The following may be useful as you work through your land transport programmes and RLTP reviews.
If there is any further information you need, contact us.
Our transport system needs to support the uptake of electric vehicles in New Zealand. As such, we need to focus on enabling and supporting public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.
Approved organisations, including the Transport Agency, need to consider the needs of electric vehicles, such as charging infrastructure, in their system planning for existing and new roads.
In consultation with key stakeholders, we’ve developed a vision for a nationwide network of public charging infrastructure and how this ties in with the ONRC, as well as national guidance for electric vehicle public charging infrastructure.
As approved organisations, we can support the development of this nationwide network by enabling the installation of charging stations through joint ventures with infrastructure investors and/or providing safe exit and entry points to charging sites and ensuring adequate lighting. Other facilities, eg, public toilets near current, proposed or potential charging locations, could also be considered.
Tourism locations (for local and international tourists), or any location where inter-regional visitors may stop for an hour or longer (eg, sports facilities), are ideal locations for destination (AC) charging. When enhancements to tourist or community facilities are being considered, consideration should also be given to providing public charging infrastructure.
All public charging stations must be signposted using Transport Agency symbols, signs and road markings to ensure easy recognition of these facilities. These approved signs and symbols can be used on traffic signs to indicate where charging stations are available or to identify parking spaces reserved for electric vehicles charging their batteries.
We’ve developed a new geospatial tool to help approved organisations to identify where their roads and roadsides investment will most contribute to reducing deaths and serious injuries and improve network efficiency.
This tool can be used to engage communities and key stakeholders, and guide road safety programmes for Activity Management Plans and RLTPs for inclusion in the NLTP.
We are talking with approved organisations on a possible programme of investment using the tool. The new tool integrates a range of existing and new data sets on road risk, including:
Community engagement is an essential part of road safety as it ensures that communities and stakeholders are part of the conversations on road risk and decision-making processes early in the piece.
Better conversations on road risk
Where approved organisations may be considering speed limit changes on their roads, the Transport Agency has developed resources to help with engagement. These include the Better Conversations on Road Risk Programme, the Engagement Handbook and consultation resources.
Where this is the case, the approved organisations should look to build engagement resources into their roads and roadsides programmes, particularly for speed management.
We have recently updated our investment approach and priorities for cycling as part of the development of a 10-year national cycling programme. This work takes into account the Transport Agency’s new strategic direction and opportunities for future investment in different parts of the New Zealand Cycling Network (including urban networks, Great Rides, Heartland Rides, and other popular cycling routes), as well as activities that encourage behaviour change.
The Transport Agency Board recently endorsed five priorities for development of the national cycling programme. You can view these priorities and summary information.
Where possible, the link to these priorities should be reflected in business cases that cover cycling activities. Read more about guidance on the assessment of walking and cycling improvements, and more information about funding supporting (or behaviour change) activities to maximise investment in the cycling network.
Activities that aim to generate ‘mode shift’ or attitudinal change should be targeted to the audiences the network is being built to attract and need to be sufficiently resourced. Many of these types of activity require strong community relationships - this requires people resource as well as delivery budget, and programme costs should reflect that.
The Transport Agency continues to recommend use of the Cycle Network Guidance – Planning and Design to guide appropriate levels of service and determine what is fit for purpose on target corridors when considering new cycling facilities.
National cycling education system
The Transport Agency and ACC have partnered in the development of a national cycling education system, to increase the reach of cycling education in New Zealand. If approved organisations are interested in running this programme during 2018-21, approved organisations need to include an item for cycling education in their Road Safety Promotion activities.
Walking
Our investment in walking follows similar principles to our cycling investment. It should focus on the public transport hubs and ensuring safe easy access to them - ensuring the routes to public transport are safer, more accessible (especially public transport hubs in metros), and connected to activity centres. Regional transport committees and approved organisations will need to demonstrate that they are taking an integrated approach to programmes and that they are providing a fit for purpose level of service for the intended users.
