Puhoi Wellsford affected parties

The Puhoi Wellsford Motorway Extension is only a proposal , it is not a fait-accompli :

It does not have to happen at all.

http://www.pdmag.org.nz

Send an e-mail to: thewayforward2011@gmail to be referred to a representative of a group of landowners who'll be directly affected by the proposed motorway

Auckland Transport

Anyone can start or contribute to a discussion forum on the Campaign for Better Transport's North Island Transport page here

Check out the Auckland Transport Blog's page on the proposed Puhoi-Wellsford Motorway Extension here

The following is copied from that page:

It’s pretty easy to make a submission. You have a number of options:

1. Fill in the online submission form.
2. Email your feedback to puhoi-wellsford@nzta.govt.nz
3. Write something out in hard copy and mail it to:

FreePost Authority Number 66927,

Puhoi to Wellsford road of national significance,

PO Box 9806,

Newmarket,

Auckland 1149

Sometimes writing submissions on things like this can be a bit daunting – in particular the “where do I start?” and “I don’t want to miss anything” questions always arise. So below I’ve outlined my submission – which I haven’t sent off quite yet (so I’m open for suggestions and improvements). Feel free to copy all of this or part of it and submit to NZTA.

Feedback on Puhoi-Warkworth proposed route:

This feedback is broken into a number of sections – each of which is detailed further. The sections are:

1. General matters relating to the project – in particular its cost-effectiveness (or lack thereof.)

2. Matters relating to the sequencing of the project – in particular the ‘fast-tracking’ of the Warkworth bypass.

3. Safety issues with the existing road

4. The southern section of the project (including Puhoi interchange discussion)

5. The ‘middle’ section of the project

6. The northern section of the project

7. Concluding remarks and recommendations

e.g....

Gareth Hughes' submission on the proposed tolled road between Puhoi and Wellsford

I am opposed to the New Zealand Transport Agency's (NZTA) proposal to create an entirely new tolled motorway between Puhoi and Warkworth. I believe that this proposal will have many negative impacts on Rodney and the Auckland and Northland regions.

Reasons for opposing the current design of the motorway

Economic: I believe that the current proposal for an entirely separate tolled motorway between Puhoi and Warkworth is uneconomic and too expensive. Reports on daily vehicle traffic movements suggests that there are simply not enough people using the road to justify such a major transport investment. I also note that the report by independent consultants, SAHA, found that the motorway had a Benefit Cost Ratio of only 0.40.

The NZTA's own report on the motorway - published later in 2009 - also suggested that if a standard procedure is used then the motorway only has a Benefit Cost Ratio of 0.80 - meaning that the costs of the project outweigh the economic benefits substantially.

I am also not convinced that the time savings resulting from the project (which will likely be only 10 or 15 minutes for a journey from Auckland to Whangarei) will be substantial enough to make much difference to economic development in the Northland or Auckland regions.

Safety: Vehicle crash statistics show that 41 people died on State Highway 1 between Puhoi to Warkworth from 2000 to 2009. This is a tragedy and I do support NZTA taking some actions to improve safety on what is clearly a dangerous stretch of road. However, I am not convinced that the current proposal for an entirely separate tolled motorway is the best way to resolve these safety issues.

First, a separate motorway will take up to 10 years to complete and while this is happening there is unlikely to be much investment into safety improvements to the current state highway. Throughout these 10 years motorists will be in danger while they commute on the current state highway.

Second, even when the new tolled road is completed a substantial amount of traffic will continue to use the old, still dangerous state highway. Given that responsibility for maintaining this road will now rest solely on the shoulders of the local council it seems likely that its condition will degrade over time - thus endangering locals further.

Urban sprawl: I believe that building a new tolled motorway has huge potential to encourage more urban sprawl up the eastern coast of Rodney. By reducing the travel time between Warkworth and Auckland the motorway will enable more people to build in what is still a (relatively) affordable area and commute to Auckland. It is inherently unsustainable to have people doing a 1 hour commute by private vehicle on a regular basis. More development in Rodney will also lead to more loss of prime agricultural land and threaten the peaceful semi-rural lifestyle of the area. In the long-term such development will also drive up rates because, as the Auckland Regional Council's modelling has shown, it is more expensive to provide infrastructure to sprawling development on the fringes of cities than to more intensive development closer to city centres. Finally, by encouraging more people to live in Rodney the project will exacerbate congestion on SH1 through the North Shore (which is already congested at peak hours).

Environmental impacts : I am also concerned this project will have major environmental impacts on vegetation and landscapes due to the huge earthworks that will be required to build the motorway. I note that several of the viaducts described in the plans are up to 500 metres long which will mean major and permanent changes to the local landscape. Because the motorway will encourage residents to drive longer distances and more freight to be transported by trucks it will also lead to more air pollution, noise pollution and run off from the motorway.

Climate change and peak oil: First, I am concerned that this project will lock more people into driving longer distances on State Highway 1. This will lead to an increase in our greenhouse gas emissions which will contribute to climate change. Transport is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions in NZ (emissions from transport have grown ) and we must act urgently to reduce it.

Second, I note that the New Zealand Transport Agency has not taken into account the possibility of increases in oil prices over the next 10 years while modelling the economic benefits of the Puhoi to Wellsford upgrade or how heavily the motorway will be used. Various reports from respected organizations such as the International Energy Agency have suggested that oil prices are likely to rise rapidly sometime between 2012 and 2020.

Such an increase in oil prices would have a massive impact on a) whether the new motorway was likely to be used at all and b) the financial wellbeing of those people living in Rodney who currently have no other option but to drive to their destination. By investing such a huge amount of money in this one section of motorway the government will effectively be ensuring that it has no money to provide residents with other, more energy efficient options for travelling (e.g., more rural bus services, upgrading the Northland to Auckland railway and using it to transport more freight).

In light of this, I would like to see the NZTA engage in more research and re-evaluate the benefit-cost-ratio for the Puhoi to Warkworth tolled motorway based on various scenarios of increasing oil prices. If the project does not measure up economically under such models then they should consider shifting to a more cost-effective option as detailed below.

A Cheaper, Better Alternative

I would prefer the NZTA to investigate whether there is a cheaper alternative to their current proposal. This could involve making upgrades to the existing SH1 such as:

• putting a bypass around Warksworth and Wellsford to reduce congestion during holiday weekends
• installing more safety features such as wire or concrete medians throughout Dome Valley and Schedewys Hill. Also, installing concrete barriers on the side of the road in particularly dangerous sections where people tend to skid off the side.
• investigating whether a realignment of SH1 through Schedwys Hills is possible and, if so, how much it would cost and what the safety/time saving benefits would be
• lengthen existing passing lanes in areas where they are most needed
• widen road to 3 lanes at particularly congested points

Conclusion

I believe that upgrading the existing SH1 rather than building a new motorway would have many benefits such as:

• it would be much cheaper and thus save money which could be invested into improving sustainable transport options such as buses and rail in Rodney, Auckland and Northland
• be more cost-effective and better value for money
• have far fewer environmental impacts (as it would not require NZTA to clear major areas of bush or build viaducts as is proposed for the new tolled motorway)
• it could be completed far more quickly, thus saving many lives which will otherwise be lost over the next 10 years on the existing SH1
• likely not require the removal of any houses (unlike the current proposal which will affect 60 houses in the area)
• not take as long to construct which will mean less noise, traffic disruption and dust for those living close to the path of the motorway

I encourage the NZTA to investigate an upgrade or realignment of parts of the existing SH1 between Puhoi to Wellsford as I believe this would be a better option, both economically and environmentally, than their current proposal to create an entirely new tolled road.

Yours sincerely

Gareth Hughes

Green Party Spokesperson on Transport

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General Matters:

The Puhoi-Wellsford upgrade was announced as a ‘road of national significance’ in March 2009, and was officially accorded such status in the May 2009 Government Policy Statement. The first business case for the project was completed by SKM in December 2009 (see attached) and the results of that business case were included in the January 2010 project summary statement. Meanwhile, SAHA International Limited undertook a business case analysis of all the roads of national significance throughout late 2009 and early 2010. This led to a report (see attached) concluding that while the seven RoNS made economic sense ‘as a whole’, a number of projects within the ‘RoNS package’ had poor cost-benefit ratios. This included the Puhoi-Wellsford proposal.

The 2009 SKM business case calculated that the project had a standard BCR of 0.8, which rose to 1.1 if ‘wider economic benefits’ were included. The SAHA International report calculated that the project had a BCR of 0.4. The discrepancy between the two was explained in the SAHA report as being due to the SAHA calculations being based on more recent (GPS4?) costings, and due to a more standard time period for measuring the project’s benefits being used.

The business case work done so far on this project indicates that its cost-effectiveness is far from certain. Therefore, in my opinion it would be prudent for NZTA to undertake further work to examine the cost-effectiveness of the project before any further public funds are spent on its investigation, design and construction. There are a large number of necessary transport projects around Auckland in particular that require funding, so it would be illogical to continue spending so much money on a project where the benefits appear to be so poor.

Sequencing of the Project & Safety Considerations:

It is recognised that the existing State Highway 1 between Puhoi and Wellsford has major inadequacies. The intersections at Warkworth in particular act as a major bottleneck for the entire route, causing major traffic jams – not only during holiday periods but also on a regular basis. In my opinion the current widening project through Warkworth represents a complete waste of money as it does not improve the bottlenecks at all – they still exist at a two lane bridge just south of Shoesmith Street and at the major intersection with Hill Street and Sandspit Road.

The second major inadequacy of the existing road is its safety record. This is most particularly the case in the Dome Valley, but also between Puhoi and Warkworth. 15 people died on State Highway 1 between Puhoi and Warkworth between 2000 and 2009. The Schedewys Hill area is particularly dangerous due to poor geometry and (in my opinion) the rather unfortunate location of a number of passing lanes. The Dome Valley Road between Warkworth and Wellsford is even more dangerous, with 26 fatalities between 2000 and 2009.

