City Rail Link Designation Alteration: Mt Eden. Draft Integrated Transport Assessment

Transcription

1 Draft Integrated Transport Assessment July 2016

2 Project: Title: Document Reference: Prepared by: Reviewed by: Revisions: City Rail Link Designation Alteration: Mt Eden Integrated Transport Assessment R2A Mt Eden Designation Alteration.docx Michael Jongeneel Ian Clark Date Status Reference Approved by Initials 9 May 2016 A R1A I Clark 16 May 2016 B R1A I Clark 6 July 2016 C R1C I Clark 7 July 2016 D R1D I Clark The drawings, information and data recorded in this document (the information) are the property of Flow Transportation Specialists Ltd. This document and the information are solely for the use of the authorised recipient and this document may not be used, copied or reproduced in whole or part for any purpose other than that for which it was supplied by Flow Transportation Specialists Ltd. Flow Transportation Specialists Ltd makes no representation, undertakes no duty and accepts no responsibility to any third party who may use or rely upon this document or the information.

3 Integrated Transport Assessment i CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION SITE LOCATION EXISTING CONDITIONS Porters Avenue Area Mt Eden Station Area Boston Road Area TEMPORARY CHANGES TO THE ROAD NETWORK Boston Road Work Site Expanded CRL Construction Support Area PERMANENT CHANGES TO THE ROAD NETWORK Closure of Porters Avenue Level Crossing New Road Layout in Mt Eden Station Area Access to Boston Road Properties Access to and Parking within Normanby Road Properties ASSESSMENT OF CONSTRUCTION EFFECTS Boston Road Work Site Extended CRL Support Area ASSESSMENT OF PERMANENT EFFECTS Closure of Porters Avenue Level Crossing New Road Layout in Mt Eden Station Area Normanby Road Properties Access to and Parking within 32 Normanby Road Access to 51-63Normanby Road Boston Road Properties RECOMMENDATIONS AND PROPOSED CONDITIONS APPENDICES APPENDIX A FLOW TECHNICAL NOTE: EFFECTS OF CLOSING PORTERS AVENUE LEVEL CROSSING

4 Integrated Transport Assessment 1 INTRODUCTION Flow Transportation Specialists Ltd (Flow) has been commissioned by Auckland Transport to identify and assess the traffic engineering matters related to proposed changes to the existing designation for the City Rail Link (CRL). The proposed changes are variously temporary and permanent in duration, and relate to Porters Avenue, Boston Road, Normanby Road, and roads within the Mt Eden station area. This Integrated Transport Assessment report accordingly addresses traffic engineering matters associated with the proposal, including: A description of the existing transport provisions within the area affected by the proposed designation changes A description of the proposed temporary and permanent changes to the transport network arising from the changed designation An assessment of the impacts of the proposed designation changes on the transport network, with: The traffic effects on the immediately surrounding streets The pedestrian and cyclist effects What mitigation measures are considered necessary to avoid, mitigate or reduce the effects that have been described Changes to the existing CRL designation conditions that are recommended to support the proposal. 2 SITE LOCATION The locations of the proposed designation changes fall in three general areas within the road network. These three areas are illustrated in Figure 1 overleaf.

5 Integrated Transport Assessment 3 Figure 1: Three Site Areas Mt Eden Station Area Boston Road Area Porters Avenue Area 3 EXISTING CONDITIONS 3.1 Porters Avenue Area Porters Avenue is a two lane, two way street. At its northern extent it meets New North Road at a stop-controlled intersection, and at its southern extent it becomes Wynyard Road, ultimately joining View Road at another stop-controlled intersection. Approximately 90 m south of New North Road, Porters Avenue crosses the North Auckland Line (NAL) at a rail level crossing. Existing use of this level crossing by vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists is documented in Table 1. Table 1: Existing Movements Over Porters Avenue Level Crossing 1 Mode Direction Morning Peak (movements/hour) Inter Peak (movements/hour) Evening Peak (movements/hour) Northbound General Traffic Southbound Total Northbound Pedestrians Southbound Total Manually surveyed Wednesday 22 May 2013 and Thursday 3 April 2014

6 Integrated Transport Assessment 4 Table 1: Existing Movements Over Porters Avenue Level Crossing 1 Mode Direction Morning Peak (movements/hour) Inter Peak (movements/hour) Evening Peak (movements/hour) Northbound Cyclists Southbound Total Heavy Commercial Vehicle (HCV) movements across the level crossing were surveyed only during the commuter peak periods, and made up 1% to 2% of total vehicle movements. Inter peak period HCV proportions can however be inferred using Auckland Transport tube count daily data 2, and are estimated to be in the order of 10 to 15%. This is a relatively high proportion of HCVs, albeit of a small volume of total inter peak traffic. General traffic movements over the level crossing are low when compared to the parallel routes of Dominion Road (up to 2,650 vehicles per hour) and Mt Eden Road (1,250 vehicles per hour). This reflects the understanding that Porters Avenue carries little through traffic, and instead provides predominantly a local access role for properties immediately either side of the level crossing. A more comprehensive discussion of the existing use of the Porters Avenue level crossing is contained in a Flow technical note to Auckland Transport from 23 September 2015, included in Appendix A. The stop-controlled intersection of Porters Avenue and New North Road is known to have a poor safety record. Contributing factors to this are: The relative high speeds of traffic on New North Road, particularly westbound (downhill) The poor visibility to the west from the Porters Avenue approach, due to the underpass structure The complicated nature of the intersection, with multiple streams of traffic Confusion with westbound traffic on New North Road indicating to turn left onto the Dominion Road being misinterpreted as turning left into Porters Avenue, by traffic exiting Porters Avenue. It is noted that the streets around Porters Avenue are known to be used for car parking by some commuters. To manage this demand, Auckland Transport has proposed a residents parking permit area within these streets, and this is expected to be in place by the end of June Some of the existing traffic using the Porters Avenue level crossing will be these non-resident users, and if adopted, the parking permit area will likely reduce the volume of traffic using the level crossing. The CRL construction will require changes to be made to the elevation and number of rail lines at the Porters Avenue level crossing, making the retention of the level crossing impossible. The existing CRL 2 Auckland Transport Automated tube count survey, south of Fenton Street; March 2010 (total daily traffic 2,386 vehicles per day, daily HCV proportion 8%). It is noted that the tube count location was to the south of both the level crossing and the commercial properties on Fenton and Haultain streets. HCV proportions across the level crossing may differ.

