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Hearings Committee
24 July 2019
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ITEM TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE
Part
A Reports (Committee has power to decide these matters)
1 Summary
of Submissions for Railway Station Pedestrian Mall Proposal 4
Part A Reports
Summary of Submissions for Railway Station
Pedestrian Mall Proposal
Department: Transport
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1 This
report presents a summary of the 46 submissions received on a Dunedin City
Council (DCC) proposal to create a pedestrian mall along part of the unnamed
section of legal road that forms the frontage of the Dunedin Railway Station.
This includes 45 submissions received during the formal consultation period of
10 June to 5 July 2019 and one submission received on 5 July but after the 5pm
deadline.
2 Of
the 46 submissions, 87 percent supported the proposal, 13 percent were opposed.
3 Seven
of the submitters have requested to be heard.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Commissioner:
a) Accepts
the one late submission received from Good Company Tours;
b) Considers the
summary of submissions in their deliberation of the Railway Station
pedestrian mall proposal;
c) Decides
whether or not to grant a declaration pursuant to clause 336 of the Local
Government Act 1974 in relation to the proposed pedestrian mall.
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BACKGROUND
4 The
Dunedin Railway Station is one of Dunedin’s most celebrated heritage
buildings and attracts hundreds of visitors a year. For many years, the Council
has received feedback on the impact of moving and parked buses and vehicles on
pedestrian safety and general amenity in front of the Dunedin Railway
Station.
5 The
Dunedin Railway Station, the thoroughfare that forms its frontage and Anzac
Square are part of the city’s Cultural and Entertainment Quarter. This
‘quarter’ includes the Octagon, lower Stuart Street, the Dunedin
Railway Station and connections to Toitū Otago Settlers Museum. The area
is intended as the city’s civic, entertainment and tourism centre,
providing a hub for visitors and locals. Key objectives for the Cultural and
Entertainment Quarter include to:
· Establish
the area as a convenient and more attractive place for all people to visit.
· Improve
pedestrian connections between the Octagon, the Railway Station and Toitū
Otago Settlers Museum.
· Improve
safety and accessibility for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users and
reduce crash rates.
6 The
land in front of the Railway Station is unnamed legal road. It currently
provides two-way vehicle access between Anzac Avenue and Castle Street/High
Street (SH1/southbound).
7 The
thoroughfare in front of the Dunedin Railway Station is a busy commuter route
for pedestrians and cyclists travelling to and from the city centre (and a
tourist route linking key visitor destinations such as Toitū Otago
Settlers Museum and the Octagon).
8 Use
of the thoroughfare for tour bus and coach parking has a significant impact on
the amenity of the Dunedin Railway Station. Passenger vehicles, including large
tour coaches, use the thoroughfare to drop off and pick up visitors. The
thoroughfare between Anzac Avenue and Castle Street/High Street
(SH1/southbound) encourages ‘rat-running’ by local traffic in front
of the Dunedin Railway Station, which negatively impacts pedestrian safety.
9 The
proposal to restrict motor vehicle traffic along the Proposed Pedestrian Mall
is intended to improve the safety, accessibility and ‘look and
feel’ of the Railway Station frontage. An aerial photograph showing the
proposed changes is included as Attachment A.
10 The
proposal is also intended to contribute to the vision of the Central City
Plan’s Cultural and Entertainment Quarter, as a safe and attractive hub
for visitors and locals.
11 A
copy of the Statement of Proposal released for consultation is included as
Attachment B.
12 Two
trial closures of motor vehicle access to the Dunedin Railway Station have been
carried out. The first was for four days between Thursday 25 January 2018 and
Sunday 28 January 2018. The second was for two weeks between 17 February and 3
March 2019.
13 Feedback
during both trials showed a majority of submitters were supportive of the
trial. One hundred and fifty (150) submissions were received from the public
during the first trial, with 127 in support, 15 in support with reservations
and eight (8) opposed. Fifty four (54) submissions were received during the
second trial, with 44 in support, 4 in support with reservations and six (6)
opposed.
DISCUSSION
14 This
section provides a summary of results from recent public consultation
undertaken using the special consultative procedure. It also presents results
of DCC social media polls.
Results
of consultation
15 Consultation
using the special consultative procedure ran from 10 June until 5 July 2019. A
total of 46 submissions were received through Council’s submission
database, and full text of the submissions is available on Council’s
website at www.dunedin.govt.nz/railway-station-pedestrian-mall-public-feedback.
There was one submission received on 5 July but after the 5pm deadline. A
summary of this submission is included as Attachment C.
