Dear Tony

Thank you for your email dated 15 December 2019 requesting information about the removal of car parking from Broderick Road, Johnsonville.

Our team will manage your request under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 which requires us to respond as soon as possible, but no later than 20 working days of receipt.

Please note the period 25 December 2019 to 15 January 2020 inclusive is not considered working days. The 20 working days allowed for your response will be on hold over this period, and will continue again from 16 January. As a result we will respond as soon as possible but no later than 3 February 2020.

Further information can be found on the Office of the Ombudsman's website at http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/

The reference number for your request is IRO-9488.

Please contact us if you have any further questions.

Kind regards

Jessica Hall
Assurance Services Coordinator  | Wellington City Council
| W Wellington.govt.nz | |

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Hello Tony,

Thank you for your patience with regard to your request for information on the removal of car parking on Broderick Road, Johnsonville.

I am able to give you the following response, provided by the Council's Transport & Infrastructure team - While this is not in the same format as the questions you have raised, the team is confident that the information contained therein is sufficient to answer your questions.

With the introduction of the new bus stop (Stop A) outside the library GWRC is having difficulty servicing the stop from the Mall. Currently buses ending and starting routes from North of Johnsonville use the mall area to layover and start their services. The new stop outside the library doesn't allow this because buses cannot exit the Mall and access the new stop.

Because of the late request for this provision by GWRC we have processed it under a temporary TMP (Approved plan attached). Without this provision they could not operate from Stop A. The preparation for buses operating from Stop A has been led by GWRC as a Hub location. Council understands that GWRC has communicated with JCA and that you remain opposed to Stop A being used. Again we understand this is because JCA would prefer to see a bus hub developed in the Mall as a more comprehensive and integrated facility. Council believes this is not possible because we do not own enough land to make it work and GWRC don't currently have funding for such a development on the Mall site. Thus the reason for a street based option which was consulted on by GWRC in early 2018. To be able to manage how buses currently operate in and around Johnsonville layover space is required on street as part of the transition of services to Stop A. Previously the buses would have laid over in the Mall.

GWRC asked us to consider extending Stop C which is South of Wanaka St to allow terminating buses to layover before returning to service through the new library stop. (See attached email ). Allowing this to happen would mean reducing the merge from the Broderick Road intersection for North bound traffic. This would have introduced delays to traffic at this intersection so we undertook to look for an alternative.

To investigate alternative options we asked for an overall strategy for managing buses in this area. The details of this are still being worked through as part of the review of services in the area. We subsequently offered Broderick Road as an alternative and have been given assurances that the use of Broderick Road is a short term measure and that longer term options for turning buses will be explored. We also accept there are no easy long term options but in the long term a street based solution needs to fit the imperative of moving out of the Mall area. It is also made difficult by the uncertainty of the mall development which is the key to making long term improvements to operations in the area. Changes that are being made now are consciously working toward the long term but there are a number of compromises that have to be balanced in making things work in the short to medium term.

In the short term the use of Broderick Road is acceptable to Council on the basis that it provides easy access to the Library stop for operators; it doesn't take up business or residential frontages; is beside a retaining wall that didn't provide easy access to street parking; and allows the capacity of Moorefield Road to be preserved.

We will continue to work with GWRC to improve services through and around Johnsonville with a view to limit bus parking around the Town Centre and in particular on Johnsonville Road. This should release bus stops that are not well used such as the one outside the Post Office. Once planning is further advanced this work will be shared with the community for their feedback and any permanent changes will follow the normal traffic resolution process.

If you require further clarification on this matter, or have other questions on this, please contact Stephen Harte on (04) 803 8084 or [email address]

Kind regards

Chris
Chris Brown | Assurance Advisor | Complaints & Information Assurance | Wellington City Council
P 04 803 8368
E [email address] | W Wellington.govt.nz | |

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