[As published in September/October BayBuzz magazine.]
My message to the August Regional Transport Committee meeting was blunt: “It’s time we got radical about transport in Hawke’s Bay”.
Auckland Council was taken to Court last year for not being radical enough about reducing carbon dioxide emissions in its most recent Transport Plan for that region. In Hawke’s Bay, I would expect an equivalent backlash if we did not direct our transport planners to forget business as usual and deliver a step change – even ‘disrupt’ approach – in our next Transport Plan, due out for consultation early next year.
All the focus right now is of course on recovering and rebuilding as a region from Cyclone Gabrielle. The ‘build back better’ mantra however begs an obvious question, what is ‘better’ for our transport system in 2023 when we are already at, if not past, the IPCC determined 1.5° tipping point for climate change and the UN Secretary General warns we are entering the age of “global boiling”?
Bearing in the mind the many hundreds of millions of dollars of damage caused to our regional state highway, road and bridge network from just one greenhouse gas fuelled cyclone, I frankly despair at the lack of imagination and vision when I see the major parties campaigning on new roads as a blueprint for getting New Zealand ‘back on track’.
Until now I had seen the clarion call for four-laning the expressway as the Hawke’s Bay version of this ‘driving forward into the past’ approach.
This debate has been put to rest, however, with funding for four-laning of the expressway confirmed by both National and the current Government, but (from the latter) as part of investment in a wider transport system that can reduce overall emissions and improve resilience. More on this below.
In the silver lining category, Cyclone Gabrielle has dealt a hand of opportunity not seen in Hawke’s Bay for generations. We have to play that hand with conviction, and be bold.
In addition to the over $1 billion directed to repairing and rebuilding transport infrastructure in regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle by the Government, a further $6 billion National Resilience Plan fund was announced in Budget 2023, which Waka Kotahi plans to lean on for some very significant state highway corridor improvements to both Taupō and Wairoa in the coming years. Beyond that, the 2024 Government Policy Statement (GPS) on land transport announced mid-August squarely confronts the need to proactively invest in road maintenance and renewals to ensure better resilience to severe weather events and other natural hazards, with substantially increased funding priority to these strategic objectives.
Daunting realities
Despite this heightened level of central government interest and support, we face some daunting realities in working through the options now in front of us, however bold and radical we might want to be.
There are over 4,500 kilometres of roads in Hawke’s Bay. Hastings District alone faces an estimated $800 million repair bill for damaged roads and bridges, way beyond its funding capacity to meet. Central Hawke’s Bay and Wairoa are in the same boat, but with a much smaller ratepayer base.
On the flipside, over 20% of our regional emissions come from transport, and nearly half of that from car travel (the rest from freight and light commercial vehicles). Regionwide only 0.5% of trips to work are by bus. We have one of the highest rates of private car ownership in the country. While our regional cycling culture is legion, Napier is reportedly the least safe city to cycle in in New Zealand, and we have one of the highest overweight and obesity rates in the country. Outside Hastings and Napier, Hawke’s Bay basically has no public transport at all. For many rural communities, a morning traffic jam on a two lane tar-seal road like the current expressway would seem like a first world problem, even ‘luxury’.
Alongside our rebuilding task, we also cannot ignore central government direction through the Emissions Reduction Plan to reduce vehicle kilometres travelled by about 20% through “improved urban form and providing better travel options”, as part of a quest to reduce transport emissions nationwide, by 41% from 2019 levels, by 2035.
Overall, bearing in mind the scale and range of the challenges faced, it would be at best naïve to think that simply building more roads or four-laning the expressway was going to make our transport system more resilient to climate change, or radically reduce carbon dioxide emissions from our transport fleet.
Toward multi-modal transport
With all of that in mind, at our most recent Transport Committee meeting, we resolved to consult on a new Transport Plan which would put resilience at the forefront of all new transport infrastructure investments, so our roads and bridges can stand up to what future severe weather events might throw at them. But in doing so we also aim to deliver a ‘multi-modal transport system’ giving people choices (whether to take the bus, walk or cycle); keep our rural communities effectively connected, and indeed put our communities at the centre of future transport planning.
Our vision for a transformed Hawkes’ Bay transport system would certainly be more achievable if the greater funding priority on resilience, road maintenance, public transport, rail and cycling signalled under the draft GPS, is politically secure post-election. But this inevitably comes at a cost, with increased fuel taxes and road use charges also proposed, so we will need to watch this space. There is no hiding from this. However you slice and dice it, everyone will ultimately have to pay some share for the ‘fit for future’ transport system now so desperately needed, nationwide. An honest bi-partisan acceptance of this reality across Parliament would be a great start towards that future.
Returning to what we can control, our vision does not just see roads as places for cars, but for people, and as pathways to the type of society, environment and community we want to live in, rather than simply drive through.
To give an example, at the February Transport Committee meeting we were treated to a compelling deputation from Te Whatu Ora Hawke’s Bay recommending a direct ‘cycle highway’ from the bottom of Heretaunga Street to the top of Kennedy Road, connecting Hastings and Napier, via the hospital and EIT.
