Stupid ORC Bus Hub : DCC notifies requirement for designation #Dunedin

Proposed ORC Bus Hub, Great King St – concept image [supplied]

CALL FOR PUBLIC SUBMISSIONS

DIS-2017-1 – Central City Bus Hub
Open for submissions. Closes 5pm 18 August 2017

Public notice of requirement for a designation
Sections 168 and 169 of the Resource Management Act 1991

The Dunedin City Council has received notice of a requirement for a new designation from the Otago Regional Council.

Notice of Requirement No: DIS-2017-1

The requirement is for: A Central City Bus Hub for Dunedin’s transport network, and includes all buildings, structures and associated facilities and activities for the carrying out of the public transport system by the Otago Regional Council. With the exception of no public parking, the designation will not prevent the use of Great King Street, between Moray Place and St Andrew Street, being used as a public road.

The designation is to provide for the establishment, operation, maintenance and upgrading of the Central City Bus Hub for Dunedin public transport service purposes and will provide public transport services described in the Otago Regional Council’s Public Transport Plan, and to provide for any site works, buildings or structures, integral and ancillary to the Dunedin public transport system, including but not limited to: Bus shelters and seating; timetable and information displays; bus stops; public amenities, including toilets; landscaping including structures; pedestrian footpaths and accessways; drainage; technology; lighting; security; vehicle priority; signage; passenger comfort initiatives and facilities; passenger information facilities; and all other structures and facilities associated with, or incidental to, a comprehensive facility for the performances of functions of the Central City Bus Hub and support of the Dunedin Public Transport Network for the Otago Regional Council.

The nature of the functions is that these activities will initially occur from approximately 05:30am to 12:30am, 7 days a week, year-round.

The sites to which the requirement applies are as follows:
● Great King Street Road Reserve, between Moray Place and St Andrew Street, Dunedin;
● Moray Place Road Reserve (part of);
● 12.4m² (approx.) within 157 St Andrew Street, legally described as Lot 1 DP 486801;
● Two areas within the Countdown car park adjoining Great King Street – one comprising 58.8m² and the second comprising 50.4m² (approx.) legally described as Lots 2 and 3, DP 6552 and Section 29, Town of Dunedin.
● 19.5m² (approx.) within the Countdown car park adjoining Moray Place, legally described as part Sections 27 and 28, Block XVI, Town Survey District;
● 63m² (approx.) within the Community House car park at 301 Moray Place, legally described as part Town Section 26, Block XVI, Town of Dunedin; and
● 60.8m² (approx.) within the Wilsons car park at 30-36 Great King Street, legally described as Lot 2 DP 338932.

The Notice of Requirement, plans showing the extent of the requirement, and the assessment of environmental effects may be inspected at the following locations:
● City Planning Enquiries, Customer Services Centre, Ground Floor, Civic Centre, 50 The Octagon, Dunedin
● The Dunedin Central Public Library
● The Mosgiel Service Centre
● Online

Please contact Paul Freeland on 477 4000 if you have any questions about the Notice of Requirement.

█ Go to this DCC webpage for all the information pertaining to the Notice of Requirement (NoR):
DIS-2017-1 – Central City Bus Hub
Closing date for submissions: Friday 18 August 2017 at 5pm.
http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/your-council/district-plan/district-plan-changes/dis-2017-1-central-city-bus-hub

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█ Supplementary Reading
From the ‘RMA Quality Planning Resource’ (NZ):

Notices of requirement and requiring authorities

To begin the process of designating land, a requiring authority must serve a notice of requirement on the relevant territorial authority (s168 of the RMA) or lodge it with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) (s145(3)).  A notice of requirement is a proposal for a designation. 

The notice of requirement has an interim effect, in that it protects the land for the designated purpose until the designation is confirmed and included in an operative district plan (s178).  If the designation is confirmed it overrides the provisions of the district plan so the project or the works may be implemented by the requiring authority in accordance with that designation and any conditions attached to it.  However, the underlying plan provisions continue to apply if the land is used for a purpose other than the designated purpose.

