-57%) and on a Sunday (29-57%)

51 Approximate numbers as of April 2012. Note individual bays were not marked along some sections and therefore these numbers have been estimated based on a standard car park length of 6m.

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Tory Street 12 Low utilisation on a week day and Sunday (0-33%)

Tasman Street 36 Average to well utilised during a week day (42-97%) and on a Sunday the parks have average utilisation (67%)

Tasman Street Residential

5 Low utilisation during a week day (20-40%) and on a Sunday (20%)

Sussex Street 18 Average utilisation on a week day (39-61%) and well utilised on a Sunday (83-94%)

Rugby Street 1 17 Average utilisation during a weekday (47-82%) and on a Sunday the parks have low utilisation (6-12%)

Rugby Street 2 14 Average utilisation during a week day (64-71%) and on a Sunday (64%)

Dufferin Street 7 Low utilisation during a week day (0-14%) and on a Sunday (14%)

It should also be noted that WCC parking policy enables the priorities for use of the public road space to be determined in a balanced and consistent manner, so that Council’s strategic outcomes can be achieved. The policy also states that priority for road space on State highway, principle, arterial and collector roads at peak times should be for the movement of people. Again this requirement needs to be considered for this Project52.

Additional parking information relating to the parking survey and assessment can be found in Appendix 4-H.

5.9 Accessibility

5.9.1 School Drop Off Area

Four schools are located in the immediate vicinity of the Basin Reserve:

Mount Cook School53 (New Entrants to Year 8) with approximately 215 students and 21 staff;

St Marks’ School54 (Years 1 to 8) with approximately 350 students and 50 staff; Wellington College55 (Years 9 to 13) with approximately 1530 students and 92 staff; and Wellington East Girls’ College56 (Years 9 to 13) with approximately 920 students and 115

staff57.

In discussions with schools they reported that most staff at the four schools generally drive to work. There is sufficient on-site parking at each of the schools to accommodate staff vehicles. A small proportion of staff walk, cycle or catch a bus to work.

52 Wellington City Council Parking Policy September 2007 (http://www.wellington.govt.nz/plans/policies/parking/pdfs/parking2007-09.pdf).

53 160 Tory Street, Wellington.

54 13 Dufferin Street, Wellington.

55 15 Dufferin Street, Wellington.

56 Austin Street, Wellington.

57 Enrolment figures provided by each school in August 2009.

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None of the schools hold specific data on the travel patterns of their staff and students; instead this analysis is based on estimates of the proportion of staff and students utilising each travel mode provided by a staff member at each school.

School Travel Patterns

These schools contribute significantly to the number of pedestrians, buses and private vehicles travelling to the Basin Reserve area but the exact numbers are difficult to quantify as none of the schools hold data on movements by mode. When analysing the pedestrian counts for the Basin Reserve (surveyed in February 2009), there is a distinctive peak in the number of pedestrians around the Basin Reserve between 3 and 4 pm. This corresponds to the end of school. The number of pedestrians at the key intersections between 3 and 4 pm is summarised in Figure 4- 50. When these counts are compared with the daily pedestrian counts in Figure 4- 22, we can infer that a high proportion is school students.

At the key intersections of Ellice Street and Dufferin Street, and Ellice Street and Paterson Street 25 to 30 per cent of the total daily pedestrians were observed between 3 and 4 pm. The McDonalds on Adelaide Road is a key attractor for the secondary students after school. It is more difficult to quantify the number of student pedestrians in the morning since they are typically travelling at the same time as workers walking to the CBD.

The cyclist counts for the area were analysed, but there was no pronounced peak between 3 and 4 pm, suggesting that very few students cycle to school and most of the observed cyclists are commuters. This observation is consistent with the mode share estimates provided by the schools.

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Figure 4- 50: Number of Pedestrians between 3 and 4 pm

St. Mark’s School

Figure 4- 51: St. Mark’s School

St. Mark’s is a private school and has a large catchment area and no enrolment scheme. Therefore, the students live in a wide range of suburbs and are unlikely to walk or cycle to school. The majority of students at St Mark’s School are driven to school. During the February 2009 survey observations were also made of parents parking in the St. Joseph’s Church car park and walking their children across Paterson Street. However, a small proportion of the students also catch the bus to school. There are three dedicated school buses that leave in the afternoon between 3:10 and 3:15; in the morning students are able to share buses with pupils from Wellington East Girls College and Wellington College. Additionally, some students catch regular commuter buses to and from school using the Adelaide Road bus stops.

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Wellington College

Figure 4- 52: Wellington College

Wellington College estimates58 that 80% of their students catch a bus to and from school; most use dedicated school buses. There are 13 buses which serve the school in the morning and afternoon. These drop off and pick up students from the dedicated school bus lane on the south-eastern side of Dufferin Street.

In the morning buses arrive between 8:10am and 8:40am, while in the afternoon they depart between 3:25 pm and 3:40 pm. Some students also use regular commuter buses to travel to and from the school.

Approximately 10% of the Wellington College pupils drive to school. Year 13 students are permitted to park on school grounds, if there is sufficient space while the remaining students use the on-street coupon parking in Mount Victoria. Roughly 25 students use mopeds to commute to and from school. The remaining students either walk or cycle to school.

The McDonalds on Adelaide Road is a large attractor for students after school which may alter their travel patterns in the afternoon.

Wellington East Girls’ College

Figure 4- 53: Wellington East Girls’ College

The majority of pupils at Wellington East Girls’ College use dedicated school buses59. Sixteen bus routes service Wellington East Girls’ College; three of these also service St Marks School. A

58 Sourced from published Transportation Improvements around the Basin Reserve Transportation Technical Note January 2010.

59 Sourced from the published Transportation Technical Note January 2010.

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few special needs students are dropped off and picked up by taxi. The remaining students either drive or walk to school. The staff at the school did not think any pupils regularly cycle to school.

Currently access to and from the school is restricted and difficult due to the local road network and difficulties gaining access to and from Mount Victoria for vehicles.

Mount Cook School

The majority of students at Mount Cook School are driven by parents60; however some students that live near the school may walk. Very few, if any students use the bus to get to school. Most parents pick up and drop off their children on Tory Street which causes congestion during these periods. To try and reduce congestion, parents are encouraged to use the area to the south of the school adjacent to the vacant lot that will become part of the Memorial Park in the near future.

The majority of the staff at the school61 drive with the exception of two, one of whom walks and the other who cycles. There is on-site parking, but it is challenging to accommodate all the staff member’s vehicles.

School Buses

School buses utilise all approaches when travelling to and from the Basin Reserve, including Ellice Street, Paterson Street, Adelaide Road and Kent/Cambridge Terrace. Many school buses drop off and pick up students on Dufferin Street south of Paterson Street as shown in Figure 4- 54. Before and after school this area becomes very congested with many buses, student’s crossing the road and parents dropping off and picking up their children.

Bus routes that service Wellington East Girl’s College drop off and pick up students on Ellice Street. If the Ellice Street bus stop is full buses wait on Austin Street; however students are not dropped off or picked up at this location. A number of these buses continue on to service other schools in the area.

When leaving the Ellice Street bus stop buses either enter the Basin Reserve via Ellice Street, or turn right on Broughton Street via Ellice Street. Further information on school buses can be found in Section 5.5.

60 Source published War Memorial Tunnel Scoping Report December 2010.

61 Source published War Memorial Tunnel Scoping Report December 2010.

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School Buses and Student Crossing Patrol

Parents Picking up their Children

Figure 4- 54: Photos of the School Bus Stop and Pick Up Area of Dufferin Street62

5.9.2 Buckle Street to Ellice Street Link (in front of the Basin Reserve northern gates)

The road linking Sussex Street with Paterson Street is currently controlled by Give Way. There is a zebra crossing facility for pedestrians which is also illegally utilised by cyclists.

5.9.3 Mount Victoria Access (Hania and Ellice Street)

Traffic can currently turn right into Hania Street from Ellice Street, and traffic from both Hania Street and Ellice Street can access Dufferin Street to get to the Mount Victoria Tunnel, Adelaide Road and SH1 westbound. The existing intersection arrangement is complicated and unclear for users, making it difficult to get access from Hania Street or Ellice Street to Dufferin Street due to the heavy eastbound SH1 traffic flows and the requirement to cross two lanes of traffic.

Alternative routes in and out of Mount Victoria exist at Pirie Street, Elizabeth Street and Majoribanks Street. Each of these access points are subject to delay exiting Mount Victoria and this is particularly evident at the Pirie Street exit as the closest access point to the Project. This has been assessed further in Section 7.8.

Intersection analysis was completed in May 2012 for the Pirie/Kent/Cambridge/Vivian intersection, and queue lengths are forecast to be as long as 130 m on Pirie Street in the AM and PM peak periods. This analysis has been summarised in a memorandum dated 26 March 2013, which is attached in Appendix 4-I.

5.10 Existing Transport Problem

The Basin Reserve currently operates as a large gyratory with a number of capacity constraints resulting in delays and journey time variability for those users entering, circulating and exiting this part of the transport network. These conflicting local road and SH1 demands impact on:

Passenger transport journey times and reliability;

62 Sourced from the published Transportation Technical Note January 2010. Photos taken in 2009 in the afternoon.

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Movement of people using active travel modes (walking and cycling);

Emergency service access to and from Wellington Hospital and southern suburbs;

Access and severance to local communities, schools and facilities;

Travel times, journey time variability, congestion, reliability and route security for motorists on SH1 as a strategic link between Wellington CBD and the southeast, including the Wellington Airport;

Safety for all travel modes (walking, cycling, and vehicles); and

Environmental conditions associated with congestion levels.

These existing problems are at their worst during AM and PM peak periods, school start and finish times and weekend peak periods, particularly between 11am and 5pm.

The Basin Reserve is located between the southern suburb of Newtown and the Wellington CBD. Like other inner city suburbs, up to 25% of Newtown residents walk or cycle to work, many passing through the Basin Reserve. It appears that crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists are not significant.

The majority of crashes around the Basin Reserve are related to the operation of the signalised intersections.

Currently the movements at the Dufferin / Paterson intersection conflict and traffic signal timing must balance the time allocated to each movement. The Adelaide / Rugby intersection is also congested; however the Paterson / Dufferin intersection is currently a bottleneck and therefore limits the volume of traffic reaching this intersection. Any capacity improvements to the Dufferin/ Paterson intersection will therefore result in the Adelaide / Rugby intersection becoming more congested due to increases in traffic reaching it.

With increasing traffic volumes congestion and journey times around the Basin Reserve will worsen on the Do Minimum model, which is shown in Figure 4- 55 and Figure 4- 56 below.

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Figure 4- 55: Eastbound (EB) and Westbound (WB) State highway 2009 Base Model vs. 2021 Do Minimum Model Journey Times63

Figure 4- 56: Northbound (NB) and Southbound (SB) Local Roads 2009 Base Model vs. 2021 Do Minimum Model Journey Times64 This will not only impact on the level of service for general vehicles, but will also have a significant impact on bus journey times, in turn affecting the viability of WCC and GWRC to develop a high

63 Data represents journey times within the immediate project area. Journey paths are as follows: SH1 Eastbound (EB) journey time calculated over two links: SH1 (Tory–Cambridge) + SH1 (Vivian–Paterson). SH1 Westbound (WB) journey time calculated: SH1 (western portal of Mount Victoria Tunnel–Taranaki).

64 Data represents journey times within the immediate project area. Journey paths are as follows: Northbound (NB) journey time calculated: Adelaide Road (Douglas) to Cambridge Terrace (pedestrian crossing). Southbound (SB) journey time calculated: Kent Terrace (pedestrian crossing) to Adelaide Road (Girton)

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quality north – south passenger transport corridor through the Basin Reserve area. Increased traffic volumes are also expected to adversely impact on the large number of pedestrian and cycle movements, and access to Government House and the Basin Reserve itself.

These conflicting State highway and local road traffic demands are also affecting the long term strategy of NZTA to enhance the SH1 corridor between Wellington Airport and Levin.

In the future additional traffic flows on SH1 are also limited by the capacity of the Mount Victoria Tunnel. Since demand for travel between the eastern suburbs and the CBD or the north continues to grow the additional traffic takes routes via local roads, such as Wallace Street, Evans Bay Parade and Oriental Parade.

Sussex Street is also forecast to become more congested due to high volumes of traffic on Buckle Street backing up onto Sussex Street. A high number of weaving manoeuvres occur around the Basin Reserve as both vehicles and buses try to get to the correct lane to reach their destination. Weaving manoeuvres are especially high on Sussex Street and result in an increased risk of crashes.

Each of the above constraints will also impact on journey times and reliability of freight movements in and around the Basin Reserve, especially linkages to / from the airport.

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6 Transport Alternatives

6.1 Early Projects and Options

This section briefly describes the alternatives considered which are discussed in more detail in Chapter 9 of the AEE. Options for improving the transportation network around the Basin Reserve have been considered at various times over the past 50 years. In the early years, the options considered the extension of the SH1 motorway from the Terrace Tunnel to the Mount Victoria Tunnel, which included a bridge and motorway style ramps at the Basin Reserve. In 2001 investigations into a scheme to improve the east-west traffic movements around the Basin Reserve was undertaken65, recommending grade separation, similar to the bridge proposal that is the subject of this notice of requirement. In 2007, Transit NZ (now NZTA) completed the SH1 Inner City Bypass (ICB) upgrade Project which was largely between Tory St and the Terrace Tunnel.

6.2 Multimodal Options

Between 2006 and 2008 the need for transportation improvements around the Basin Reserve was further investigated as part of the Ngauranga to Airport Strategy Study66. The Strategy Study investigated the future transportation needs for the Wellington City along the transport corridor between Ngauranga and the Airport in response to increasing population on the growth spine. Four very different schemes were considered to determine which one might be the best to meet Wellington City’s future transport needs, these included:

1. Light Rail Spine (with no road improvements) which provided a light rail system between the railway station and the hospital, plus other improvements to Public Transport (PT).

2. Enhanced Bus Spine (with minor road improvements) which provided for a segregated busway between the railway station and the hospital, plus other improvements to PT. It also included minor roading improvements including tidal flow through the Terrace Tunnel, the widening of Ruahine Street and improvements at the Basin Reserve.

3. Enhanced Bus and Roading Spines (with Tunnel Duplications) as scheme 2 above and major roading improvements to SH1 including the duplication of both the Terrace Tunnel and Mount Victoria Tunnel and grade separation at the Basin Reserve.

4. Enhanced Roading Spine (with minor bus improvements) which provided for major roading improvements to SH1 including the duplication of both the Terrace Tunnel and Mount Victoria Tunnel, grade separation at the Basin Reserve, and only minor PT improvements.

65 NZTA, Interim Scheme Assessment report, prepared Meritec, December 2000 and NZTA SH1 Basin Reserve Long Term Solution, Scheme Assessment Report, prepared by Meritec, 2001

66 NZTA, WCC, GWRC, Ngauranga to Airport Strategy Study, Technical Report 1: Technical Report 1: Description of Options, Prepared by Opus, April 2007.

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These four schemes were considered by a steering group that consisted of Transit NZ (now NZTA), WCC and GWRC, which took into account technical work and the views of the public following public engagement. The steering group agreed that an integrated solution would best provide for Wellington City’s future transport needs and recommended Scheme 367 which formed the basis of the Wellington Regional Land Transport Strategy and adopted the Ngauranga to Airport Corridor Plan in October 2008. This Plan included a Project to grade separate competing traffic streams around the Basin Reserve.

6.3 Options for the Basin Reserve

Over the past five years there have been a large number of options considered for the Basin Reserve, ranging from at grade improvements, tunnels under the Basin Reserve (both directions) and a combination of local road and SH1 grade separation options. This process has involved multiple levels of assessment, evaluation, engagement and decision making.

At grade options provided a cheap alternative to grade separation; however they failed to meet the long term strategic transport needs for PT, walking, cycling, and general traffic movements. As a result these were discarded and two grade separated options (A and B) were progressed through to public engagement, assessment and scheme design.

Other options have also been reassessed through the process as decisions have been made and the surrounding network changed. This included looking at Option X 68 following public engagement and again looking at Option F (SH1 tunnel) following the decision to fund an underpass for Memorial Park.

As a result of this analysis, the Project team recommended that the NZTA adopt Option A as the Preferred Option and a number of refinements have been made to this option in order to address community and stakeholder concerns and aspirations for the area.

67 NZTA, WCC, GWRC, Ngauranga to Airport Strategy Study, Technical Report 3: Technical Report 3: Recommended Strategy, Prepared by Opus, May 2008.

68 Option X was proposed by the Architectural Centre. The proposal would extend (when complete) the War Memorial Tunnel to the east of Cambridge Terrace, as well as imposing other changes to the road network. Key changes would include relocating southbound traffic to the western side of Sussex Street (making it two way) and closing the Paterson/Dufferin intersection so traffic no longer circulates around the Basin Reserve in a clockwise direction from this point.

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7 Assessment of Effects

Based on the guidelines identified in Section 4, this Integrated Transport Assessment considers the Project objectives, regional and local transport planning and policy, and the transportation effects during the construction and operation of the Project.

The assessment year selected for the Project assessment of effects has been based upon 2021 as forecast year within approximately 5 years post construction. The 2021 year was also selected due to the greater certainty surrounding future population growth, land use changes and transport Projects that might occur prior to this time.

Sensitivity tests have been undertaken to assess the effects of scenarios in which different population growth, land use changes and transportation Projects have been implemented (refer to Section 3).

The assessment of transportation effects includes:

Pedestrian and Cyclist Assessment Passenger Transport Assessment Road Network Assessment (including freight) Accessibility Assessment Safety Assessment Parking Assessment Construction (effects caused by construction on transport) Assessment

7.1 Pedestrian and Cyclist Assessment

The Project objectives relevant to the provision of walking and cycling facilities are:

(a) To improve the resilience, efficiency and reliability of the State highway network: by improving the safety for traffic and persons using this part of the State Highway

1 corridor.

