Request for the calculations used to support the Benefit Cost Ratio of the Wellington Cycle Network Programme Business Case

Tony Randle made this Official Information request to Wellington City Council

The request was partially successful.

From: Tony Randle

Dear Wellington City Council,

Earlier this month, the WCC released its Wellington Cycle Network Programme Business Case. Section 8.3 "Value for Money" of this business case states "The programme of works will result in a wide range of benefits ..."

Subsection 8.3.1 Benefit-Cost Analysis states "The Council undertook an initial programme level assessment of the transport related benefits of the proposed cycle network."

This section further states the following estimates were used as the basis for the business case benefit cost ratio of 2.5:

" * Health and environment benefits for new cyclists = $247 million; and
* Safety benefits for new and existing cyclists = $46 million.

Based on an indicative programme cost of $101 million, and allowing for additional annual operating costs for maintaining the cycle infrastructure, the indicative benefit cost ratio for implementing the cycle network programme has been conservatively estimated as 2.5 BCR"

I am interested in understanding the details of how the WCC calculated the above Benefit Cost Ratio for tis business case.

1) Can the WCC please provide a copy of the detailed calculations (including any and all formula) used to calculate the $101 million "indicative programme cost" ?

2) Can the WCC please provide a copy of the detailed calculations (including any and all formula) used to calculate the $247 million "Health and environment benefits for new cyclists" ?

3) Can the WCC please provide a copy of the detailed calculations (including any and all formula) used to calculate the $46 million "Safety benefits for new and existing cyclists" ?

4) Can the WCC please provide a copy of the detailed calculations (including any and all formula) used to combine the above estimates to the 2.5 BCR ?

If the requested information is held in electronic form, I would prefer it was provided in its complete and original electronic format (I would expect one or more spreadsheets would be provided).

Yours faithfully,

Tony Randle

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From: BUS: IRO
Wellington City Council

Thank you for your email, sent to the Issues Resolution Office at Wellington City Council.

This email address is monitored daily. Your email will be assessed and actioned in due course.

We appreciate your patience.

Wellington City Council Issues Resolution Office.

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From: Tony Randle

Dear Wellington City Council,

On the 23rd of Februrary, I sent a request asking for some information from the WCC on how it calculated the Benefit Cost Ratio for the Cycling Programme business case.

I am yet to receive a substantive response to this information request. Can you please provide an update on when I may expect to receive the requested information ?

Yours sincerely,

Tony Randle

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From: Chris Brown
Wellington City Council

Hello Tony,

Thank you for your email.

Please accept my apologies with regard to this. Your request was not seen when it was received, but I have now forwarded it to the relevant Officers for compiliation.

Kind regards

Chris
Chris Brown | Issues Resolution Officer | Legal and Risk | Wellington City Council
P 04 801 3479
E [email address] | W Wellington.govt.nz | |

IMPORTANT: The information contained in this email may be confidential or legally privileged. It is intended solely for the recipient or recipients named in this message. Please note that if you are not the intended recipient you are not authorised to use, copy or distribute the email or any information contained in it. If you have received this email in error, please advise the sender immediately and destroy the original message and any attachments.

-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Randle [mailto:[FOI #3670 email]]
Sent: Thursday, 24 March 2016 10:10 a.m.
To: BUS: IRO
Subject: Re: Official Information Act request - Request for the calculations used to support the Benefit Cost Ratio of the Wellington Cycle Network Programme Business Case

Dear Wellington City Council,

On the 23rd of Februrary, I sent a request asking for some information from the WCC on how it calculated the Benefit Cost Ratio for the Cycling Programme business case.

I am yet to receive a substantive response to this information request. Can you please provide an update on when I may expect to receive the requested information ?

Yours sincerely,

Tony Randle

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From: Tony Randle

Dear Chris Brown,

This is not good from the WCC. The WCC now has a cycling proposal out for public consultation and the requested information was to be used to support a possible submission on it. Will I receive the requested information in time to analysis and incorporate it my submission before these close before submissions close on the 13th of April ?

