Development Of Cycling Infrastructure In Quota Park | Project Charter

Project Justification / Investment Appraisal

Queensland Government’s Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) is committed to provide better cycling infrastructure network throughout the state. For achieving this prestigious target, TMR planned to work along with local governments and develop the cycling infrastructure, so that more and more people can use it in their daily life. These networks are being developed either within existing public transport system wherever possible or separate system. To encourage use of cycling by more and more people of every age group, providing safe access was the foremost criteria of TMR (Australia. Department of Transport and Main Roads, 2017).    To construct this network, part of which is passing in and around Quota park, so its existing footpath is considered to be modified for developing cycling access way. TMR along with local government has decided to execute the project for bringing cycling infrastructure project in Mackay. The project is funded by TMR and “Mackay Regional Council (MRC)” both for constructing shared footpath between Kippen St & Bridge Rd in Quota Park.

MRC awarded the execution contract to our company (M/s Australian Roadways) with 26 weeks completion and handover schedule. In this project charter document, we shall put more light on some of the important features, considerations, possible outcomes and very high level risks involved with the project. 

Project Justification / Investment appraisal (APM, 2017) & (Capital-Investment, 2017:

MRC has undertaken the project with vision of some future benefits in different verticals like:

Financial benefits: road condition gets damaged by more and more use of motors, for which the quality standard of roads needs to be built very high and even the repair cost is also more compared to the roads built for motorcycles only. So, by keeping in view the road is developed for walking and cycling only, and by doing so the quality cost of road standard decreases an even the maintenance cost also decreases drastically. As a result, it minimizes the yearly expenditure budget for road maintenance.

Environmental benefits: this project has a big environmental benefit, as using cycle reduces emission of greenhouse gases. It is calculated that by riding 10 KM of cycle can save 1500 kg of emissions in a year (Australia. Department of Transport and Main Roads, 2017).

Social benefits: by providing access to all essential services by cycle would reduce the burden of hiring car for the class of people who can’t buy motor car. So it provides great benefit to the society by providing equality and access to the workplaces by poor, students or unemployed people.

High-Level Requirements

Operational benefits: after the operation of the project more and more people will be encouraged to use cycle in place of cars, which will definitely improve the health condition of riders.

Risk mitigation: more use of motor cars has increased the road risks, which can be reduced by using cycle. Children safety can be increased to access their school by reducing the vehicle rush. Older people can cross roads or walk without fear of getting hit by fast cars.

This project has some of the salient points which may impacts our business sustainability and profit margins like:

• Local sub-contractors and suppliers need to explore for engagement in project work to increase the use of local capitals and maintain sustainability for smooth project completion.
• Lease rent agreement may be required to be done with some local landlord for the proper storage of some critical construction material
• In any circumstances, the accident due to fire should not happen, it has serious implication
• Australian Roadways need to pay and arrange for water and power. Also must maintain proper drainage and sewer systems at workplaces
• Geotechnical investigation is to be done now, which may sub-surface few more unknown underground services and impact the project cost and duration 

To maintain sustainability throughout the project life cycle, the projects objectives of MRC must be of Australian Roadways too. Few major objectives of executing the project are:

• Reduce volume of using motor cars during rush hours to prevent more emissions of green house gases.
• Enhance personnel road safety and reduce

These objectives could be measured after the successful completion of the project by:

• Monitoring the volume of vehicles running between 0700 to 1000 hrs and 1700 to 1900 hrs after one month of project completion, also achieve the reduction of traffic flow between 20 to 30%
• Also monitor and achieve 10 severe road accident target after 1 month of project completion. 

High Level Requirements (CiscoPress, 2017) & (ThinkTankConsulting, 2017):

The high level requirements according to the scope of work are the:

Supply and installations of all related materials like:

• Cement, aggregates and sand for construction of concrete pathway or footpath
• Pipe culverts / conduits
• as per MRC drawings, A1-30695 to A1-30706 specifications to be satisfied while fixing fencing & casting pavements
• Turf to be applied on the slope surfaces to avoid rain cuts.
• Proper road and safety signage
• Proper road furniture to be fixed

Construct Management related items like:

• Construction of proper site establishment
• Proper provision to be built for movement of traffic
• Environmental requirements to be met
• Proper drainage facility to be built at workplaces to avoid any water spillover during monsoon.
• Proper earthwork procedures to be adopted during execution
• Landscape and Re-vegetation work to be properly executed
• All existing facilities / services must be taken care during execution of work
• 32 Mpa of concrete quality to be maintained
• The project execution also involves the removal of existing footpath, concrete pathway or any other facility fouling with the project execution and
• Dump the unsuitable material from site to place identified and designated by superintendent of MRC. 