(c) To support mobility and modal choices within Wellington City: by providing opportunities for improved public transport, cycling and walking;

and, by not constraining opportunities for future transport developments.

The assessment of effects of the Project in relation to pedestrian and cycle facilities has been considered in relation to these objectives together with local policy documents, comparing existing to proposed facilities under the Project.

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7.1.1 General

A reduction in traffic flow around the Basin Reserve will result in a significant reduction in the severance caused by circulating traffic and allow a greater allocation of time to be provided for both pedestrian and cycle movements at signalised crossings around the Basin Reserve. The transport improvements around the Basin Reserve also divert some traffic away from other routes such as Oriental Parade and Newtown and enhance these areas for pedestrians and cyclists. The Project also provides the opportunity to upgrade and enhance existing and implement new facilities.

For the upgrade and provision of new facilities the following NZTA guidelines have been produced, and should be used in conjunction with current Austroads design standards and Wellington City Council policy documents:

Pedestrian Planning Design Guide, October 2009; Road and Traffic Guidelines RTS 14 Guidelines for Facilities for Blind and Vision

Impaired Pedestrians, 2nd Edition 2007; and Cycle Network and Route Planning Guide, 2004 (Land Transport Safety Authority, New

Zealand).

The Pedestrian Planning Guide sets out ways to improve New Zealand’s walking environment. It outlines a process for deciding on the type of provision that should be made for pedestrians and provides design advice and standards. Design advice is for all pedestrians, including persons with disabilities.

The Guidelines for Facilities for Blind and Vision Impaired Pedestrians provides best practice design and installation principles for pedestrian facilities that assist blind and vision-impaired people. Standardising pedestrian facilities will give consistent directional and warning messages to blind and vision impaired people, as well as increasing their safety while crossing roads and throughout the entire walking journey.

The Cycle Network and Route Planning Guide aims to promote a consistent, world’s best practice approach to cycle network and route planning throughout New Zealand. It sets out a process for deciding what cycle provision, if any, is desirable and where it is needed. The guide helps to develop cycle networks that contribute to the outcomes required by the New Zealand Transport Strategy and the national walking and cycling strategy.

Existing and proposed pedestrian and cycle facilities are displayed in Figure 4- 21 (see Section 5) and Figure 4- 57 respectively.

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Figure 4- 57: Proposed Pedestrian and Cycle Facilities

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7.1.2 Flows

Pedestrians are found within and / or around residential areas, retail areas, transport nodes, leisure facilities and education establishments all of which can be found around the Basin Reserve. Trip origins and destinations however change with time, so forecasting walking demand is difficult.

Looking at the existing pedestrian activity was useful in understanding current desire lines and routes of pedestrians at the Basin Reserve. Survey results discussed in Section 5.4 demonstrate there are a large number of pedestrian and cyclist movements around the Basin Reserve and within the study area.

Although there is no robust way of forecasting walking and cycling trip generation, it can be reasonably assumed that pedestrian and cyclist numbers would at a minimum increase with the population increase in the area. It is also important to recognise that the number of people that would walk or cycle may change if the environment is modified. The Project introduces positive changes for pedestrians and cyclists by removing physical barriers to movement. Land use changes are also likely to increase demand, with a new supermarket proposed on Rugby Street and the development of the Memorial Park in the immediate area. These improvements and land use changes can only attract new users.

7.1.3 Shared Path on Bridge

It is proposed to provide a shared path on the northern side of the bridge, creating an east west link between existing shared facilities on Buckle Street and the Mount Victoria Tunnel. This facility is proposed to be 3m wide and designed to be physically separate the traffic lanes in accordance with NZTA’s guidelines for a shared pedestrian and cycle facility69.

Currently users travel east west through two uncontrolled and two controlled crossings. Current demand (pedestrian and cyclist) for the bridge is assumed to be approximately 625 trips for a week day and 299 on a weekend. Demand is forecast to grow at 2% per annum. The shared facility would provide safety benefits for users who would no longer have to use these crossings. It would also encourage walking and cycling by removing the need to drop and climb eight vertical metres and undertake the multiple road crossings, which is currently required along this route. The shared path completes a link in a quality walking and cycling route between Mount Victoria and Willis Street. The provision of the shared facility on the bridge will also reduce severance caused by at-grade traffic and improve connectivity.

It is recognised that adverse weather conditions may at times make walking or cycling on the bridge difficult and undesirable, therefore users will be given improved alternative at grade facilities that could be used at these times.

69 Reference Volume 5 Plan Set, Sheet No. 4A.01 R0, 4A.02 R0, 4A.03 R0.

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7.1.4 Shared off Road Facilities (Excluding the Bridge)

There are a number of links within the Project Area that are proposed to be upgraded to shared facilities 70 for pedestrian and cyclist use. These links will further enhance the walking and cycling network in the area. New shared facility links include:

Mount Victoria Tunnel to the Buckle/Tory intersection, via SH1 eastbound, Ellice Street, the signalised pedestrian and cyclist crossings on Kent and Cambridge Terrace and the War Memorial Park. This facility provides an east – west link, connecting with shared facilities near schools, to the Basin Reserve, and local businesses in the area.

Movements between Cambridge Terrace and Tasman/ Tory Streets are subject to a significant level change and it is proposed to provide both a zigzag facility through the park which is accessible to all users and a more direct link up the south side of the bridge and Memorial Park underpass portal via an uncontrolled crossing of Sussex Street.

Around the eastern side of the Basin Reserve between the southern and northern entrances to the Basin. This link provides a north – south link and an alternative off road facility to travelling through the Basin Reserve. The link connects with a cycle crossing at the Dufferin / Paterson intersection, providing a connection to St Marks School to the south or a shared facility to the north, tying in to on road cycle facilities to the east, which could be used by Wellington East Girl’s College Students. It also allows an alternative for cyclists when the Basin Reserve sports ground is closed due to events or if users feel unsafe travelling through the Basin. This side of the Basin Reserve was identified because it has a wider width footpath, is generally flat and links well with other facilities such as schools in the area.

The shared facility adjacent to the new link road between Ellice Street and the Dufferin / Paterson intersection. This link provides a key off road link tying into cycle crossing facilities at either end. This link could be used by students cycling to or from schools in the Project Area.

Between the northern entrance to the Basin Reserve and the central island between the Kent and Cambridge Terrace pedestrian and cyclist signalised crossings.

The shared facilities connect with schools within and near the Project Area. The shared facility travels through shared space and complete the link between the Basin Reserve and the crossing facilities on Kent and Cambridge Terrace.

7.1.5 Shared Space (northern entrance to Basin Reserve to Kent/Cambridge crossings)

A raised platform will be constructed in the link road in front of the northern entrance to the Basin Reserve. The area will be clearly signposted as shared space with priority given to pedestrians and cyclists. The existing zebra crossing will be removed and a formal crossing will not be replaced at this location due to the modified treatment and the high numbers of cyclists using the facility71.

70 Reference to Volume 5 Plan Set, Sheet No. 4C.02 R0. 71 Reference to Volume 5 Plan Set, Sheet No. 4C.02 R0.

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7.1.6 New Footpaths

No footpaths will be removed as a result of the Project, however additional footpath links are proposed. These footpath links include a:

Footpath link on the northern side of Sussex Street between the Sussex/Buckle intersection and the Cambridge Terrace crossing. Spurs off footpath are proposed to connect to shared paths in the War Memorial Park. The footpath provides a link for pedestrians crossing at the informal crossing point at the Sussex / Buckle intersection.

Another footpath link is proposed through the War Memorial Park also connecting to shared paths in the eastern section of the park.

7.1.7 Road Cycle Facilities

Currently there is a small section of on road cycle lane on the eastern side of Adelaide Road immediately south of the pedestrian and cyclist signalised crossing. Because this section is short (approximately 15 m), and disjointed it is proposed to remove this section as part of the Project. The bus lane could be made wider at this location to provide additional space for buses to pass cyclists at this location.

7.1.8 Formal Crossings

There are a number of changes to existing formal crossings72 in the Project Area including the upgrade of existing signalised crossings to pedestrian and cyclist signalised crossings, the provision of new zebra crossings and also the removal of a zebra crossing. Details of the changes in formal crossings include the:

Provision off two raised zebra crossings on Ellice Street immediately east of the Ellice / Hania intersection, connected by a central shared island. Raising the zebra crossings creates a visual threshold for traffic leaving or entering Ellice Street and highlights the presence of pedestrians. The raised platforms also: provide easier pedestrian movement by removing the need to mount/dismount kerbs; deters parking on the crossing and slows vehicle speeds.

Upgrade of the existing pedestrian signalised crossings to pedestrian and cyclist crossings on Kent and Cambridge Terrace and relocating these closer to the Basin Reserve to better align with desire lines, refer to Figure 4- 58 and Figure 4- 59. Upgrading the pedestrian signalised crossings to pedestrian and cyclist crossings will permit cyclists to cross without having to dismount. Drop kerbs will also be provided for cyclists travelling on Kent / Cambridge Terrace to manoeuvre off road to cross at the crossings.

72 Reference to Volume 5 Plan Set, Sheet No. 4C.02 R0.

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Figure 4- 58: Kent / Cambridge Terrace Median Existing View

Figure 4- 59: Kent / Cambridge Terrace Median Proposed View

Upgrade of the existing pedestrian signalised crossings to pedestrian and cyclist signalised crossings at the Dufferin / Paterson intersection. Upgrading the signalised pedestrian crossings to pedestrian and cyclist signalised crossing will permit cyclists to cross without having to dismount. The crossing facilities also provide a link to shared facilities and schools in the area.

The existing zebra crossing at the northern gate to the Basin Reserve is proposed to be removed. With the proposed shared space treatment a formal crossing has not been proposed at this location, especially with the high numbers of cyclists that use this facility.

7.1.9 Informal Crossings

Ellice Street Raised Crossings

At the raised platform zebra crossings on Ellice Street drop kerbs will be implemented for cyclists crossing at these locations. Cycle ‘Give Way’ markings will be used, and cyclists will need to apply these rules before crossing Ellice Street. Cyclists are not legally able to cross on zebra crossings and would need to dismount to do so or use the drop kerbs adjacent to the zebras to cycle across.

Sussex / Buckle Informal Crossing

Drop kerbs will be provided at the Buckle and Sussex intersection. There are desire lines at this location and therefore the informal crossing will facilitate these movements. Currently

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there is no facility at this location and pedestrians and cyclists either cross two lanes of heavy traffic flow or divert to the Tory / Tasman / Buckle intersection.

7.1.10 Intersections

As well as the upgrade of a number of signals to pedestrian and cyclist signalised crossings, changes are also proposed to signal phasing and geometry. Details of the different intersections follow:

Dufferin / Paterson73

Existing signals are proposed to be upgraded to pedestrian and cyclist signalised crossings.

The road geometry is also proposed to change, with the central island being enlarged to include a shared path and link road. The link road will be controlled by Give Way.

Adelaide / Rugby74

Existing pedestrian and cyclist signalised crossings will be maintained at this intersection.

The road geometry however is proposed to change. The central island will be widened to the north, reducing the through lanes on Rugby Street from three to one.

Signal phasing is proposed to change to a two phase system, with one phase being an all movement pedestrian phase and the other being an all vehicle movements phase. The signal timings are currently dictated by traffic demands on the Rugby Street arm of the intersection. With up to a 74%75 reduction in forecast traffic passing in front of the southern access point to the Basin Reserve (Rugby Street at top of Adelaide Road), the signals will operate on a pedestrian / cycle demand basis instead of being controlled by traffic demands.

Widening the central island and reducing the number of traffic lanes on Rugby Street will reduce the crossing distance at this location.

Taranaki / Arthur76

The existing pedestrian and cyclist signalised crossing across the northern arm of the intersection will be retained. The road geometry is proposed to change with an additional through road on Buckle Street. More time will be allocated for pedestrians and cyclists crossing at this intersection.

73 Refer to Volume 5 Basin Reserve Bridge Project drawing set, 4A.03 R0.


75 Based on the 2021 SATURN model comparing Do Minimum with the Project (Rugby Street east (corner of Dufferin Street) LESS Adelaide Road southbound) (Table 4- 22 ).


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Vivian / Kent / Cambridge / Pirie77

The existing pedestrian signalised crossings at this intersection will be maintained. The road geometry will change slightly to accommodate three right turn lanes from Vivian Street. There will not be any additional lanes to cross at this location than what currently exists here. More time at this intersection will be allocated for pedestrians crossing.

7.1.11 Summary

The Project will provide:

a significant reduction in at grade traffic flows which will reduce pedestrian and cycle severance and improve the environment;

a shared facility along the northern side of the bridge; a number of intersection improvements for both pedestrians and cyclists; improved existing and new crossings; a number of shared paths; new footpaths; and facilities that are designed and constructed to meet the most up to date standards and

guidelines for persons with disabilities.

These provisions are consistent with the Project objective relevant to walking and cycling, discussed in Section 7.1 by providing significant benefits to walking and cycling in the area, by improving safety for persons using the State highway and supporting mobility and modal choices in the city.

7.2 Passenger Transport Assessment

The Project objectives relevant to the provision of passenger transport facilities as part of the Project are:

(c) To support mobility and modal choices within Wellington City:

by providing opportunities for improved public transport, cycling and walking; and,



The assessment of effects of the Project in relation to existing and future passenger transport facilities has generally been considered in relation to these objectives together with Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council policies for passenger transport facilities in the area.


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7.2.1 Travel Time

The modelled travel times along southbound and northbound passenger transport routes is shown in Figure 4- 61 and Figure 4- 62. The figures show both the Do Minimum and Project 2021 travel times for AM, IP and PM peaks. The routes are represented in Figure 4- 60.

Figure 4- 60: Travel Time Routes78

Figure 4- 61: Southbound Bus Routes 2021 Travel Times

Figure 4- 62: Northbound Bus Routes 2021 Travel Times

From the figures above it can be seen that the Project improves passenger transport travel time for both southbound and northbound movements in all peak periods. Southbound journey times improve by approximately 58 seconds in the AM peak and approximately one minute in the PM peak. For northbound buses journey times are reduced approximately 39 seconds in the AM peak and 51 seconds in the PM peak.

Journey time variability in the Do Minimum scenario is up to +/- 60 seconds for northbound buses and +/- 58 seconds for southbound buses in the AM peak. In the PM

78 Based on average of multiple runs of Paramics. 1. Adelaide Rd to Cambridge Tce (Douglas St – pedestrian crossing). 2. Kent Tce to Adelaide Rd (Pedestrian crossing – Girton Tce).

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peak variability is +/- 76 seconds for northbound buses and +/- 66 seconds for southbound buses.

In the Option, journey time variability is reduced to +/- 38 seconds in the northbound direction and +/- 18 seconds in the southbound direction for the AM peak. In the PM peak variability is +/- 23 seconds in the northbound direction and +/- 19 seconds.

Variability between the AM, IP and PM peak periods is nearly eliminated as a result of the Project.

The improvements are achieved through reductions in general traffic delay and congestion around the Basin Reserve. Introduced bus priority measures also help improve the operation of buses in the Project Area.

Such improvement in journey time and variability will improve reliability and bus services and operational conditions which are important factors in encouraging bus patronage.

7.2.2 Bus Routes

There will be no changes to bus routes through the Basin Reserve as a result of the Project. The provision of bus lanes in locations around the Basin Reserve will however be provided. The bus lanes have been located on the approach to signals to give greater priority to buses and will safeguard future provision of a high quality passenger transport spine between Kent / Cambridge Terraces and Adelaide Road.

The enhanced PT Spine has been considered in the assessment of options and the design of the bridge and associated pier placement. The greatest constraint to future provision exists on the south side of the Basin Reserve and the Project is only seeking to improve this through the reduction in traffic conflict at this location. All school bus routes will be maintained and access out of Ellice Street will be made safer for buses.

7.2.3 Bus Stops

The current southbound bus stop on Adelaide Road will be relocated to Rugby Street just before the intersection. This proposal was presented as part of the 2011 engagement. Further discussions with WCC and GWRC have indicated that this is a desirable outcome. A reduction in traffic on Rugby Street, a result of the Project, has made the relocation of the bus stop possible79.

The reason for the shift is that the current bus stop is inadequate for the number of students and other passengers that use it and there are safety issues associated with having the bus stop downstream of a tight corner. The new location more appropriately spaced between stops either side, is closer to the schools, includes a widened footpath, and includes safer sightlines and access.

This work will be undertaken in conjunction with streetscape improvements to the area in front of the schools and Government House in the Rugby / Dufferin Street corner.

79 Reference to Volume 5 Plan Set, Sheet No. 4A.05 R0.

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7.2.4 Bus Priority

The existing bus priority signal, at the Kent Terrace pedestrian crossing closest to the Basin Reserve, will be retained in conjunction with the relocated crossing facility. The facility will however be upgraded to ensure better bus detection and to ensure buses travelling in convoy get priority if required. The reduction in vehicle conflict and delay at the Dufferin/Patterson Street intersection is critical to the improved operation of this facility as this will ensure buses can gain access to the bus lane and get priority in a southbound direction, something which currently cannot be achieved.

Figure 4- 63: Kent Terrace Existing Pedestrian Crossing with Bus Presignal Existing View

Figure 4- 64: Kent Terrace Existing Pedestrian Crossing with Bus Presignal Proposed View

There are no other bus priority signals proposed as part of the Project, however the removal of State highway traffic from local road traffic will significantly improve bus operations through the Basin Reserve, giving improved flow and access to bus lanes.

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7.2.5 Demand and Forecast Operation

The passenger transport demand is forecast to be maintained80 with the implementation of the Project. The Project will however help to facilitate growth and provide future enhancements for users and alternative passenger transport facilities.

7.2.6 Summary

The Project will improve travel time and journey time reliability81 for both State highway and local road networks when compared to the Do Minimum. These improvements, which could not be effectively implemented independently of the Project, will be experienced by buses using the Adelaide / Kent / Cambridge route in particular, while other coach and out of service buses will also experience improvements on the State highway.

