Auckland Harbour Bridge - supporting evidence for a 17,000 vpd reduction to facilitate an Active Mode Lane
Richard Young made this Official Information request to New Zealand Transport Agency
The request was partially successful.
From: Richard Young
Dear New Zealand Transport Agency,
A17,000vpd reduction of traffic on the Auckland Harbour Bridge (AHB) was stated by NZTA in November 2021 reports and now widely quoted as the reduction in traffic required to avoid wider network impacts caused by a one lane Active Mode trial on the AHB.
Please can you therefore provide the reports that state this 17,000vpd figure and ALL supporting documents / communications / calculations (digital / written) that were used to determine that 17,000 vpd figure.
Please also provide any communications / documents that raised questions on the 17,000vpd figure.
Yours faithfully,
Richard Young
From: Official Correspondence
New Zealand Transport Agency
Kia ora Richard
This email acknowledges your below request for information made under the
Official Information Act 1982.
Your request has been forwarded to the appropriate section of Waka Kotahi
NZ Transport Agency for response. They will contact you if they require
clarification of your request, more time to respond, or if your request
has been transferred to another organisation to respond to. Unless more
time is required, Waka Kotahi will send a response to you within 20
working days of receiving your request – in this instance on or before
16^th September 2022.
As you will be aware, New Zealand is currently responding to the COVID-19
Omicron outbreak. As a result, resourcing may be impacted due to staff
absences, and the response to your Official Information Act request could
be delayed. We will endeavour to provide a response to you within the 20
day timeframe, or as soon as possible. In the meantime, we will keep you
informed of any changing timeframes. We apologise for any inconvenience
and appreciate your understanding.
Lastly, the information you have requested may contain the names and
contact details of our staff. Please let us know whether you require these
names and contact details. We may need to consult our staff before
deciding whether we can release this information, and this may take a bit
more time. If we do not hear from you we will assume that you do not
require staff names and contact details.
If you would like to discuss your request with Waka Kotahi, please contact
us by email at [1][NZTA request email].
Ngâ mihi
Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kôtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
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From: Official Correspondence
New Zealand Transport Agency
Kia ora Richard,
Thank you for your email of 19 August 2022 requesting information under
the Official Information Act. To help Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to
respond to your request, it would be helpful if you are please able to
clarify the following aspect of your request:
Please also provide any communications/documents that raised
questions on the 17,000vpd figure.
It would be helpful to know the following:
o A timeframe for the information you are requesting
o It would be helpful if you are please able to identify whether you
would like internal communications only, or if you would require
communications from any third parties.
Please do not hesitate to contact us should you wish to discuss this
further.
Ngā mihi
Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kōtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
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From: Official Correspondence
New Zealand Transport Agency
Kia ora Richard
We are following up from the below email.
Could you please clarify your request for us so we assist further.
Ngā mihi
Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kōtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
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From: Official Correspondence
Sent: Monday, 29 August 2022 9:43 am
To: Richard Young <[FOI #20297 email]>
Subject: OIA-10818 CLARIFICATION OF REQUEST
Kia ora Richard,
Thank you for your email of 19 August 2022 requesting information under
the Official Information Act. To help Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to
respond to your request, it would be helpful if you are please able to
clarify the following aspect of your request:
Please also provide any communications/documents that raised
questions on the 17,000vpd figure.
It would be helpful to know the following:
o A timeframe for the information you are requesting
o It would be helpful if you are please able to identify whether you
would like internal communications only, or if you would require
communications from any third parties.
Please do not hesitate to contact us should you wish to discuss this
further.
Ngā mihi
Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kōtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
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From: Richard Young
Dear Official Correspondence,
My responses to you request for clarification are added below:-
NZTA > A timeframe for the information you are requesting.
RESPONSE > Without seeing the when the requested reports were written is is not possible for me to predict when the 17,000vpd figure was first derived - so I do not consider this to be a valid reason for delaying your response. However, to provide a clear start date for you providing relevant information please use 1/1/2019 onwards.
