QTS-084 · Expert evidence · 2023
Hearing Summary Statement of Evidence of David John Robert Smith for Waka Kotahi – Traffic
Hearing summary statement by Dave Smith (Abley) for NZTA (Waka Kotahi) on the Te Pūtahi Ladies Mile Plan Variation, updating his primary evidence after expert conferencing, Mr Shields' rebuttal and the 27 November 2023 provisions. He accepts that signalising SH6/Stalker Road and SH6/Howards Drive and urbanising SH6 to a 60 km/h environment are broadly agreed. His outstanding concern is that the staging provisions only require upgrades near each precinct, so key bottlenecks (e.g. Stalker Road) may not be addressed if development proceeds out of sequence. He identifies an apparent error (Stalker Road should read Howards Drive for areas D and J) and proposes a revised staging table requiring downstream infrastructure, Stalker Road bus priority and the NZUP package west of the Shotover Bridge before development in all relevant precincts. He repeats his recommendations for traffic monitoring, travel planning in the Transport Interventions Plan and Integrated Transportation Assessments. No reference to mass rapid transit.
What the document says
Context: This six-page summary statement was prepared for the Independent Hearing Panel on the Te Pūtahi Ladies Mile (TPLM) Plan Variation by David John Robert Smith, Technical Director – Transportation Planning at Abley Limited, for NZTA (Waka Kotahi) as submitter (p.1–2). He records that he attended transport and combined urban design/traffic conferencing, signed the Joint Witness Statements, read Mr Shields' rebuttal and reviewed the transport provisions presented on 27 November 2023 (p.2). (Para 1.1(a) refers to his primary statement as dated 6 December 2023; the primary evidence is dated 20 October 2023.)
Agreed matters: Signalising SH6/Stalker Road and SH6/Howards Drive and urbanising SH6 for a 60 km/h environment have general support among urban design and traffic experts; speed limits are for Waka Kotahi as road controlling authority (p.2). He understands Council intends to add provisions on Stalker Road bus priority and the NZUP package west of the Shotover Bridge, but had not seen them (pp.2–3).
Outstanding concerns: Table One summarises which upgrades provisions 49.5.10, 49.5.33, 49.5.50 and 49.5.56 require for each precinct (p.3). Because they only require nearby upgrades, bottlenecks may remain; for example, if areas C–G and J develop first, the Stalker Road AM bottleneck need not be addressed, and no provision requires west-to-east sequencing (p.4). He notes an error: the Stalker Road upgrade should read Howards Drive for areas D and J (p.4). Table Two proposes revised staging requiring Package 1 (Stalker Road) infrastructure, Stalker Road bus priority and the NZUP package west of Shotover Bridge for all relevant precincts (p.5). He suggests presenting staging as such a table or with clear sequencing direction (p.5), and reiterates traffic monitoring, travel planning in the Transport Interventions Plan and Integrated Transportation Assessments for all consent applications (pp.5–6).
Mass rapid transit: The document says nothing about mass rapid transit.
Key figures
- Staging provisions reviewed: 49.5.10, 49.5.33, 49.5.50 and 49.5.56 (27 November 2023 version) (p.3)
- Revised Table Two requires Stalker Road bus priority and NZUP package west of Shotover Bridge for all relevant precincts (p.5)
Files
- Open Main document (PDF, 239 KB) Opens in a new tab.
Main document
Public copies
Publisher’s own file.
Actions recorded
Amend staging provisions so downstream infrastructure (incl. SH6/Stalker Road Package 1 works) is required before development of all relevant precincts, as in revised Table Two.
Not assessed · QLDC · Prior to development
ensures that the appropriate downstream infrastructure is in place prior to development
Correct provision error: the Stalker Road intersection upgrade should read Howards Drive for areas D and J.
Not assessed · QLDC
should be changed to Howards Drive for areas D and J
Require Stalker Road bus priority and the NZUP package west of the Shotover Bridge before development in the relevant precincts.
Not assessed · QLDC · Prior to development
PLUS Stalker Road bus priority... PLUS NZUP package west of Shotover Bridge
Present staging provisions as a table or with clear direction on development sequencing and infrastructure dependencies.
Not assessed · QLDC
would be more helpfully presented in the Plan Variation as a table
Provide for regular traffic monitoring of initiatives to reduce private vehicle reliance.
Not assessed · QLDC · Ongoing
regular traffic monitoring to be undertaken
Integrate effective, ongoing travel planning with monitoring into the Transport Interventions Plan.
Not assessed · QLDC · Ongoing
be integrated into the Transport Interventions Plan
Require an Integrated Transportation Assessment for all TPLM resource consent applications, addressing residential-before-commercial and cumulative effects.
Not assessed · QLDC
the preparation of an Integrated Transportation Assessment for all resource consent applications
Study cost
Costed with the parent document.
Citation
NZTA (Waka Kotahi). Hearing Summary Statement of Evidence of David John Robert Smith for Waka Kotahi – Traffic (2023).