The predicted change in travel time for buses on the Adelaide / Kent / Cambridge route results in up to a 41%82 decrease, while journey time variability will be reduced when compared to the Do Minimum.

These provisions are consistent with the Projects objectives relevant to passenger transport, discussed in Section 7.2. The Project provide improvements to passenger transport through reduced journey times and journey reliability, provides improved bus priority and a relocated bus stop.

7.3 Road Network Assessment

The Project objectives relevant to the road network assessment (including freight) are:

(a) To improve the resilience, efficiency and reliability of the State highway network:

by providing relief from congestion on State Highway 1 between Paterson Street and Tory Street;

by improving the safety for traffic and persons using this part of the State Highway 1 corridor; and,

by increasing the capacity of the State highway corridor between Paterson Street and Tory Street

(b) To support regional economic growth and productivity: by contributing to the enhanced movement of people and freight through

Wellington City; and,

80 Based on travel demand information from WPTSM. Comparison of 2021 Do Minimum and Project demand is within 1% for AM and IP periods (note there is no PM WPTM model). In 2031 comparison of Do Minimum and Option shows that demand is within 2%.

81 Reference to Figure 4- 62 and Figure 4- 61. 82 Based on average of multiple runs of Paramics between Kent Terrace and Adelaide Road, predicted journey time reduced by 60sec.

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by in particular improving access to Wellington’s CBD, employment centres,

airport and hospital.


and,



The assessment of effects of the Project in relation to the existing and future road network has considered these objectives in conjunction with regional and local policy plans. The effects to other modes have been discussed in Sections 7.1 and 7.2, therefore the Road Network Assessment will be based on Project assignment and operational transport models, which have been discussed in Section 3.

The assessment considers 2021 as the core assessment year for the Project; however sensitivity tests have also been carried out for different transport demands and 2031 model year to compare the do minimum with the Project, and can be found in Section 9.

7.3.1 Traffic Flows

The 2021 Do Minimum and Project traffic volumes are illustrated in Figure 4- 41 (Section 5) and Figure 4- 65. It is important to note that the 2021 models assume no other northern corridor RoNS Projects (other than the Basin Reserve) while the 2031 models assume the duplication of both the Mount Victoria and Terrace tunnels and Ruahine Street / Wellington Road improvements (in addition to the Basin Reserve). These traffic flows have been taken from the WTM SATURN model.

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Figure 4- 65: 2021 Project Traffic Flows

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The 2021 Do Minimum and Project annual average daily traffic (AADT) flows are summarised in Table 4- 22. It should be noted that flows have not been provided for the bridge location in the do minimum scenario as this location does not exist; however the forecast flows are presented in Figure 4- 65 above.

Table 4- 22: 2021 AADT Traffic Flows

Location Do-Min Project Relative Change

% Change

Adelaide Road NB 13,300 13,800 500 4% Adelaide Road SB 10,100 13,100 3,000 30% Buckle Street 21,200 24,400 3,200 15% Cambridge Terrace 11,500 11,000 -500 -4% Ellice Street (SH1 EB) 30,500 17,800 -12,700 -42% Rugby Street (east) 31,200 18,700 -12,500 -40% Kent Terrace 28,900 31,500 2,600 9% Paterson Street EB 18,700 18,900 200 1% Paterson Street WB 19,600 20,300 700 4% Rugby Street (through Adelaide intersection) 21,100 5,600 -15,500 -73% Sussex Street 33,000 18,800 -14,200 -43% Taranaki Street, two way flow (ICB - Vivian) 20,100 19,800 -300 -1% Tasman Street, two way flow (Rugby - Buckle) 1,600 1,700 100 6% Tory Street, two way flow (Buckle - Vivian) 5,700 5,400 -300 -5% Vivian Street (Tory - Cambridge) 19,100 21,300 2,200 12% Evans Bay Parade (two way) 16,200 15,800 -400 -3% Oriental Parade (two way) 22,600 21,700 -900 -4% Waterloo Quay (two way) 50,400 50,200 -200 0%

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The 2021 Do Minimum and Project AM traffic flows are summarised in Table 4- 23. Table 4- 23: 2021 AM Peak Traffic Flows

Location Do-Min Project Relative Change % Change

Adelaide Road NB 1,200 1,400 200 17% Adelaide Road SB 700 1,100 400 57% Buckle Street 1,600 2,000 400 25% Cambridge Terrace 900 800 -100 -11% Ellice Street (SH1 EB) 2,200 1,300 -900 -41% Rugby Street (east) 2,200 1,500 -700 -32% Kent Terrace 2,200 2,600 400 18% Paterson Street EB 1,400 1,400 0 0% Paterson Street WB 1,500 1,600 100 7% Rugby Street (through Adelaide intersection) 1,500 400 -1,100 -73% Sussex Street 2,600 1,600 -1,000 -38% Taranaki Street, two way flow (ICB - Vivian) 1,400 1,200 -200 -14% Tasman Street, two way flow (Rugby - Buckle) 100 100 0 0% Tory Street, two way flow (Buckle - Vivian) 500 300 -200 -40% Vivian Street (Tory - Cambridge) 1,500 1,800 300 20%

The 2021 Do Minimum and Project IP traffic flows are summarised in Table 4- 24.

Table 4- 24: 2021 IP Peak Traffic Flows


% Change

Adelaide Road NB 900 900 0 0% Adelaide Road SB 700 900 200 29% Buckle Street 1,500 1,700 200 13% Cambridge Terrace 800 700 -100 -13% Ellice Street (SH1 EB) 2,100 1,200 -900 -43% Rugby Street (east) 2,200 1,300 -900 -41% Kent Terrace 2,000 2,100 100 5% Paterson Street EB 1,300 1,300 0 0% Paterson Street WB 1,400 1,400 0 0% Rugby Street (through Adelaide intersection) 1,500 400 -1,100 -73% Sussex Street 2,300 1,200 -1,100 -48% Taranaki Street, two way flow (ICB - Vivian) 1,500 1,500 0 0% Tasman Street, two way flow (Rugby - Buckle) 100 100 0 0% Tory Street, two way flow (Buckle - Vivian) 400 400 0 0% Vivian Street (Tory - Cambridge) 1,300 1,400 100 8%

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The 2021 Do Minimum and Project PM traffic flows are summarised in Table 4- 25.

Table 4- 25: 2021 PM Peak Traffic Flows


% Change

Adelaide Road NB 1,100 1,100 0 0% Adelaide Road SB 800 1,100 300 38% Buckle Street 1,600 1,900 300 19% Cambridge Terrace 900 1,000 100 11% Ellice Street (SH1 EB) 2,700 1,600 -1,100 -41% Rugby Street (east) 2,200 1,600 -600 -27% Kent Terrace 2,400 2,800 400 17% Paterson Street EB 1,600 1,700 100 6% Paterson Street WB 1,300 1,500 200 15% Rugby Street (through Adelaide intersection) 1,400 500 -900 -64% Sussex Street 2,400 1,600 -800 -33% Taranaki Street, two way flow (ICB - Vivian) 1,500 1,400 -100 -7% Tasman Street, two way flow (Rugby - Buckle) 200 200 0 0% Tory Street, two way flow (Buckle - Vivian) 400 400 0 0% Vivian Street (Tory - Cambridge) 1,500 1,900 400 27% Although the primary impact of the Project is to reduce conflict between State highway and local road traffic / passenger transport are the Basin Reserve, it also results in changes in traffic flows on the wider network, which are discussed below.

The most noticeable changes include:

An increase of 2,200 (12%) vehicles per day on Vivian Street, resulting from increasing the capacity on Vivian Street (between Tory Street and Cambridge Terrace) during peak periods and improving the Vivian / Pirie / Kent / Cambridge intersection operation, making it a more attractive route for vehicles that may have previously chosen to use Courtenay Place eastbound.

An increase of 2,600 (9%) vehicles per day on Kent Terrace. This increase can be attributed to: more vehicles being able to get through the Vivian / Pirie / Kent / Cambridge intersection; Hania / Ellice access changes resulting in vehicles re-routing to get onto Kent Terrace via the Pirie / Vivian / Kent / Cambridge intersection; and less congestion at the Basin Reserve making this route more appealing.

A two way flow increase of 3,500 (15%) vehicles per day on Adelaide Road, this includes an additional 3,000 vehicles per day on Adelaide Road southbound and 500 vehicles per day northbound. With a decrease in congestion and removed conflicts around the Basin Reserve, Adelaide Road becomes more accessible and desirable than other north south links such as Taranaki Street (via John Street (refer to network flow plots in Appendix 4-G)).

A reduction of 12,500 (40%) in vehicles per day on Rugby Street east, resulting from the grade separation of westbound SH1.

A reduction of 15,500 (73%) vehicles per day on Rugby Street travelling through the Adelaide Road intersection, resulting from the grade separation of westbound SH1.

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A reduction of 14,200 (43%) vehicles per day on Sussex Street, resulting from the grade separation of westbound SH1.

An increase of 3,200 (15%) vehicles per day on Buckle Street, resulting from the grade separation of westbound SH1, reduced congestion around the Basin Reserve and releasing the vehicle demands from the Mount Victoria tunnel which are currently constrained by the capacity of the Paterson / Dufferin intersection. The grade separation creates a more attractive route around the Basin Reserve for local traffic, leading to increased volumes on roads such as Adelaide Road northbound. These changes contribute to the increase in traffic volumes on Buckle Street.

Other links such as Oriental Bay (as an alternative to SH1 via the Basin Reserve area), Oriental Parade and Waterloo Quay see only minor changes (up to 4%) in traffic flow due to the introduction of the Basin Bridge Project.

Currently there are bottlenecks in the system, and without the Project improvements the following links / intersections form major constraints on the road network in the immediate vicinity of the Basin Reserve:

The Dufferin / Paterson intersection constrains the traffic flow onto the network. There is a high demand for the southbound through movement on Dufferin Street; and the westbound left turn from Paterson Street onto Dufferin Street. These movements conflict and the traffic signal timing must balance the time allocated to each movement.

The Adelaide /Rugby intersection is also congested; however the Paterson /Dufferin intersection is a bottleneck and therefore limits the volume of traffic reaching this intersection. Any capacity improvements to the Dufferin /Paterson intersection therefore result in the Adelaide /Rugby intersection becoming more congested due to increases in traffic reaching it.

Traffic flows on SH1 are also limited by the capacity of the Mount Victoria Tunnel. Since demand for travel between the eastern suburbs and the CBD or the north continues to grow, additional traffic will route via alternative routes such as Constable Street, Adelaide Road or Evans Bay Parade.

With the implementation of the Project the intersection bottlenecks referenced above are removed leaving the Mount Victoria Tunnel as the bottleneck. It is important to note that the implementation of the Project is important for the operation of the network and it will also facilitate any future plans to move traffic through the area with the duplication of the Mount Victoria Tunnel. Failure to carry out such improvements would negate the need or benefit of providing additional vehicle capacity in Mount Victoria tunnel.

This is further confirmed through an assessment that was completed as part of the Basin Reserve SAR Economics and peer reviewed by John Bolland regarding induced traffic. The assessment used the WTSM model and the 2009 Wellington City SATURN model and concluded that the Project increased traffic by less than 100 vehicles or about 0.1 %.

7.3.2 Level of Service and Link Capacity Demand

Figure 4- 44 and Figure 4- 45, refer to Section 5, and Figure 4- 66 and Figure 4- 67 summarise both the 2021 link capacity demand for the Do Minimum and Project scenarios respectively.

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2021 Project Eastbound Journey

Figure 4- 66: Project Scenario Eastbound Journey 2021

Figure 4- 66 shows that Vivian Street operates at an LOS D and C for both peak periods, with the lane capacity increasing to three lanes from two in the Do Minimum scenario (see Figure 4-42). Kent Terrace the LOS operates at LOS D for both peaks, with lane capacity of three. Dufferin Street has an LOS of C in the AM and D in the PM peaks. Paterson Street operates with LOS D for both the AM and PM peaks. Both Dufferin and Paterson Streets have two lane capacity. At the Mount Victoria Tunnel the LOS is F with one lane capacity. When compared to the 2021 Do Minimum Scenario (see Figure 4- 44) it can be seen that the LOS improves on both Vivian Street and Dufferin Street as a result of the Project.

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2021 Project Westbound Journey

Figure 4- 67: Project Scenario Westbound Journey 2021

Figure 4- 67 shows that the Mount Victoria Tunnel operates at LOS F for both peaks, with lane capacity of one. In the AM demand exceeds available capacity through the tunnel. On Paterson Street the LOS is D in the AM and C in the PM peaks with lane capacity two (at grade). On the bridge (two lane grade separated) the LOS is C in the AM and B in the PM peaks. At Buckle Street (at grade) between Sussex and Taranaki the lane capacity increases to three lanes. The LOS is D in the AM and C in the PM peaks. On Arthur Street between Taranaki and Cuba the LOS is C in the AM and D in the PM peaks. When compared to the 2021 Do Minimum Scenario (see Figure 4- 45) it can be seen that the LOS improves on both Dufferin Street and Sussex Street as a result of the Project.

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The Project will result in additional westbound capacity on the bridge as traffic travels from one lane in the Mt Victoria Tunnel to two lanes on the bridge and three lanes through the Memorial Park Tunnel. Failure to provide two lanes on the bridge would result in a LOS of E while the two lanes provides a LOS C during the AM peak in 2021. The Memorial Park Tunnel will improve from a LOS E under the two lane arrangement to a LOS D with the Project in the 2021 AM peak period. This increase in lane capacity will ensure that traffic approaching from Sussex Street and the bridge will have its own lane, reducing merge and weave effects and increasing capacity on this critical link and the intersection approach to Taranaki Street (refer Section 7.3.6). Failure to provide this capacity would reduce the benefits for the Project and impact on the ability to provide for future changes in westbound traffic flows following the proposed Mt Victoria Tunnel duplication.

7.3.3 Journey Times

Predicted journey times83 for key north / south and east / west routes through the Basin Reserve are shown for the AM, IP and PM peak periods for 2021 in Figure 4- 68 to Figure 4- 71Error! Reference source not found.. Appendix 4-J includes journey time summary tables for key routes through the Project Area.

Figure 4- 68: 2021 Southbound Journey Times

Figure 4- 69: 2021 Northbound Journey Times

83 Based on average of multiple runs of Paramics. SH1 EB (Terrace off ramp - Goa St); SH1 WB (Goa St to Boulcott St on ramp); Kent Tce to Adelaide Rd (Courtenay Pl - Hospital Rd); Cambridge Tce to Adelaide Rd (Hospital Rd - Courtenay Pl).

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Figure 4- 70: 2021 SH1 Eastbound Journey Times

Figure 4- 71: 2021 SH1 Westbound Journey Times

From Figure 4- 68 - Figure 4- 71 the following observations can be made:

Southbound journey times are reduced by approximately one minute (24%) in the PM peak period and northbound by nearly 2 minutes (39%) in the AM peak.

Eastbound SH1 journey times are reduced by up to 77 seconds (16%) in the PM peak. Westbound SH1 journey times are reduced by approximately 7.5 minutes (54%) in the

AM peak.

The variability of existing journey times and forecast 2021 Do-Minimum journey times has been discussed in Section 5.7 for the State highway corridor. Journey time variability between the 2021 Do Minimum and Project scenarios for the State highway corridor is shown in Figure 4.71 and Figure 4- 73 below:

Figure 4- 72: SH1 Westbound Journey Time Variability

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Figure 4- 73: SH1 Eastbound Journey Time Variability

In 2021 SH1 westbound journey time variability is reduced to approximately 3 minutes from approximately 5.5 minutes84 in the Do Minimum scenario for the AM peak. In the PM peak variability is reduced from approximately 7.3 minutes in the Do Minimum scenario to 2.4 minutes85.

In 2021 SH1 eastbound journey time variability in the AM peak is approximately 3.1 minutes, a decrease from the Do Minimum scenario which had variability of up to approximately 4.6 minutes86. In the PM peak variability is reduced from 4 minutes in the Do Minimum scenario to 3.9 minutes87 in the Project.

Without the transportation improvements around the Basin Reserve (i.e. the Do Minimum scenario), rising and conflicting traffic demands worsen congestion and journey times for both State highway and local road traffic. On SH1 westbound travel times reach an average of 841 seconds88 in 2021 in the AM peak period.

The Project results in a significant reduction in the westbound SH1 travel time by up to 54%89 during peak periods. The additional capacity provided and the removal of through traffic from key local road intersections will provide congestion relief.

84 Based on average of multiple runs of Paramics Do Min AM Peak, journey time variability is +/- 2.76 minutes. Option AM Peak, journey time variability is +/- 1.5 minutes

85 Based on average of multiple runs of Paramics Do Min PM Peak, journey time variability is +/- 3.65 minutes. Option PM Peak, journey time variability is +/- 1.2 minutes

86 Based on average of multiple runs of Paramics Do Min AM Peak, journey time variability is +/- 2.31 minutes. Option AM Peak, journey time variability is +/- 1.6 minutes

87 Based on average of multiple runs of Paramics Do Min PM Peak, journey time variability is +/- 2 minutes. Option PM Peak, journey time variability is +/- 2 minutes

88 Based on average of multiple runs of Paramics for the AM peak period. Route Goa Street to the Bulcoutt St on ramp.

89 Based on average of multiple runs of Paramics for the AM peak period, travel time reduced by 451 sec.

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These changes in journey time and variability result in State highway 1 improvements which will be better than the base recorded data as presented in Figure 4-45 despite increases in traffic volumes on the network.

Improved journey times and variability90 for local road users will be achieved by removing the vehicle phase at the Adelaide/Rugby intersection. This will allow the intersection to operate on two phases, one all green phase, i.e. vehicles can travel through the intersection on both Rugby Street and Adelaide Road at the same time. The other phase will be a pedestrian on demand phase. The phase will allow pedestrians to cross over Adelaide Road and Rugby Street whilst vehicles are held on red signals. The removal of State highway traffic from circulating the Basin Reserve also allows time to be reallocated to the north/south movement through the Paterson/Dufferin intersection.