NZTA > It would be helpful if you are please able to identify whether you would like internal communications only, or if you would require communications from any third parties.
RESPONSE > I believe that my original request is clear, it relates to "the reports that state this 17,000vpd figure and ALL supporting documents / communications / calculations (digital / written) that were used to determine that 17,000 vpd figure." Under the OIA if they are in your possession then there require to be disclosed - irrespective of originator (subject to normal OIA rules).
Yours sincerely,
Richard Young
From: Official Correspondence
New Zealand Transport Agency
Kia ora Richard
Please find attached a letter advising of an extension to your request of
19 August 2022 for information under the Official Information Act 1982.
A response will now be sent to you on or before 17 October 2022.
Ngā mihi
Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kōtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
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From: Richard Young
Dear Official Correspondence,
This is a simple request for information from 9th August that you have widely relied on and you are now delaying a reply until 17th October. Due to the increasing public interest in this and the very public statements made by one of the Auckland Council Mayoral candidates around the subject please treat this under urgency and respond within the next 5 working days.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Young
From: Official Correspondence
New Zealand Transport Agency
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OIA 10818 Response.pdf
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01.AHB cycle lane traffic assessment early outline of report section 14 06 21 demand and capacity doc Redacted.pdf
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02.AHB cycle traffic analysis v0.1 14 06 21 demand and capacity doc Redacted.pdf
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03.RE Skypath cycle demand figures 16 06 21 Redacted.pdf
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04.Traffic analysis progress 17 06 21 Redacted.pdf
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05.AHB cycle options traffic analysis updated working draft Redacted.pdf
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06.AHB Active Mode Provision Traffic Impact Assessment June 2021 Redacted.pdf
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07.Resolve AHB Shared Path Options Assessment FINAL August 2021 Redacted.pdf
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08.Walking and Cycling on the AHB I and D Committee Nov 2021 Redacted.pdf
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Kia ora Richard
Please find attached the response to your request of 19 August 2022 for
information under the Official Information Act 1982.
Please note, a second email will be sent with further attachments.
Ngā mihi
Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kōtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
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From: Official Correspondence
New Zealand Transport Agency
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09.ASM AHB cycle traffic analysis Phase 1 v2 Redacted.pdf
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10.ASM AHB cycle traffic analysis P2 v3.2 Redacted.pdf
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11.URGENT advice required please OIA 10263 follow up from a previous OIA response Redacted.pdf
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12.RE AHB OIA report response Redacted.pdf
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13.Re URGEWNT follow up For review and further input please re OIA 10263 and OIA 10279 re ASM traffic impact assessments Redacted.pdf
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Kia ora Richard
Please find attached the further documents related to OIA-10818.
Ngā mihi
Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kōtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
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From: Richard Young
Dear Official Correspondence,
Thank you for this material - much of which is newly released. Having read the provided information I cannot see any evidence of anything pre-dating mid 2022 which relates to the 17,000vpd figure which Waka Kotahi relied on in the Nov 2021 document (08).
I do note however that drafts of 'Cycle Lane Traffic Assessment' across June 2021 progressively removed text and data likely to be supportive of a Cycle Lane (Shared Path) and the inclusion of material not supportive of capacity for a cycle lane. I therefore invite Waka Kotahi to provide an explanation for these redrafts.
Additionally, in Document 12 (Page 2) your Graham O-Connell (11/7/22 11:05am) asks the ASM to 'write a mythology' on the source of 17,000vpd for use in responding to the OIA. The ASM agree to do this (11:10am) but caveat their reply (6:05pm) that the 17,000vpd figure they produce is a 'a coincidence' as they were unaware of it in 2021 other than seeing it in the media.
This email trail was circulated to senior staff in Waka Kotahi, ASM and Resolve none of whom appeared to flag concerns that there was clear evidence that the OIA reply relating to the 17,000vpd (Nov 2021) was back-calculated in 2022 to best match the November 2021 figure (ASM call it 'a coincidence') and that a 'mythology' (a fictional work) was written to lend credence to it.
