Strategic fit for walking and cycling

Introduction

This section sets out the guidance on assessing strategic fit for activities within the walking and cycling activity class.

The walking and cycling activity class includes:

• Work category 451: - Walking facilities
• Work category 452: - Cycling facilities

Programmes of work

Where applicable, walking and cycling activities are expected to be packaged together in a programme to deliver a complete end to end journey by foot and/or cycle.

A programme can include a component of education, promotion and/or advertising activities to attract users to new cycling infrastructure.

For activities to be accepted as a single programme (with a single assessment profile The three-part rating for an activity, rated as high, medium or low e.g. HMM, and representing the assessment for Strategic Fit, Effectiveness, and Benefit and Cost Appraisal respectively. ), the Transport Agency requires evidence that the activities in the programme are interdependent and that the programme is able to be delivered within a reasonable timeframe.

The programme is assessed based on its primary corridor A primary corridor is the highest classification level route in a walking and/or cycling strategic network that carries the largest volume of pedestrians and/or cyclists and has the greatest potential to attract new pedestrians and cyclists. Primary corridors  provide for trips across town and between suburbs. For example in Auckland the strategic route would be the ‘metros’, in Christchurch the ‘majors’ etc. and the single assessment profile The three-part rating for an activity, rated as high, medium or low e.g. HMM, and representing the assessment for Strategic Fit, Effectiveness, and Benefit and Cost Appraisal respectively. may result in the smaller collector routes in a programme gaining a higher profile than if they were brought forward for funding on their own.

Packaging projects into a programme of works should be a more effective and cost efficient way to deliver them and this should be reflected in the ratings for the effectiveness and benefit and cost appraisal factors in the assessment.

Default strategic fit

By default, the strategic fit rating for walking and cycling improvements is low.

Requirements for medium rating

A walking and cycling activity may be given a medium strategic fit rating if the problem, issue or opportunity is:

• part of a secondary corridor

  A secondary corridor is an identified component of a walking and/or cycling strategic network that connects potential users to the primary corridors. Secondary corridors provide for trips across suburbs or between destinations (i.e. schools, workplaces). For example in Auckland the secondary route would be the ‘feeders’ or ‘collectors’, in Christchurch the ‘locals’ etc.

  within a walking and/or cycling strategic network The network of strategic cycle corridors, feeders, connectors  and collectors that comprises an agreed walking and/or cycling network dedicated to facilitating economic growth, productivity and easing congestion congestion is where the volume to capacity ratio exceeds 80% for 5 days per week over at least a 1 hour time period that affects at least 1.5 km of a route.  For information on the volume to capacity ratio, see Appendix A3 of the NZTA's Economic Evaluation Manual by providing safe and convenient cycling  journeys to work, education or shops in a main urban area, for the purposes of utility cycling Cycling done mainly to get to an activity at the journey’s end, such as commuting trips to work, education, or shops. Utility cycling is used as a proxy for walking and cycling’s contribution to economic growth outcomes. , including associated facilities to put the corridor into service; OR
• a link to complete or complement an existing walking and/or cycling strategic network The network of strategic cycle corridors, feeders, connectors  and collectors that comprises an agreed walking and/or cycling network dedicated to facilitating economic growth, productivity and easing congestion congestion is where the volume to capacity ratio exceeds 80% for 5 days per week over at least a 1 hour time period that affects at least 1.5 km of a route.  For information on the volume to capacity ratio, see Appendix A3 of the NZTA's Economic Evaluation Manual by providing safe and convenient cycling  journeys to work, education or shops in a main urban area; OR
• on a corridor, or site, with a medium walking and cycling crash risk The predicted (estimated using exposure models, density prediction, crash history or other accepted modelling or audit) fatal and serious crash rate for pedestrians and/or cyclists is greater than 1 fatal and serious crash over a 5 year period or 3 fatal and serious crashes over a 10 year period. ; OR
• a link from a main urban area to a substantial employment centre, outside of main urban areas Main urban areas An area within a permanent speed limit of less than or equal to 70 km/h. represent the most urbanised areas with respect to the concentration of employment, firms and population. Main urban areas are centred on a city or main urban centre. They have a minimum population of 30,000 and an above-average concentration of businesses (typically greater than 90 businesses per 1,000 population). Main urban areas are as defined by Statistics NZ.  Under these criteria the main urban areas are represented by Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, Gisborne, Napier-Hastings, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Kapiti, Wellington, Nelson, Blenheim, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill. The extent of the main urban areas is depicted in maps which can be found on the Statistics NZ website. , which may be considered on an exception basis where high demand is demonstrated; OR
• a link to complete connections to the NZ Cycle Trails.