Reference should be made to Appendix 4-J for Paramics model journey time outputs.

7.3.4 Queues

Predicted queues91 at key intersections for the AM and PM peak periods for 2021 are shown in Table 4- 26 and Table 4- 27. The key intersection locations are shown in Figure 4- 74.

Figure 4- 74: Key Intersections

90 Reference - Figure 4- 68 and Figure 4- 69 91 Based on average of multiple runs of Paramics. Average of maximum queue length (vehicles in queue/lane) over multiple model runs. AM 8-9am, IP 12-1pm, 5-6pm.

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Table 4- 26: 2021 Queue Lengths (maximum number of vehicles in queue/lane) AM Peak

Route Do-Min Project Relative Change

% Change

1 Vivian St intersection with Tory St 10 7 -3 -30%

2 Vivian St intersection with Kent Tce 17 6 -11 -65%

Cambridge Tce intersection with Vivian St 14 15 1 7%

Pirie St intersection with Kent Tce 7 4 -3 -43%

Kent Tce intersection with Pirie St 12 12 0 0%

3 Taurima St intersection with Ruahine St 1 22 19 -3 -14%


Taurima St intersection with Ruahine St 3 28 22 -6 -21%

4 Kent Tce pedestrian signals 10 10 0 0%

5 Hania St intersection with Ellice St 18 3 -15 -83%

Ellice and Hania Link Road to Paterson St 8 8 6 Dufferin St intersection with Paterson St 11 11 0 0%

Paterson St intersection with Dufferin St 29 7 -22 -76%

7 Rugby St intersection with Adelaide Rd 12 0 -12 -100%

Adelaide Road intersection with Rugby St 21 0 -21 -100%

8 Buckle St intersection with Taranaki St (via Sussex) 43 51 8 19%

Buckle St intersection with Taranaki St (SH1 via bridge) 43 34 -9 -21%

Taranaki St (SB) intersection with Buckle St 8 7 -1 -13%

Taranaki St (SB) intersection with Buckle St RT 4 7 3 75%

Taranaki St (NB) intersection with Buckle St 20 13 -7 -35%

9 Buckle St intersection with Cuba St 8 15 7 88%

*Same queue length used as Do Minimum, before grade separation of State highway traffic.

From Table 4- 26 the following observations can be made:

65% reduction in Vivian Street queue length at the intersection with Kent Terrace. 83% reduction in the Hania Street queue length at the intersection with Ellice Street. 76% reduction in the queue length on Paterson Street at the intersection with Dufferin

Street. No queue forming at Rugby Street as a result of the Project. 19% increase in the queue length at the Buckle Street intersection with Taranaki Street,

43 vehicles to 51. This is due to a slight increase on Buckle Street as a result of the Project.

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Table 4- 27: 2021 Queue Lengths for PM Peak Period

Route Do-Min Project

Relative Change

% Change

1 Vivian St intersection with Tory St 6 8 2 33%

2 Vivian St intersection with Kent Tce 7 6 -1 -14%

Cambridge Tce intersection with Vivian St 7 13 6 86%

Pirie St intersection with Kent Tce 6 4 -2 -33%

Kent Tce intersection with Pirie St 12 12 0 0%

3 Taurima St intersection with Ruahine St 1 7 11 4 57%


Taurima St intersection with Ruahine St 3 7 11 4 57%

4 Kent Tce pedestrian signals 6 9 3 50%

5 Hania St intersection with Ellice St 9 3 -6 -67%

Ellice and Hania Link Road to Paterson St 3 3

6 Dufferin St intersection with Paterson St 6 8 2 33%

Paterson St intersection with Dufferin St 23 2 -21 -91%

7 Rugby St intersection with Adelaide Rd 12 0 -12 -100%

Adelaide Road intersection with Rugby St 9 0 -9 -100%

8 Buckle St intersection with Taranaki St (via Sussex) 17 10 -7 -41%

Buckle St intersection with Taranaki St (SH1 via bridge)

17 10 -7 -41%

Taranaki St (SB) intersection with Buckle St 10 10 0 0%

Taranaki St (SB) intersection with Buckle St RT 5 10 5 100%

Taranaki St (NB) intersection with Buckle St 7 5 -2 -29%

9 Buckle St intersection with Cuba St 5 5 0 0%

From Table 4- 27 the following observations can be made:

67% reduction in the Hania Street queue length at the intersection with Ellice Street 91% reduction in the queue length on Paterson Street at the intersection with Dufferin

Street. No queues on either Rugby Street or Adelaide Road as a result of the Project.

Queue lengths have not been determined for the Cambridge / Kent / Link Road shared space section, which is expected to carry reduced volumes when compared to the Do Minimum scenario. There is also sufficient stacking capacity for these vehicles based on observations of the Paramics model.

In the future if nothing is done (i.e. Do Minimum network), westbound queues on SH1 through the Mount Victoria Tunnel are likely to extend from the Basin Reserve through Ruahine Street past Evans Bay Parade in the AM peak period (at times this occurs currently). This results from insufficient capacity at both the Mount Victoria Tunnel and the Basin Reserve. Due to these queues on SH1 more vehicles are expected to use Evans Bay Parade and Oriental Parade to travel into the city. There may also be a response in terms of lengthening the peak periods however, this is not able to be picked up in the SATURN model.

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7.3.5 Overall Network Performance

The introduction of the Basin Bridge Project not only results in a localised improvement to the network, the total network statistics for Wellington City improve significantly (refer Appendix 4-G) with a reduction in total delay time of up to 10% (2021 PM peak), while total travel time reduces by as much as 3% (2031 PM Peak), when comparing the do minimum against the Project in isolation.

7.3.6 Intersections

Vivian / Cambridge / Kent / Pirie

The Vivian / Cambridge / Kent / Pirie intersection layout is shown in Figure 4- 75.

Figure 4- 75: Vivian/Kent/Pirie/Cambridge Intersection

Signals: The intersection is a major junction with four approach arms running on a four phase arrangement. The Project will see the intersection continue to operate with four phases however there will be a reallocation of green time, increasing the time for vehicles leaving Mount Victoria, on Pirie Street. This will be achieved through the addition of another exit lane from Pirie Street and a third right turn lane from Vivian Street for SH1. A gantry sign or similar will be installed on Vivian Street to advise drivers of the appropriate lanes to be in to continue their journeys to either the Airport and Seatoun or Newtown. The left and centre lanes are assigned for vehicles travelling to either the Airport or Seatoun, and the right lane is assigned for vehicles travelling to Newtown. Vehicles in incorrect lanes would need to reposition themselves on Kent Terrace before reaching the Basin Reserve as SH1 eastbound separates from local road traffic at this point.

Walking/Cycling: The existing intersection approaches have signalised pedestrian crossings. These crossings will be maintained as part of the Project however relocated to better suit the new centre island layout on Kent and Cambridge Terrace.

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Passenger Transport: There are no passenger transport improvements proposed for this intersection, however improvements to overall efficiency at the intersection result in reduced delay for north and south bound bus movements. WCC has plans to further develop bus lanes on Kent and Cambridge Terrace. The transportation models used to analyse the Project as a whole have included these bus lanes.

Vehicles: The proposed intersection improvements will result in a positive effect for existing users at the intersection and those from Mount Victoria that are re-routed as a result of the access changes at Ellice and Hania Street. To accommodate the proposed improvements up to five parking spaces will need to be removed from Pirie Street and 18 on Vivian Street during peak hours only.

The intersection is discussed in more detail in Section 8, Measures to Avoid, Remedy or Mitigate Adverse Transport Effects.

Cambridge / Kent / Link Road (northern side of Basin Reserve)

The Cambridge / Kent / Link Road intersection layout is shown in Figure 4- 76.

Figure 4- 76: Cambridge/Kent/Link Road intersection

Control: The link road between Cambridge and Kent Terrace currently operates under give way control. This control will be maintained for the Project as well.

Walking/Cycling: Currently there is a zebra crossing over the link road. It is proposed that the zebra will be removed as part of the Project and the link road will become shared space for pedestrians and cyclists. The areas will be signposted for 10 Km/h and be a better outcome for the large numbers of pedestrians and cyclists who use the area.

Passenger Transport: There is currently no bus lane provision at this location. The Project however provides a northbound bus lane running past this link road onto Cambridge Terrace. A southbound bus lane is also provided on Dufferin Street just south of the link road. With the reduction in traffic flows (refer to Section 7.3.1) the implementation of full time bus lanes around sections of the Basin Reserve will not impact negatively on other road users. An ‘at

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grade’ lane reaches capacity at approximately 1400 pcu/h. The actual traffic flows for the AM, IP and PM are all less than this. There is a bus presignal at the Kent Terrace pedestrian crossing which will be retained and improved as part of the Project.

Vehicles: The link road will continue to be controlled by give way however the road will become shared space for all road user groups. The posted speed limit will be reduced to 10 Km/h.

Hania / Ellice / Link Road

The Hania / Ellice intersection layout is shown in Figure 4- 77.

Figure 4- 77: Hania/Ellice intersection

Control: Hania and Ellice Streets currently operate under Give Way control. Hania operates with a left turn only into Ellice Street and Ellice Street operates with a left turn only into Dufferin Street. From here vehicles can access SH1 east and westbound, Adelaide Road and Cambridge Terrace. Vehicles can also link between Ellice Street and Hania Street in a northbound direction.

The Project restricts access at both Hania and Ellice Street. Hania Street will continue to operate with Give Way control however vehicles will only be able to access SH1 eastbound at this location or left into Ellice Street. The Ellice Street control will be changed from Give Way to Stop. Again vehicles from Ellice Street will only be able to access SH1 eastbound and the low speed link towards Dufferin Street and around the Basin Reserve. These changes will significantly improve the current configuration in which traffic can cross three lanes to travel around the Basin Reserve. The Project also seeks to improve the access from Pirie Street in order to minimise the desire to access the link road at this location, which is further minimised by providing a slow linkage speed.

Walking/Cycling: A raised platform with a zebra crossing will be installed on Ellice Street near the intersection. There will be shared paths on all approaches to both Hania and Ellice Street at this intersection. There is also a pedestrian and cyclist signalised crossing across SH1 near this point.

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Passenger Transport: Currently some buses that service Wellington East Girls College service other schools or stops in the area. A number of these buses access the Basin Reserve via Ellice Street to continue their journey. The link road will provide access for these buses to continue journeys as they are now scheduled with improved safety for buses and passengers.

Vehicles: The link road will continue to be controlled by give way however the road will become shared space for all road user groups. The posted speed limit will be reduced to 10 km/hr.

These access restrictions and the improvements briefly discussed here are expanded on in Section 8, Measures to Avoid, Remedy or Mitigate Adverse Transport Effects.

Paterson / Dufferin

The Paterson / Dufferin intersection layout is shown in Figure 4- 78.

Figure 4- 78: Paterson Street and Dufferin Street Intersection

Signals: The existing intersection signal phasing operates with three phases. Improvements include changing the signal phasing to operate with two phases; one phase for pedestrians crossing Dufferin Street and traffic on Paterson Street, and one for pedestrians crossing Paterson Street and vehicles and buses on Dufferin Street. The signal phasing will give priority to vehicles travelling from Kent Terrace to Adelaide Road.

The intersection will be more efficient for all road user groups with significantly reduced vehicle numbers and new signal phasing.

Walking/Cycling: The existing intersection approaches have signalised pedestrian crossings. A signalised pedestrian crossing allows only pedestrians to cross, and therefore cyclists must dismount to cross. The signals are proposed to be upgraded to pedestrian and cyclist signalised crossings, which will permit cyclists to legally cycle through these crossings. These crossings will link to proposed shared facilities around the east side of the Basin Reserve.

Passenger Transport: There is currently no bus lane provision at this intersection. The Project provides a dedicated bus lane in the southbound direction on Dufferin Street. This will have a

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positive effect for passenger transport, and further develops the WCC passenger transport spine. With the reduction in traffic flows (refer to Section 7.3.1) the implementation of full time bus lanes around sections of the Basin Reserve will not impact negatively on other road users. An ‘at grade’ lane reaches capacity at approximately 1400 pcu/hr. The actual traffic flows for the AM, IP and PM are all less than this.

Vehicles: With the construction of the bridge, traffic demands at the Dufferin / Patterson intersection will be significantly reduced due to westbound SH1 traffic using the bridge.

On the approach to the Dufferin / Paterson intersection the lane line between the bus lane and the general vehicle lane will be dashed to enable general vehicles to use the bus lane if they are destined to the school pick up / drop off area or Government house.

The Paterson Street approach to the intersection also widens into two lanes to provide adequate stacking distance so that traffic does not queue up Paterson Street and block access onto the bridge and the exit from the Mount Victoria Tunnel.

These improvements will all have a positive effect for road users at this intersection.

Rugby / Adelaide

The Rugby / Adelaide intersection layout is shown in Figure 4- 79.

Figure 4- 79: Rugby Street/Adelaide Road Intersection

Signals: The existing intersection signal phasing operates with three phases. Improvements include changing the signal phasing to operate with two phases; one phase for an all pedestrian crossing movement and one for all vehicle movements. The pedestrian and cyclist signalised crossings will be controlled by pedestrian and cyclist demand instead of traffic.

Walking/Cycling: The existing intersection approaches have pedestrian and cyclist signalised crossings. These permit both pedestrians and cyclists to cross and cyclists will not have to dismount. These crossings will be retained as part of the Project. During the pedestrian phase pedestrians and cyclists will be able to cross in any direction. The intersection will be more

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efficient for all road user groups with significantly reduced vehicle numbers and the new signal phasing.

The crossing distance between the Basin Reserve and the central island will also be increased to allow increased space for pedestrians and cyclists as a result of the reduction from three lanes to one. This will also allow the island to be significantly increased in size to better accommodate pedestrians and cyclists, while also reducing conflict. It should also be possible to accommodate a central mounting point for cyclists northbound from Adelaide Road.

Passenger Transport: There is currently no bus lane provision at the intersection. As part of the Project a southbound bus lane will be provided. The bus lane will begin at the corner of Dufferin Street and Rugby Street. This bus lane extends approximately 15 m south of the pedestrian and cyclist signalised crossing. With the reduction in traffic flows (refer to Section 7.3.1) the implementation of full time bus lanes around sections of the Basin Reserve will not impact negatively on other road users. An ‘at grade’ lane reaches capacity at approximately 1400 pcu/h. The actual traffic flows for the AM, IP and PM are all less than this figure.

The bus-lane was limited to this length to avoid any changes to the existing school bus parking and drop–off area at St Marks School. This area however is being investigated in further detail with WCC as part of the Preliminary Design, and increasing the bus-lane further may provide some benefit to buses.

The provision of a northbound bus lane, connecting to the existing bus lane on Adelaide Road was considered but it was found to increase the delay for both buses and general vehicles. This was due to the intersection requiring a third signal phase to enable the buses to access the bus lane on the inside of the Basin Reserve from the kerb side bus lane on Adelaide Road.

Vehicles: Having an all vehicle phase improves the intersections operation for vehicles. The reduction in traffic will also create a positive effect for vehicles.

Sussex / Buckle

The Sussex / Buckle intersection layout is shown in Figure 4- 80.

Figure 4- 80: Sussex/Buckle Intersection

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Control: There is currently no control at this intersection and will remain the case for the Project.

Walking/Cycling: Currently there are no crossing facilities at this location. There is however a desire to cross Sussex Street and therefore as part of the Project drop kerbs will be installed to provide an informal crossing for pedestrians and cyclists. This crossing will be significantly improved due to reduction in traffic and the single lane approach to Buckle Street.

Passenger Transport: There is currently no bus lane provision at the intersection. As part of the Project a northbound bus lane will be provided on Sussex Street connecting to Cambridge Terrace. With the reduction in traffic flows (refer to Section 7.3.1) the implementation of full time bus lanes around sections of the Basin Reserve will not impact negatively on other road users. An ‘at grade’ lane reaches capacity at approximately 1400 pcu/hr. The actual traffic flows for the AM, IP and PM are all less than this figure.

Vehicles: The Project reduces the amount of vehicles using Sussex Street, while the Memorial Park Project plans to restrict access to the Tory/Tasman Street intersection from this location. The implementation of the bus lane reduces the capacity for vehicles however with reduced vehicle numbers there will be no negative impact on vehicles at this location.

Taranaki / Buckle

The Taranaki / Buckle intersection layout is shown in Figure 4- 81.

Figure 4- 81: Taranaki/Buckle Intersection

Signals: The intersection is a major intersection with four approach arms running on a four phase arrangement. With the Project, the intersection will:

continue to operate with four phases. have an additional right turn lane on Taranaki Street for vehicles turning into Arthur

Street. have an additional through lane on Buckle Street as a result of the Project, meaning

there will now be three lanes in the tunnel instead of two.

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permit weave activity in Buckle Street. This has been considered with a peak demand from Sussex Street turning right at the Taranaki intersection of approximately 250 vehicles per hour in the AM Peak. A safety assessment has been carried out and has been identified as a minor concern (Appendix 4-K).

Walking/Cycling: The existing pedestrian and cyclist signalised crossing on the northern arm of the intersection will be retained as part of the Project.

Passenger Transport: There is no passenger transport improvements proposed for this intersection; however the improved efficiency of the intersection should reduce delay to north and south bound bus movements.

Vehicles: The intersection improvements will make the intersection more efficient.

7.3.7 Summary

The following key points can be summarised from the road network assessment for 2021.

Traffic Volumes

An increase of 2,200 (12%) vehicles per day on Vivian Street, resulting from increasing the capacity on Vivian Street (between Tory Street and Cambridge Terrace) during peak periods and improving the Vivian/Pirie/Kent/Cambridge intersection operation.

An increase of 2,600 (9%) vehicles per day on Kent Terrace. This increase can be attributed to: more vehicles being able to get through the Vivian / Pirie / Kent / Cambridge intersection; Hania / Ellice access changes resulting in vehicles re-routing to get onto Kent Terrace via the Pirie / Vivian / Kent / Cambridge intersection; and less congestion at the Basin Reserve making this route more appealing to road users.

