Auckland Rail Blame Game (2)

I thought you'd like this crowd control system in Victoria, Australia. "....The officers and horses are equipped with riot gear to protect them from any indirect projectiles or attempted assaults, as well as reflective tape to aid visibility. Mounted police are often employed in crowd control because of their mobile mass and height advantage...."

Yesterday, Monday after Friday's rail chaos, there were a number of interviews which I thought I'd interpret. Read between the lines. Offer my perspective. I'll skip the ones in the morning because they were all a bit overheated.

But first of all, a story. When I was a North Shore City Councillor, I was also on Devonport Community Board. Devonport hosts a big event - The Devonport Food and Wine Festival. Every year the organisation that runs it - Devonport Rotary (to generate money for various good causes in the community) - comes to Devonport Community Board in support of its application to run the event on Windsor Park at the waterfront.

One year I remember, Devonport Rotary had been a bit too successful with its promotions of the event. It had sought permission for an event of about 20,000 people over two days. But what happened was the event - and Devonport - were basically overwhelmed because around 40,000 came to the party. The event organisers closed the barriers around their event - they had sufficient security for the event which was enclosed in a wire fence - so the rest spilled out into Devonport streets, squares and waterfront areas, and got quietly pissed in public. They did other things in public too. There was quite a public backlash. Devonport Rotary was called to account by the Community Board.... and when Devonport Rotary came along the next year to seek permission we were very keen to make sure they didn't overdo the promotion. In short we got involved in event management and crowd control.

(PostScript: Needed to add this bit on Wednesday morning after reading about McCully's takeover of Auckland's waterfront, after his gated party central on Queens Wharf got mobbed.

The equivalent in Devonport would have been for Rotary to annex Devonport's town centre!

McCully's Government is stepping way over the line here. And in who's interest? The International Rugby Board? The National Party election campaign? Because I don't think McCully's knee jerk actions are in Auckland's best interests. A rational national approach to the situation Auckland finds itself in, would be a partnership between the police and Auckland Council, the rapid development of a crowd management plan, and the managed redirection of crowds to existing alternative locations. The easiest would be to pedestrianise Queen Street from Quay Street to Aotea Square, and to relocate some attractions to Aotea Square. And an associated media campaign to direct crowds to different attractions at different destinations. A strong, but organised and directed police presence would be essential (not on horses). Crowd monitoring (helicopter or whatever) would provide info to a crowd control office. This info would be used to manage the police presence. Their job would be to firmly direct and redirect pedestrian movement. This would not dampen party spirits. It would give people confidence the event(s) would be safe to attend. Sending people onto Captain Cook Wharf at this late stage is not a good option.

I must confess a part of me secretly likes Government taking control of Captain Cook and the West edge of Bledisloe from the Port Company for Party Central. Just as I quite liked Govt stepping in to take Queens Wharf for that purpose. Next step? Cruise ship terminal on Bledisloe. Not on Queens Wharf....)

Back to Friday.

The first interview of interest that I heard yesterday was on National Radio with the CEO of Veolia Auckland. Graham Sibery I think. Interviewed by Mary Wilson in her usual combative, not really listening sort of way. But I was listening. It was interesting that the CEO of Veolia was the only person being interviewed on CheckPoint. Here's what I heard him say:

* we had an agreement with Auckland Transport to carry 15,000 fans to Eden Park for the game (from Newmarket and Britomart and presumably stations along the way)
* the stations are basically "unmanned"
* we had people climbing on the trains
* the rail system was basically overwhelmed

The interviewer wanted him to fall on his sword of course. She wasn't really listening, and she didn't know the organisational background and responsibilities that underpin Auckland Transport services.

But I have some idea.

Veolia has a service contract with Auckland Transport to operate and maintain the trains which are publicly owned. KiwiRail has a contract with Central Government to maintain the rail network. But it is Auckland Transport that has responsibility for operating and maintaining Auckland's railway and ferry stations. And Auckland Transport is answerable to Auckland Council.

There were two events on Friday night. Rugby at Eden Park and the Rugby World Cup festivities on the waterfront. Auckland event management and control is fundamentally the responsibility of Auckland Council - though this duty is discharged through a variety of boards and committees where other stakeholders are represented.

Auckland Council owns and is responsible for Auckland's streets and Auckland's ferry and railway stations.