7 Integrated Transport Assessment 5 designation requires Porters Avenue to be bridged over the rail corridor, maintaining pedestrian, cyclist and general traffic access. 3.2 Mt Eden Station Area The existing roads within the Mt Eden station area include Nikau Street, Flower Street, Korari Street, Ruru Street and Ngahura Street. Each of these streets are designated as local streets with the Auckland District Plan (Isthmus section) and each meets either New North Road or Mt Eden Road, generally at stop-controlled intersections. The exception is Korari Street, which is signalised at its intersection with New North Road and Exmouth Street. Right turns from Mt Eden Road into Nikau Street are banned, but no other movement restrictions apply at these intersections. A sixth local street, Shaddock Street, runs parallel to Nikau Street a block further south, but does not meet Mt Eden Road. A pedestrian path (stepped) leads between the cul-de-sac end of Shaddock Street and Mt Eden Road. These six local streets are all minor streets carrying local traffic only. Each street s existing carriageway is 7 m to 9 m wide, with parking (unrestricted) generally permitted on both sides of the street. The speed environment is slow, due to the narrow streets, frequent driveways and parked vehicles, and steep gradients. Traffic volumes through each of these streets are generally low, with little through traffic. Traffic surveys were undertaken on Wednesday 3 June and Thursday 4 June 2015 at the New North Road intersections with Ngahura Street, Ruru Street, Korari Street and Flower Street, as well as at the Mount Eden Road intersection with Nikau Street. SCATS automated count data has also been obtained for the same days at the Mount Eden Road/New North Road/Symonds Street intersection. This traffic data is summarised in Table 2. Table 2: Existing Vehicle Movements on Local Streets in Mt Eden Station Area Street Morning Peak (vehicles/hour) Evening Peak (vehicles /hour) Northbound Southbound Total Northbound Southbound Total Flower Street Korari Street Ruru Street Ngahura Street Mt Eden Road , ,525 Symonds Street , ,155 1,801 3 At the intersection of New North Road, Mt Eden Road and Symonds Street

8 Integrated Transport Assessment 6 Eastbound Westbound Total Eastbound Westbound Total Nikau Street New North Road , ,022 1,542 The existing CRL designation allows the removal of a large proportion of the buildings on Nikau, Flower, Korari, Ruru, Ngahura and Shaddock streets, and for the clearing of this area for the main CRL construction site. Following the completion of the CRL and under the existing CRL designation, these streets would then be reinstated on their original alignment. 3.3 Boston Road Area Boston Road is a two lane, two way arterial connecting Mt Eden Road and Normanby Road to the west with Khyber Pass Road to the east. Its primary function is as a through route, most notably for eastbound traffic travelling from New North Road to Newmarket and the Southern Motorway, as the more direct route is prohibited through a banned right turn at the intersection of New North Road and Khyber Pass Road. Boston Road is classified as a District Arterial within the District Plan. It meets Normanby Road at a single lane roundabout and meets Khyber Pass Road at a signalised intersection. This signalised intersection also includes the north facing ramps to the Southern Motorway and Parkfield Terrace in a complex six-leg intersection. Boston Road has footpaths on both sides of its carriageway. These differ in quality and width, but between Normanby Road and Khyber Pass Road they are generally 1.5 m wide on the south side and in the order of 3.1 m wide on the north side. The northern footpath is regularly obstructed by street furniture however, reducing its effective width. Joining Boston Road at a single lane roundabout is Normanby Road (to the south) and Nugent Street (to the north). Normanby Road is a two lane, two way arterial connecting Mt Eden Road to the south with Khyber Pass Road and Grafton Road (via Nugent Street) to the north. Its primary function is as a through road, although it also provides access to significant mixed use land uses. Manual traffic counts at the intersection of Boston Road and Normanby Road were undertaken on Wednesday 29 June 2013, with the results summarised in Table 3. Table 3: Existing Vehicle Movements on Boston Road and Normanby Road Street Morning Peak (vehicles/hour) Evening Peak (vehicles /hour) Northbound Southbound Total Northbound Southbound Total Normanby Road Nugent Street ,107 Eastbound Westbound Total Eastbound Westbound Total Boston Road west Boston Road east