A two way flow increase of 3,500 (15%) vehicles per day on Adelaide Road, this includes an additional 3,000 vehicles per day on Adelaide Road southbound and 500 vehicles per day northbound. With a decrease in congestion around the Basin Reserve Adelaide Road becomes more accessible.

A reduction of 12,500 (40%) in vehicles per day on Rugby Street east (at corner with Dufferin), resulting from the separation of State highway and local road traffic.

A reduction of 15,500 (73%) vehicles per day on Rugby Street, resulting from the grade separation of westbound SH1.

A reduction of 14,200 (43%) vehicles per day on Sussex Street, resulting from the grade separation of westbound SH1.

An increase of 3,200 (15%) vehicles per day on Buckle Street, resulting from the grade separation of westbound SH1 and reduced congestion around the Basin Reserve making this route more attractive for SH1 users and those accessing from Adelaide Road.

Other links such as Oriental Bay (as an alternative to SH1 via the Basin Reserve area), Victoria Street and Willis Street see only minor changes in traffic flow due to the introduction of the Project.

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Journey Times

SH1 westbound has journey time savings up to approximately 7.5 minutes in the AM peak.

SH1 eastbound has journey time savings up to approximately 1.3 minutes in the PM Peak.

Journey time variability92 is reduced for SH1 eastbound and westbound and both northbound and southbound movements through the Basin Reserve.

Queue Lengths

There are significant queue reductions in the AM peak on Vivian Street (65%) at the intersection with Kent Terrace, Paterson Street (76%) at the intersection with Dufferin Street, and no queues on Rugby Street at the intersection with Adelaide Road.

There are significant queue reductions in the PM peak on Paterson Street (91%) at the intersection with Dufferin Street and again no queues form on Rugby Street at the intersection with Adelaide Road.

Intersection Improvements

The Vivian / Cambridge / Kent / Pirie intersection will be improved by new phasing with reallocated green time for vehicles exiting Pirie Street. The geometry of the intersection will also be modified.

The Paterson / Dufferin intersection will be improved with the provision of pedestrian and cyclist signalised crossing facilities connecting to shared facilities, phasing changes to provide priority for vehicles travelling from Kent Terrace to Adelaide Road and the provision of a dedicated bus lane.

The Rugby / Adelaide intersection will be improved by changing phasing from three phases to two, allowing pedestrians and cyclists to cross on demand. The crossing distance will also be reduced on Rugby Street from three lanes to one.

There are adverse effects associated with access changes at both Hania and Ellice Streets. These effects have been mitigated through intersection improvements at the Vivian / Kent / Cambridge / Pirie intersection (see Section 8, Measures to Avoid, Remedy or Mitigate Adverse Transport Effects for further details).

There are access restrictions imposed at both Hania and Ellice Streets. There will be re-routing as a result of the intersection changes and are mitigated by the intersection improvements at Pirie Street (see Section 8, Measures to Avoid, Remedy or Mitigate Adverse Transport Effects for further details).

The identified Project outcomes are consistent with the Project objectives.

92 Reference to Figure 4- 68 - Figure 4- 73.

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7.4 Parking Assessment

The assessment of effects for parking has been considered in terms capacity, demand and occupancy. The net number of public parking spaces lost as a result of the Project is twelve. During the AM and PM peak periods 21 parking spaces on Vivian Street (between Tory and Cambridge) will operate as a clearway. No private parking will be lost, however five additional private parking spaces will be provided on Ellice Street to serve the proposed new building under the bridge.

A summary of the changes in parking is shown in Table 4- 28.

Table 4- 28: Changes in Public Parking. Location Type Assessment Vivian St On Street 21 parks removed during peak traffic (7am–9am and 4pm–6pm) to

allow for additional intersection approach lane. Pirie St On Street 5 parks removed for intersection improvements Cambridge Tce East

On Street 2 new parks, resulting from the relocation of pedestrian crossing.

Cambridge Tce West

On Street 2 new parks, resulting from the relocation of pedestrian crossing.

Ellice Dufferin Corner

Off Street 5 parks removed for eastbound SH1 alignment.

Ellice St West On Street 4 parks removed Ellice St East On Street 2 parks removed to provide safe sightlines to new pedestrian

crossing. Church Within

church grounds

Parking layout will be revised within the church grounds and on Brougham St property.

The changes in parking are shown in Figure 4- 82 below.

Figure 4- 82: Parking Changes

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From the survey and assessment it has been identified that:

Vivian Street could have clearways introduced during peak times (7–9am and 4–6pm) without having a significant impact on parking or business availability. Parking alternatives also exist on Kent / Cambridge Terraces and Tory Street during these times.

Pirie Street parks are well utilised by long stay vehicles. Removing these parks will have a minor impact as there are limited alternatives nearby. It is likely relocated vehicles would park on Hania Street which is already well used by long stay vehicles, while short stay vehicles could use Kent Terrace.

The main area of concern relates to the Sunday parking demand associated with the St. Joseph’s Church in which there is an existing parking shortfall in the immediate vicinity of the church. The removal of the 11 parks on Ellice Street will exacerbate this problem. Proposed mitigation for this shortfall includes a new parking layout within the church grounds which provides 41 full time additional parking spaces and in the weekend this number will be increased to 46. The additional five parking spaces will be weekend only parks, which will also be included in the church car park also. Mitigation is discussed further in Section 8.

Summary

The Project will reduce the net number of public parking spaces within the Project Area. Although removal of parking spaces has been avoided, in some instances it was not possible.

Overall there will be a net loss of 12 public parking spaces, which is an adverse minor effect. Proposed mitigation for the loss of parking is discussed further in Section 8, Measures to Avoid, Remedy or Mitigate Adverse Transport Effects.

7.5 Basin Reserve Northern Gateway Building and Relocation of Gates

The Project also proposes to construct an additional building, the northern gateway building within the Basin Reserve grounds. With the northern gateway building come changes to the access points at both the northern and southern points to the ground.

The northern gateway building will enhance the facilities within the Basin Reserve which in turn may result in greater use of the Basin Reserve itself, however based on the existing and historical land use of the site; this enhancement is unlikely to result in additional transportation effects above those that might currently occur.

The proposed changes include relocating the Dempster Gate to the southern side of the Basin Reserve beside the Reid Gate. At the northern entrance to the Basin Reserve the northern gateway building will provide access into the grounds.

The northern gateway building is shown in Figure 4- 83 below. The relocated Demspter Gate is proposed to sit beside the Reid Gate is shown in Figure 4- 84 below.

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Figure 4- 83: Proposed Gates into Basin Reserve from the North

Figure 4- 84: Proposed Relocated Dempster Gate

The access point changes identified in Figure 4- 83 and Figure 4- 84 above will have a positive effect on access to and from the ground. Currently the gates at the northern end are limited and off set from the crossing point. The new gates will provide a much better flow to and from the concourse area in front of the Basin Reserve which will assist movement during events and on a daily basis for commuters walking or cycling through the Basin Reserve.

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7.6 Emergency Services Assessment

7.6.1 Access

Access to and from Wellington Hospital and the south/east of Wellington will be enhanced through reduced local road congestion and the ability for emergency service vehicles to utilise the proposed bus lanes in the event of an emergency. This is especially relevant during peak times in which congestion currently results in regular periods of “gridlock” in which emergency access and responses times can be impacted. All emergency services, ambulance, police and fire will be able to utilise the bus lanes around the Basin Reserve in the event of an emergency.

7.6.2 Concerns Raised During Engagement

The Project addresses concerns raised by emergency services by:

Reducing traffic on the local network. It will also improve the Vivian / Cambridge intersection operation, which will provide better access from the city centre to the Mount Victoria Tunnel.

The Project has been modelled as a sensitivity test for times when the bridge could be closed, the frequency of such an even occurring is likely to be very low due to geometric alignment and safety features. The modelling results confirm that should the bridge be closed, the surrounding network will cope for a short period with the State highway traffic, provided signal settings and pedestrian provision is modified at Cambridge Terrace, Dufferin/Paterson and Adelaide/Rugby intersections.

VMS signage will be implemented as part of the Project. The signage will be able to advise road users of alternative routes if the bridge or Buckle Street is closed. Alternative routes could include travelling around the Basin Reserve and using Cambridge Terrace, or using Tory or Taranaki Streets, depending on where the closure is.

Improvements for local road traffic travelling between Kent Terrace and Adelaide Road and Adelaide Road and Cambridge Terrace will result from the Project. These improvements will include reduced traffic volumes and conflicts between State highway and local road traffic.

Modelling of the Project and wider area has indicated that the existing east bound State highway route is the most appropriate emergency service route to the eastern suburbs.

Bus lanes around the Basin Reserve will provide space for emergency response vehicles when travelling to or from the hospital or other southern and eastern suburbs. Reducing the traffic around the Basin Reserve will also assist emergency services travelling around the Basin Reserve.

Discussions held to date with emergency services93 and the Wellington Hospital94 have been positive and the feedback received endorsed that Project will improve access to and from the hospital and other locations south and east of the CBD. There has been a general acceptance to the proposed approach during construction of the Project, however continued communication

93 Wellington Free Ambulance, Wellington City Fire Station and NZ Police, emergency services project update meeting held 3 May 2013.

94 Wellington Hospital project update meeting held 3 May 2013.

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and information to emergency services and hospital users/staff was considered important. This has been identified as a requirement in the Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP).

7.7 Safety Assessment

The Project objectives relevant to safety and the Project are:

(a) To improve the resilience, efficiency and reliability of the State highway network: By improving the safety for traffic and persons using this part of the State

Highway 1 corridor.

The assessment of effects for safety has been considered in relation to this objective and compares the existing situation with the scheme design. The assessment also includes details from the road safety audit.

From Section 5, it can be deduced that with the implementation of the Project the following will occur:

There are a large number of crashes that occur at intersections around the Basin Reserve including Paterson / Dufferin, Adelaide / Rugby and Rugby / Sussex. It can be assumed that with the removal of conflict between State highway and local road traffic and a reduction in traffic volumes the number of crashes at these locations will reduce. At the Paterson / Dufferin intersection 32 crashes were recorded. Traffic volumes decrease by 16,200 (83%) on the Paterson Street at the intersection with Dufferin Street, and also decrease by 15,900 (52%) on Dufferin Street at the intersection with Paterson Street. This gives a net reduction of approximately 32,100 vehicles that travel through the intersection per day. At the Adelaide / Rugby intersection 46 crashes were recorded. Traffic volumes decrease on Rugby Street (at the top of Adelaide Road) by 15,500 (73%) and increase by 3,500 (15%) on Adelaide Road giving a total net reduction of approximately 12,000 vehicles that travel through the intersection per day. At the Rugby / Sussex intersection 32 crashes were recorded. The net traffic volume moving through this intersection is expected to reduce by approximately 14,200 (43%) per day.

Pedestrian and cyclist crashes account for 6 per cent of all road users involved in crashes within the Project Area. The reduction in traffic volumes in combination with the improvement and provision of facilities for pedestrians and cyclists can only reduce the number of crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists.

There have been 26 crashes recorded at the SH1 / Taranaki Street intersection. Improvements are proposed at this intersection including providing zebra crossings across slip lanes into and out of Taranaki Street as well as a short cycle lane and advance stop box for northbound cyclists approaching the intersection from Taranaki Street. These improvements should assist in reducing the number of crashes at this intersection.

The Pirie / Cambridge / Vivian / Kent intersection had 43 crashes recorded. Intersection improvements are proposed for this intersection, to provide better access for Mount Victoria. These improvements will improve the intersection operation and therefore look to reduce crashes at this intersection.

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Any reduction in crashes will reduce the short term disruption and delays to vehicle movements on SH1 and the wider network.

The Project will meet current design standards and offer an improved geometric layout. A road safety audit was completed in February 2012 on the scheme design for the Project. The road safety audit and responses are attached in Appendix 4-K.

The Project will provide a positive impact in terms of safety and achieves the Project objectives for safety.

7.8 Accessibility Assessment

The Project objectives relevant to accessibility are:

(b) To support regional economic growth and productivity: by contributing to the enhanced movement of people and freight through

Wellington City; and,

by in particular improving access to Wellington’s CBD, employment centres, airport and hospital.


and,



The assessment of effects for accessibility has been considered in relation to these objectives and compares the existing situation with the Project.

7.8.1 General

The Project improves accessibility through enhancing movements of people and freight through Wellington City by: separating State highway and local traffic, improving intersections to operate more efficiently, and providing pedestrian, cycle and passenger transport facilities. The Project also supports mobility and modal choices through the provision and integration of facilities for walking and cycling, passenger transport and vehicles.

Passenger transport journey times are reduced for all routes and peak periods by as much as 42%95.

95 Based on average of multiple runs of Paramics for Kent Terrace to Adelaide Road in the PM peak journey time reduced by 61sec.

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Access to local communities, schools and facilities will be enhanced through a reduction in traffic outside the main school gates of St Marks and Wellington College by up to 40%96. Other schools such as Wellington East College and Mount Cook School will have improved pedestrian and cycle access.

These improvements will also seek to reduce through traffic travelling southbound through Mount Victoria reducing and getting traffic on the strategic road network at the appropriate location.

Access out of Mount Victoria (from Hania and Ellice Streets) will be restricted to SH1 eastbound or a low volume carrying link road that will provide access to Paterson Street westbound, near the Paterson / Dufferin intersection. Proposed mitigation for these access changes will include intersection improvements at the Pirie / Kent / Cambridge / Vivian intersection97. Further details regarding this mitigation can be in Section 8, Measures to Avoid, Remedy or Mitigate Adverse Transport Effects.

The modifications make access out of Mount Victoria safer and more efficient for residents and road users.

7.8.2 St Marks School Drop Off Area

The majority of students at St Mark’s School are driven to school. Parents were observed parking in the St. Joseph’s Church car park and walking their children across Paterson Street. A small proportion of students also catch the bus to school. There are three dedicated school buses that leave in the afternoon between 3:10 and 3:15; in the morning students are able to share buses with pupils from Wellington East Girls College and Wellington College. Additionally, some students catch regular commuter buses to and from school using the Adelaide Road bus stops.

The layout of the schools drop off area is an existing problem and not a result of the Project. A reduction of traffic in this vicinity will improve the traffic environment in the area.

NZTA has worked with WCC, St Marks School and Wellington College to make some improvements to traffic flow and safety in this area, and these are shown in Figure 4- 85. It is however not possible to remove all conflicts that occur during school drop-off and pick-up periods at this location. It should be noted that this has not been finalised and continues to be developed in conjunction with the schools and WCC.

96 Based on predicted 2021 AADT DM and Project from SATURN model on Rugby Street east (near corner of Dufferin).

97 An assessment of the intersection indicates the overall intersection: delay will be reduced by up to approximately 7 seconds; queue length is reduced by up to approximately 200 m; and the LOS is improved from C to B. Further information regarding the assessment can be found in Appendix 4-G.

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Figure 4- 85: St Marks School Proposed Access Layout

7.8.3 Link Road between Sussex Street and Ellice Street

The Project proposes to change the priority on the road linking Sussex Street with Ellice Street from vehicles to pedestrians and cyclists. The purpose of this change is two-fold:

To enhance the pedestrian and cyclist connection between the Basin Reserve and Kent and Cambridge Terraces; and

To emphasise the pedestrian plaza leading into the Basin Reserve entrance.

The proposed scheme includes a raised shared space platform constructed across the link road. The space will be clearly signposted as shared space and priority will be given to pedestrians and cyclists. The existing zebra crossing will be removed and a formal crossing will not be replaced.

As discussed in Section 5.4 there is a predominant north – south pedestrian and cyclist movement, through the Basin Reserve. Safety and accessibility can be improved by the use of the shared space.

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7.8.4 Hania and Ellice Streets

Access at both Hania and Ellice Streets is partially restricted as part of the Project. Currently traffic from Ellice Street can turn right into Hania Street and traffic from both Hania Street and Ellice Street can access Dufferin Street to continue their journey either on SH1 eastbound, Adelaide Road, SH1 westbound or back onto Cambridge Terrace via the Basin Reserve.

Not all of these movements will be possible as part of the Project, and instead vehicles exiting Hania and Ellice Street will be restricted to SH1 eastbound or access onto the link road which will connect to Paterson Street southbound near the Paterson / Dufferin intersection. Other access will be via the improved Pirie Street / Kent Terrace intersection. The overall LOS for this intersection improves from a LOS C to an LOS B. Further information regarding the intersection assessment can be found in Appendix 4-I.

The access restrictions have been implemented due to current safety issues and the geometry of the proposed alignments for SH1. The implementation of the Project will make access easier out of Hania and Ellice to the Paterson / Dufferin intersection. It should however be noted that the link road in the Project will be designed for low volumes and therefore will not be the main access for Mount Victoria residents. Mitigation proposed for these access restrictions are discussed in Section 8, Measures to Avoid, Remedy or Mitigate Adverse Transport Effects.

7.8.5 School Bus Access to Wellington East Girls High School

There are a number of buses that service Wellington East Girls College, St Marks School and other stops within the local area. Currently the majority of buses that service Wellington East Girls College access the Basin Reserve via Ellice Street to continue their routes.

Proposed access changes at Hania and Ellice Streets will not affect these bus routes. A link road is proposed to connect Ellice with Dufferin Street. The link road will be controlled with traffic signals, linked to the pedestrian and cyclist crossing signals immediately to the west. The link road is not expected to be a preferred route and become a rat run for Mount Victoria residents due to how the signals will be programmed and operate. The proposed link road is shown in Figure 4- 86.