E-bikes have expanded the comfort zone and range for the cycling community substantially, but the number one barrier to taking up cycling is safety. Separate purpose-built ‘active transport’ corridors would solve that problem. We could (for example) dedicate the Te Whatu Ora proposed cycle highway to public and active transport, and conversely give freight and commercial traffic a freer and faster run on (say) Taradale Road in Napier and St Aubyn Street in Hastings.
Likewise, and in my opinion, rather than looking at the expressway in isolation we should bid for Crown investment under the new GPS to support a multimodal or dual corridor approach. One option is dedicated bus or cycle lanes on the expressway itself. Another is where extra lanes on the expressway are complemented by the type of public and active transport corridor or ‘cycling highway’ proposed by Te Whatu Ora, but on a different route.
Similarly, we can look at repurposing parts of our CBD street network, not just as places for cars to drive and park, but instead for people to linger, be entertained, dine and shop.
To get folk into town. our 2022-2025 Public Transport Plan would deliver a doubling if not trebling of the frequency of buses on the key routes both between and within Napier and Hastings, and a peak time bus service from Central Hawke’s Bay to Hastings. This could all be supplemented by MyWay to ensure better network coverage in both cities, as being trialled (successfully in terms of patronage) in Hastings, but again everything hinges on sufficient secure public transport funding, post-election.
You might fairly wonder whether any of this sounds that radical? Some of these ideas are ‘old news’ to progressive transport planning experts. But we are undoubtedly now at a crossroads in our vision and planning as we look to design a regional transport system fit for the future. One that not only keeps our rural communities better connected in the face of climate change, but transforms the way city folk get around.
That defines what “better” should be as we build towards a region of healthier people, communities and environment.
HBRC Councillor Martin Williams is chair of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Transport Committee.
Nothing very new or radical about these options except that we require more people to give up their love affair with cars which is radical!. Not a mention of improving the regional rail network to take dozens of cars off the road.
With, for starters, a couple of passenger trains between CHB and Napier at peak hours – beginning and end of day, commuters could travel with ease, check their emails, have a coffee on board and be met by a MyWay bus for a final commute if their workplace was not in walking or cycling distance from the train station. But this will require investment in infrastructure which we foolishly sold off and then bought back at a huge loss … KiwiRail would also need to “get on board” and provide a public transport service rather than be expected to simply make a profit. As for cycling – we would have to provide safer cycleways (barrier-protected from the cars and trucks that currently dominate our roads). At present motorists in the cities take up both sides of the roads with parking and many vehicles these days are so big they overhang the so called ‘dedicated cyclelanes’ such that cyclists often have to swerve or ride on the outer edge of the cycleways putting themselves at the mercy of aggressive motorists who can be incredibly intolerant and inconsiderate of anyone on a bike.
Thank for your comments Marilyn. Rail is definitely on the radar but the reality is beyond our capacity within an already stressed ratepayer funding base and we can deliver a lot more for public transport per dollar spent with buses, including for Central Hawke’s Bay. Rail is a critical part of our freight strategy and we will continue to advocate for passenger transport by rail but with out Central Government funding at the scale required it simply isn’t a realistic option. Happily, Anna Lorck has been championing the cause so we will have to wait until after the election to see where regional and interregional rail sits in the range of the next government’s transport investment priorities. Watch that space I guess! Agree completely on safety which is why separate purpose based cycling corridors can be the best way to go, along with traffic calming and speed management on routes where cycling can be given greater priority.
Thank you for this, Martin! A breath of fresh air (no pun intended!). We need to look at the big picture on how we can reduce our emissions. It’s encouraging to know the Regional transport committee is tackling this ever-growing problem – and looking at bikes as part of the solution.
And yes, Marilyn, I am a commuter cyclist and am all too well aware of the daily dangers cyclists face. Throughout my childhood I rode a push bike from the A&P Showgrounds to Hastings Intermediate then Hastings Girls. Far fewer cars on the road in those days, and many more trains; we took the Napier-Hastings bus into town and home, and the railcar to Palmy or Wellington… So, ae, back in the day….
True a lot more could be done for cyclists. I fought unsuccessfully for Council not to set the CBD speed limit at 50kph, and I pick my travel routes very carefully as I move around the city. The e-bike gives us the ability to hold our own in a lane, take off quickly at the lights, and move at a reasonable speed in traffic. Having a rear vision mirror is essential, but even then cycling in Napier is definitely not for the faint-hearted!
Love your plan, Marilyn, I hope the Active Transport subcommittee (if there is one) will look at your great ideas.
I live in hope now you have put a stake in the ground Martin. Active transport is a key part of our regional plan to reduce our emissions. Time is running out, so let’s get on with it!
Martin’s got this one right. Both Labour and National have got it wrong, and have lost any real vision for what we really need, rather than the populist trinkets and baubles they think we need and will vote for in their frantic attempts to get back into power. We don’t need more roads, we need less cars on the existing roads, and better maintenance and upkeep of same. Additionally we need better public transport, and more options for people to consider. I agree we could re-instate rail from CHB, ideally from Takapau to Napier, and back. Funny how the simplest ideas are often the best, not to mention the cheapest, but common sense is no longer common, regrettably.