9 Integrated Transport Assessment 7 We understand that there is some existing traffic congestion on Boston Road during the commuter peak periods. This congestion is a result of the intersections at either end of Boston Road, and in particular the eastbound queue for the southbound motorway on ramp at Khyber Pass Road during the evening peak. The north side of Boston Road supports small scale commercial properties and provides access to two minor streets. The south side borders the rail corridor and has no facing properties, but provides one service access to the rail corridor. On street car parking is provided on the south side of the street with approximately 50 unmarked parking spaces. No parking restrictions are in operation, but for approximately five P30 spaces midway along the street. 4 TEMPORARY CHANGES TO THE ROAD NETWORK 4.1 Boston Road Work Site Temporary works will be required on Boston Road to enable the relocation of a water main and construction of a retaining wall. The extent of these works will be from east of Normanby Road to the Southern Motorway overbridge, approximately 300 m in length, and the works will be carried out on the southern side of the street. The temporary works will require Boston Road to be narrowed, with a temporary speed restriction in operation. It will also require the temporary removal of all on street parking spaces on Boston Road, between Normanby Road and Khyber Pass Road (approximately 50 spaces). The temporary works may additionally affect short lengths of the two side street that meet Boston Road to the north Auburn Street and Severn Road. 4.2 Expanded CRL Construction Support Areas The CRL construction will require an expanded construction support area at Boston Road. This is illustrated in Figure 3.

10 Integrated Transport Assessment 8 Figure 2: Expanded CRL Construction Support Area, Boston Road Expanded CRL Construction Support Area Access to this site will be via an existing Water Street access which in turn provides access to Mt Eden Road via a stop-controlled intersection, and via an existing Normanby Road access. Following completion of the CRL, permanent vehicle access to the site will be via Water Street, and the existing access on Normanby Road will be closed. Other proposed construction support areas are also to be extended, including on Normanby Road, Nugent Street, Mt Eden Road, Enfield Street and Dominion Road. These extensions will not however result in transport implications. 5 PERMANENT CHANGES TO THE ROAD NETWORK 5.1 Closure of Porters Avenue Level Crossing The CRL construction will require changes to be made to the elevation and number of rail lines at the Porters Avenue level crossing, making the retention of the level crossing impossible. The existing CRL designation allows for the temporary closure of Porters Avenue to all users, and requires Porters Avenue to be bridged over the rail corridor to maintain permanent pedestrian, cyclist and general traffic access. Due to changes to the CRL rail alignment, the proposed road bridge over the rail corridor will no longer be practicable, and it will be necessary instead to permanently close Porters Avenue either side of the rail corridor. Pedestrian and cyclist access would be retained via a pedestrian and cyclist overbridge, with lifts for the mobility impaired.

11 Integrated Transport Assessment 9 To provide space for the lifts and stairwells to the proposed pedestrian overbridges (at Porters Avenue/Wynyard Road as well as at Fenton Street/Ngahura Street), Fenton Street, Haultain Street and a short section of Wynyard Road will be narrowed to provide 5.4 m carriageways. A short section of Fenton Street will additionally be narrowed to provide a 3.0 m carriageway. 5.2 New Road Layout in Mt Eden Station Area The following road layout changes are proposed to support the amended CRL designation: The extension of Ruru Street to the southeast, to meet Mt Eden Road at a new T-intersection The extension of Nikau Street towards the southwest, to meet Ngahura Street The extension of Korari Street to the southeast, to meet Shaddock Street The extension of Flower Street to the south, to meet Ruru Street. This proposed new indicative street layout is shown in Figure 4. Figure 3: Proposed New Indicative Road Layout in Mt Eden Station Area Korari Street Extension Nikau Street Extension Flower Street Extension Ruru Street Extension 5.3 Access to Boston Road Properties Changes are proposed to vehicle accesses to several properties on Boston Road, namely numbers 43, 45, 47, 49-51, 53, 55, 57, 65 and 67. Figure 5 shows these changes, with the extent of proposed construction activity shaded grey. Changes to properties at 43, 45 and 47 (not shown in Figure 5) are only minor footpath changes.

12 Integrated Transport Assessment 10 Figure 4: Proposed Boston Road Property Accesses Access to and Parking within Normanby Road Properties The vertical geometries of Normanby Road and Lauder Road will be changed, resulting in modifications to existing property accesses. Figure 6 below illustrates the location of the proposed replacement pedestrian and vehicle accesses to numbers 32 and Normanby Road. Figure 5: Proposed Normanby Road Property Accesses