Figure 4- 86: Proposed Link Road

7.8.6 Summary

Proposed access changes at Hania / Ellice Street will have some impact on Mount Victoria residents, which we would assess as being insignificant. Changes include making Hania / Ellice

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Street left in and left out, with vehicles only being able to access SH1 eastbound or the link road connecting onto Paterson Street near the Paterson / Dufferin intersection. The proposed changes are predicted to cause some vehicle re-routing, however it is predicted that this will have a positive outcome as a result of the proposed mitigation associated with the Pirie / Kent / Cambridge / SH1 intersection, discussed in further detail in Section 8, Measures to Avoid, Remedy or Mitigate Adverse Transport Effects. WCC is happy in principle with the mitigation; however it does have other minor effects such as loss in parking including during peak periods on Vivian Street and 5 spaces lost permanently on Pirie Street.

No other access will be affected by the Project and there will be significant access improvements as a result of the Project for pedestrians, cyclists, passenger transport and local road users.

7.9 Construction Assessment

The Project is to be largely constructed within the confines of the existing road network and as a result there will be negative effects on the operation of the transport network during construction. It is proposed to mitigate these negative effects by developing an appropriate staging and sequencing plan, traffic management plans and construction programming. The latter two, traffic management and construction programming, are discussed by the construction specialist (refer Design Philosophy Statement and Construction Environmental Management Plan). A copy of the draft Construction Traffic Management Plan for the Project has been included in AEE construction documentation and is an example of what might be implemented following detail design, construction sequencing and discussions with WCC and other stakeholders.

In order to assess the effects of construction an indicative construction sequence, plan and programme has been developed in conjunction with the Constructor team that will build the Project. This approach aims to minimise transport effects while ensuring an efficient and effective construction sequence for delivery. This indicative approach assumes the following:

Improvements at the Taranaki Street / Karo Drive / Buckle Street98 and Vivian Street / Kent Terrace / Cambridge Terrace / Pirie Street intersections are completed prior to any other works which result in reduced capacity on the State highway or local road network.

Construction of the bridge occurs from the west to east. The closure of Ellice Street and Hania Street to allow construction of the bridge piers is

minimised as much as practicable. The new eastbound SH1 from Ellice Street to Paterson Street is open in advance of

works on the eastern bridge abutment which restrict traffic flow. The reduction in capacity approaching the Paterson / Dufferin intersection is

minimised as much as practicable during construction of the eastern bridge abutment. If possible, the bridge will be opened to one lane whilst the eastern bridge abutment is constructed.

All local road improvements or reductions in capacity occur following the opening of the east and west bound SH1 improvements.

98 Assume that the Buckle Street Underpass will be completed with two lane operation.

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Pedestrian and cycle links are provided at all times. Passenger transport facilities and operation is maintained at all times, recognising that

during certain times trolley bus operation may be restricted or a requirement may exist to run diesel services while trolley bus wires are relocated. Disruption to passenger transport should be minimised as much as possible.

Construction traffic utilises the State highway network wherever possible to access the site and move materials to and from the site.

7.9.1 Construction Sequencing Modelling

The assumed construction sequencing was modelled in Paramics to assess the effects to the different routes through the Basin Reserve. The modelled sequencing was: Stage 1:

Changes to the Taranaki / Buckle intersection including providing an additional right turn lane from Taranaki Street into Arthur Street. An additional lane is also provided on Buckle Street providing 3 through lanes and 1 right turn short lane.

Changes to the Vivian / Pirie intersection including providing an additional westbound lane on Pirie, currently there is only one lane exiting Pirie Street. Clearways have also been included on Vivian Street, increasing the number of lanes in the AM and PM peaks to three lanes from the existing two. The left most lane on Vivian Street will also be able to turn right.

Stage 2: Layout changes around Dufferin/Paterson/Ellice Streets. The Dufferin/Paterson

intersection remains unchanged however the SH1 eastbound realignment was assumed to be constructed.

Stage 3:

Reduce lane capacity on Paterson Street to one lane at the approach to the Paterson/Dufferin intersection.

Relative journey time information has been summarised in Table 4- 29 below, showing the difference between the do minimum with stages one and two implemented less stage three. It shows that when Paterson Street capacity is reduced at the Paterson/Dufferin intersection with the other improvements completed in stages one and two journey times will increase for SH1 westbound journeys by up to 118 seconds in the PM peak. For other routes journey times generally do not change.

The relative difference in journey times is summarised in Table 4-31. It should be noted that these times do not account for any changes in people’s behaviour that may occur as a result of publicity and other means listed in Section 7.9.6. The results also do not account for re-routing around Evans Bay Parade or changes in drivers behaviour such as a shift to PT, which may occur as a result of construction works and associated publicity.

Table 4- 29: Do Minimum with Stages 1 and 2 implemented less Stage 3, Journey Times (seconds)

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Routes99 AM IP PM Northbound -8 -2 1 Southbound -2 6 -1 Eastbound 3 -2 2 Westbound 105 40 118

Proposed mitigation measures during construction are discussed in Section 8.

7.9.2 Cambridge Terrace approach to Pedestrian Crossing

During construction of a bridge pier it has been identified Cambridge Terrace will need to be reduced down to one lane for a period on the approach to the signalised pedestrian crossing. An assessment has been completed of the crossing using the 2021 forecast base peak flow on Cambridge Terrace. The assessment indicated that the crossing operates to a satisfactory LOS for both pedestrians and vehicles with two approach lanes (LOS A for vehicles and LOS B for pedestrians) and with a reduced lane capacity to one approach lane the LOS remains satisfactory (LOS B for vehicles and LOS B for pedestrians).

7.9.3 Construction Traffic

Construction traffic associated with the site will be limited to vehicle movements associated with construction equipment (e.g. excavators, cranes etc.), plant, materials, bridge components, and staff.

Total vehicle movements are expected to be low in relation to the high traffic volumes currently using SH1 in the Project Area. There are predicted to be oversize and overweight vehicles delivering equipment and materials to the site during construction and removed following construction. These movements will need to occur in accordance with normal highway and local road restrictions and appropriate permits granted prior to movements occurring.

These movements have the potential to have a minor impact at the time in which they occur, however this will be managed and monitored as part of the Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP). These movements will require appropriate over dimension and/or over weight permits which will restrict the hours in which these movements can occur and the routes vehicles are allowed to travel.

All other construction movements to and from the site will be encouraged to utilise the State highway network and will have a minimal effect on the road network.

7.9.4 Pedestrian and Cycle Assessment

All practical steps will be taken to reduce the impact of construction activities or Temporary Traffic Management (TTM) measures on pedestrians and cyclists. Likely impacts upon access or mobility will be identified at the construction planning stage.

99 Based on average of multiple runs of Paramics: Northbound, Adelaide Rd to Cambridge Terrace, (Hospital Rd – Elizabeth St); Southbound, Kent to Adelaide (Elizabeth St – Hospital Rd); Eastbound, SH1 (Victoria St - Taurima St); Westbound, SH1 (Taurima St – Victoria St) (refer to Appendix 4-J for screenshots of Paramics paths for construction).

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Where access is impeded as a result of construction works, safe and clearly identifiable alternative access arrangements will be implemented which may include (but are not limited to):

Temporary access in accordance with the Code of Practice for Temporary Traffic Management (COPTTM).

Temporary diversions (i.e. when the proposed building is constructed in the Basin Reserve and the Dempster Gate is relocated. An alternative route will be provided to maintain access for pedestrians and cyclists.

Safety fences for restricted access zones. Hoarding for long-term work sites with excavations or other hazardous environments.

Long-term closures or closures of critical pedestrian/cyclist infrastructure will result in communications with the public, consideration of public events, school and / or stakeholder timetables.

Due to the segmented nature of the construction sequence for the bridge (e.g. individual piers), restrictions on pedestrian and cycle access are likely to be localised and will not require significant deviations.

Consequently the effects on pedestrian and cycle access are likely to be no more than minor.

7.9.5 Public Transport Assessment

All practical steps will be taken to reduce the impact of construction activities or TTM measures on passenger transport services.

Activities likely to impact upon passenger transport services will be identified at the construction planning stage, such as TTM measures which may impinge on bus stops and bus lanes. This will allow for time to arrange for changes to services and timetables, or for methodologies to be developed that minimise impacts.

Further consultation with affected parties will determine the best way to reduce impacts where deemed unavoidable. This consultation will be undertaken as part of the CTMP development process, with GWRC, Wellington Cable Car Limited and Go Wellington.

It has been assumed that provision for trolley buses has to be maintained during construction. Discussions have been held with Wellington Cable Car Limited and GWRC about construction effects and the feasibility of replacing trolley buses with diesel buses during construction (‘Dieselisation’). If overhead lines could be removed or not relocated during construction of the bridge over Kent and Cambridge Terraces for critical periods this could reduce construction costs and programme. Note that trolley buses are currently not used over weekends, but changes in operation could occur by the time construction commences.

Consequently the effects on Public Transport are likely to be no more than minor.

7.9.6 Road Network Assessment (including Freight)

All practical steps will be taken to reduce the impact of construction activities or Temporary Traffic Management (TTM) measures on the surrounding Road Network. Specific impacts will be identified at the construction planning stage.

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Traffic modelling of critical phases of the construction sequencing plan has occurred in order to ensure that the Project can be constructed without causing significant effects on the operation of the road network. This assessment identified the restriction in capacity from Paterson Street to Dufferin Street as the major constraint. Provided that early road network improvements occur at the Arthur / Taranaki / Buckle intersection and Vivian / Cambridge / Kent / Pirie intersection the impact of the reduced capacity from Paterson Street will result in a temporary increase in travel time and congestion of no more than two minutes in the AM peak with the current traffic volumes (i.e. no suppression or travel changes as a result of the other mitigation). Although this increase will have an impact, there are a number of options to minimise this travel time delay and associated congestion as discussed in Section 7.3.

In addition to the construction sequencing identified above (Section 7.9) other measures will be put in place to minimise the effect of construction on the road network:

Restricting TTM hours to outside peak travel times. Effective communication with stakeholders and the public around likely disruption. Visual screens to minimise rubbernecking.

Consequently the effects on the road network are likely to be no more than minor.

7.9.7 Local Accessibility

All practical steps will be taken to reduce the impact of construction activities or TTM measures on property access (vehicular and pedestrian/cycle), existing on-site parking or manoeuvring areas. Under exceptional circumstances where the construction methodology or staging prevents continuous vehicle and pedestrian access to property, communications with the affected parties will be undertaken and agreements reached.

These communications may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Information about the works. Duration of the works. Likely impact on access and alternative access arrangements, where applicable. Date of the works. Contact details for the Constructor members and Wellington City Council.

All reasonable measures to reduce or mitigate the impacts of such activities will be put in place, which may include (but are not limited to), the following:

Temporary access ways using metal plates or other methods. Construction methodologies that allow access during critical time periods. Provision of alternative parking or manoeuvring areas.

School drop-off and parking for buses and parents shall remain operational at all times during the school term. Details will be provided in the TMP.

Consequently the effects on local accessibility are likely to be no more than minor.

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7.10 Summary of Effects

A summary of the effects of the Project discussed within this section is as follows:

7.10.1 Pedestrian and Cyclist Assessment

The Project provides a new shared facility along the northern side of the bridge, providing an east west link between the Mount Victoria Tunnel and Buckle Street. New shared path facilities and cyclist and pedestrian crossings are also proposed as well as intersection enhancements to make them more efficient for all road users. A shared space will also be implemented at the northern entrance to the Basin Reserve. Facilities will be designed and constructed to meet present standards and guidelines for persons with disabilities.

7.10.2 Passenger Transport Assessment

The Project improves travel and journey time reliability, and will be experienced in particular by buses using the Adelaide/Kent/Cambridge route. Other coach and out of service buses will also experience improvements on the State highway.

The predicted change in travel time for buses on the Adelaide/Kent/Cambridge route results in as much as a 42%100 decrease. Journey time variability is also removed for both southbound and northbound buses.

7.10.3 Emergency Services Assessment

Access to and from Wellington Hospital and the south and eastern suburbs will be enhanced through reduced local road congestion and the ability for emergency service vehicles to utilise the proposed bus lanes in the event of an emergency. This is especially relevant during peak times in which congestion currently results in regular periods of “gridlock” in which access and response times are impacted. Other emergency services, police and fire will also be able to utilise the bus lanes around the Basin Reserve in the event of an emergency.

7.10.4 Road Network Assessment

Traffic volumes increase on Vivian Street by 2,200 (12%), Kent Terrace by 2,600 (9%), Buckle Street by 3,200 (15%), and Adelaide Road by 3,500 (15%) vehicles per day.

Traffic volumes decrease on Dufferin St by 15,900 (52%) at the approach to the Paterson intersection and on Rugby Street east by 12,500 (40%). On Sussex Street by 14,200 (43%) vehicles per day.

Links such as Oriental Bay (as an alternative to SH1 via the Basin Reserve area), Victoria Street and Willis Street see only minor changes in traffic flow due to the introduction of the Basin Bridge Project.

Journey times for SH1 westbound decrease by as much as approximately 7.5 minutes and for SH1 eastbound by approximately 77 seconds. There are also other journey time savings in the

100 Based on average of multiple runs of Paramics for bus movements between Kent Terrace and Adelaide Road , predicted journey time reduced by 61 sec PM Peak.

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Project Area, including Kent Terrace to Adelaide Road with a reduction of 64 seconds in the PM peak, and approximately two minutes in the AM peak for Adelaide Road to Cambridge Terrace. All bus routes have journey time savings up to 41%.

There are also reductions in queue lengths within the Project Area including on Paterson Street, Rugby Street and Adelaide Road during all peak periods.

Significant improvements will be made to the Vivian / Cambridge / Kent / Pirie, Paterson / Dufferin, Rugby / Adelaide intersections including pedestrian and cyclist signalised crossings and changes to phasing to make the intersections more efficient.

Although freight volumes are relatively low through the Project Area, these movements will be subject to the same improvements experienced by general traffic and this should in turn help to encourage the use of SH1 and the Kent / Cambridge / Adelaide Road corridor instead of alternative local road movements.

7.10.5 Parking Assessment

The net number of public parking spaces lost is 12. 21 parking spaces on Vivian Street will have restricted hours during peak periods as part of the Vivian / Kent / Pirie / Cambridge intersection improvements. No private parking will be lost.

7.10.6 Safety Assessment

Safety improvements will be achieved through the separation of State highway and local road traffic and the provision of pedestrian and cycle facilities. The new westbound link will be a dedicated vehicle space with no side friction and side protection, thus reducing the risk of crashes. The grade separation of pedestrians and cyclists at a number of locations will also significantly reduce the risk of crashes, while proposed changes to signal configuration at a number of intersections improve efficiency and safety for all road users. The Project will meet current design standards and offer an improved geometric layout.

7.10.7 Accessibility Assessment

Proposed access changes at Hania / Ellice Street will have a minor effect on Mount Victoria residents. Changes include making Hania / Ellice Street left in and left out, with vehicles only being able to access SH1 eastbound and the low volume link to Dufferin Street. The proposed changes will cause some vehicle re-routing out of Mount Victoria via Pirie Street, which in turn should reduce rat running in local streets and increase usage of the strategic road network.

No other access will be affected by the Project.

7.10.8 Construction Assessment

Potential construction traffic and transportation effects are identified below:

Disruption to bus routes (general and school routes). Disruption to school drop-off and pick-up. Access restrictions to businesses and residences. Disruption / restrictions to walking and cycling routes and paths. Parking restrictions (public and private parking).

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Disruption / restriction to vehicle routes through the Project Area.

Some key site specific effects that have been identified include:

Reduction in traffic capacity of SH1 westbound during construction of the eastern bridge abutment.

Access restrictions around Hania Street and Ellice Street during bridge construction, both (vehicular and active-modes). Especially to Regional Wines and Spirits.

Parking restrictions for Saint Joseph’s Church during construction of the eastbound SH1 alignment and landscaping / car-park improvements.

Restrictions for vehicular and active-modes during construction of the bridge piers and landscaping across Kent and Cambridge Terraces.

7.11 Assessment against the Regional Land Transport Strategy (RLTS)

Table 4- 30 provides a summary of the RLTS outcomes, targets and how the Project aligns with these key actions. It should be noted that it is unlikely that any project will fully meet all the RLTS criteria.

Table 4- 30: RLTS Assessment

RLTS Outcome 2020 Strategic Target Project Alignment with Key Actions

(1.1) Increased peak period public transport mode share

Public transport accounts for at least 23 million peak period trips per annum (17.4 million in 2009/10)

Bus priority measures and other supporting road network improvements implemented as part of the Project, including bus lanes, retaining the bus pre-signal at the Kent Terrace pedestrian crossing and improved intersection operation, particularly relevant at the Dufferin/Paterson and Rugby/Adelaide Road intersections.

The Project facilitates the development of an improved passenger transportation spine between Adelaide Road and Kent / Cambridge Terraces.

(1.2) Increased off-peak public transport use and community connectedness

Public transport accounts for at least 23 million off peak period trips per annum (17.6 million trips in 2009/10)

Bus priority measures and other supporting road network improvements implemented as part of the Project could encourage increased usage and connectedness.

(1.3) Improved public transport accessibility for all, including the transport disadvantaged

75% of people in the region live or work within 400 metres (5 minutes’ walk) and 90% within 800 metres of a public transport stop with service throughout the day (68% within 400m, 85% within 800m in 2009).

The relocated bus stop from Adelaide Road to Rugby Street will be designed to accommodate those with wheelchairs and improve the standing area for passengers.

(1.4) Reduced public transport journey times compared to travel by private car

Continual reduction of peak period public transport journey times relative to a similar journey undertaken by a

Bus priority measures implemented as part of the Project. Bus journey times reduced by up to 30% in the interpeak period (36 seconds). Relative to travel

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private car for key selected corridor.

with a private car this journey time is comparable, although with the proposed bus lanes and the bus pre-signal at the Kent Terrace pedestrian crossing the Project ensures priority is given to buses.

(1.5) Increased public transport reliability

Continual improvement to bus and train services running to time.

Bus priority measures implemented. Bus journey time and variability reduced in all peak periods

(2.1) Increased mode share for pedestrians and cyclists

Continue significant growth in active mode use, and

Continue significant growth in the use of active modes for journey to work trips.