When processing a notice of requirement Part 8 of the RMA requires the territorial authority to consider the requirement and any submissions received (if the requirement was notified), and then make a recommendation to the requiring authority. The territorial authority is only able to make a recommendation to the requiring authority and the requiring authority has the final decision on the matter. Refer to the flowchart for steps in the new designation process.

An alternative process is available under Part 6AA of the RMA for notices of requirement that are for proposals of national significance. Sections 198A – 198M of the RMA also provide for the direct referral of notices of requirement to the Environment Court for a decision.  The direct referral provisions under the RMA allow for requiring authorities to request that notified notices of requirement be directly referred to the Environment Court for a decision, instead of a recommendation by a territorial authority and a decision by a requiring authority.

The designation provides for the long-term ‘approval’ of the work. Because details of the work may not be known at the time of lodging the notice of requirement, s176A provides for further detail or subsequent changes and updates to the work through an outline plan. An outline plan is required to be submitted to the territorial authority, showing details of the work or project to be constructed on the designated land.

As for the notice of requirement process, the territorial authority only has a recommendation role for outline plans. The territorial authority is only able to request changes of the requiring authority and cannot turn down an outline plan. 

A notice of requirement and an outline plan describing the works proposed can be served/submitted at the same time. This approach can be helpful to allow the territorial authority to understand the designation, and can speed up the overall process allowing works to begin sooner. Alternatively, the requirement for an outline plan can be waived by the territorial authority if sufficient information was submitted with the notice of requirement.

Read more: http://www.qualityplanning.org.nz/index.php/plan-development-components/designations/overview/notices-of-requirements

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All we want is …. [possibly?]

No highly coloured tarseal or paving materials not in keeping with Dunedin’s built environment.

NO Bus Hub in Great King St.

And….
smaller more frequent shuttle buses, suburban areas properly serviced with well-spaced bus stops and shelters, easy transfer cards, on-board EFTPOS card top-ups ($5 minimum), digital readouts for next bus at all stops, wifi buses, direct pick-up drop-off in George and Princes streets, well serviced peak hours and school runs, bus inspectors, highly trained drivers, mechanically well serviced buses, plenty of mobility access for all comers.

Or to just call an affordable version of Uber or Lyft.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

[whatifdunedin]

Cull, MacTavish: (to borrow a phrase) “Have you fixed the debt crisis?”

Responding to an espousal on ‘Cycleways and parking issues’ at ODT Online:

DCC’s +$47M cycleways project
Submitted by ej kerr on Thu, 14/11/2013 – 11:13pm.
Cr MacTavish has better things to do. She knows it. Her job
as a city councillor is to take the air out of her various
tyres and acknowledge that her loose-assemblage greenwash
‘political party’ should stop its spendthrift ways. Far
better that they bend over backwards on quickly retiring the
council’s +$623M consolidated debt. A harder workout than
cruising on SH1 with the wind up their tails.

****

Hype O’Thermia kindly forwards this link for serious entertainment…

Published on 13 Nov 2013. ClarkeandDawe.
An Honest Assessment, Project by Project
“Tony Abbott. Head Prefect.” Originally aired on ABC TV: 14/11/2013.

ABCTV: For 25 years, John Clarke and Bryan Dawe have been engaged in discourse on a range of issues. These interviews appear each week on television, radio and online and several collections have been released on CD, DVD and in book form. Every Thursday a fresh interview is loaded and fired into the blithersphere. It can be seen at mrjohnclarke.com, their YouTube site or the Facebook page.