13 Integrated Transport Assessment 11 6 ASSESSMENT OF CONSTRUCTION EFFECTS 6.1 Boston Road Work Site As a minimum provision, it is recommended that a 1.8 m wide footpath be provided on the north side of Boston Road, in addition to two 3.0 m wide traffic lanes. Maintaining a 1.5 m wide footpath on the southern side of the street is desirable, but not required, as there are no pedestrian destinations on the south side of the street, and pedestrians are able to cross safely at the signalised intersection with Khyber Pass Road to the east. There is no safe pedestrian crossing location to the west however, and if no footpath is to be provided on the south side of the street, a safe temporary pedestrian crossing location must be provided at the western extent of the work zone. The temporary removal of approximately 50 on street car parking spaces will result in increased competition for alternative parking spaces within the area. Weekday demand for these parking spaces is understood to be relatively high, with spaces occupied by employees of adjacent businesses, and potentially by users of the nearby Grafton station. Mitigation for these users is not recommended, and these users are expected instead to either be displaced to other neighbouring parking areas, or to change their travel behaviour. As the works are to be contained to the south side of the carriageway, existing accesses to all neighbouring properties will remain open for pedestrians, cyclists and general traffic. The exception is the rail corridor access on the south side of Boston Road, which will be redundant during the works to the rail corridor. Narrowing the traffic lanes to a minimum width of 3.0 m with temporary construction barriers will restrict the feel of the traffic lanes and reduce each lane s traffic carrying capacity. Boston Road's traffic lanes are currently in the order of 3.5 m wide after accounting for on street parking, and a single traffic lane of this width would typically have a capacity in the order of 1,100 vehicles per hour 4. Reducing the lane widths to 3.0 m would have the effect of reducing this capacity to approximately 950 vehicles per hour 4. This aligns with recent data obtained during temporary works on the State Highway network, where reductions in lane widths and speed limits have reduced the traffic capacity by up to 12%. Boston Road currently carries 500 vehicles per hour per lane in each direction or less. By inspection, the temporary traffic restrictions are unlikely to limit traffic movements on Boston Road, and the intersections at either end of the street will continue to be the critical capacity constraints on this street. As a result, the traffic effects of the temporary works are expected to be negligible. 6.2 Extended CRL Support Areas Under the original CRL designation, construction activity within the Mt Eden area was to be marshalled via the main CRL construction site, at Mt Eden Station. This site was estimated to be served by a 4 Austroads Guide to Traffic Management part 3

14 Integrated Transport Assessment 12 maximum of 667 daily trucks (approximately 67 per hour) 5, although this was noted as a worst case scenario, and actual truck volumes were expected to be lower. Lesser secondary construction support sites were to be established at Onslow Road, George Street and Brentwood Avenue. The expanded construction support area shown in Figure 3 represents a new construction site, not previously assessed within the ITA 6 for the original CRL NOR. The scale and extent of construction activity will remain unchanged however, and as a result, the total number of truck movements to the Mt Eden area, ie up to 667 per day, will remain the same. However, some of these truck movements will now be to the Boston Road site. Relative to the main CRL construction staging area at Mt Eden station, the expanded construction support area on Boston Road will generate significantly fewer truck movements, and be more comparable to the secondary support sites at Onslow Road, George Street and Brentwood Avenue. Other proposed construction support areas are also to be extended, including on Normanby Road, Nugent Street, Mt Eden Road, Enfield Street and Dominion Road. These extensions will not however result in transport implications. 7 ASSESSMENT OF PERMANENT EFFECTS 7.1 Closure of Porters Avenue Level Crossing The effects of the permanent closure of the Porters Avenue level crossing were assessed in a Flow technical note to Auckland Transport on 23 September This technical note is included within Appendix A, and the conclusions are summarised below. Pedestrians and cyclists would be adequately catered for by a grade separated crossing of the rail corridor at Porters Avenue, in addition to a second such crossing between Fenton Street and Ngahura Street. Closure of the Porters Avenue level crossing would result in significantly reduced traffic passing through the intersection of this street and New North Road. This will result in positive road safety effects at this location. Conversely, the closure may result in a corresponding increase in traffic through the Wynyard Road intersection with View Road. While this intersection has no notable crash record 7, we are aware of residents concerns with pedestrian safety in this area, particularly with regard to crossing View Road where there is an apparent deficiency of safe pedestrian crossing opportunities given the close proximity of two primary schools and a retirement village. If 100% of the traffic currently using the 5 Technical Report to support Assessment of Environmental Effects (City Rail Link Notice of Requirement): Integrated Transport Assessment; Flow Transportation Specialists; August Technical Report to support Assessment of Environmental Effects (City Rail Link Notice of Requirement): Integrated Transport Assessment; Flow Transportation Specialists; August One crash reported between January 2010 and December 2014 (non injury, alcohol reported as a possible crash factor).

15 Integrated Transport Assessment 13 Porters Avenue level crossing was to reroute through this intersection, this increase in traffic may be in the order of 60 vehicles per hour per direction on View Road. The actual increase is likely to be less however, as: The volume of traffic using Wynyard Road and the level crossing will likely reduce once the residents parking permit scheme is in place from July 2016 Any traffic currently using Wynyard Road and the level crossing as a through route will no longer be able to do so, and this too will reduce the traffic through the intersection and on View Road Some traffic will reroute via Brentwood Avenue, rather than through the Wynyard Road/View Road intersection (noting the fourth bullet point below regarding HCV traffic). Nonetheless, even a small increase in traffic volumes on View Road will likely exacerbate the existing pedestrian safety concerns. Accordingly, it is recommended that an improved pedestrian crossing facility be provided on View Road, between Wynyard Road and Sherbourne Road. Flow understands however that Auckland Transport will be investigating improvements to pedestrian safety in the area in 2017/2018 as part of the Safer Communities programme, and this programme may result in an equivalent treatment prior to the closure of Porters Avenue. Nonetheless, the above recommendation stands in order to provide certainty, while it is acknowledged that the pedestrian improvement may be delivered either as part of CRL mitigation or the Safer Communities programme. General traffic that currently uses the level crossing would be displaced to other routes. For trips to and from New North Road (west), these would redistribute via View Road or Brentwood Avenue, then Dominion Road, Charles/Tawari/George streets and finally the George Street level crossing (and the reverse). This would affect in the order of 60 vehicles per hour per direction during the commuter peaks and result in the following effects: Increased traffic on View Road and Brentwood Avenue. The latter is the more direct route, but not considered suitable for increased HCV traffic due to safety concerns at the sharp bends in this road and its intersection at a high speed area on Dominion Road (at Horopito Street). The View Road route is considered a preferable route for HCV traffic to use, as it joins Dominion Road at a signalised intersection. To minimise the use of Brentwood Avenue by HCVs, it is recommended that Local Area Traffic Management (LATM) be implemented on Brentwood Avenue and Horopito Street Relatively modest increases in trip distances of up to 350 m for general traffic via Brentwood Avenue, up to 700 m for HCV traffic via View Road but shorter distances for most users 8. Relatively modest increases in travel times are expected but for many users the change will be negligible however, and the effects are considered less than minor Increased traffic crossing the existing rail level crossing at George Street. This increase is not expected to result in significant traffic or safety effects 8 Distances given are for properties on Haultain and Fenton streets. For trips to/from most Wynyard Road properties, the increase will be significantly less