So. Veolia has a contract with Auckland Transport to carry 15,000 people to see the rugby and attend the opening at Eden Park. I explained in yesterday's blog about this that Auckland's rail infrastructure carries about 3,600 passengers/hour/line at peak commute times. (Because it is a limited service today). I imagine then, that to carry 15,000 people to and from the game, Veolia will be relying on passengers tolerating crowded trains, and assuming it will meet its obligations by moving about 6,000 from Newmarket and Britomart respectively over a two hour period, and about 3,000 from the West. These numbers are informed but speculative. I haven't sighted the event services contract.

So now we come to the second significant interview of the evening. That's with Mayor Len Brown by Mark Sainsbury on CloseUp after TV One News. Len Brown apologised first up, and then appeared to blame everything on the fact that 200,000 people turned up at the Waterfront instead of the 120,000 he figured would come.

What was the transport plan for getting people to and from the waterfront? Veolia had contracted to get people to Eden Park. That's a fair question?

It is interesting that there doesn't appear to be any push from politicians to haul Fullers over the coals in public in the same way that Veolia is being hauled over the coals.

Ferry services are handled slightly differently to rail. Fullers is contracted with Auckland Transport to operate the ferry services, AND to handle ticketing and manage the ferry terminals. Effectively ferry stations. So it's a more horizonatlly integrated contract with Fuller. Passengers step into Fuller's hands pretty much from the moment they walk into a ferry station to when they walk out of it. Fullers collects the whole farebox too.

But that's not what happens with Rail. Auckland Transport runs the stations, issues the tickets, collects the farebox - and sub contracts to Veolia the running of the trains. I'm not sure exactly where you draw the line on a station platform between Veolia's responsibility and Auckland Transport's responsibility, but you get the picture. Basically Auckland Transport - under control of Auckland Council - is responsible for everything that happens in Auckland's railway stations.

Which as Veolia's CEO explained are basically "un-manned" - except for Britomart - because that's where tickets are issued (unless you get one on the train, and when travel is free there's no need for ticket collectors.....)

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see what happened.

Auckland Council permitted two hugely popular events at each end of its main railway line (Eden Park and Britomart). Auckland Council anticipated about 60,000 at one, and at least 100,000 at the other. But only contracted with Veolia to get 15,000 to Eden Park.

Auckland Council and Auckland Transport appear to have made no effort at all to stop crowds of people from flocking to station and ferry platforms all over Auckland, and - as both Len Brown and Veolia's CEO said - overwhelming the system.

My experience at the city ferry terminal was that it was overwhelmed - not by people coming over from Devonport - but by people who had been attracted to the waterfront to see the fireworks and who realised their only way to get a good look was to be over the other side of the Waitemata. They jammed the terminal so completely - let in first by Fullers ticketing staff, who then closed the gates to the terminal - that people could not get off the ferries. But there were so many others outside the gate, spilling out into Quay Street, that no-one could get of the terminal either.

So yes. The transport systems were overwhelmed.

But it is not because of Veolia that there was chaos.

The chaos arose because Auckland Council did not plan properly for the inevitable crowds. Central Govt shares this responsibility also. They now need to share the management of Plan B.

Mayor Brown's comments suggest Auckland Council simply hoped that crowded stations would be cleared by a steady stream of empty trains (let alone ferries). But 15,000 doesn't make much of a dent in 100,000 - let alone 200,000 - especially when they're going in both directions! Hope is not enough. I'm sure Veolia's report will make interesting reading, but that's not the report I'll be looking for. Auckland Council and Auckland Transport and the Event Managers need to get together and write a report we can all learn from so crowd chaos doesn't happen again.

Auckland's waterfront is becoming a party place at last. Make it a safe place to be, to get to, and to get home from. But don't take risks putting all our eggs in one basket down there for the really big crowds - when other adjoining public places and streets can be used more effectively and made safe.

Auckland Rail Blame Game

Decades of neglect and under-funding are the fundamental reason for the fragility of Auckland's commuter rail system. Central and Regional Government each share some of the responsibility for the delicacy of Auckland Rail which comes under strain at peak time - like any network system.