More Clarke and Dawe at Quiz on politics

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Related Posts and Comments:
14.11.13 Cycle lane explosions and puncture kits (SPOKES grenades launch)
8.11.13 Dunedin Separated Cycle Lane Proposal [how to make a submission]
5.11.12 DCC, NZTA: Cycle lanes controversy
19.10.13 Cycle lobby games and media tilts
24.9.13 Mediocrity and lack of critical awareness at DCC [council reports]
8.7.13 Bloody $tupid cycleways and Cull’s electioneering . . . [route maps]
28.3.13 DCC DAP 2013/14: Portobello Harington Point Road Improvements
26.2.13 DCC binge spending alert: Proposed South Dunedin cycle network
22.2.13 DCC: Council meeting agenda and reports for 25 February 2013
31.1.13 Who? 2010 electioneering
21.11.12 Safe cycling -Cr Fliss Butcher

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Cycle lane explosions and puncture kits (SPOKES grenades launch)

“Whilst I know there will be a lot of people that are very favourable towards these changes, overwhelmingly the business community seems to be bearing the brunt of the impact.”
–John Christie, Otago Chamber
ODT Link

Uploaded on 18 Sep 2006. — Bicycle! Bicycle! Bicycle! / I want to ride my bicycle / I want to ride my bike / I want to ride my bicycle / I want to ride it where I like / You say black I say white…

Published on 6 Mar 2012. Sons of Silence. — I rise in the morning, and greet the day / pull out the bike and I’m on my way / The transportation shows I care / Every turn of the pedal – cleans the air…

Published on 3 Jul 2012. — Riding on my bike on a Tuesday night I’m collecting rhymes / I pedal to the left then I kick it to the right and then I change my mind / I met a man who’s shipping bikes to Africa…

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Related Posts and Comments:
8.11.13 Dunedin Separated Cycle Lane Proposal
5.11.12 DCC, NZTA: Cycle lanes controversy
19.10.13 Cycle lobby games and media tilts
24.9.13 Mediocrity and lack of critical awareness at DCC [council reports]
8.7.13 Bloody $tupid cycleways and Cull’s electioneering . . . [route maps]
28.3.13 DCC DAP 2013/14: Portobello Harington Point Road Improvements
26.2.13 DCC binge spending alert: Proposed South Dunedin cycle network
22.2.13 DCC: Council meeting agenda and reports for 25 February 2013
31.1.13 Who? 2010 electioneering
21.11.12 Safe cycling -Cr Fliss Butcher

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: dreamstime.com – cartoon explosion 17525964

Dunedin Separated Cycle Lane Proposal

### dunedintv.co.nz November 8, 2013 – 7:16pm
Public consultation on State Highway safety options begins today
Dunedin residents are being asked for their views on two preferred options for improving the safety of the one way sections of State Highway One. There have already been some short term safety improvements made, but as the cycle network is expanded and developed the focus is on the long-term.
Video

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Dunedin City Council – Media Release
Feedback Sought on Cycle Safety Options

This item was published on 08 Nov 2013.

Residents are being asked for their views on two preferred long-term options for improving the safety of Dunedin’s one-way sections of State Highway 1.
The NZ Transport Agency (Transport Agency) has been working with the Dunedin City Council (DCC) to improve cycle safety on State Highway 1 between the Dunedin Botanic Garden and Queens Gardens.
Since 2003, there have been 13 crashes on the State Highway 1 one-way streets in the central city that resulted in serious injury to cyclists, including three fatal crashes. There was also a cyclist fatality in 1998.
There have already been some short-term safety improvements and the focus has now shifted to long-term cycle safety as an expanded cycle network is developed for the city.

Public consultation on the two preferred options begins today and ends at 5pm on Friday, 6 December.

Under both options, the cycle lane would be shifted to the right-hand side of the road and physically separate cyclists from traffic. For the first option, the separated cycle lane would continue to run along both of the one-way routes, with cyclists travelling in the same direction as the traffic. Option two involves a wider separated cycle lane. It would run along Cumberland Street (linked in the vicinity of the S bends by Emily Siedeberg Place), with cyclists able to travel in both directions.

The proposal is at a very early stage and if it goes ahead it could be 2-4 years before construction starts.

The estimated cost for the project is $3.5 million to $4.5 million.

Feedback from the community on the two options will be used to develop one preferred option for a separated cycle lane that is expected to be considered by the Council early next year.