16 Integrated Transport Assessment 14 Increased turning traffic at the intersection of George Street and New North Road. This intersection does not have the safety concerns that the Porters Avenue intersection has, and is considered a preferable location for this traffic to manoeuvre on/off New North Road Some increased turning traffic at the Dominion Road intersection with View Road. This is a signalised intersection and is a suitable location for this small increase in turning traffic Some increased turning traffic at the Dominion Road intersections with Charles, Tawari and George streets. While these intersections are priority controlled, the above 60 vehicle per hour increase in traffic would distribute across these three routes, and will naturally tend towards the route that offers the least delay. As a result, these effects are considered less than minor For general traffic trips to and from New North Road (east), these would redistribute via View Road, Esplanade Road and Mt Eden Road. Again this would affect in the order of 60 vehicles per hour per direction during the commuter peaks and result in the following effects: Increased trip distances of up to 800 m to Newmarket and up to 1,400 m to the city centre for some users 9, with increased travel times accordingly; for many users however the increase will be small, and the effects are considered less than minor Some increased traffic at the View Road intersection with Esplanade Road (increased through traffic between the View Road west and Esplanade Road north approaches).this intersection has a low crash history 10, and the small volume of increased traffic is expected to have less than minor effects (noting the concerns with increased traffic on View Road, as discussed above) Some increased traffic at the Esplanade Road intersection with Mt Eden Road. The increase will be in left turning traffic from Esplanade Road and in right turning traffic from Mt Eden Road. These turning movements are considered low risk, relative to the right turn out of Esplanade Road, which is not expected to increase. As a result, the effects are expected to be less than minor. In all instances above, the changes in traffic volumes are expected to be very low, and the implications of the Porters Avenue level crossing closure on the operation of the wider road network are considered negligible. Condition 30.2 of the existing CRL designation requires that: 30.2(d) The grade separation of Porters Ave so that it is undertaken at a time when vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists can be managed and accommodated on Dominion Road, Mt Eden Road and Normanby Road to an extent which mitigates where practicable, delays to travel journeys from congestion on these roads resulting from City Rail Link construction works; 30.2(e) The grade separation of Normanby Road so that it is undertaken at a time when vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists can be managed and accommodated on Dominion Road, Mt Eden Road and Porters Avenue, to an extent which mitigates where practicable, delays to travel journeys from congestion on these roads resulting from City Rail Link construction works; 9 Trips to/from Haultain and Fenton streets; for trips to/from most Wynyard Road properties, the increase will be significantly less 10 Three crashes reported between January 2010 and December 2014

17 Integrated Transport Assessment (f) Any reduction in the number of fully operational traffic lanes associated with the closure of Porters Avenue and Normanby Road, and the reduction in the number of vehicle lanes on the Mount Eden Road bridge, is to be undertaken on only one of these three routes at a time; Condition 30.2(f) requires that lane closures on Porters Avenue, Mt Eden Road and Normanby Road take place on only one of these routes at a time. The implication of this is that the permanent closure of the Porters Avenue level crossing may only be carried out once the grade separation of Normanby Road and the works to the existing Mt Eden Road bridge are completed (or at least operational to traffic). The above requirement is overly restrictive however in its equal importance weighting of Porters Avenue, Mt Eden Road and Normanby Road to traffic. Mt Eden Road and Normanby Road are both arterial routes carrying significant volumes of traffic, and the temporary lane closures on these routes are expected to have significant effects on the adjacent arterial routes. Porters Avenue however is a relatively minor street and its closure is expected to have negligible impacts on the adjacent routes. It is expected that the closure of Porters Avenue in conjunction with a closure of either Normanby Road or restrictions to Mt Eden Road are unlikely to result in traffic effects more significant than the closure of Normanby Road or restrictions to Mt Eden Road alone. Further, during any traffic restrictions applied to Mt Eden Road or Normanby Road, the Porters Avenue level crossing will be an unsuitable route for traffic to be displaced to, due to the high risk intersection of Porters Avenue and New North Road, and the residential local streets involved. It is recommended therefore that condition 30.2(f) be amended to omit reference to Porters Avenue. Condition 30.2(f) will then require that the closure of Normanby Road not take place at the same time as any lane closures on Mt Eden Road. This condition is considered appropriate, as the closure of Normanby Road is expected to place considerable pressure on Mt Eden Road. Maintaining the existing northbound bus lane on Mt Eden Road at this stage is considered a necessity to maintain reliable public transport travel times as an alternative to affected general traffic. By extension, condition 30.2(d) is redundant, as the closure of Porters Avenue is expected to have less than minor effects, and need not be tied to the more significant works on Mt Eden Road or Normanby Road. Condition 30.2(e) requires that effects on Porters Avenue must be managed during the closure of Normanby Road. For traffic, this requirement may be redundant given that Porters Avenue may be closed at this stage. If Porters Avenue is not closed at this time however, the condition would remain valid, and managing the traffic impacts on Porters Avenue would continue to be a requirement. It is recommended therefore that condition 30.2(e) remain unchanged. The closure of the Porters Avenue level crossing to traffic will additionally result in Porters Avenue becoming a cul-de-sac. It is recommended that a suitable turnaround area be provided, so as an 8 m long truck may turn around, without encroaching on footpaths. It is noted that there is insufficient road reserve width for a standard 11 m radius cul-de-sac head, and that a multiple manoeuvre turnaround will be required. This is considered acceptable, given the very low volume of traffic expected on Porters Avenue.