When I submitted the FYI request, the WCC did respond by automatic email states "This email address is monitored daily. Your email will be assessed and actioned in due course". Seriously, what is the point of the WCC sending this automatic email response to LGOIMA requests if the WCC isn't doing what this email says ?

Regards,

Tony Randle

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From: Chris Brown
Wellington City Council


Attachment Cycleway Network initial BCR.XLSX.xlsx
170K Download View as HTML


Hello Tony,

Please again accept my apologies for the delay with the Council response to this request.

The responses to your questions are as following:

1. Cost of $101m:
For the purpose of the programme business case the $101m estimate is set out in Table 21 of the document.

2,3 & 4. calculations for the $247m and $46m benefits and the BCR of 2.5:
The benefits and BCR were calculated using NZTA’s SP-11 spreadsheet attached. This shows how those two benefits were derived. The indicative BCR reported in the PBC was been increased to 2.5 to reflect the belief that the SP-11 estimate did not allow for decongestion and other benefits of the programme. Benefit and cost assumptions will of course be reviewed and updated as projects within the programme are developed so assumptions can be more confidently quantified.

I have attached the NZTA SP-11 spreadsheet to this email.

Kind regards

Chris
Chris Brown | Issues Resolution Officer | Legal and Risk | Wellington City Council
P 04 801 3479
E [email address] | W Wellington.govt.nz | |

IMPORTANT: The information contained in this email may be confidential or legally privileged. It is intended solely for the recipient or recipients named in this message. Please note that if you are not the intended recipient you are not authorised to use, copy or distribute the email or any information contained in it. If you have received this email in error, please advise the sender immediately and destroy the original message and any attachments.

-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Randle [mailto:[FOI #3670 email]]
Sent: Tuesday, 23 February 2016 4:43 p.m.
To: BUS: IRO
Subject: Official Information Act request - Request for the calculations used to support the Benefit Cost Ratio of the Wellington Cycle Network Programme Business Case

Dear Wellington City Council,

Earlier this month, the WCC released its Wellington Cycle Network Programme Business Case. Section 8.3 "Value for Money" of this business case states "The programme of works will result in a wide range of benefits ..."

Subsection 8.3.1 Benefit-Cost Analysis states "The Council undertook an initial programme level assessment of the transport related benefits of the proposed cycle network."

This section further states the following estimates were used as the basis for the business case benefit cost ratio of 2.5:

" * Health and environment benefits for new cyclists = $247 million; and
* Safety benefits for new and existing cyclists = $46 million.

Based on an indicative programme cost of $101 million, and allowing for additional annual operating costs for maintaining the cycle infrastructure, the indicative benefit cost ratio for implementing the cycle network programme has been conservatively estimated as 2.5 BCR"

I am interested in understanding the details of how the WCC calculated the above Benefit Cost Ratio for tis business case.

1) Can the WCC please provide a copy of the detailed calculations (including any and all formula) used to calculate the $101 million "indicative programme cost" ?

2) Can the WCC please provide a copy of the detailed calculations (including any and all formula) used to calculate the $247 million "Health and environment benefits for new cyclists" ?

3) Can the WCC please provide a copy of the detailed calculations (including any and all formula) used to calculate the $46 million "Safety benefits for new and existing cyclists" ?

4) Can the WCC please provide a copy of the detailed calculations (including any and all formula) used to combine the above estimates to the 2.5 BCR ?

If the requested information is held in electronic form, I would prefer it was provided in its complete and original electronic format (I would expect one or more spreadsheets would be provided).

Yours faithfully,

Tony Randle

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From: Tony Randle

Dear Chris Brown,

Thank you for the WCC response to the request for the calculations used to support the Benefit Cost Ratio of the Wellington Cycle Network Programme Business Case.