Transport Agency Projects Team Manager Simon Underwood says a separated cycle lane would support the Safe System approach which underpins the road safety work of both the Transport Agency and the DCC. This approach recognises road users do make mistakes and whether injuries result is influenced by the nature of the collision or impact.

“This is highly relevant to cycle lanes where cyclists have to interact with other road users in many ways. Even in collisions with relatively low vehicle speeds, there is still a risk of severe injury. The aim of the separated cycle lanes is to reduce crash risk by reducing the extent to which cyclists and general traffic interact.” –Simon Underwood

“This proposal is all about safety. Concern about cyclist safety is what led the Council to ask for options for the central city and now we want to know which option people prefer.” –Dave Cull

Other possible ‘north-south’ cycle routes were considered, but the two preferred options out for consultation are the only feasible routes.

DCC Transportation Planning Manager Sarah Connolly says both options will have an impact on parking spaces on the street, with 391 spaces affected under option one and 185 under option two.

Feedback is also being sought on ways to address parking provision for the area, should the proposal go ahead. Options include moving affected parking meters, P5s and other time restricted parking to adjacent streets where practical and promoting the use of vacant parks in existing car parking areas and buildings. The DCC could also consider providing extra angle parking in Union, St David, Dundas, Howe and Duke Streets, and providing more commercial parking, such as a new parking building.

To access an online survey form or for more information on the separated cycle lane options, visit www.nzta.govt.nz/dunedincyclesafe, or email your comments to dunedinshcyclelanes @ nzta.govt.nz. Alternatively, ring 03 477 4000 for an information pack, or post your comments to:

Cycle Lane Feedback
C/o NZ Transport Agency
PO Box 5245
Moray Place
Dunedin 9058

People are also welcome to come along to the following drop-in sessions:
● 12 noon – 2pm, Thursday 14 November, Wall Street Mall
● 3pm – 6pm, Tuesday 19 November, Otago Settlers Museum
● 12 noon – 2pm, Wednesday 20 November, The Link (University of Otago)

Contact Transportation Planning Manager on 03 477 4000.

DCC Link

More council information at Dunedin Separated Cycle Lane Proposal

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Dunedin City Council – Media Release
Remember – Share the Road

This item was published on 08 Nov 2013.

Scooters, skateboards, horses and vintage cars will be among the forms of transport on the move during Sunday’s Share the Road Parade. The parade will launch the Dunedin City Council’s Share the Road campaign, which encourages all road users to be considerate so everyone can use the road safely.
DCC Safe and Sustainable Travel Co-ordinator Charlotte Flaherty says, “The parade offers an opportunity for many different road user groups to get together and celebrate each other and our transport system.

“People assume the road is for motorised transport only, but it is used by numerous groups, such as horse riders, cyclists and pedestrians as well.” –Charlotte Flaherty

The parade will start outside the Dental School in Great King Street at 2.30pm. It will travel along Frederick and George Streets and arrive in the Octagon at 3pm. A Master of Ceremonies will give a commentary as the various groups arrive at the Octagon.
Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Images: NZTA – (top) Option for a two-way separated cycle lane on Cumberland St, shown near North Ground; (bottom) option for a separated cycle lane, shown near hospital entrance on Cumberland St.

Cycle lobby games and media tilts

Commuters [cycling.com]

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### ODT Online Sat, 19 Oct 2013
Leuchs accuses Vandervis
By Chris Morris
Dunedin city councillor Lee Vandervis has been accused of misrepresenting former Olympian Kashi Leuchs’ views on cycleways to ”push forward his own agenda” at a recent Dunedin City Council meeting.
However, Cr Vandervis hit back yesterday, denying the claim and saying any suggestion he did so deliberately was ”slanderous”.
Read more

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Correspondence received.

—– Original Message —–
From: Lee Vandervis
To: Elizabeth Kerr
Sent: Saturday, October 19, 2013 1:51 PM
Subject: FW: reaction? Feel free to quote.

ODT reporter Chris Morris has muddied rather than clarified the issues around my supposed misrepresentation of statements made by serious cyclists, including an employee running the Bike Otago shop.