Improving walking and cycling facilities, including the provision of a grade separated shared facility next to SH1 westbound. New crossing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists including signals and zebra crossings. New off road facilities for cyclists.

(2.2) Improved level of service for pedestrians and cyclists

70% of people report a ‘good’ or ‘neither good nor bad’ level of service for the strategic pedestrian network

Provision of a grade separated shared facility next to SH1 westbound. Provision of off road cycle facilities. Upgrade of intersections around the Basin Reserve giving better time allocation for pedestrians and cyclists. Provision of quality footpaths and facilities. Reducing the delay for pedestrians and cyclists at intersections and thus improving LOS.

(2.3) Increased safety for pedestrians and cyclists

A reduction in the number of pedestrian casualties to no more than 125 (117 injured in 2009).

A reduction in the number of

cyclist casualties to no more than 110 (136 injured in 2009).

The Project improves pedestrian and cyclist networks, through the provision of new links, including the shared off road facility on SH1 westbound, on road cycle lanes, new shared paths around the Basin Reserve and the upgrade of existing crossings

(3.1) Reduced greenhouse gas emissions

Transport generated CO2 emissions will be maintained below year 2001 levels.

Measures to reduce congestion through grade separating SH1 westbound will reduce the traffic that circulates the Basin Reserve. Although this is a RLTS outcome it is not an ‘effect’ under the RMA.

There is no induced traffic as a result of the Project.

(3.3) Reduced fuel consumption

Petrol and diesel used for transport purposes per annum will remain below year 2001 levels

See Project alignment to key actions in 3.1.

(4.1) Reduced severe road congestion

Average congestion on selected roads well remain below 2003 levels despite traffic growth.

Implementation of an important part of the Wellington RoNS.

(4.2) Maintained vehicle travel times between communities and regional destinations

Average vehicle journey “speeds” shown in travel time surveys for selector routes will remain at or above 2003 levels.

Advancement of RoNS. See Project alignment to key actions in

3.1.

(5.1) Improved regional road safety

Continuous reduction in the number of killed and seriously injured on the region’s roads

Safety improvements will be implemented for walking and cycling. Improvements include the provision of

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(372 killed and seriously injured in 2009; lowest was 316 in 2003).

a grade separated shared facility on SH1 westbound, new on and off road cycle facilities, new pedestrian and cyclist crossing facilities, realigning the Cambridge Terrace signalised crossing to better align with desire lines, and upgrade intersections to provide better time allocation for pedestrians and cyclists.

The Project will also improve safety for vehicle occupants who will benefit from a reduction in the conflict areas around the Basin Reserve.

(7.1) Improved regional freight efficiency

Improved road journey times for freight traffic between key destinations.

Implementation of this part of the Wellington RoNS and facilitating the provision of the Mount Victoria Tunnel duplication.

Although oversize freight vehicles are banned from using the tunnels the link is still critical between Wellington Airport, the CBD and SH1 northbound.

(8.1) Improved safety, efficiency and reliability of strategic road, public transport and freight links to the north of region

Progress measured using information collected for (4.1), reliability (4.3), safety (5.1) and inter-regional freight (7.2).

Implementation of the RoNS as per 7.1 above.

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8 Measures to Avoid, Remedy or Mitigate Adverse Transport Effects

8.1 Mount Victoria Accessibility

Table 4- 31: Mount Victoria Accessibility: Assessed Adverse Effect and Proposed Mitigation Assessed Potential Effect Proposed Measures to Mitigate Potential deterioration in access to/from this part of Mount Victoria (Hania and Ellice Streets)

Intersection improvements at the Pirie Street intersection and the provision of a low volume link between Ellice Street and Dufferin Street.

Access at Mount Victoria (from Hania and Ellice Streets) is restricted in part as a result of the Project. Vehicles will only be able to access SH1 eastbound through the Mount Victoria Tunnel from this location or onto Paterson Street via a link road near the Paterson / Dufferin intersection.

To mitigate this adverse effect, intersection improvements are proposed for the Pirie/Cambridge/Vivian/Kent intersection.

Analysis was completed to determine how the intersection currently operates with 2012 traffic volumes. The analysis identified that the intersection is currently operating either at or very close to its theoretical capacity.

Turning path analysis identified a number of existing layout deficiencies, particularly with heavy vehicles being unable to negotiate the left turn movement from Kent Terrace into Pirie Street from the designated turning lane.

The intersection's performance was analysed with forecast 2021 traffic volumes as well. Traffic volumes included annual traffic growth and additional traffic volumes predicted to re-route through the intersection as a result of the Project. The analysis indicated that the intersection performance degrades due to annual traffic growth alone and the re-routing of vehicles through the intersection worsens the performance of the intersection further.

To mitigate the effects of the re-routing, traffic operational and geometric improvements to the intersection are proposed. These improvements include the:

Provision of an additional lane on the Pirie Street approach; Provision of a third right turn lane on the Vivian Street (SH1) approach; and Adjustment to signal timings allocating more green time for vehicles exiting Pirie

Street. Changes to the intersection layout will result in the loss of five parking bays on Pirie Street. Discussion on proposed mitigation for parking loss is discussed in Section 8.2.

Analysis of this mitigation (see Appendix 4-I) indicates that the performance of the intersection is better in 2021 with the additional traffic growth and re-routing of all traffic, than the existing intersection would perform in 2021 with traffic growth alone. Although it is unlikely all traffic will reroute to this intersection, the existence of the Ellice to Dufferin Street

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low volume link will help to reduce the amount of rat running through Mount Victoria and focus movements to strategic links such as Kent Terrace. This will result in a positive outcome for Mount Victoria and the wider network.

8.2 Parking

Table 4- 32: Parking: Assessed Adverse Effect and Proposed Mitigation Assessed Potential Effect Proposed Measures to Mitigate Lack of available kerbside parking In areas where there are underutilised car

parks no mitigation is proposed. See discussion below regarding mitigation measures.

As discussed in Section 7.4, Parking, an assessment of parking including a parking survey was completed as part of this assessment of effects. The survey was completed over two days to capture an average weekday and Sunday (over morning church services). The survey recorded number plates so car park occupancy and capacity could be determined. Further information on the survey methodology and assessment can be found in Appendix 4-H.

There are twelve net parking spaces lost as a result of the Project and 21 parking spaces on Vivian Street (between Tory and Cambridge) during AM and PM peak periods. Figure 4- 82 shows the areas where parking is being lost and gained as a result of the Project.

Vivian Street

Improvements to the Vivian/Cambridge/Kent/Pirie intersection include the restriction of 21 parking spaces restricted on Vivian Street during the AM and PM peak periods.

The survey results indicate Vivian Street has a low level of utilisation over much of the day until the PM peak period and in the evening. Parking on Vivian Street has a two hour maximum parking limit. The clearways proposed to be introduced on Vivian Street during the AM (7–9 am) and PM (4–6 pm) peak periods would therefore not have a significant impact on car parking or business availability. There are also parking alternatives on Kent/Cambridge Terraces and Tory Street during these times.

Pirie Street

Improvements to the Vivian/Cambridge/Kent/Pirie intersection include the removal of five parking spaces on Pirie Street.

Pirie Street (Hania to Kent) has one 60 minute parking space and four coupon parking spaces. The four parking spaces are proposed to be removed as part of the intersection improvements. The coupon parks are well utilised by long stay parking during weekdays and on Sunday morning. Removal of the spaces has a negative effect as there are no alternatives nearby. It is likely these vehicles would park on Hania Street which is already well used by long stay vehicles. There are however a number of parking spaces on Kent and Cambridge Terrace that are not well utilised and an additional four spaces will be provided on Cambridge Terrace as part of the Project.

The removal of these five parking spaces is considered a minor effect.

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Dufferin/Ellice Corner

The new alignment for SH1 eastbound will remove five parking spaces on the Ellice/Dufferin corner.

The parking spaces are well utilised throughout the day by long stay parking. The survey identified nearby parking spaces on Sussex Street and Rugby Street that are currently underutilised. These spaces could absorb the parking loss at this location.

The removal of these parks is considered to have a minor effect.

Ellice Street

Six car parks will be removed as part of the Project. Parking on Ellice Street is well utilised during weekdays and heavily utilised during Sundays. Some residents’ only parks are not well utilised and therefore proposed mitigation includes reviewing the existing parking in the area and modifying residential parking to coupon parking.

Similar to the parking on the Dufferin/Ellice corner, the survey identified parking on Sussex and Rugby Street that was underutilised. These spaces could absorb some of the parking loss on Ellice Street.

The removal of these parks is considered to have a minor effect.

Rugby Street

One parking space on the southern side of Rugby Street is proposed to be removed for a new bus stop. The survey identified that parking was underutilised on Rugby Street. The removal of the parking space is therefore deemed to have an insignificant effect.

Summary

With the loss of a number of parking spaces the Project also creates are number of new spaces, giving a net loss of 12. These losses are considered to be a minor effect.

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8.3 Construction

Table 4- 33: Construction: Assessed Adverse Effect and Proposed Mitigation Assessed Potential Effect Proposed Measures to Mitigate Travel Times Monitor and maintaining acceptable travel

times, reliability and levels of congestion before, during and after construction to understand effects and need for additional mitigation.

Network capacity reduction Minimise disruption by improving capacity at key intersections within the Project Area, i.e. improve Pirie/Cambridge/Vivian/Kent intersection before implementing access changes at Hania/Ellice. Discussed in Section 7.8.

Disruptive construction works Programme during periods of low activity, i.e. school holidays

Visual disruption Implement visual screens to avoid rubber necking by passing motorists.

Disruption to traffic, pedestrians and cyclists

Implement convenient, signposted alternative routes.

Changes in Parking Temporary changes in parking will be considered as part of the TMP.

There will be some adverse effects associated with the Project, primarily of a temporary or short term nature, during construction. The total construction period is approximately 34 months. The following section outlines the measures identified to avoid, remedy or mitigate actual and potential adverse traffic and transportation effects during construction.

8.3.1 Traffic Management Plan (CTMP)

All potential construction traffic and transportation effects will be managed using a CTMP, supported by a number of Site Specific Traffic Management Plans (SSTMPs).

The CTMP prepared will set out the objectives and procedures required to produce SSTMPs and to manage the actual and potential effects of construction traffic. It details the standards to be adhered to, identifies the objectives in developing SSTMPs and the issues that must be considered, and how the effects of traffic management methods, and construction traffic on local roads could be managed. Key team members’ roles and responsibilities are also included.

8.3.2 Alternative Mitigation Measures

A number of alternative mitigation measures have been identified in order to reduce the impact on traffic and passenger transport around the Basin Reserve, these may include:

Significant publicity similar to that implemented for Projects such as the Mount Victoria and Terrace Tunnel closures and the Dowse Interchange Projects to ensure the public are well informed and can make appropriate travel choices.

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Encourage increased public transport usage – especially for trips that would ordinarily travel through Mount Victoria Tunnel as the Hataitai Bus Tunnel provides a separate priority link for buses.

Introduction of variable message signs on Cobham Drive to give drivers the choice of using Evans Bay Parade as an alternative. Note that assessment has assumed that this will not be required, however the option does exist, and especially during off peak periods in which short term closures may be required.

8.3.3 Other Opportunities

There are also other opportunities that could reduce disruption depending on the phase of work being constructed. These opportunities include closing the Mount Victoria Tunnel after Christmas when traffic volumes are significantly lower for a two to three week period. Paterson Street could also be widened at the Paterson/Dufferin intersection through removing the southern footpath to accommodate an additional lane whilst the eastern section of the bridge is being constructed.

8.3.4 Closure of the Mount Victoria Tunnel

The Constructor has proposed investigating opportunities to reduce the negative effects associated with reducing the capacity on Paterson Street through closing the Mount Victoria Tunnel for a shorter period time. The proposal being that instead of a prolonged reduction in capacity on Paterson Street a tunnel closure during a period of low traffic volumes could result in work being completed quicker. Investigations have shown that traffic volumes in 2011/2012 on Paterson Street fell by approximately 30% in the first week after Christmas (26/12 - 1/1) and by approximately 20% in the second week (2/1 - 8/1). These recorded traffic volumes from the Paterson Street NZTA count site are shown in the Table 9-4 below:

Table 4- 34: Paterson Street NZTA Count Site Data; Two Weeks Before and After Christmas

Date Volume Date Volume Reduction

Monday 12-Dec-11 35396 Monday 26-Dec-11 26229 26%

Tuesday 13-Dec-11 35604 Tuesday 27-Dec-11 26691 25%

Wednesday 14-Dec-11 36653 Wednesday 28-Dec-11 28529 22%

Thursday 15-Dec-11 36454 Thursday 29-Dec-11 28307 22%

Friday 16-Dec-11 42673 Friday 30-Dec-11 27357 36%

Saturday 17-Dec-11 38879 Saturday 31-Dec-11 24307 37%

Sunday 18-Dec-11 33365 Sunday 1-Jan-12 22045 34%

Monday 19-Dec-11 35733 Monday 2-Jan-12 23596 34%

Tuesday 20-Dec-11 36465 Tuesday 3-Jan-12 26236 28%

Wednesday 21-Dec-11 36729 Wednesday 4-Jan-12 29344 20%

Thursday 22-Dec-11 40160 Thursday 5-Jan-12 30376 24%

Friday 23-Dec-11 41612 Friday 6-Jan-12 31916 23%

Saturday 24-Dec-11 33440 Saturday 7-Jan-12 29584 12%

Sunday 25-Dec-11 22508 Sunday 8-Jan-12 28146 -25%

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Prior to the Mount Victoria and Terrace Tunnel refurbishments the Wellington Tunnel Constructor (WTA) completed an assessment as to how the network would operate should the tunnels be closed 101 . Conclusions reached were that there was sufficient capacity to accommodate diverted traffic from a tunnel closure in the first week after Christmas. In the second week, although there would be more traffic on the network than in the first week, there would still be sufficient capacity to accommodate the diverted traffic. It was also noted that the Cable Street/Oriental Parade intersection would be more congested in the PM peak with the tunnel closures. It should be noted that there may be local events on during this time and closures would need to be considered in relation to these. The assessment of the closure of the Mount Victoria Tunnel would need to be confirmed by the Constructor before this could be implemented however it could be an opportunity.

101 A copy of this report (Christmas Closure Traffic Report) can be made available on request.

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9 Future Proofing and Sensitivity Tests

9.1 Wider Strategy

The Basin Bridge Project is an integral part of both the RoNS and Ngauranga to Airport Corridor Plan (N2ACP). The Project has been designed to provide a scheme which complements and operates effectively with all of the other related Projects identified in the RoNS, N2ACP and the Regional Land Transport Strategy / Plan (RLTS & RLTP).

Details about future proofing requirements for Projects immediately adjacent to the Basin Reserve are provided below:

Passenger Transportation Spine

One of the key objectives of the Project is to facilitate the development of an improved passenger transportation spine between Adelaide Road and Kent / Cambridge Terraces. The Project removes a significant amount of traffic from around the Basin Reserve which allows for existing road space to be set aside for passenger transport usage. The Project has also been designed to accommodate a range of passenger transport options around the Basin Reserve which seek to avoid additional modifications to the bridge structure in the future. The Project also utilises spare traffic lanes as bus lanes which avoids inducing traffic and making it difficult to remove capacity in the future once the Passenger Transport Spine is enhanced further.

The Greater Wellington Regional Council and the PT Spine Team are currently in the process of short listing options and testing the impact of three different options. This work has yet to be completed, however it is expected to only result in very small change in vehicular trips around and through the Basin Reserve Project Area. Although the PT Spine Project aims to increase PT patronage, the failure to deliver the Basin Project would impact on the ability for the corridor to operate effectively and provide high levels of priority to PT.

Following completion of the PT Spine testing using the WTSM, results will be checked to gain a better understanding of the changes in PT and vehicle demands through the Project Area.

Mount Victoria Tunnel Duplication

The design for the Basin Bridge Project has been closely coordinated with the proposed scheme to duplicate the Mount Victoria Tunnel. The proposed posted speed limit through the duplicate Mount Victoria Tunnel will be 50 Km/h, which will tie in with the 50Km/h posted speed proposed through the Basin Reserve area.

The current design as shown on the scheme drawings connects to the existing Mount Victoria Tunnel and as such connects into the existing sub-standard lane and footpath widths. Because of width restrictions the second westbound lane travelling on the new bridge does not develop until part way onto the eastern abutment. Following the duplication of the Mount Victoria Tunnel the two eastbound and two westbound lanes will be amended from outside the church.

The Basin Bridge Project however is a standalone Project that realises its own benefits from relieving congestion at the Paterson / Dufferin and Adelaide / Rugby intersections by separating state highway and local road traffic.

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Failure to deliver the Basin Project will significantly reduce the benefits associated with the Mount Victoria Tunnel duplication and as such is considered critical to the successful delivery of the Wellington RoNS Project.

Memorial Park / Buckle Street

The NZTA has investigated ways to integrate SH1 within the park (both at-grade and tunnels). These investigations are documented in the War Memorial Scoping Report102. Since this work was completed, the Government have decided to progress with the Memorial Park underpass which will be completed prior to the 2015 ANZAC day centenary. The Project results in a number of changes to the do minimum network and has been documented in Section 3.3.

The Project has been designed to incorporate linkages for pedestrians, cyclists and motorist travelling between the two Projects.

State Highway One – Inner City Bypass

The NZTA has plans to upgrade/optimise the Inner City Bypass (ICB) to improve travel times and reduce congestion. A Project Feasibility Report (PFR) was prepared in March 2012 and currently being finalised by NZTA. The PFR assesses a number of different intervention levels from minor lane widening to three laning of SH1 in both directions with significant intersection improvements. The Project and the improvements to the ICB have been developed simultaneously and are complimentary.

It is envisaged that improvements will be delivered by the Constructor and the Project has been developed on Karo Drive and Vivian Street to complement future improvements to the SH1.