18 Integrated Transport Assessment 16 The closure of the Porters Avenue level crossing will turn the existing full crossroads intersection of Porters Avenue, Wynyard Road, Fenton Street and Haultain Street into a T-intersection, by excluding Porters Avenue. This intersection will enable vehicles to turn around within the roadway, by manoeuvring into Fenton Street and/or Haultain Street. This manoeuvring within the roadway is considered acceptable, given the very slow traffic speeds expected on each street and the clear sight lines to the intersection from all approaches. Fenton Street, Haultain Street and a short section of Wynyard Road will be narrowed to provide a 5.4 m road carriageway. This is considered acceptable and will allow two opposing vehicles to pass each other if driving slowly. This will be managed by treating the roadway as a raised table, with the carriageway flush with the footpath and the space available for shared use (albeit with different pavement textures for the carriageway and footpaths). The T-intersection ensures that all traffic is turning at this intersection, and combined with the narrow carriageway, raised road surface and shared use, will keep vehicles speeds down to approximately walking speeds. A short segment of Fenton Street, approximately 40 m long, will be further narrowed to 3.0 m wide. This area will be a continuation of the raised table above, allowing opposing vehicles to very slowly pass each other by sharing the available space, if required, or to wait clear of the narrow area. This is considered acceptable given the very slow speeds expected on Fenton Street and the very low traffic volumes on this street with this road servicing only five properties. 7.2 New Road Layout in Mt Eden Station Area The new street layout within the Mt Eden station area will extend existing streets to create a more connected, grid layout street network. The extent of these new street extensions will be within the CRL construction staging area, bounded by Mt Eden Road, New North Road and the rail corridor. The underlying land use zoning in the area is Mixed Use under both the operative District Plan and the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan, and this will remain unchanged through the CRL project. While the new street layout and CRL itself may ultimately enable a greater intensity of redevelopment in the area, this assessment must only consider the direct transportation effects of the streets themselves, and of the upgraded Mt Eden station. The new street layout will generally result in positive effects for both pedestrians and cyclists, by resulting in a more permeable neighbourhood with better connections to Mt Eden station and to Mt Eden Road. As land within the CRL construction staging area will be undeveloped upon completion of the CRL, traffic volumes using Nikau, Flower, Korari, Shaddock and Ngahura streets will be no greater than those today. The potential exception to this is Ruru Street, which will be extended to a new intersection with Mt Eden Road. This will result in a new street connection between Mt Eden and New North roads, where previously there was none. This may then attract through traffic, particularly vehicles travelling between New North Road and Newmarket, for which Ruru Street would be the most direct route. Ruru Street is however a local street and its primary role will be to provide access to the new Mt Eden station; it will not be suitable for significant volumes of through traffic.