Even worse, the Bike Otago owner Kashi Leuchs who I have never met or discussed anything with, wades in to today’s ODT and on his blog pretending to be one of the blokes that I spoke with running his shop and pretending he took part in or heard the supposedly misrepresented conversation!
The millions we have already spent on Dunedin ‘painted on’ cycle lanes are now not what they want according to their blog, but they have no idea of how what they do want will work at intersections.
How much more do they want ratepayers to spend to reinvent the cycle lane?

Cheers,
Lee

—— Forwarded Message
From: Lee Vandervis
Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2013 13:31:04 +1300
To: Chris Morris [ODT]
Conversation: reaction?
Subject: Re: reaction?

First time this has been brought to my attention thanks Chris.

The Bike Otago blog confirms just what I said and that I accurately described these serious cyclists reservations about existing cycle lanes;

“So we would just like to put a little context to what Lee tells the council here. Lee states that we said that cycling lanes actually give cyclists a false sense of security… But what Lee has missed out is the words ‘painted on’. For sure, we, like almost all cyclists you ask are against the painted on cycling lanes, similar to what we currently have on our one way system.”

I did not miss out the words “painted on” as these words were never mentioned in the cycle-shop discussion, and ‘painted on’ is mostly what we have.

This still leaves the most dangerous part of any road – the intersections – as needing special provision which is often provided overseas by cyclists/pedestrian stop lights on separated cyclelane/footpaths.

The statement “What Lee states about intersections not being separable is not something that we would consider hard to fix… it would just take a bit of good planning to ensure everyone can enjoy the roads safely together.” fails to suggest just what planning/expense might reduce the latest car-park-lane separated cycleway intersection danger issue, and fails to give any overseas examples.

I have studied and photographed European cycleway solutions this year [at my own expense] in Munich, Barcelona, Heidelberg and Berlin and have spent weeks cycling around the last two cities. The most common cycleway solution in these cities is shared cycleway/footpaths separated from moving cars by parked cars. Next most common is our painted cycle lanes. Even when separated cycle-lanes/footpaths were marked with dividing lines, most serious cyclists [carbon fibre/lycra/commuter] still rode with the car traffic as this was faster and easier at intersections.
This highlights that there are many different cycling styles and preferences, and claims that a new separated car-park-lane cycleway will please most cyclists is misleading.

My question to the new enthusiasts for wiping out 200+ car-parks all the way up the one-way street and having a physically separated bicycle path along the car-parking strip, is why not use the under-used eastern footpath as a separated cycle lane, as recommended recently in the ODT by roading engineer Paul Hambleton, and which has plenty of relatively safe precedent overseas? I have previously asked staff to consider this overseas proven option, and had a Council resolution supporting this.
I believe we need a proven cost-effective compromise that recognises all road users as well as a variety of cyclists styles, from the recreational to the serious. So far my shared-eastern-foot-path solution is the only affordable one I have seen.

Cheers,
Lee

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On 18/10/13 12:18 PM, “Chris Morris” wrote:

Hi Lee,

Not sure if you’re aware of the post about you on http://www.bikeotago.co.nz/

They’re taking issue with your earlier comments at a council meeting in September, when you claimed Bike Otago cyclists and the bloke that run the shop did not support cycleways.

I’d like your response by 5pm at the latest, but as soon as possible, actually, as I may need to do follow-ups.

Chris.

—— End of Forwarded Message

—— Forwarded Message
From: Lee Vandervis
Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2013 16:37:37 +1300
To: Chris Morris
Conversation: reaction?
Subject: Re: reaction?

Bike Otago’s own quotation “we, like almost all cyclists you ask are against the painted on cycling lanes,” confirms that they are opposed to current cycle lanes, and shows that I did not misquote them Chris.
Nobody specified ‘painted on’ at the time, but the news that theses cyclists are against the already considerable expensive Dunedin cycle lanes should be of wide interest.
If Bike Otago want to fully represent their views at Council on a new specific type of separated cycleway that has not yet been detailed, designed, intersection explained, or built, they are welcome to try and do so.