Given your obligation to provide accurate and truthful responses to OIA requests please can you (under urgency) respond to these matters.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Young
From: Official Correspondence
New Zealand Transport Agency
Kia ora Richard
This email acknowledges your below request for information made under the
Official Information Act 1982.
Your request has been forwarded to the appropriate section of Waka Kotahi
NZ Transport Agency for response. They will contact you if they require
clarification of your request, more time to respond, or if your request
has been transferred to another organisation to respond to. Unless more
time is required, Waka Kotahi will send a response to you within 20
working days of receiving your request – in this instance on or before
15^th December 2022.
Lastly, the information you have requested may contain the names and
contact details of our staff. Please let us know whether you require these
names and contact details. We may need to consult our staff before
deciding whether we can release this information, and this may take a bit
more time. If we do not hear from you we will assume that you do not
require staff names and contact details.
If you would like to discuss your request with Waka Kotahi, please contact
us by email at [1][NZTA request email].
Ngā mihi
Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kōtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
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From: Official Correspondence
New Zealand Transport Agency
Kia ora Richard
Please find attached the response to your request of 17 November 2022 for
information under the Official Information Act 1982.
Ngā mihi
Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kōtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
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From: Official Correspondence
Sent: Friday, 18 November 2022 11:04 am
To: Richard Young <[FOI #20297 email]>
Subject: OIA-11517 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT RE: OIA-10818 RESPONSE - Part 2
Kia ora Richard
This email acknowledges your below request for information made under the
Official Information Act 1982.
Your request has been forwarded to the appropriate section of Waka Kotahi
NZ Transport Agency for response. They will contact you if they require
clarification of your request, more time to respond, or if your request
has been transferred to another organisation to respond to. Unless more
time is required, Waka Kotahi will send a response to you within 20
working days of receiving your request – in this instance on or before
15^th December 2022.
Lastly, the information you have requested may contain the names and
contact details of our staff. Please let us know whether you require these
names and contact details. We may need to consult our staff before
deciding whether we can release this information, and this may take a bit
more time. If we do not hear from you we will assume that you do not
require staff names and contact details.
If you would like to discuss your request with Waka Kotahi, please contact
us by email at [5][NZTA request email].
Ngā mihi
Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kōtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
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From: Richard Young
Dear Official Correspondence,
Thank you for you latest latter relating to the origin of the 17,000vpd reduction.
The I&P November 2021 Document states :
'Modelling suggests a dedicated single walking and cycling lane would require a significant reduction in daily traffic volumes on the bridge to have a neutral effect on the wider Auckland transport System (greater than 17,000.vehicles per day or a 10% reduction)'
I also note that the Table you reference (Level 4 weekdays) does not quote the 17,000vpd figure I enquired about. Moreover none of the contemporaneous information in that document indicates that the Level 4 suppression condition is required for all modelled options.
You have stated that this 17,000 was reliant on the Table, Graphs and Report you quote. However that Report only references a Level 4 demand reduction for Option 2 (Option 6) p34 and Option 9 (p39). Neither of these options were taken forwards as feasible options, and less dramatic remand reduction eg Level 1 (Option 3a p36) were modelled. This Option 3a is then reported as being an option for further consideration, but subsequently ruled out as it would require 'greater than 17,000.vehicles per day or a 10% reduction'. This statement is clearly at odds with the Report you quote.
The email you reference in Attachment 12 clearly states that is is a back calculation to attempt to reach a figure of 17,000vpd, in particular this sentence confirms that there is no reason to have any confidence on the Table you quoted being the source of 17,000 (or a number anywhere close to 17,000):
'Given there's no other source of information to rely on to include the 17,000 number in the I&D report, the above must be where the 17,000 number originated.'
I thought the OIA was very clear in the information being sought, and nothing you have provided to date answers it, so for a final time:-
'Please can you therefore provide the reports that state this 17,000vpd figure and ALL supporting documents / communications / calculations (digital / written) that were used to determine that 17,000 vpd figure.'
I would prefer you to state that there aren't any documents, than present large swathes of information that do not state the 17,000 figure and then attempt to generate a 'mythology' (your words) to justify it.
