Dear Wellington City Council,

The WCC, GWRC and NZTA recently released the BRT Indicative Business Case (URL: http://www.gw.govt.nz/assets/Transport/P...).

The Indicative Business Case (IBC) outlined its approach was as follows:
"The BRT option in the PTSS assumed complete dedication and intersection priority, such that buses could essentially move freely throughout the route without congestion. The Working Group wanted to consider some variants of this BRT solution that involved lower degrees of dedication and priority. In effect, the Working Group wanted to assess options that spanned a continuum from the PTSS BRT option to the PTSS Bus Priority option." (IBC page 26)

Further, the options developed are related to the PTSS BRT and Bus Priority options as follows:
"Our Option 5 is designed to match the PTSS BRT option, and hence we applied the PTSS BRT modelling to it. In addition, we assumed that the transport effects (e.g. journey times) of Option 1 are materially similar to the PTSS Bus Priority option (minus the Kilbirnie branch). The reference case was also assumed to be the same for both the PTSS and this analysis.

The use of the PTSS outputs for Options 1 and 5 represented the ‘bookends’ of our analysis. The transport effects of Options 2 through 4 were determined by interpolation, using methods developed in conjunction with GWRC." (IBC page 32)

IBC Option 1 is described as follows:
"Option 1 – Improved bus priority and other modes improvement
This option is based on a detailed possible plan recently developed by WCC, for bus priority improvements along the Central spine and Newtown branch.

It provides for additional bus lanes between the Railway Station and Newtown, in certain locations where none currently exist. It also provides for bus signal priority at a greater number of intersections along the route, using the ‘B phase’ method.

Some of these bus lanes will only operate at certain periods, depending on inter-peak congestion levels." (IBC page 28)

Can I please have a copy of the "detailed possible plan recently developed by WCC, for bus priority improvements along the Central spine and Newtown branch." ?

Can I please have a copy of the costings (operating and capital) of the "detailed possible plan recently developed by WCC, for bus priority improvements along the Central spine and Newtown branch." ?

Can I please have a copy of the designs of the "detailed possible plan recently developed by WCC, for bus priority improvements along the Central spine and Newtown branch." ?

Can I please have a copy any performance and capacity information (patronage, bus numbers, journey times, etc.) of the "detailed possible plan recently developed by WCC, for bus priority improvements along the Central spine and Newtown branch." ?

If this information is available in electronic form, I would prefer it was provided in its complete and original electronic format. I also prefer that the substantive response and any correspondence be via the FYI web site.

Yours faithfully,

Tony Randle

Dear BUS: IRO,

On 14th of August I asked the WCC for some information on the WCC Bus plan that was used as the basis for one option in the Wellington Bus Rapid Transit Indicative Business Case.

I have yet to receive any substantive response. Can the WCC please update me on the status of my request including when I may expect to receive the requested information ?

Yours sincerely,

Tony Randle

Dear Chris Brown,

Today I received the DVD with a PDF of a set of plans under the "Bus Rapid Transit" Project for options to have bus lanes and cycleways which are helpful. These appear to be roading design sheets with bus lanes and cycleways for the following options (sheets in brackets):
- "Option 1 Kerb Side Bus Lanes" (1 - 8 of 11)
- "Option 1 Additional Design Options" (1-4 & 7 - 8 of 17)
- "Cambridge Terrace Cycle Lane Option 1: Raised Cycle Lane" (2)
- "Cambridge Terrace Cycle Lane Option 2: Shared Median" (2)
- "Adelaide Road - Option 1 Central Cycle Lane (no RTBs)" (5)
- "Adelaide Road - Option 2 Central Cycle Lane with RTBs" (5)
- "Adelaide Road - Option 3 Kerb Side Cycle Lane" (5)
- "Adelaide Road - Option 4 Combined Bus-Cycle Lanes" (5)
- "Hanson Street - King Street Cycle Lane Option 2 No Parking" (3)
- "Hanson Street - King Street Cycle Lane Option 3 Parking West Side" (3)
- "Hanson Street - King Street Cycle Lane Option 4 Parking Both Sides" (3)

However, I would note the following issues with the WCC substantive response:

1) This set of plans appears to be incomplete. For example, only sheets up to "8 of 17" for "Option 1 Kerb Side Bus Lanes" and up to "8 of 11" for "Option 1 Additional Design Options" are included. And where is "Hanson Street - King Street Cycle Lane Option 1" ? Can I please have all sheets associated with this work ?

2) There must be other documentation associated with this WCC work. For example:
* what documents specified that this work should be undertaken and for what purpose ?
* what document(s) specified to Calibre Consulting (who produced these roading designs) about what each option was for which these roading design sheets were produced ?
* What is the document(s) that specifies to Calibre Consulting what the "Additional Design Options" where to be added to the sheets ?
* What document(s) specified to Calibre Consulting the proposed dimensions of the larger buses ?

3) The sheets themselves have the note "Updated following WCC comments" for sheets for "Option 1 Additional Design Options". These designs have obviously been both requested and reviewed by the WCC and so copies of any support information (correspondence, meeting notes, etc.) that outline the WCC Bus Priority plans would also help understand this information.

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In the end this request comes from the Wellington Bus Rapid Transit Indicative Business Case that was endorsed by the WCC Council and descibes:
"Option 1 – Improved bus priority and other modes improvement
This option is based on a detailed possible plan recently developed by WCC, for bus priority improvements along the Central spine and Newtown branch."

The request asks for a copy of the "detailed possible plan recently developed by WCC, for bus priority improvements". The set of detailed plans are an unexpected but welcome set of information, but it does not seem reasonable that this is all the information held by the WCC on this option.

Can the WCC please check if there is not any further other information by way of work request, meeting notes, correspondence, etc. ?

Yours sincerely,

Tony Randle

Dear Wellington City Council,

The WCC provided a set of road plans as the sole substantive document to my request for a copy of the WCC bus plan listed as Option 1 in the 2015 BRT Indicative Business Case. On September 19, 2015 I sent a further request asking the WCC to confirm that this was the only information held and noting a range of other information that may also be held.

Can the WCC please confirm that it has received this further reply and the status of any further information that may be provided about the WCC bus plan listed as Option 1 in the 2015 BRT Indicative Business Case ?

Yours faithfully,

Tony Randle

Dear Chris Brown,

On August 14th, I asked the WCC for information about Detailed Bus Priority Plan that was outlined as Option1 of the Bus Rapid Transit Indicative Business Case (Ref: https://www.fyi.org.nz/request/3047-requ...). While the WCC did provide a set of detailed roading plans, the provided information appeared to be incomplete and it also appeared that further information on this matter must be held ... points I outlined in a documented response.

The most recent response from the WCC was on the 2nd of October and stated:
"the Council's Chief Transport Planner, Steve Spence, is intending to contact you directly to discuss and explain the situation. Mr Spence has your contact details and you can expect him to be in touch with you in the near future."

I regret to highlight that Mr Spence has not contacted me as promised. Can I please have an update on when I may expect to get a further substantive response from the WCC on this information request ?

Yours sincerely,

Tony Randle

Dear Chris Brown,

Just a note to confirm I received the documented version and thank you for your efforts to provide a complete set of information in response to this request.

Yours sincerely,

Tony Randle