Another week almost down and to go with it, another weekly roundup for your Friday morning delectation.
This Week in Greater Auckland
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Why wouldn’t you go electric?
Recently, Auckland Transport revealed that it planned to buy a new fleet of diesel ferries instead of more electric or hybrid ones (as are due to start operating soon), citing cost and reliability. This is at odds with at odds with the approach AT has been taking up till now. It’s also the opposite of what Fullers, the city’s biggest ferry operator, thinks. From the NZ Herald.
[Fullers chief executive Mike Horne] makes it clear that when he’s spending his own company’s money, he sees electric as the only way to go.
“Everyone gets a bit confused with the cost of building a boat and the cost of operating a boat over time,” Horne says. “I look at the whole-of-life. And if I’m investing commercially, which I am, I’m going to the electric boats every time. Over time they are materially cheaper than running a diesel boat.
“I’m certainly not looking to build new diesel boats for my commercial fleet for exactly that reason. They make no economic sense”
One of AT’s soon-to-be in service electric ferries.
Crazy Costs
The projected cost of the Otaki to North of Levin highway has blown out yet again, this time to $2.1bn. It’s also incredible that the NZTA is able to suddenly find a spare $400 million down the back of the couch to fund this project, just to keep a few locals happy.
The budget for a lower North Island highway has increased to $2.1 billion after the board of the New Zealand Transport Agency tipped in $427 million of extra funds.
Last week, Transport Minister Chris Bishop said contracts had been signed with two alliances to construct the northern and southern sections of the 24-kilometre Ōtaki to North of Levin (O2NL) highway.
The project is one of 17 roads of national significance (Rons).
When it was first included in the NZ Upgrade Programme under the last Government, the highway was estimated to cost $817m.
By 2021, the budget had increased to $1.5b. In a business case completed the following year, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said the preferred option had a benefit-cost ratio of 1.2.
In May this year, when the agency went out to the community with several cost-saving proposals, it had escalated to around $1.7b.
Scope reductions, no thanks
Following pressure from local groups and politicians, NZTA reinstated most of the proposed scope reductions, including a grade-separated interchange with Tararua Rd. The NZTA board had to approve additional funding to retain the consented design, adding hundreds of millions of dollars to the budget.
…..
The NZTA spokesman said the estimated $2.1b delivery cost was coming from the Crown and the NLTF.
The cost works out at around $87.5m a kilometre, although the budget also includes a contingency allowance.
“The construction price represents good value for money compared to other projects within New Zealand, particularly when considering differences in scope and location,” the spokesman said.
“While construction costs can vary significantly depending on project scale, complexity, and regional conditions, the Ō2NL project’s pricing remains competitive and reasonable for the outcomes it is set to deliver.
“In addition, the delivery programme has been carefully maintained to ensure the project remains within budget.”
This is pretty shameless by the NZTA to suggest this is good value for money, at $87.5m per kilometre. The section immediately south of this – the Otaki Expressway – cost about half that on a per-kilometre basis after adjusting for inflation. Even the recently completed Te Ahu a Turanga – Manawatū Tararua Highway, which is over far trickier terrain, came in at around $73m per km. What’s going on here?
For a different type of blowout, another example of why separators are needed
As we’ve seen in Auckland in places like Upper Harbour Drive, a few drivers in New Plymouth are proving why separated cycleways are needed, as Stuff reports. Of course, the article itself is classic of the genre, suggesting that it’s the fault of the barriers, and not that some drivers are clearly incapable of paying attention to the physical conditions of the road.
Cycleway barriers are wrecking wheels, smashing undercarriages and creating chaos in New Plymouth, locals say.
The barriers, nicknamed “Tim Tam” for their resemblance to the biscuits, are proving a costly hazard for many drivers.
Installed to keep cars out of cycle lanes and protect cyclists, a trail of concrete bikkies line one of the city’s busiest routes.
From another article on them:
Elric Aublant, a member of the North Taranaki Cycling Advocates Group, said the barriers make him feel safe.
“I moved to New Plymouth about four years ago and riding here used to be pretty unpleasant,” he said.
“There were lots of cars driving inside the painted lanes so it felt sketchy, not enjoyable. You had to constantly watch out and try to anticipate drivers’ moves.
“[Now] I can ride without fear. I’m no longer scared of a car drifting into the cycle lane.”
…..
“These barriers are encouraging children to cycle to school… even a small reduction in speed is worth a million in safety,” added another.
New Plymouth District Council’s senior infrastructure project manager, Liz Beck, said the separators were introduced to improve safety and encourage more cycling on one of the city’s busiest roads, a state highway which serves six schools.
The design was based on an Auckland Transport model and approved by NZTA, which also funded the $3.8 million project.
That looks like plenty of space in the car lanes. How do the drivers who hit the barriers deal with things like kerbs and traffic islands?
From tactical to permanent: Auckland’s cycleway network quietly expands
Just to hand, from a friend: this is Coronation Road in Māngere Bridge, where a tactical cycleway is being upgraded to permanent. Every new piece of the network is good news.
Planning Talk
This looks like a great event next Thursday August 15, 5.30pm to 7pm at Objectspace, at the top of Rose Road just off Ponsonby Road. The event is free but filling up fast, so be sure to reserve your spot.
Hayden Donnell, journalist and writer at The Spinoff, examines the unintended consequences of urban planning in this Ockham Lecture.
Hayden introduces his lecture:
Current planning rules are meant to stop ugly buildings getting built and ensure new construction is easy on existing residents. So why are so many of the suburbs we see as beautiful and worthy of protection the ones we built before those rules were put in place? Why are the places we condemn for their poor urban form so often designed with council directives in mind? For decades we’ve tried to micromanage our cities. There’s a case that in doing so, we’ve actually sabotaged them.
We’re keeping it short and sweet after a busy week, but as always feel free to share relevant news stories and links in the comments. Have a great Friday, and a great weekend!
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