The record shows;
It was moved (Vandervis/Hudson):
“1 That the Council further consult with the AA on cycle safety proposals.
2 That the eastern footpath of the One Way North be considered as a long-term separated cycle way.”
A request was made to take each recommendation separately. Motion 1 was put and carried.
Motion 2 was put and carried with Cr MacTavish voting against.

that I have pushed for a much more affordable separated cycleway not requiring the loss of 200+ car-parks along the unused eastern footpath as regularly seen overseas. Whether Bike Otago approve of this or not is up to them to say.
I don’t have an own agenda other than to prevent an enormous waste of ratepayers and limited Transit funds on a new type of separated cycleway yet to be designed that does not address the statistically most dangerous intersections.
For you or anyone else to suggest that I deliberately misrepresented unnamed serious cyclists chatting in a cycle-shop is slanderous.

Kind regards,
Lee

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Related Posts and Comments:
24.9.13 Mediocrity and lack of critical awareness at DCC
9.9.13 Residents’ dissatisfaction (2013) with elected council and mayor —increase!
4.9.13 Draft Dunedin City Transport Strategy
30.8.13 Transport Strategy: Is this responsible local government?

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

ODT “stories” —parochial sun rays

Email received from Grahame Sydney
Saturday, 27 April 2013 1:22 p.m.

re ODT

My heart goes out to the loyal reporters at the ODT having to file garbage promotional stories extolling the fabulousness and phenomenal success of the Plastic Stadium, most of which “stories” are given front page treatment: since when did a “story” on the Aerosmith gear-haulage convoy rate as front page “news”, let alone the disgraceful banner headline and page-wide photograph of the band performing (“SILVER SPANGLED SPECTACLE” -Thursday 25 April) ? Is there no limit to the depths to which the editorial staff at ODT will sink in order to underwrite the foundering stadium, at the cost of editorial integrity ?

But while such transparent commercialism makes the opening of the ODT an increasingly difficult daily ritual, testing to the limits one’s own parochial tendencies, and the assault of full-page advertisements (7 in the first 22 page section today, not counting half-page ads…) makes the reading an habitual speed-read, is there any explanation for the strange appearance on page 12 today (27.3.13) of a colourful little child’s world picture of six happy Small People, one on a bike, one with a pet dog, two with a ball, all beaming innocently as yellow sun rays glow from a distant unseen horizon and five dinky, driverless vehicles crowd the streets ?

Below this merry fantasy is the exhortation: “Spend QUALITY TIME” at Dunedin’s intersections… there’s so much to see !”

No clue offered as to who is responsible for this mysterious insertion, nor why, what it might mean, or who it is aimed at. If it’s the DCC Traffic people, the message is highly questionable. Perhaps it’s the start of a new branding exercise, in the “It’s All Right Here” mould. If it’s a new campaign from the city’s tourist promotional wing, embarking on a bold new initiative to identify the REAL attractions of the town – I can see the entrance billboards and the bumper-stickers now: IGNORE THE HOTEL: COME AND EXPERIENCE OUR INTERSECTIONS !” – then someone needs to be singled out and front-paged for their imaginative genius.

It’d be a change from yet another damned propagandist sell on the Stadium, if nothing else.

[ends]

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Dunedin city was ranked at the top of the agency’s [NZTA] list for urban intersection crashes causing either fatal or serious injuries during the five years from 2006 to 2010. The city also featured in the top five for the crash categories involving pedestrians (second), motorcycles (third), older drivers (third), cyclists (fourth) and young drivers (fourth), and ranked sixth for accidents caused by distracted drivers. ODT 24.3.12

Dunedin is ranked the third-worst local authority area in New Zealand for fatal and serious injury crashes, statistics in the NZTA’s “communities at risk” register show. The NZTA has compiled lists ranking local authorities across 12 categories, although there is some contention about the methodology used to record the statistics. ODT 23.10.11

Related Post and Comments:
6.2.13 Editorial bias

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr