Hi <<First Name>>

The November 2018 Agenda is HERE.

Apart from the items mentioned below, the agenda includes update reports on the many CCTR projects underway or planned for the city centre, the city centre update, and forward works programme. November’s meeting had a couple of weighty matters that have been concerning many board members, residents and other engaged city centre users.

After the previous ACCAB meeting’s open and vocal disappointment regarding some of the proposed post-CRL outcomes for Albert Street, CRL presented again to the board. ACCAB has endorsed $20 million of City Centre Targeted Rate (CCTR) in order to ensure some much better public realm results than might otherwise have been provided for Albert Street. Naturally there were conditions attached.

Despite a comprehensive presentation and video fly through, a principal concern remains around the commitment to revisit the need for indented bus bays in future. The evidence or need for these to be installed immediately appears to have changed over time, and all are in agreement that not having indented bus bays would provide much needed additional footpath width for the masses of pedestrians expected to use Albert Street.

To this end ACCAB requests, "the council group to reassess the transport assumptions underpinning the movement of buses along Albert Street post City Rail Link with independent peer review." 

A sub-group has been formed to progress ACCAB’s concerns and conditions.
ACCAB has also stated, "its concerns in a letter to council’s Chief Executive including:
i)          impact of bus bays (on design)
ii)         importance of holistic transport planning (including impact of light rail)
iii)        request a collaborative approach between Auckland Council, Auckland Transport and City Rail Link Limited.”

You can see the CRL presentation of Albert Street once the CRL is finished HERE. 

Another crucial piece of work is the City Centre Targeted rate project review update, where we reassess all the future proposed targeted rate projects to see how, or if they fit with the newly endorsed criteria on which funding decision are made.

There has been some reasonable commentary highlighting the fact that certain areas of the city centre have received or will receive a very large proportion of the 10-year targeted rate spend (approximately $220 million), while other areas have received, or will receive very little, or none. This is of concern to residents for example, when we consider the most densely populated area in New Zealand, the resident-rich areas around the Hobson and Nelson Street ridge, that have received no project funding, and whose streetscapes are mostly in a very people-hostile and woeful state. There will be a lot more work and info on this early next year!

On a positive note, the Board received and endorsed the latest designs for the upgrading of Federal Street (between Wellesley St & Mayoral Drive) into a shared space. Full designs can be found in the agenda link above – and they are very good. Well done to the design teams!

There have been some good incremental improvements over time in the design of these shared spaces in the city centre, as results and experiences reveal what works, and what doesn’t. Eventually all Federal Street will be one long shared space and we will see the creation of a coherent laneway circuit that is fully revealed with enhanced and celebrated as a defining city centre experience, with streetscapes that better fit the scale and needs of residents and all pedestrians.

CCRG have supported further efforts to de-tune and slow down vehicles via street and infrastructure design. More seating, small details like the inclusion of a bottle refilling station with the drinking fountain, future proofing cycle ways – these also add to the excitement building around this project. Completion of detailed design – early-2019, construction commencement – mid-2019.
 
With many weighty issues pressing, the Board has had a very productive year, most ably led, and guided by Chair Viv Beck, and supported by a very dedicated Council (and Council family) team.

CCRG thanks all for their time and efforts on all of our behalves. There really is a wonderful wealth of talent, experience and energy on the board itself, as well as in Council family, representing the dynamism, vision and forward thinking the city centre both deserves and needs.

We look forward to collaborating and building on that in 2019!

The next ACCAB meeting is in February. Remember that ACCAB meetings are open to the public. Agendas and meeting info can be found HERE. 
 
Regards,

Adam Parkinson
Secretary 

The Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP) is a 10 year view of what is needed for Auckland's public transport network. Public consultation on this plan closed on December 14th last year and the CCRG made a submission inline with our policy points.
 
The RPTP was broken down into four Focus areas:
1. Expanding and enhancing Rapid and Frequent Networks
2. Improving customer access to Public Transport
3. Improving Maori Responsiveness
4. Harnessing emerging technologies
 
Our submission was in support of the major themes of each focus areas and in line with the policy positions on the CCRG website, particularly in how they interact with the city centre and its residents. The overall effectiveness of the public transport network impacts the choices that Auckland Transport makes with regards to road corridors in the city - as the choices improve for visitors to the city, the possibilities and political will build for reallocating priority away from single occupant vehicles and towards 'place', creating better streets for residents.
 
We reminded Auckland Transport of the needs of all public transport users to walk to and from their bus stop and train station, and that improvements to these services should improve rather than degrade the experience of pedestrians (especially in the city centre). This includes delays at pedestrian crossings, poor quality footpaths, lighting issues and an ongoing lack of consideration for the needs of children, the elderly and the disabled.
 
There were some concerns of the mothballing of the red inner link bus during Light Rail construction and an over-reliance on future technologies to avoid conversations about the fairness of space allocation in the city. For new, existing and yet to be seen mobility options, we have asked that adequate space be provided in proportion to their need and support of the goals of the city centre. This places walking at the top of the pile, then light personal mobility options such as bicycles and scooters next, public transport next and then only private vehicles.
 
A final version of the RPTP that has considered public feedback will be published sometime in early 2019.
 
The full submission is available on our submission page.

1. Auckland City Centre is more densely populated than Amsterdam Centrum (think the famous canal rings roughly). That's right, we have 12,600 per square kilometre versus Amsterdam's 11,000. Check out more interesting city centre density stats here.
 

2. The Auckland Central Library offers guided tours of the basement where you can see rare collections and relics of the past. Get more information here.