Requirements for high rating

A walking and cycling activity must only be given a high strategic fit rating if the problem, issue or opportunity is:

• part of a primary corridor A primary corridor is the highest classification level route in a walking and/or cycling strategic network that carries the largest volume of pedestrians and/or cyclists and has the greatest potential to attract new pedestrians and cyclists. Primary corridors  provide for trips across town and between suburbs. For example in Auckland the strategic route would be the ‘metros’, in Christchurch the ‘majors’ etc. within a walking and/or cycling strategic network The network of strategic cycle corridors, feeders, connectors  and collectors that comprises an agreed walking and/or cycling network dedicated to facilitating economic growth, productivity and easing congestion congestion is where the volume to capacity ratio exceeds 80% for 5 days per week over at least a 1 hour time period that affects at least 1.5 km of a route.  For information on the volume to capacity ratio, see Appendix A3 of the NZTA's Economic Evaluation Manual by providing safe and convenient cycling  journeys to work, education or shops in a main urban area, for the purposes of utility cycling Cycling done mainly to get to an activity at the journey’s end, such as commuting trips to work, education, or shops. Utility cycling is used as a proxy for walking and cycling’s contribution to economic growth outcomes. , including associated facilities to put the corridor into service;
• on a corridor, or site, with a high walking and cycling crash risk The predicted (estimated using exposure models, latent demand, crash history or other accepted modelling or audit) fatal and serious crash rate for pedestrians and/or cyclists is greater than 3 fatal and serious crashes over a 5 year period or 5 fatal and serious crashes over a 10 year period. ; OR
• provides access to housing development in high growth urban areas

  Either:
  “a resident population of over 30,000 people according to the most recent Statistics New Zealand urban area resident population estimates"
  or
  "at any point in the year a combined resident population and visitor population of over 30,000 people, using most recent Statistics New Zealand urban area resident population estimates"
  and
  "in which the resident population of that urban area is projected to grow by more than 10 percent between 2013 to 2023, according to the most recent Statistics New Zealand medium urban area population projections for 2013(base)-2023”.
  
  This definition is from the National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity 2016. It is a transitional definition, and will be reviewed and amended no later than 31 December 2018.
  

  Only those councils which are in, or part of, a high growth urban area, as at September 2016 are eligible for funding through the HIF. Those councils include:

  Auckland Council, Hamilton City Council, Tauranga City Council, Christchurch City Council and Queenstown-Lakes District The district of a territorial authority. In relation to land in respect of which a Minister of the Crown is the Council, that land. Council; and 

  Waikato District The district of a territorial authority. In relation to land in respect of which a Minister of the Crown is the Council, that land. Council, Waipa District Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Selwyn District Council and Waimakariri District Council to the extent that parts of these councils form part of a high-growth urban area.

  .

Introduction

The final GPS A Government Policy Statement on Land Transport Funding issued under section 86 of the LTMA 2015 added a medium term result to the walking and cycling activity class which was to “improve linkages to the NZ cycle trails”, in response to this the Transport Agency updated the medium strategic fit criteria for the walking and cycling activity class to include projects that deliver “a link to complete connections to the NZ cycle trails”.

Defining the criteria

The addition to the criteria prioritises funding to projects that provide “a link to complete connections to the NZ cycle trails”.

A link may include:

• any work required to put the full end to end potential ‘Heartland Ride’, previously called ‘Cycle touring routes’, into service; or

• to complete end to end links between current cycle trails and the nearby accommodation hub Area near an existing NZ Cycle Trail, with accomodation options, that is likely to be a destination for cyclists using the Cycle Trail. and/or the transport hub Area near an existing NZ Cycle Trail or accommodation hub that is likely to be used as a port to get transport (bus, plane etc.) in and out of the region of the existing NZ Cycle Trail. for the region.

All links must be on routes identified by NZ cycle trails; these are mapped out at the following link MapHub NZ Cycle Trails or visit the NZ Cycle Trails website for more information.

Funding for the new ‘potential Great Rides’ and for maintaining the quality of existing Great Rides can be sought from NZ Cycle Trails, which also provides information and application forms.