I will await the requested information.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Young
From: Official Correspondence
New Zealand Transport Agency
Kia ora Richard
This email acknowledges your below request for information made under the
Official Information Act 1982.
Your request has been forwarded to the appropriate section of Waka Kotahi
NZ Transport Agency for response. They will contact you if they require
clarification of your request, more time to respond, or if your request
has been transferred to another organisation to respond to. Unless more
time is required, Waka Kotahi will send a response to you within 20
working days of receiving your request – in this instance on or before 18
January 2023. As per the Ombudsman’s calendar, the Summer holidays (25
December to 15 January) are taken into account in calculating this.
Lastly, the information you have requested may contain the names and
contact details of our staff. Please let us know whether you require these
names and contact details. We may need to consult our staff before
deciding whether we can release this information, and this may take a bit
more time. If we do not hear from you we will assume that you do not
require staff names and contact details.
If you would like to discuss your request with Waka Kotahi, please contact
us by email at [1][NZTA request email].
Ngā mihi
Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kōtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
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From: Official Correspondence
New Zealand Transport Agency
Kia ora Richard
Please find attached a letter advising of an extension to your request of
30^th November 2022 for information under the Official Information Act
1982.
A response will now be sent to you on or before 25^th January 2023.
Ngā mihi
Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kōtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
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From: Official Correspondence
New Zealand Transport Agency
Kia ora Richard
Please find attached the response to your request of 30 November 2022 for
information under the Official Information Act 1982.
Ngā mihi
Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kōtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
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From: Richard Young
Dear Official Correspondence,
Many thanks for your reply of 19th January your ref OIA-11614. The Tables you refer to are stated to be 'reductions assumed' for demand reduction for scenario planning rather than assessments of the the volume reduction required to obviate any congestion.
In the letter and the extract of the graphs you attached you state that the 17,000 (or 19,000) is the area between the blue (reduced demand) and green (assumed normal) flow. I accept that 17,000 (or 19,000) may be the total change in traffic between 'Assumed' Scenario 4 Demand (Blue) and the 'Normal' (Green) flow, but this is not a calculation of the reduction needed - it is the difference between 'Normal' and an 'Assumed' reduction.
Whenever 'Assumed' reduced demand is less than the available capacity on the AHB there will (by definition) be a 'neutral' effect on traffic - your 17,000 (or 19,000) statement does take this into account. In a 3+4+Active scenario (Option 3 p36) bridge capacities are :
4 Lane 7200vph
3 Lane 5200vph
When those bridge flow capacities are overlain onto the Level 4 Demand Reduction Graphs you provided it is clear that the majority of the 17,000 (or 19,000) vpd difference between Normal and 'Assumed' Level 4 can be accommodated with no impact on traffic flow. So your statement that 17,000 (or 19,000) reduction is required to have a 'neutral' effect on traffic volumes appears incorrect.
From looking at the material you have provided under OIA previously (including proven 4 & 3 lane capacities of 7,270 and 5,400vph ) the calculations indicate that the weekday reduction required to have a neutral effect is under 6,000 vpd - (pre COVID flows; post COVID flows shows this has dropped to 0-2500 vpd).
The figure quoted in the November 2021 Investment and Delivery paper states that:
‘modelling suggests a dedicated single walking and cycling lane would require a significant reduction in daily traffic volumes on the bridge to have a neutral effect on the wider Auckland transport system (greater than 17,000. vehicles per day or a 10% reduction)’.
The 17,000 (or 19,000) figure therefore appears to be 3x higher than the correct 6,000 value (weekday using your own data). As there appears to be a major error in that November 2021 document, and also your latest reply, I invite you to review it and respond to correct any error.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Young
From: Official Correspondence
New Zealand Transport Agency
Kia ora Richard
This email acknowledges receipt of your below correspondence.
Your correspondence has been forwarded to the relevant team for their
consideration.
If you would like to contact us about this, please respond to us by email
at [1][NZTA request email].
Ngā mihi
Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kōtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
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