But it's not that simple. We should be able to do better with what we have. The public should be able to rely on the institutions that are responsible for governing and operating Auckland commuter rail to provide services that are safe - irrespective of the delicacy or robustness of the network. It should not be up to the public to carry out a risk assessment everytime they give up their cars and follow advice to take public transport.

Auckland Rail is an accident waiting to happen in peak times.

While it was my responsibility chair Auckland Regional Transport Committees, I became aware of one of the unfortunate legacies of Auckland's rail neglect. And I have reason to believe that problem still hasn't gone away. This experience was during 2005. Auckland rail services at the time were only around 60% reliable - that is - around 40% of rail services arrived or left at times that were significantly different from timetable, driving commuters up the wall, and away from rail.

At the time, the CEO of Connex which was responsible for operating the trains under contract to ARTA (Auckland Regional Transport Authority), was Chris White. He's now with Veolia in Melbourne. He had huge experience and commitment, but I found it was largely ignored by Auckland Regional Council (ARC) politicians in particular, who were determined to stretch the fragile network to its limits in order to meet ill-founded public expectations about service levels.

I talked to Chris and asked him, "why is the service so unreliable...?" because I really didn't know, and because I thought I should know, in order to more effectively chair relevant committees. He answered, "the timetable's too tightly wound...". I had no idea what he was talking about. So I asked him.

He explained further, "you guys want us to deliver 10 and 12 minute services, with trains and systems that keep falling over, and we just can't do it, not with the best will in the world...". I was learning.

Back at the ARC, in a sort of populist hope over experience way, politicians had been egging on officers and staff, putting pressure on an inexperienced Board of Directors at ARTA, who were bullied into accepting completely unrealistic performance targets for Auckland's fledgling rail system.

With the reluctant support of ARC politicians, I made a presentation to ARTA's Board and senior staff, asking them to "unwind the timetable", and adopt 15 minute headways. Which they gratefully did. Within a week or two the service reliability performance was better than 95%.

The network is stronger today than it was then. But not much stronger. And there is a continuing history of political interference and politicians turning a blind eye to the fundamentals of what makes for a safe, frequent and reliable operation. That problem has not yet been sorted by changes in governance arrangements.

Wisconsin Rail states: "Commuter rail will provide an additional transportation choice and improve mobility by connecting suburban and urban areas. It will help connect workers to their jobs and provide an alternative for those who cannot or chose not to drive. It will also provide rail safety benefits through crossing and infrastructure improvements..." The city defines commuter rail: "passenger rail operating primarily oon existing freight and/or intercity passenger railroad tracks on a separate right-of-way between and within metropolitan and surburban areas... commuter rail usually operates during peak travel times with limited stops and in conjunction with other transit modes as part of a regional transit system..."

Now there's not much in there that you could take exception to, or even that is different from Auckland. But there are some key points:

provide rail safety benefits through...crossing improvements

separate right-of-way

connecting urban and suburban areas

...peak times with limited stops...

Auckland has consistently ignored the real threat to safety, and to frequency and speed of service, that is posed by the dozen or so dangerous level crossings that interrupt rail's right-of-way across the network. While budget was planned for this in 2006, almost nothing was allocated, and little was spent. Instead short term projects were pursued that had the support of one or two politicians. This problem still besets Auckland rail planning.

Which brings me to peak time travel. Which includes events.

Crowd Control at Victoria Station: The Underground station at London Victoria facilitates around 80 million passengers per year. Due to severe overcrowding, crowd control is in place during the busiest times. This includes closing the entrance to the Underground stations at times and only letting passengers exit. This is to prevent passengers being pushed onto the tracks when standing on the platform.

There was no evidence of any effective plan either at Britomart or at the Auckland Ferry Terminal - to manage this situation - short of closing down the station. Ok, nobody was killed or injured and that's a measure of success, but also thousands of people's travel arrangements and fun were ruined or severely affected by such a draconian approach.

Reading on a little, in Google, as you do,

Massachussets Bay Transit Authority annnouncement:
NEW YEAR’S EVE – FREE SERVICE AFTER 8
COMPLETE SCHEDULE AVAILABLE BELOW.
Friday, December 31 through Saturday, January 1st

Today, the MBTA announced its service schedule for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The MBTA is providing extra transit services throughout the First Night Festivities and will be offering FREE service after 8:00 p.m. Extra MBTA Police will patrol the system to assist with crowd control and safety.