Intelligent Transport Systems

Future proofing has been allowed for and two 100mm ducts with appropriate pull-pits and associated infrastructure will be provided as part of the bridge structure. New fibre optic cable will be provided in the bridge as part of the Project and will connect to the fibre optic cable which currently runs through the Karo Drive and Buckle Street to Cambridge Terrace.

9.2 Assessment of Effects

Although the Project has been developed considering the wider strategy and adjacent Projects the effects being assessed are those of the Project alone, and not effects created by additional traffic that would be generated with tunnel duplication. This assessment has occurred in Section 7 and has not been undertaken to the same level of detail for these sensitivity tests.

9.3 Sensitivity Testing

9.3.1 2031 Medium Growth Demand

The following section provides a summary of the 2031 modelled traffic flows across the Project Area as obtained from the Project assignment WTA model discussed in Section 3. Table 4- 35 below summarises the Do Minimum traffic flows for both 2021 and 2031.

102 http://www.mch.govt.nz/nz-identityheritage/national-war-memorial/memorial-park

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Table 4- 35: Do Minimum 2021 and 2031 Daily Flows (Vehicles per Day)

Location 2021 2031 Relative Change

% Change

Adelaide Road NB 13,300 13,300 0 0%

Adelaide Road SB 10,100 9,900 -200 ‐2%

Buckle Street 21,200 21,300 100 0%

Cambridge Terrace 11,500 14,300 2,800 24%

Ellice Street (SH1 EB) 30,500 35,900 5,400 18%


Kent Terrace 28,900 34,400 5,500 19%

Paterson Street EB 18,700 24,300 5,600 30%

Paterson Street WB 19,600 21,900 2,300 12%

Rugby Street (through Adelaide intersection) 21,100 23,200 2,100 10%

Sussex Street 33,000 35,200 2,200 7%

Taranaki Street, two way flow (ICB - Vivian) 20,100 22,400 2,300 11%

Tasman Street, two way flow (Rugby - Buckle) 1,600 1,700 100 6%

Tory Street, two way flow (Buckle - Vivian) 5,700 5,800 100 2%

Vivian Street (Tory - Cambridge) 19,100 21,200 2,100 11%

Do Minimum traffic flow predictions for 2021 and 2031 (Table 4- 35) show traffic volumes increase for east – west movements through the Basin Reserve area, linked to the duplication of the Mount Victoria Tunnel. Given the existing capacity restrictions at both the Paterson/Dufferin and Rugby/Adelaide intersections the increase in traffic volumes will only worsen journey times, journey time variability and queue lengths within the area.

A comparison of the traffic flows for the forecast 2031 Do Minimum and Project are summarised in Table 4- 36 the only difference between these tests being the introduction of the Basin Bridge Project.

Table 4- 36: Do Min and Project 2031 Daily Flows (Vehicles per Day)


% Change

Adelaide Road NB 13,300 13,600 300 2% Adelaide Road SB 9,900 12,300 2,400 24% Buckle Street 21,300 30,500 9,200 43% Cambridge Terrace 14,300 15,200 900 6% Ellice Street (SH1 EB) 35,900 23,200 -12,700 -35% Rugby Street east (at Dufferin intersection) 33,100 21,200 -11,900 -36% Kent Terrace 34,400 37,400 3,000 9% Paterson Street EB 24,300 25,000 700 3% Paterson Street WB 21,900 29,200 7,300 33% Rugby Street (through Adelaide intersection) 23,200 8,900 -14,300 -62% Sussex Street 35,200 21,400 -13,800 -39% Taranaki Street, two way flow (ICB - Vivian) 22,400 24,800 2,400 11% Tasman Street, two way flow (Rugby - Buckle) 1,700 1,800 100 6% Tory Street, two way flow (Buckle - Vivian) 5,800 5,800 0 0% Vivian Street (Tory - Cambridge) 21,200 24,700 3,500 17%

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The following observations can be made from Table 4- 36:

Eastbound SH1 daily traffic volumes increase on Kent Terrace by 3,000 (9%). Westbound SH1 daily traffic volumes increase by 7,300 (33%) on Paterson Street and

by 9,200 (43%) on Buckle Street. These changes are linked to the tunnel duplication and more traffic accessing westbound State highway.

Daily traffic volumes reduce on Rugby Street east by 11,900 (36%), Rugby Street (through the Adelaide intersection) by 14,300 (62%), and Sussex Street by 13,800 (39%).

There are also traffic volume increases for north/south movements, including a 2,400 (24%) increase for Adelaide Road southbound. Traffic volume increases are minor for northbound Adelaide Road and Cambridge Terrace.

Traffic volumes are also forecast to increase on Taranaki Street by 2,400 vehicles (11%).


9.3.2 2021 High Growth

The following section provides a summary of the 2021 modelled traffic flows across the Project Area as obtained from the Project assignment WTA model discussed in Section 3.

Table 4- 37 below summarises the 2021 Do Minimum traffic flows for both medium and high growth demand.

Table 4- 37: 2021 Do Minimum Medium and High Growth Daily Flows (Vehicles per Day)

Location Medium High Relative Change

% Change

Adelaide Road NB 13,300 13,600 300 2%

Adelaide Road SB 10,100 10,400 300 3%

Buckle Street 21,200 21,200 0 0%

Cambridge Terrace 11,500 11,600 100 1%

Ellice Street (SH1 EB) 30,500 30,900 400 1%

Rugby Street east (near Dufferin intersection) 31,200 31,500 300 1%

Kent Terrace 28,900 29,300 400 1%

Paterson Street EB 18,700 18,800 100 1%

Paterson Street WB 19,600 19,600 0 0%

Rugby Street (through Adelaide intersection) 21,100 21,100 0 0%

Sussex Street 33,000 33,200 200 1%

Taranaki Street, two way flow (ICB - Vivian) 20,100 20,900 800 4%

Tasman Street, two way flow (Rugby - Buckle) 1,600 1,700 100 6%

Tory Street, two way flow (Buckle - Vivian) 5,700 6,000 300 5%

Vivian Street (Tory - Cambridge) 19,100 19,400 300 2%

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2021 Do Minimum medium and high demand growth traffic flow predictions (Table 4- 37) show there is little difference between the two scenarios. There are slight increases (100 – 800 vehicles per day) on all roads except Buckle Street, Paterson Street westbound and Rugby Street, where no change is indicated. Given these differences it is likely that journey times, journey time variability and queue lengths will not differ greatly from those assessed in Section 7.

A comparison of the traffic flows for the forecast 2021 Do Minimum and Project are summarised in Table 4- 38 for high demand growth in 2021.

Table 4- 38: 2021 High Growth Demand Daily Flows (Vehicles per Day)


% Change

Adelaide Road NB 13,600 14,100 500 4%Adelaide Road SB 10,400 13,300 2,900 28%Buckle Street 21,200 24,700 3,500 17%Cambridge Terrace 11,600 10,900 -700 -6%Ellice Street (SH1 EB) 30,900 18,000 -12,900 -42%Rugby Street east (at Dufferin intersection) 31,500 19,000 -12,500 -40%Kent Terrace 29,300 31,900 2,600 9%Paterson Street EB 18,800 19,000 200 1%Paterson Street WB 19,600 20,300 700 4%Rugby Street (through Adelaide intersection) 21,100 5,700 -15,400 -73%Sussex Street 33,200 19,100 -14,100 -42%Taranaki Street, two way flow (ICB - Vivian) 20,900 20,600 -300 -1%Tasman Street, two way flow (Rugby - Buckle) 1,700 1,700 0 0%Tory Street, two way flow (Buckle - Vivian) 6,000 5,700 -300 -5%Vivian Street (Tory - Cambridge) 19,400 21,600 2,200 11%

The following observations can be made from Table 4- 38:

SH1 eastbound traffic volumes increase on Vivian Street by 2,200 (11%) and Kent Terrace by 2,600 (9%). There is little change on Paterson Street.

SH1 westbound has a significant increase on Buckle Street of 3,000 (14%) however there is little change on Paterson Street. There is little change on Paterson Street for both east and west bound movements due to the Mount Victoria Tunnel already operating at capacity.

There are significant reductions in traffic volumes on Rugby Street east 12,500 (40%), Rugby Street through the Adelaide Road intersection 15,400 (73%) and Sussex Street 14,100 (42%).

Traffic volumes also increase on Adelaide Road southbound, 2,900 (28%).

These changes are consistent with the assessment for the Project, however if traffic growth exceeds the medium predictions there will be increased need and justification for the Project in terms of traffic conflict and impacts on pedestrian, cycle and passenger transport severance and delays. Reference should be made to Appendix 4-G for model outputs in more detail.

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9.3.3 2021 Additional Development with Medium Growth

The following section provides a summary of the 2021 modelled traffic flows across the Project Area as obtained from the Project assignment WTA model discussed in Section 3.

A comparison of the traffic flows for the forecast 2021 Do Minimum and Additional Development Do Minimum are summarised in Table 4- 39 for medium demand growth with additional development for 2021. Additional development includes:

Rugby St New World Supermarket; John St Countdown Supermarket; Adelaide Road growth node; and ASB Sports Centre.

Table 4- 39: 2021 Do Minimum Medium Growth and Additional Development Daily Flows (Vehicles per Day)

Location Medium Additional

Development Relative Change % Change

Adelaide Road NB 13,300 15,900 2,600 20%

Adelaide Road SB 10,100 12,600 2,500 25%

Buckle Street 21,200 21,000 -200 ‐1%

Cambridge Terrace 11,500 12,500 1,000 9%

Ellice Street (SH1 EB) 30,500 33,400 2,900 10%


Kent Terrace 28,900 31,000 2,100 7%

Paterson Street EB 18,700 19,000 300 2%

Paterson Street WB 19,600 19,700 100 1%

Rugby Street (through Adelaide intersection) 21,100 20,700 -400 ‐2%

Sussex Street 33,000 34,400 1,400 4%

Taranaki Street, two way flow (ICB - Vivian) 20,100 21,100 1,000 5%

Tasman Street, two way flow (Rugby - Buckle) 1,600 4,200 2,600 163%

Tory Street, two way flow (Buckle - Vivian) 5,700 7,600 1,900 33%

Vivian Street (Tory - Cambridge) 19,100 19,900 800 4%

The additional development scenario results in increases across the entire study area with the exception of Buckle Street and Rugby Street (through the Adelaide Road intersection). Significant increases occur close to major developments such as the Adelaide Road growth node and supermarkets in the same area. Most noticeable is the increase in demand on Tory and Tasman Street attributed to the proposed Rugby Street New World development. The 2021 additional development flows have been compared for the Do Minimum and the Project in Table 4- 40.

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Table 4- 40: 2021 Additional Development Daily Flows (Vehicles per Day) Location Do-Min Project Relative

Ch % Change

Adelaide Road NB 15900 17,000 1,100 7%Adelaide Road SB 12600 14,600 2,000 16%Buckle Street 21000 25,200 4,200 20%Cambridge Terrace 12500 11,900 -600 -5%Ellice Street (SH1 EB) 33400 17,800 -15,600 -47%Rugby Street east (near Dufferin intersection) 33300 20,400 -12,900 -39%Kent Terrace 31000 32,800 1,800 6%Paterson Street EB 19000 19,300 300 2%Paterson Street WB 19700 20,400 700 4%Rugby Street (through Adelaide intersection) 20700 5,800 -14,900 -72%Sussex Street 34400 21,500 -12,900 -38%Taranaki Street, two way flow (ICB - Vivian) 21100 21,600 500 2%Tasman Street, two way flow (Rugby - Buckle) 4200 3,400 -800 -19%Tory Street, two way flow (Buckle - Vivian) 7600 7,200 -400 -5%Vivian Street (Tory - Cambridge) 19900 21,400 1,500 8%

The following observations can be made from Table 4- 40. Traffic volumes decrease on Ellice Street (SH1 EB) by 15,600 (47%), Rugby Street east by 12,900 (39%) and Sussex Street 12,900 (38%).

Traffic volumes increase for the north/south movements, including Kent Terrace 1,800 (6%), Adelaide Road southbound 2,000 (16%), and Adelaide Road northbound 1,100 (7%).

Traffic volumes increase on both Vivian Street 1,500 (8%) and Buckle Street by 4,200 (20%).

The Project provides improvements on local roads around the Basin Reserve and SH1, which will assist in reducing congestion and the effects of these growth areas on the wider transport network.


9.4 Summary

The Project has been designed to accommodate increases in traffic demand that might occur in 2021 or 2031 under a number of future proofing scenarios and sensitivity tests.

Although changes in travel demand will change travel flows on specific links the key changes are attributed to significant changes in infrastructure, such as those experienced by the duplication of the Mount Victoria Tunnel in 2031. Localised changes in traffic demand attributed to changes in land use also display changes in certain key links (Adelaide Road, Tory Street and Tasman Street); however the Project will help to accommodate these demands through the removal of circulating flows around the Basin Reserve and conflicts at key intersections.

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10 Conclusion

Over the past five years, there have been a large number of options considered for the Basin Reserve, ranging from at grade improvements, tunnels under the Basin Reserve (both directions) and a combination of local road and SH1 grade separation options. As a result of this analysis, the Project team recommended that the NZTA adopt Option A as the Preferred Option. A number of refinements have been made to this option in order to address community and stakeholder concerns and aspirations for the area. The final preferred scheme is the subject of this report.

The Basin Reserve is a key transport node within the Wellington network for walking, cyclists, passenger transport, emergency services and general traffic. The current area is subject to congestion, delay and journey time variability, particularly during peak periods and weekend. These problems are predicted to get worse in the future as travel demand grows in the area for all modes and changes in land use occur in the immediate vicinity (Adelaide Road) and the wider Wellington area (Wellington Airport and the southern/eastern suburbs).

The Basin Bridge Project provides vital transport infrastructure to the area and the wider Wellington RoNS Project. The improvements will not only separate conflicting north-south and east-west movements, particularly at the Paterson/Dufferin and Rugby/Adelaide intersections, they will also reduce traffic flows along key links, improving journey times and improve passenger transport amenities and walking and cyclist facilities in the area.

The implementation of the Project predicts a 2021 increase of 2,200 (12%) vehicles per day on Vivian Street, resulting from increased capacity on Vivian Street (between Tory Street and Cambridge Terrace) during peak periods and improving the Vivian/Pirie/Kent/Cambridge intersection operation. Flows are also predicted to increase on Kent Terrace (2,600 (9%)), Adelaide Road (two way flow increase of 3,500 (15%)). This is attributed to the removal of State highway traffic from the Basin Reserve and thus making it a more attractive route local road users travelling on a north – south movements.

With the separation of State highway and local road traffic the Project sees significant reductions in traffic volumes in 2021 of up to 12,500 (40%) on Rugby Street east (near the Dufferin corner), 15,500 (73%) on Rugby Street travelling through the Adelaide Road intersection, and 14,200 (43%) on Sussex Street, removing the severance caused by circulating traffic and associated congestion in the area.

Other links such as Oriental Bay (as an alternative to SH1 via the Basin Reserve area), Victoria Street and Willis Street see only minor changes in traffic flow due to the introduction of the Project.

The reduction in traffic volumes will enable Wellington City to improve the north/south passenger transport spine through the Basin Reserve. Amenities will also be improved for pedestrians and cyclists with less traffic to contend with around the Basin Reserve area.

Journey times are reduced for a number of key routes, with SH1 westbound seeing the biggest reduction of up to 451 seconds. The variability on this route is also reduced to

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approximately 3 minutes103 from as much as 7.5 minutes104 in the Do Minimum scenario. Journey times on SH1 eastbound are also reduced by up to 77 seconds, with journey time variability reducing to approximately 236 seconds105.

Journey times for passenger transport are also improved for both north and southbound routes, with up to a 41% reduction for southbound buses. Journey time variability is also removed as a result of the Project through the area.

The north and southbound movements through the Basin Reserve are also reduced, with journey time savings up to approximately 2 minutes 106 and 1 minute 107 respectively. Variability between the peak periods is reduced by up to 28 seconds for southbound and 80 seconds for northbound journeys.

These reductions in journey times and variability will also assist in the efficient movement of freight through the Project Area.

There are queue reductions within the Project Area, with significant changes reductions occurring on Vivian Street at the intersection with Kent Terrace, Paterson Street at the intersection with Dufferin Street, and Rugby Street at the intersection with Adelaide Road.

There are a number of intersection improvements proposed as part of the Project, including the Vivian/Cambridge/Kent/Pirie, Paterson/Dufferin, Rugby/Adelaide and Buckle/Taranaki intersections.

The ITA has also identified a significant number of positive transport effects associated with the Project, while a small number of negative effects have also been identified, these include; access changes at Hania and Ellice Streets; changes in parking; and construction effects. Mitigation measures have been developed to address these effects and these have been incorporated into the design to include; intersection improvements at the Vivian/Cambridge/Kent/Pirie intersection to improve access form Mount Victoria, a low volume link from Ellice Street to Dufferin Street, parking provision to meet existing demand and a draft construction traffic management plan that will ensure the effects of construction are appropriately managed.

103 AM Peak, average of Paramics model runs variability of 180 seconds.

104 PM Peak, average of Paramics model runs variability of 438 seconds.

105 PM Peak, average of Paramics model runs variability of 236 seconds.

106 AM Peak, average of Paramics model runs journey time reduction of 118 seconds.

107 PM Peak, average of Paramics model runs journey time reduction of 64 seconds.

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10.1 Appendices

4-A Qualifications and Experience 4-B Wellington CBD Paramics Model Validation Report 4-C Technical Note 29: Demographic Inputs to WTSM 4-D Policy Documentation 4-E Pedestrian Survey 4-F CAS Outputs 4-G Network Flow Diagrams and Network Statistics 4-H Parking Survey 4-I Pirie/Kent/Cambridge/Vivian Intersection Memorandum 4-J Paramics Model Outputs 4-K Road Safety Audit and Response Form

Opus International Consultants Ltd L7, Majestic Centre, 100 Willis StPO Box 12 003, Wellington 6144New Zealand t: +64 4 471 7000 f: +64 4 471 1397 w: www.opus.co.nz