TL;DR; Vaughans Road Closure to remain in place. No viable funded options were presented by AT to HBLB on 16th July. AT will attempt to re-work an option to meet a $2 million funding limit and return to present option(s) again in the future with no timeframe given.
Long Bay and Okura Residents are urged to advocate their views on the Vaughans Road closure!
For prior history see: Vaughans Road Closure: May-2024 Update
AT Presentation of Options
Auckland Transport (AT) was due to report back to the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board (HBLB) in April options for “localised widening” of Vaughans Road to enable the closure at #189 to be removed. The April timeframe was postponed and the presentation happened on 16th July 2024. The minutes/presentation are here: https://bit.ly/hblb-at-jul24
The following is a summary of AT’s presentation on 16th July 2024 at a HBLB workshop:
Background:
- steps taken to date primarily due to safety concerns
- 18-24 months timeframe reiterated
- Full upgrade noted to be part of Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP)
Modelling Update:
- A key takeaway was that the predicted volume is now 5,623 vehicles per day. Previously this had been modelled as increasing from 650 to 3,500 mark, with the significant increase noted due to the northern developments of Long Bay being more intensive that originally planned.
Issues Update:
- Width, Pavement, Strength, Stormwater, Lighting and Speeds all noted in relation to safety concerns
Options Presented:
- Option 1: Widened to 5.5m, cost $4,095,600
- Option 2: Widened to 6m, cost $4,708,200
Both options include a 0.5m shoulder / swale drains (not retained drains) and additions for:
- Full pavement rebuild/rehab, $5,802,659 (Option 1) or $6,499,455 (Option 2)
- Full pavement rebuild/rehab + shared path on one side and bridleway on the other, $6,547,616 (Option 1) or $7,301,717 (Option 2)
- Option 2 obviously noted as the safer option
- Available funding dictates the viable options. A balance between funding and safety is needed.
Funding Scenarios:
- Funding limit is $2 million for the project to proceed without significant delays / additional funding.
- Additional funding is complicated by the road rehabilitation not being justified based on current condition, and not complying with NZTA funding requirements.
- Note that if a business case is needed for full funding – it will create further delays (1 year+), more than 24 months closure, and further costs above those identified/outlined.
Road Rehabilitation:
- As above rehabilitation not justified/funded by NZTA
- Only maintenance (repairs/chip seal resurfacing) to continue under a 3% annual percentage increase which is not increased proportionally to the predicted traffic increase!
Next Steps:
- Develop new option focussed on prioritised high-risk areas with a project cost of <$2m
- Return to HBLB to present options
HBLB Feedback/Discussions
Following AT’s presentation feedback from HBLB was requested. Some of the key discussions were focussed on:
- The background 2015 full upgrade plans (and lack thereof in AT’s presentation)
- Legal considerations related to the Long Bay Structure Plan and 4 access points to Long Bay
- Negative impact to residents due to the closure
- Surprise that the condition reported was not much worse given the number of potholes and problem in the current road
- Consideration of “boy racers” and whether this should be/has been taken into account
- Considerations for additional bus stops, and which side of the road footpaths/bus stops should be
- That the “maintain” rather than “rehabilitate” would be pouring money into a hole, and even more graphic analogies were voiced which may not be suitable for writing here!!
- Questioning whether there is a safety budget that could be utilised?
- Lack of crash history on Vaughans Road to bump it above other projects
- Request for knowing the business case cost for full upgrade
- Life is the most important this to consider, and not acceptable to open the road with risks
- Is it usual to have a road closed due to unviable connection with a new development? Answer was – no it isn’t usual.
- When does AT find out about large-scale developments? During Resource Consent or Plan Changes etc.
- What obligations is the Developer under to provide roading and ensure those happen? AT may join with Developer to contribute to development.
- No mention of other projects, Vaughans Road is being looked at in isolation.
- Residents should to notify authorities whenever accidents happen
- Crash analysis data adjacent to Vaughans Road should be considered
- AT reputational risk due to lack of adherence to structure plan etc.
- Vaughans Road / Okura is not in the prioritised list in RLTP
- Long Bay and Okura residents are urged to advocate!
LBRA Notes
LBRA attended (non-speaking) and noted the following surprising omissions in the AT presentation:
- no reference to the full upgrade 2015 plans that went through public consultation
- no reference to legal commitments afforded by the Long Bay Structure Plan and Environment Court decisions
- no land purchases were mentioned other than “no need to purchase” land
- no mention of Okura River Road considerations nor the Vaughans Road / Okura River Road junction
- no mention nor consideration nor coordination of the East Coast Road/Glenvar project
- no mention that the Developer has fulfilled their obligations and anecdotally spent $2 million+ on a highly engineered roundabout to connect Long Bay to Vaughans Road enabling bus transit
- no mention of funds originating from the development of the Long Bay area
Community Action
Long Bay residents are being called to take the opportunity to advocate and provide feedback on this matter, and we’re determined to ensure that happens. Here’s what you can do:
- Send your feedback by emailing ATEngagement@at.govt.nz with “Vaughans Road” in the subject line and cc longbayra@gmail.com
- Support our feedback to HBLB and AT – email your interest to longbayra@gmail.com, let us know of any other local organisations that could help.
- Be active and advocate for the causes that impact you:
- Join or donate to the LBRA at https://longbay.nz
- Share your ideas with residents: join the Long Bay Community Facebook Group
- Advocate for your community: Share your views with us at longbayra@gmail.com so we can represent your concerns.
Our community’s unity and involvement are essential as we navigate this situation together. Let’s work collaboratively to ensure our voices are heard and our neighbourhood remains vibrant and accessible for all.