Project Directors Report to  Regional Transport Committee September 2019

UFTI is a sub set of Smartgrowth focussed on Urban Form and Transport

The First Deliverable has been the Foundation Report. The report sets out the challenges UFTI needs to address, and the supporting evidence.  The audience are government officials who assess business cases and provide investment advice to Ministers and the Transport Agency Board. The report has been drafted as a strategic case to comply with the Treasury Better Business Case methodology.  The Transport Agency have confirmed the Foundation Report complies with their requirements for a strategic business case.  The document will remain in draft until the final UFTI output is published in late March 2020. 

The Foundation Report highlights the three key challenges The lack of housing supply, suitable housing and transport choice, and a high dependency on private vehicles in the western Bay of Plenty, restricts access to social and economic opportunities and is leading to poor social and environmental outcomes. The ability to access community facilities; and infrastructure* levels of service are not aligned with community needs and expectation and are impeding the ability of people to fully enjoy the Bay of Plenty lifestyle. Western Bay of Plenty’s harbour geography and dispersed land use pattern (places of employment, education, and recreational locations) and increasing traffic volumes, negatively impacts on the safe and efficient movement of people and goods. * Infrastructure Definition: “Hard and soft infrastructure including physical networks necessary for the functioning of a place/city i.e. roads, railways, pipes; and structures and places that support and maintain community wellbeing i.e. parks, recreational and cultural facilities, libraries, medical and educational centres.”

Now the Foundation Report has been completed we are moving into the next steps of the process. Investment objectives Wellbeings (social, cultural, environmental, economic) Effectiveness criteria Feasibility criteria Economic Investment objectives and measures will be developed. Investment objectives need to relate to the challenge statements. These are critical for the multi criteria assessment process. Different programmes of integrated urban form and transport options will be prepared and tested.

A logical flow from challenge statements to benefits and investment objectives is the most critical component of all business cases The example below demonstrates how there are often multiple benefits from addressing each challenge statements

There are more reports to come....... All supporting technical research due end of October Interim Report in December  Final Report in March 2020 In parallel a number of business cases are also underway which will be aligned with the UFTI Final Report.  The RTC will be asked to consider the recommended programmes for prioritisation as part of the 2021 RLTP process.  

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