The WCC response on part one fo the request stated:
"1. Cost of $101m:
For the purpose of the programme business case the $101m estimate is set out in Table 21 of the document."

My request asked: "1) Can the WCC please provide a copy of the detailed calculations (including any and all formula) used to calculate the $101 million indicative programme cost ?"

To eliminate any confusion with respect to my request, Table 21 provided in the report was already known when the request was made and I am really requesting for a copy of the detailed calculations (including any and all formula) used to calculate the $101 million as held in table 21 of the report ?

Can the WCC please outlined when I may expect to recieve this last element of the requested information ?

Yours sincerely,

Tony Randle

Link to this

From: Chris Brown
Wellington City Council

Thank you for your email,

I am away from the office on12 April 2016 at a conference, and do not have email access today. I will respond to emails, as required tomorrow.

Kind regards,

Chris

Link to this

From: Chris Brown
Wellington City Council


Attachment UCP Cash Flows.xlsx
15K Download View as HTML


Hello Tony,

Please find the PBC Cashflow spreadsheet attached, as requested.

Kind regards

Chris
Chris Brown | Issues Resolution Officer | Legal and Risk | Wellington City Council
P 04 801 3479
E [email address] | W Wellington.govt.nz | |

IMPORTANT: The information contained in this email may be confidential or legally privileged. It is intended solely for the recipient or recipients named in this message. Please note that if you are not the intended recipient you are not authorised to use, copy or distribute the email or any information contained in it. If you have received this email in error, please advise the sender immediately and destroy the original message and any attachments.

-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Randle [mailto:[FOI #3670 email]]
Sent: Tuesday, 12 April 2016 9:30 a.m.
To: Chris Brown
Subject: RE: Official Information Act request - Request for the calculations used to support the Benefit Cost Ratio of the Wellington Cycle Network Programme Business Case

Dear Chris Brown,

Thank you for the WCC response to the request for the calculations used to support the Benefit Cost Ratio of the Wellington Cycle Network Programme Business Case.

The WCC response on part one fo the request stated:
"1. Cost of $101m:
For the purpose of the programme business case the $101m estimate is set out in Table 21 of the document."

My request asked: "1) Can the WCC please provide a copy of the detailed calculations (including any and all formula) used to calculate the $101 million indicative programme cost ?"

To eliminate any confusion with respect to my request, Table 21 provided in the report was already known when the request was made and I am really requesting for a copy of the detailed calculations (including any and all formula) used to calculate the $101 million as held in table 21 of the report ?

Can the WCC please outlined when I may expect to recieve this last element of the requested information ?

Yours sincerely,

Tony Randle

-----Original Message-----

Hello Tony,

Please again accept my apologies for the delay with the Council response to this request.

The responses to your questions are as following:

1. Cost of $101m:
For the purpose of the programme business case the $101m estimate is set out in Table 21 of the document.

2,3 & 4. calculations for the $247m and $46m benefits and the BCR of 2.5:
The benefits and BCR were calculated using NZTA’s SP-11 spreadsheet attached. This shows how those two benefits were derived. The indicative BCR reported in the PBC was been increased to 2.5 to reflect the belief that the SP-11 estimate did not allow for decongestion and other benefits of the programme. Benefit and cost assumptions will of course be reviewed and updated as projects within the programme are developed so assumptions can be more confidently quantified.

I have attached the NZTA SP-11 spreadsheet to this email.

Kind regards

Chris
Chris Brown | Issues Resolution Officer | Legal and Risk | Wellington City Council P 04 801 3479 E [email address] | W Wellington.govt.nz | |

IMPORTANT: The information contained in this email may be confidential or legally privileged. It is intended solely for the recipient or recipients named in this message. Please note that if you are not the intended recipient you are not authorised to use, copy or distribute the email or any information contained in it. If you have received this email in error, please advise the sender immediately and destroy the original message and any attachments.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #3670 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an OIA officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

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