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Traffic management plans Traffic management plans

A traffic management plan is a document that details the way activities in the road corridor will be carried out so they minimise inconvenience and help ensure road users and workers remain as safe as possible.

A traffic management plan must be approved by Auckland Transport (AT) before any works starts.

What is a traffic management plan?

A traffic management plan (TMP) is a site-specific plan that covers the design, implementation, maintenance and removal of temporary traffic management (TTM) measures while work or activity is carried out in the road corridor (road, footpath or berm).

The plan details how road users - including cyclists and pedestrians - will be directed around a work site, accident, or other temporary road disruption, to minimise inconvenience while providing safe conditions for both the road user and those carrying out the activity.

Any TMP must comply with the Code of Practice for Temporary Traffic Management (CoPTTM). For more information about the code, visit the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) website.

When you need a traffic management plan

Unless the works are an emergency, you will need to submit a TMP for any activity that varies the normal operating conditions of any part of the road corridor (road, footpath or berm). For example, if the work will prevent:

  • Normal use of a vehicle driving or parking lane.
  • Normal pedestrian access along a footpath.

All Corridor Access Requests (CARs) must be accompanied by a TMP. 

A TMP is sometimes required for activities being done on private property if vehicle access is needed for a long period of time, eg. at a building site.

Your TMP must be approved by AT before you can start any activity.

Emergency works

Emergency works are unplanned and must be done without delay to prevent loss of life, injury or damage to property.

Emergency works don't relate to Police or Fire Service callouts but are done by utility operators (Vector, Watercare etc) and AT to repair a utility or service that affects numerous people or businesses, eg.

  • Burst or damaged watermains.
  • Fallen power lines or electricity faults.
  • Telecommunications failures.
  • Gas leaks (Police and Fire Service are normally involved).

In an emergency situation, prior approval from AT is not required, however, AT still needs to be notified of the activity and approve the works retrospectively.

Any activity that has been planned in advance or is classified as urgent is not emergency work and is subject to the proper AT approval process before work starts.

What's in a TMP

Proforma

The Proforma details the specifics of the work being done, such as the specific location, date/times of works, who is doing the work, the work methodology, temporary speed limit information (as needed) and contact details.

Traffic management diagram (TMD)

The TMD is a drawing that details the physical layout of temporary traffic management equipment around the worksite.

A TMD may be a generic form applicable to all roads of a certain level but must still be approved for use with the TMP.

Filming and event-related Traffic Management Plans

If your event or filming activities will cause changes to the normal operating conditions of the road corridor (including the road, footpath or berm), you will need to submit a Traffic Management Plan (TMP).

Your TMP should detail how your activities will impact cyclists, pedestrians, and local communities’ access to homes and businesses.

If your event or filming is on private property, you may still require a TMP to show how attendees will access and exit your event, and how you will minimise the impact of your activity on the surrounding area.

Your event may require a permit from Auckland Council.

All filming activities will require facilitation with ScreenAuckland.

If you plan to use a TMP for your event/filming activities, you need to submit a Corridor Access Request (CAR).

Find out more about applying for a Film or event-related CAR.

Who designs TMPs

Traffic management plans are required to be designed, set up and monitored by personnel qualified under NZTA requirements.

Service providers can be found by searching online (or in the Yellow Pages) for 'Traffic management services'.

Application and approval process

If you plan to use a TMP, you need to submit a Corridor Access Request. Find out more about applying for a CAR.

TMPs must be designed by a qualified traffic management provider and the provider will normally take care of submitting the CAR on your behalf.

The CAR and TMP must be approved before work begins. All CAR applications are given a unique reference number, which AT uses to track the activities being undertaken and any subsequent development changes.

Once approved, a TMP will form part of a Works Approval Permit (WAP). A WAP also contains:

  • TMP conditions - this is a normally standard list of conditions that the works being undertaken must adhere to and follow.
  • Besides the standard conditions listed for each approval, variations in the conditions are found in each approval based on agreements with all parties involved and site-specific restrictions that may apply (eg. time restrictions due to proximity to a school).
  • Any supporting emails/documentation related to the activity and approvals (such as extensions to the approved dates/times).

All the documents must be carried at all times on any work site.

TTM Auditor (AT Verified)

Find out the pre-requisites and pathway to becoming an AT Verified TTM Auditor. 

Download TTM Auditor (AT Verified details) (PDF 67KB)

Download list of Verified TTM Auditors (Auckland Transport) (XLSX 50KB)

Site Condition Ratings

AT staff carry out checks of worksite traffic management to ensure that what was stated in the approved plan is what is being undertaken on-site in a safe and compliant manner. These findings are recorded in a Site Condition Rating (SCR) form. The form gives your site a result, identifies where actions need to be taken and any potential repercussions.

Site Condition Rating forms and guides

The SCR form has been developed by AT for use by suitably trained people within the Auckland region only. The form is not directly in accordance with CoPTTM, however, the NZ Transport Agency has granted AT permission to use this custom form.

These forms and guides are provided here for reference only. If you plan to use any of these forms on-site, make sure you seek guidance and direction from AT before you do.

Crash reports

Contractors must record all crashes at worksites and, within 24 hours of any crash, brief the engineer and AT on the details of the crash.

A crash is defined as any incident involving a road user, resulting in damage to any installed TTM equipment, vehicles, plant, or injury to a person. Any crash resulting in serious harm must be reported to WorkSafe NZ as soon as the accident becomes known.

The crash report must include:

  • A copy of the signed and approved TMP for the worksite.
  • Details of the incident including a diagram showing the layout of the worksite at the time of the crash. The diagram must also show any relevant crash details such as vehicle travel paths, skid marks etc.
  • Photographs of the crash site.

Minor incidents, such as one or two cones being struck, do not need to be recorded unless there appears to have been potential for a serious incident.

Crash report template

Download the temporary traffic management crash report template (Word doc 88KB)

Submit your temporary traffic management crash report by email to: TTM.Crash@aucklandtransport.govt.nz

Other useful documents

Carriageway levels

The carriageway TTM Levels for the AT road network can be found on the MobileRoad website. Mobile Road is a free application for the New Zealand road and rail sector. Find out more information and how to get started. You will need to register with your business email address to get access.

Reviews of carriageway TTM Levels are carried out from time to time.

AT has adopted level 2LS as a TTM level in accordance with NZTA's Technical note - Level 2 low speed (2LS) roads (PDF 387KB). This has been set for some roads with a speed limit of less than 65 km/h and traffic volumes generally greater than 15,000 vehicles per day (vpd). Some urban routes still require full level 2 TTM standards.

AT permits the use of level 1-size signage on these level 2LS roads if the situation of the signs allows them to be visible for most road users. Where visibility of signs is not available or poor, the standard level 2-size signs will be required.

Permanent Speed Limits

Information regarding permanent speed limits is useful for those developing TMPs.

AT maintains a database of the gazetted permanent speed limits. This is updated after changes are made to the network but there can be a delay. The latest information can be found on the Mobile Road website.

The best source of information is obtained through on-site investigation.

For more information or assistance

Contact Auckland Transport