I'm sure we would like rail to be free when there's a big event in Auckland. But what I'm really interested in here is the reference to "extra MBTA police". That's right. A key complaint from those affected on Friday, in Auckland, was that there was nobody around. Nobody to protect them. Nobody on hand to deal with perfectly predictable incidents with fire-extinguishers and emergency stop buttons. No system that was useful and quick and efficient for dealing with "shit happens when there's a party" sort of situations.

The Victoria Transport Policy Institute has researched what makes people happy/unhappy with public transport. "Crowding in accessways, stations and platforms makes walking and waiting time less pleasant.... A minute of time spent waiting under high crowding conditions is valued equal to 3.2 minutes of onboard train time whereas walking time is valued at 3.5 times higher (reflecting the additional discomfort and effort involved, but not the reduced walking speed caused by crowding). In dollar value terms, an hour of waiting under high crowding is valued at $30.33 and an hour of walking is valued at $32.65. Extreme crowding can increase costs as much as ten times.... Fruin developed six station environment crowding Levels-of-Service ratings, ranging from ‘A’ (no crowding) to ‘F’ (extreme crowding). Research summarizes the effects of density and crowding on travel time cost values. These costs begin to increase significantly when crowding exceeds LOS D, which occurs at a density of 0.7 Passengers Per Square Meter (PSM). Crowding has an even greater impact on walking, since it both increases costs per minute and reduces walking speeds. For level of service ‘F’ characterized by the breakdown of passenger flow, the crowding cost imposes a cost 10 ten times greater than level of service A...."

I know. You'll be saying we know all that. But the thing is. What are you going to do about it?

I note in the literature, reams of advice to congressional requesters, regarding the vexed topic: COMMUTER RAIL: Many Factors Influence Liability and Indemnity Provisions, and Options Exist to Facilitate Negotiations. The report I looked at was prepared for Congressmen by the US Goverment Accountability Office - whose byline is: accountability, integrity, reliability. I guess this will be the sort of thing that Mayor Len Brown, and even the Minister for the Rugby World Cup will be looking for. In the blame game.

I think the issue comes down to one of safety. It is not safe to have passengers walking along railway tracks in the dark. It is not safe to lock passengers in stopped trains and fail to explain why. It is not safe to let passengers onto platforms that are already full. And that's really just the start. Safety should be paramount in Auckland's commuter rail planning.

Auckland's rail network has a very low carrying capacity. And that will remain so for at least a decade it seems. Our system is not like Perth's which can carry 18,000 passsengers on each line/hour. Our system struggles now to carry 3,000 passengers on each line per hour on a good day. (Do the math: 6-carriage trains, 6/hour at 10 minute headway, 100 passengers/carriage at 100% loading = 3,600 passengers/hour). That's the reality. Any attempt to "tighten the timetable" - to carry more people to Eden Park for example - is an invitation to disaster. It is a risk. It puts people's lives at risk. It creates unsafe and uncomfortable environments. It is not a responsible way to run a railroad.

Auckland Council must now prioritise passenger safety, and the funding of projects that increase public safety and service reliability - especially at peak travel times because that is when the risk is greatest.

The New York State Dept of Transport has a Public Transport Safety Board which promulgates System Safety Program Plan Guidelines for Commuter Rail Transit Systems. "Historically, the PTSB's oversight program has been built around a requirement that each property develop a System Safety Program Plan (SSPP) that details the property's internal operating procedures for conducting business in a safe and efficient manner. The guidelines contained in this document provide individual properties with the guidance...." These include:

4.2.2.7 EOP for crowd control on a train and/or at a station is attached or referenced in SSPP

6.1.6.3 SSPP reflects which rail stations/terminals are monitored by CCTV for surveillance and crowd control

11.2.1.8 Emergency operating procedure for crowd control on a train and/or a station is developed by the Transportation Dept.

11.5.4.3 Railroad Police help define roles and responsibilities for responding to an incident of crowd control/disturbance.

15.6.4.4 Conductors are trained on passenger safety including
overcrowding and disruptions....

And I really only scratched the surface of the systems and situations referred to in these New York guidelines.

If Auckland wants a rail service to match its waterfront, there's work to be done. And it's not the frills. It's the fundamentals.

