31 March 2011
State Highway Classification
NZ Transport Agency
Private Bag 6995
44 Victoria Street
WELLINGTON 6141
Dear Sir/Madam
DRAFT STATE HIGHWAY CLASSIFICATION CONSULTATION DOCUMENT
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Hamilton City Council (HCC) welcomes the opportunity to make a submission
to the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) on the Draft State Highway
Classification Consultation Document (DSHCCD).
2.0
SPECIFIC COMMENTS
2.1
HCC generally supports the way that State Highways have been categorised
and the criteria and thresholds that have been used to develop the proposed
approach. HCC notes that the DSHCCD generally supports the Access Hamilton
Transport Strategy (copy attached) in recognising the role of State Highways
within the city.
2.2
Safety: HCC assumes that the DSHCCD achieves the action identified within the
2010 Safer Journey’s document to ‘Develop a classification system for the
roading network’, and will help to create a safety programme that reduces road
trauma in the Waikato Region.
2.3
HCC would like to see more recognition under ‘function’ that in many urban
areas, such as in Hamilton City, the State Highways have a dual role to function
not only as State Highways but as significant components of the local road
network. This could be reinforced right up front in the final document where a
number of questions are posed about the function of State Highways. HCC
submits that a further question be added i.e.:
Is it serving both a State Highway function as well as a local road function and
what regard needs to be given to alternative modes of transport ?
2.4
Economic Well-being: HCC notes that State Highway1 is considered in the
DSHCCD as a continuous uninterrupted length of 280km from Auckland to
Taupo. Hamilton is a key destination along the route, is the country’s fourth
largest urban area and plays a significant role in the economic ‘Golden Triangle’
along with Auckland and Tauranga. It is difficult to see at this stage how the
classification system will be used to differentiate the challenges in Hamilton City
from the large lengths of rural State Highway. This will come through the
development of appropriate levels of service later in 2011 as noted in the
DSHCCD. HCC advises that it would like to be consulted through the
development of these levels of service to ensure that they support the Access
Hamilton Strategy, which promotes multi-modal integrated transport and
supports economic development for the City.
2.5
Social Well-being: HCC notes that the role of State Highways changes within
the urban area as local access needs require the State Highway network to
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Chief Executive's Office
1.0
provide safe facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and the mobility impaired, as well
as support a viable public transport system. HCC seeks commitment from the
NZTA that these needs are understood and that projects to improve vulnerable
road user safety and to promote public transport will continue to be prioritised
after the DSHCCD is approved.
2.6
HCC is surprised that the 280km length of State Highway1 from Auckland to
State Highway 5 is not recorded as an ‘international tourist flow’. Appendix 8
suggests that tourist flows north and south of Hamilton City are greater than
100,000 travellers per year and through Hamilton are between 60,000 and
100,000. HCC requests that Table 1 be amended accordingly.
2.7
HCC requests that Hamilton International Airport (Appendix 8 suggests it has
the seventh highest passenger numbers nationally) and the Crawford Street
Inland Port are included within the Hamilton map in Appendix 3.
2.8
HCC submits that both State Highway 23 and State Highway 26 connecting
Raglan and east Waikato (Kopu) respectively with Hamilton City should at least
be regional connector routes.
3.0
CONCLUDING COMMENTS
3.1
HCC trusts that the points made in this submission are helpful to the NZTA
when considering all submissions to the DSHCCD.
3.2
If you require clarification of the points raised in this submission, or additional
information, please contact Philip King, Council’s Access Hamilton Coordinator
(phone 07 838 6991, email [email protected]).
Yours faithfully
Blair Bowcott
ACTING CHIEF EXECUTIVE
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