Public transport or V8s crash

By BERNARD ORSMAN

Transit New Zealand says "extraordinary" steps to get people out of their cars and onto public transport will have to happen before it supports the controversial V8 race around the streets of central Auckland

Chief executive Rick van Barneveld yesterday spelt out what needed to happen for the national road agency to close the Fanshawe St on- and off-ramps for the three-day event to take place in April 2006.

He was speaking on the first day of a resumed resource consent hearing for the event, which needs the approval of three independent hearing commissioners and the final nod from the new Dick Hubbard-led city council on November 25.

Mr van Barneveld said Transit needed to be satisfied that public transport systems were in place to manage the target reductions in car trips, and that the communication strategy was having the desired effect on people's travel plans and had the buy-in of all the region's territorial local authorities.

He said this presented a challenge on a scale never seen before in Auckland, even for the Apec conference of world leaders when inner-city streets were closed for several days and rolling closures took place on motorways.

Chief planning commissioner David McGregor noted Transit's opposition until now had been a "showstopper".

Mr van Barneveld agreed but said that since the hearings were adjourned on August 5, the roading agency had signed a memorandum of understanding with Auckland City setting out a process for the council to address Transit's concerns.

If the council pulled off the work, Transit, which was neither for nor against the race, would allow the race to take place.

"There is an ongoing requirement for Auckland City to demonstrate how the performance of the road network, in particular the motorway system, can be managed during the race so as not to bring Auckland to a halt. This has to be done before the first race can be confirmed," Mr van Barneveld said.

"If these extraordinary measures are not in place, and demonstrably, then the motorways ramps will not be closed because we could not allow Auckland to be brought to a halt.

"If there is disharmony or dysfunctional decision-making in regard to the co-operation of the prospective cities, then Transit would not proceed with closing those ramps."

North Shore City Council, which has opposed the race until now, is expected to demand stringent traffic conditions for North Shore commuters paid for by Auckland City when it appears before the commissioners today.

Dean Calvert, general manager of race promoter IMG, could not be reached for comment, in particular on the uncertainty over Transit's ability to pull the plug at any time.

Earlier in the day, Auckland City and IMG produced a number of traffic and other experts to outline the extra work that had been done on traffic and other issues since the commissioners adjourned the hearings.

Andrew Murray, of Beca Carter, said further modelling had confirmed earlier figures necessary to reduce traffic on Auckland's roads to maintain normal levels during the race.

The figures called for 40 per cent fewer trips from North Shore to central Auckland, 20 per cent fewer trips from North Shore to south of central Auckland and 30 per cent fewer trips from the east, south and west to central Auckland.

More detailed work had been done on the wider Auckland roading network, the Northern Motorway, Spaghetti Junction, the Wellington St/Pitt St/Nelson St area, Grafton Gully, Ponsonby Rd and the western reclamation.

Specific modelling from locations on the North Shore, Manurewa, Lincoln Rd in West Auckland and Newmarket into central Auckland showed the travel times were "all similar to, or lower than normal during the V8 supercar event".

Traffic planning consultant Steve Reddish said the extra work had found there were plenty of spare buses and bus drivers to cope with the extra demand.