16 The
majority of submissions were from individuals and from businesses that operate
from or immediately around the Railway Station. Three submissions were from the
health sector. These included CCS Disability Action, Southern District Health
Board and WellSouth Primary Health Network.
17 The
majority of submitters, 87 percent, supported the proposal, and 13 percent were
opposed.
18 The
main themes that came through in the comments were (in order of popularity):
· Positive
comments about increased safety for pedestrians as a result of restricted
access for vehicles.
· Positive
comments about improvements to the look and feel of the area as a result of
restricted access for vehicles.
· Need
to ensure access for people with poor mobility,
emergency vehicles and for deliveries.
· Support
for pedestrianised spaces as a general direction for Dunedin.
19 A
few submitters suggested alternative vehicle restrictions to the proposal, with
access for either buses only or motor vehicles only. Suggestions included
retaining vehicle access one way south, retaining vehicle access one way north,
and retaining vehicle access from both ends but restricting vehicles travelling
through.
20 Other
submitters made suggestions about how to improve the proposal. Suggestions
included restricting cyclists and scooters as well as vehicles, limiting speeds
of cyclists and scooters, providing directional guidance for cyclists using the
area, and expanding the size of the pedestrian mall area by extending it south
to the SH1/Castle Street entrance.
21 Submitters
who commented about the parking arrangement proposed as part of the proposal
were both positive (6) and negative (4).
Social
media polls
22 The
DCC created a poll on social media on 10 June, asking ‘Do you think the
Dunedin Railway Station frontage should be pedestrianised?’. The
poll included a link to the DCC website which contained information about the
proposal.
23 Just
over 1,500 people voted on the Facebook poll. Of these, 80% voted yes and 20%
voted no. The Facebook poll reached almost 14,000 people. On Twitter, 63
people voted, with 92% voting yes and 8% voting no. The Twitter poll reached
almost 1400 people.
24 A
copy of the poll results and comments are
included as Attachment D.
OPTIONS
25 There
are no options with this report as its purpose is to present the results of
public consultation on the Railway Station pedestrian mail proposal for
consideration by the Commissioner.
NEXT STEPS
26 This
summary of submissions on the Railway Station pedestrian mall proposal is to
inform the independent Commissioner who is hearing submissions in July 2019.
The Commissioner will then make their decision on whether or not to declare the
section of road along the front of the Railway Station to be a Pedestrian Mall.
This decision will be reported to Council for noting in August.
Signatories
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Author:
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Susan Lilley - Transport Planning Team Leader
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Authoriser:
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Richard Saunders - Group Manager Transport
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Attachments
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Title
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Page
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⇩a
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Pedestrian Mall
Proposal map
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10
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⇩b
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Statement of Proposal
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11
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⇩c
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Summary of Late
Submissions
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14
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⇩d
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Social Media Poll
Results
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15
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SUMMARY OF CONSIDERATIONS
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Fit with purpose
of Local Government
This report relates to providing local infrastructure and
it is considered good quality and cost effective.
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Fit with strategic
framework
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Contributes
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Detracts
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Not applicable
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Social Wellbeing Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Economic Development Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Environment Strategy
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Arts and Culture Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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3 Waters Strategy
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Spatial Plan
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Integrated Transport Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Parks and Recreation Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Other strategic projects/policies/plans
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☒
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☐
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☒
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The proposal to create a pedestrian mall in front of the
Dunedin Railway Station contributes to the objectives of the Central City
Plan. The proposal also contributes to the integrated transport strategy's
efforts to improve safety in the city, particularly for vulnerable users.
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Māori Impact
Statement
There are no known impacts for tangata whenua.
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Sustainability
The proposed pedestrian mall promotes the use of the area
for pedestrians and cyclists.
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LTP/Annual Plan /
Financial Strategy /Infrastructure Strategy
There are no implications for the LTP, Annual Plan,
Financial Strategy or Infrastructure Strategy.
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Financial
considerations
There are no financial implications beyond existing
Transport budgets.
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Significance
This decision has been assessed under the Council's
Significance and Engagement Policy as being of high significance as it
relates to a Strategic Asset.
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Engagement –
external
A four day trial was undertaken in January 2018. One
hundred and fifty (150) submissions were received from the public. A
two week trial was then undertaken in February 2019. The NZTA has also
been consulted, and it is in support of the proposal.
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Engagement - internal
Internal engagement has been with Parks, City Development,
Economic Development Unit, Legal Services and Property Teams.
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Risks: Legal /
Health and Safety etc.
The proposed changes reduce health and safety risks
associated with the railway station forecourt.
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Conflict of
Interest
There are no known conflicts of interest.
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Community Boards
There are no known implications for Community Boards.
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