Parnell Station = Ad Hoc Planning

I understand pressure is being exerted on Auckland Transport to build a railway station at Parnell in the near future. I am not sure of the proposed location along that 1 km long section of straight railway (shown in the aerial here) which runs up a steady incline. However I am advised that building a station will require substantial civil works along the whole line to provide a flat section of line for the station itself. And while there is a small walkup catchment for a station at Parnell, I consider that this station is not a priority for Auckland now, and building it now may preclude options which will become evident when longer term planning for Auckland's commuter rail networks is undertaken and agreed.

For example, this schematic shows the pedestrian walkup zones around several key CBD destinations - including the learning quarter (Auckland University and AUT), and the Hospital. Present plans for the CBD Rail Loop project (from Britomart, Aotea Square, K Road, Newton, Mt Eden), cannot serve all key Auckland destinations. Choices have been made. However other decisions will also need to be made.

For example, the CBD Rail Loop is likely to be the first stage of the development of Auckland's CBD rail network. The proposed North Shore Rail line needs to be brought into the CBD and properly interconnected with the rest of the network. There has been a lot of talk about these rail projects, but detailed thinking and network planning has not been evident. This is not the time to be rushing ahead with a railway station project at Parnell. Auckland has much bigger fish to fry, and critical transport and land use planning processes must be allowed to unfold - in coordination with the Spatial Plan. This schematic which I produced a couple of years ago shows one scenario for longer term CBD Rail network planning. The line from North Shore would connect at the Aotea Station which would be an interchange between two lines. We need to move beyond producing spur lines, and instead produce loops and end-to-end lines (that's why the Northern Busway needs to run through the Auckland CBD and serve Southern destinations). The more passenger transport vehicles that DON'T terminate in the CBD, the better. These are rough ideas only, but they are rough ideas which aim to join up the thinking between the various projects that are being discussed. Auckland needs more of this type of Rapid Transit network planning. It needs to be focussed on delivery and staged implementation. It must not be de-railed by ad hoc decisions.

Newmarket Station - Design Exemplar Auckland needs

The Auckland Regional Transport Committee had a sneak preview of Newmarket Station today.

Wednesday 9th December.




This is the main concourse. Airy - literally - and bright. Those are the escalators down ahead...

And here's looking back up those escalators - a pair serving each pair of platforms.

Apparently the rails wil be brought into the station in time for the official opening which happens mid January.

I guess we'll be looking at some overhead cables when the lines are electrified. Bring that on.

Standing on Platform 3 here, Platform 2 to the right. And 1 & 4 at the edge.

Having been here before design work began, I would not have expected something so spacious and appropriate could have been shoe-horned into the space left following the fire-sale of adjacent railway land for development.

Shows how wrong you can be.

Back up on the concourse level now, looking North. You can see through the glass, the hint of public square...

Throughout the station I was impressed by the attention to detail. Lots of that...

And here's another view of that square. Apparently it was privately developed to specification, but has now transferred to Auckland City Council. So it's a great public space - a plazza - or piazza. With interesting shade, seats round the perimeter, and surrounded by buildings which will shelter the space from weather. You enter the square on sweeping wide steps from the station.

I was impressed. This is an excellent example of an urban station in a medium density setting. It's a show piece of what is possible in Auckland, as the city transforms.

Planning for the Auckland CBD Rail Network....

Stephen Joyce is right to say that the planning of Auckland's CBD rail network is not complete. But that's not an excuse to delay electrification...

These images are from a small power point presentation I have prepared to bring out some of the thinking that is needed when planning future rail service extensions in Auckland CBD...

This schematic shows the existing service connections and CBD rail network. Newmarket is a significant station where you can change lines. So is Britomart...

There has been talk of a Parnell Station. Actually, when you go along that line, and look North, and look at a map, you are aware of the proximity of the Domain, Hospital and University....

In any case there is a major challenge in preserving CBD rail services when Britomart undergoes engineering changes to make it a tunnel/through station....

This is a logical next step....

It does not require a station at Parnell (though one might be a good idea). Needs a set of points etc, so some trains go under Domain, through to Aotea. This line would likely need a viaduct across Grafton Gully - above motorway - below existing bridge...

And it could be connected to North Shore (in event rail link goes there), but would certainly be connected to Britomart Rail tunnel. Aotea Square would become major destination and line change....

Here it is...