It seems obvious that there is an immediate need for safety upgrades on the existing section of State Highway 1 – most probably in the form of concrete median barriers to eliminate head-on collisions (the most common cause of death). It also seems obvious to fast-track the Warkworth bypass section of the road. Once a Warkworth bypass, and safety upgrades to the existing road have been completed, the cost-effectiveness of the remainder of the project should be reconsidered before it progresses any further. After all, if it is possible to solve 80% of the problem for 10% of the price – then that opportunity should definitely be taken.

The ‘Southern Section’ of the Project (including the Puhoi interchange):

The project branches off from the existing State Highway 1 route immediately at the northern end of the Johnstone’s Hill tunnels. It then appears to travel adjacent to the existing road until near the intersection with Mahurangi West Road, before turning further inland. No connection between the new motorway and the existing road, nor between Puhoi and the new motorway, are currently proposed.

The environmental impact of this section of the route needs further analysis, as it appears quite significant. A large level of earthworks appears necessary to achieve the gradients of a motorway standard. Given that the new alignment runs next to the existing state highway for this section, given the concerns of Puhoi residents about not having access to the new road and given the significant amount of earthworks necessary for this section, further consideration should be given to widening the existing alignment of State Highway 1 to four lanes instead of constructing a new alignment – at least between the Johnstone’s Hill tunnels and Mahurangi West Road.

Should the existing alignment retained, there is a question of whether an interchange should be provided for Puhoi – so that access to that town and surrounding residents from the new road can be retained. While the residents of Puhoi and surrounding areas have a legitimate concern about accessibility, that needs to be weighed up against the environment impact of a motorway interchange in a very sensitive area and also the potential that such an interchange may encourage ‘urban sprawl’ around Puhoi.

The ‘Middle Section’ of the Project

The ‘middle section’ of the project is noted as being between Mahurangi West Road and Perry Road. I have concerns about the environment impact and the cost-effectiveness of this section of the project. A number of very significant cuts are proposed, creating a high level of landscape modification and the potential for significant sediment runoff during construction. The visual impact of the project through this section may also be significant as it appears to run along a ridgeline for much of its length.

The costliness of this section also appears very significant. There are two consecutive viaducts in the vicinity of the Pohuehue scenic reserve that both appear to be around 500 metres in length. These are likely to be highly costly structures, and also are likely to generate significant adverse environmental effects.

As an alternative, previous NZTA plans to bypass Schedewys Hill should be undertaken – at a far lower cost and providing much of the benefit of the current proposal. This would be a significant safety improvement and also save motorists time as they could avoid the current difficult corners in this area. Otherwise, the existing road offers close to 100 kph travelling speeds most of the time and it would seem could be retained and offer much the same quality of travel as the new motorway.

The ‘Northern Section’ of the Project

The section north of Perry Road is supported and should be advanced as soon as possible. This section offers the greatest benefits, as it bypasses Warkworth and therefore avoids most of the congestion problems caused by Warkworth. Under the current plans, there will be no relief from congestion in Warkworth for another eight years, until the project as a whole is completed. It seems unnecessary to delay the Warkworth bypass in order to build the rest of the project – when most of the problems would be solved by the Warkworth bypass, at least for an interim time.

It would be necessary to make a ‘link road’ between Matakana Road, Sandspit Road and where the Warkworth bypass connects to the existing State Highway 1 road. This would ensure all traffic travelling to the beaches east of Warkworth (the traffic which creates most of the congestion problems) would not have to pass through Warkworth. NZTA and Auckland Transport should discuss the alignment and funding of such a connection road as an integral part of the Warkworth bypass project.

Conclusions & Recommendations:

The economics of the proposed Puhoi-Wellsford road as a whole, including this section of it, appear highly debatable. Different cost-benefit analyses have found highly different results – and therefore as a first step before spending any further money on the project, its cost-effectiveness should be thoroughly reassessed.

The two significant problems faced along State Highway 1 are congestion around Warkworth and safety concerns. A Warkworth bypass, and safety upgrades to the existing road alignment, should be fast-tracked to alleviate these problems at an earlier date than the proposed 2019 completion date for the project. Once a Warkworth bypass, and safety upgrades, have been completed, the remainder of the project should be analysed to determine its cost-effectiveness.

The proposed alignment itself appears to generate significant adverse environmental effects. These need to be fully considered, and alternatives explored, in any assessment of a final alignment. Upgrading portions of the existing road to four-lane standard (the ‘southern section’), bypassing Schedewys Hill and constructing the Warkworth bypass appears to be a far more cost-effective option than what is currently proposed.

In my opinion NZTA must reconsider the proposed route to provide a more cost-effective, quickly delivered and less environmentally damaging alignment as outlined in this feedback.

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