19 Integrated Transport Assessment 17 To minimise the level of through traffic using this new street connection, it is recommended that Ruru Street be constructed to slow traffic speeds, with: A narrow carriageway (5.4 m wide recommended) Indented on street car parking and landscaping/street trees to reduce the perceived feel of the street LATM measures such as raised tables at pedestrian crossings and at intersections should be considered, as could a shared space treatment outside Mt Eden station. Wide footpaths will also be provided, supporting the strong pedestrian realm. The slow traffic speeds enabled by the above will additionally allow the street to be used comfortably by cyclists, without dedicated cycle infrastructure. The upgraded Mt Eden station will be provided with a nominal number of short stay parking spaces, suitable for passenger pick up and drop off. It will not have park and ride facilities and as a result, will generate negligible traffic effects. The upgraded station will generate significant numbers of new pedestrian trips, and will become the focal point for many public transport trips to and from the Eden Terrace area. It is also noted that there is significant potential for intensification within the Eden Terrace area, both in terms of residential and employment developments. Given the existing traffic volumes on both New North Road and Mt Eden Road, pedestrian crossing volumes in the order of 25 pedestrians per hour would be sufficient to warrant signalised crossing facilities 11. This volume of pedestrians is relatively certain and given these conditions, strong pedestrian connections from the upgraded station to the wider community will be required. An existing uncontrolled midblock pedestrian crossing on Mt Eden Road will not provide an adequate level of service for pedestrians, particularly vulnerable users. Consequently, it is recommended that a condition be added to the CRL designation requiring the proposed new intersection of Ruru Street and Mt Eden Road be signalised, to provide a safe and convenient pedestrian access to the upgraded station. A similar situation exists on New North Road, where an existing uncontrolled midblock crossing is provided west of Ngahura Street. With pedestrians needing to cross two lanes of traffic in each direction, this facility provides a poor level of service for pedestrians particularly vulnerable users. An existing signalised crossing at the Korari Street intersection is poorly located to provide pedestrians with an appropriate facility to cross New North Road between the proposed station and with existing bus stops. Early investigations by Flow for Auckland Transport have recommended that new signalised intersections be located at the New North Road/Ruru Street and New North Road/Flower Street intersections, that the existing uncontrolled midblock crossing west of Ngahura Street be signalised, 11 New Zealand signalised pedestrian crossing warrant; Mt Eden Road traffic volumes of 800 to 1,200 vehicles/hour, New North Road volumes of 1,200 to 1,700 vehicles per hour

20 Integrated Transport Assessment 18 and that the existing signals at the New North Road/Korari Street intersection be removed. This strategy may require more rigorous investigation, as well as wider consultation within Auckland Transport, the Local Board and other stakeholders. As a result, it is recommended that a condition be added to the CRL consent requiring additional signalised pedestrian crossing facilities be provided on New North Road as described above or to an equivalent standard, to provide appropriate, safe and convenient access to the Mt Eden station area. 7.3 Normanby Road Properties Access to and Parking within 32 Normanby Road Condition 30.1(k) of the existing CRL designation requires the following with regards to parking within and access to 32 Normanby Road: 30.1(k) At completion of the grade separation of Normanby Road safe and reasonable pedestrian and vehicle access to and from the site and 34 car parking spaces will be provided for the property as 32 Normanby Road. In the case of pedestrian and vehicle access and parking arrangements, this will be in accordance with Plan DRG 0058 Rev 5.0, and meet the following requirements: (i) The ramp access will meet relevant Austroads, NZS and the Auckland Council District Plan: Isthmus Section design standards; (ii) The 34 car parking spaces will be provided across the site and the adjoining KiwiRail property. The spaces will be compliant with the appropriate Auckland Council District Plan: Isthmus Section parking standards for dimension and manoeuvring The proposed new vehicle crossing to 32 Normanby Road will be in the same general location as the existing access. It will provide safe and reasonable access to the site, and will result in 34 car parking spaces, meeting condition 30.1(k)(ii). The new vehicle access will have a maximum grade of 1:8 (12.5%). Gradient transitions are proposed, and ground clearance for an 11 m large rigid truck has been assessed at these transitions and found to be satisfactory. Vehicle tracking has been assessed for 11 m large rigid trucks, and again found to be adequate. The proposed new access meets the maximum 1:6.5 gradient requirement of NZS and NZS for truck access and the 1:8 permitted for non-residential land uses under the District Plan. The District Plan requirement for a 6 m long level platform (1:20 or less) at the road boundary is also met. The proposed modified parking spaces will also meet the District Plan s gradient requirements, with maximum longitudinal gradient of 1:20 (5%), maximum transverse gradients of 1:16 (6.25%) and maximum gradients within manoeuvring areas of 1:12.5 (8%). Ninety-degree parking spaces will be 5.4 m long and 2.5 m wide, with aisle widths of 5.8 m or greater; these dimensions meet the minimum dimensions recommended by NZS

21 Integrated Transport Assessment 19 Five parking spaces will be parallel spaces, generally 5.4 m long and 2.4 m wide, although a central space bookended by two other spaces will be longer at 5.9 m. These dimensions comply with NZS Access to Normanby Road Condition 30.1(i) of the existing CRL designation requires the following with regards to parking within and access to Normanby Road: 30.1(i) Construction works will be undertaken to ensure two-way access is maintained at all times for vehicles accessing the premises at Normanby Road,including staff and visitors cars, trucks and service vehicles. The measures shall: (i) Ensure safe and reasonable access to and from the site, to Austroads standards; (ii) Not result in the loss of any on site parking; (iii) Incorporate a crossing width sufficient not to reduce the range of vehicles required to access the site, relative to the existing situation; (iv)it is noted that the site is used occasionally by large trucks of up to 18m. These vehicles are to be provided for in the design of the access (i.e. the vehicle crossing and the access onto the site); (v) Following completion of the grade separation of Normanby Road safe and reasonable access will be provided to and from the property at 51,63 Normanby Road to meet the relevant Austroads and NZS2890.1standards or the applicable standard required by the road controlling authority. The proposed new vehicle access to Normanby Road will be in the same general location as the existing access, and will provide safe and reasonable access to the site. The proposed vehicle access will not result in the loss of any existing on site car parking. Vehicle tracking for the proposed new access has been assessed, and found to be acceptable for a large rigid truck entering and exiting the site at Normanby Road. A large rigid truck turning left out of the site will be required to swing across the centreline of Normanby Road, but this is consistent with existing egress conditions. Access into the site has also been assessed for an 18 m semitrailer and is acceptable. It is noted that this very large vehicle will be unable to turn around within the site, and will instead reverse out onto Normanby Road. Again, this is consistent with existing conditions. The existing access to this property is at a level gradient, and the proposed new access is expected to result in only a nominal change in gradient. The proposed new access will comply with the Austroads Guide to Road Design, NZS2890.1, NZS2890.2, and the Auckland Council District Plan (Isthmus Section). 7.4 Boston Road Properties Following completion of the CRL, permanent vehicle access to Boston Road will be via an existing Water Street access, while an existing Normanby Road access to the site will be closed. The Water

22 Integrated Transport Assessment 20 Street vehicle access is considered a safe and reasonable access to the site, and the effects of the closed Normanby Road access are therefore no more than minor. Condition 25.2 of the existing CRL designation requires require that during CRL construction, pedestrian access to properties be maintained at all times and that vehicle access be maintained to the greatest possible extent. Permanent safe and reasonable access to properties following completion of the CRL is assumed. The proposed changes to the CRL designation will result in replacement vehicle accesses constructed to numbers 49-51, 53, 55, 57, 65 and 67 Boston Road. These accesses will be in the same location as their respective existing accesses, and while some regrading will be required to tie into the proposed new road levels, they will generally be like for like replacements of existing accesses. At numbers 43, 45 and 47 Boston Road, the proposed changes to the CRL designation relate only to minor changes to footpaths, and will have no permanent effect on access. As a result, the proposed changes to the CRL designation are expected to have less than minor effects on access to properties on Boston Road. 8 RECOMMENDATIONS AND PROPOSED CONDITIONS The proposed changes will result in the following temporary effects during construction: Negligible traffic effects associated with the temporary traffic management on Boston Road Negligible traffic effects associated with the extended construction support area. The proposed changes to the CRL designation will additionally result in the following permanent effects: Positive road safety effects at the intersection of New North Road and Porters Avenue Increased trip distances and travel times for some existing users of the Porters Avenue level crossing. These increases are considered less than minor Some increased traffic on alternative routes to Porters Avenue, including Esplanade Road, Mt Eden Road, Dominion Road, Charles Street, Tawari Street and George Street; these increases are expected to be small, and the effects less than minor Some increased traffic on Brentwood Avenue and View Road, where additional mitigation is recommended (refer below) Significant increase in the volume of pedestrians using Mt Eden station, and by extension, crossing Mt Eden and New North roads to access the station Improved pedestrian connectivity within the Mt Eden station area, with the street extensions resulting in a more permeable, grid layout neighbourhood Reasonable and safe vehicle access to properties at 14-20, 43, 45, 47, 49-51, 53, 55, 57, 65 and 67 Boston Road, and to 32 and Normanby Road No loss in off street car parking spaces at 32 and Normanby Road

23 Integrated Transport Assessment 21 It is recommended that the following CRL conditions be amended (additions underlined): 30.2(d) The grade separation of Porters Ave so that it is undertaken at a time when vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists can be managed and accommodated on Dominion Road, Mt Eden Road and Normanby Road to an extent which mitigates where practicable, delays to travel journeys from congestion on these roads resulting from City Rail Link construction works; 30.2 (f) Any reduction in the number of fully operational traffic lanes associated with the closure of Porters Avenue and Normanby Road, and the reduction in the number of vehicle lanes on the Mount Eden Road bridge, is to be undertaken on only one of these three two routes at a time; It is further recommended that the following be implemented through the Urban Design Delivery Works Plan (DWP) as required in CRL condition 47: Local Area Traffic Management (LATM) be implemented on Brentwood Avenue and Horopito Street, to discourage its use by HCVs as an alternative route to Wynyard Road and View Road An improved pedestrian crossing facility be provided on View Road, between Wynyard Road and Sherbourne Road, either as part of CRL mitigation or prior to CRL through other Auckland Transport programmes Ruru Street shall be constructed to minimise traffic speeds and through traffic volumes, with a narrow carriageway and suitable use of indented on street car parking, landscaping/street trees, LATM measures such as raised tables at pedestrian crossings and at intersections, and/or a shared space treatment outside Mt Eden station A turnaround area be provided at new terminus of Porters Avenue, such that a standard 8 m rigid truck can turn around without encroaching over the footpath; a multiple-point turnaround manoeuvre will be acceptable The proposed new intersection of Ruru Street and Mt Eden Road be signalised, to provide safe and convenient pedestrian access to the Mt Eden station area Improved signalised pedestrian crossings be provided on New North Road, by signalising the New North Road/Ruru Street intersection, the New North Road/Flower Street intersection, the existing uncontrolled midblock crossing west of Ngahura Street, and by removing the existing signals at the New North Road/Korari Street intersection. An alternative strategy may be applied such that appropriate, safe and convenient pedestrian access to the Mt Eden station area to the wider community is provided. The following matters will need to be addressed as part of an outline plan of works, and should be accommodated in any Transport, Access and Parking Delivery Works Plan (DWP) as required in CRL condition 25.1: Access to Water Street to and from Mt Eden Road for CRL construction related heavy commercial vehicles be limited to left-in and left-out movements only Similarly, access to the extended CRL construction site at the Normanby Road access be restricted to left-in and left-out movements only; the exception to this will be when Normanby Road is closed, when right turn entries may safely be permitted