All projects have certain constraints and also we need to assume something and proceed accordingly, which also can become the part of risk register to at least have a track of all the assumptions made during the course of execution. One major assumption and one constraint are:

• Assumption: this whole project is based on one major assumption of improving the road rush condition by encouraging locals to use cycle instead of motor cars for their daily needs like sending children to school, attending office on time, shopping etc.
• Constraint: during execution we need to dismantle and dispose many existing facilities that too between Mondays to Friday in restricted working hours from 0600 to 1800 hrs may become a challenge due to huge public interference and maintaining safety during execution would be a major risk or constraint. 

Hazard: presence of trees and vegetation in between can obstruct the long vision of car drivers and accident may happen. The probability of accident is rare and even can have minor impact on people, property and environment. No such emergency may arise due to the accident. But at the same time, the condition of hazard can further minimized by cutting the obstructing trees and vegetation after proper approval from MRC is obtained.

Construction: the construction vehicles being used in workplaces can have serious accident with the vehicles at road, pedestrians or the cyclist. The possibility of the accident is unlikely but if at all happens; it can have serious impact on people, property and environment. In such situation emergency may also arise and the smooth flow of work can be interrupted. The mitigation plan for this risk is by providing appropriate traffic control system. By using proper traffic control system, the impact and likelihood of happening may decrease to rarely possible and if at all this happens, it can have minor impact on people, property and environment.

Visibility: third possible risk is reversing vehicle out of driveway may collide with other vehicle or object. It has unlikely possibility of happening and like above, if it happens can have serious impact on people, property and environment. The impact of risk can be reduced by providing correct alignment. By doing so, the impact and likelihood of happening can be decreased. Currently, it is rarely possible with minor impact on people, property and environment. First-aid treatment may be required for people, minor damage may happen to property and limited impact in surrounding area may occur. 

Assumptions and Constraints

A very high level milestone schedule dates with all contractual commitments are as under along with few other activities:  

Activity No.	Milestone activity	Finish Date
01	Award of Contract	30 April 2017
02	Site mobilization by contractor	15 May 2017
03	Completion of site establishment facilities	26 May 2017
04	Complete installations of Traffic provisions	28 July 2017
05	Complete supply and installation of environment monitoring system	28 July 2017
06	Completion of construction of proper drainage system in workplace	20 Oct 2017
07	Completion of earthwork	13 Oct 2017
08	Supply and Installation of road furniture	20 Oct 2017
09	Completion of defect liability period	27 Oct 2017

Because of unavailability of enough inputs regarding budget, a rough order of magnitude is presented as under:

WBS	Item	Rough Budget (in $)
Construction
Construction. Site facility	Construction of Site establishments	5,000
Construction. Safety provision	Supply and installation of safety provision items	4,000
Construction. Environment	Supply and installation of environmental monitoring items	2,000
Construction. Earthwork	Execution of earthwork and concreting	50,000
Construction. Road Furniture	Supply and installation of road furniture	7,000
Construction. Remove existing	Removal and disposal of fouling items	7,000
Handover
Handover. Final punch point	Final punch point listing and correcting	1,000

Due of the public project in nature, there can be many stakeholders of the project starting from the sponsor, staffs, road drivers, school children to all people of that locality. Because all are going to be impacted due to this project, some negatively during the execution stage and positively after the completion. Major six list of stakeholders are as under:

• Mackay Regional Council (MRC)
• Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR)
• Local Government / Administration
• Execution Contractor (Owner/Sponsor)
• Execution Contractor (Project Manager)
• Local Travelers (Cyclist, Pedestrians, Car riders, etc)  

For obtaining the approval of project, following few actions / activities need to be completed:

• First of all before the start of execution, the schedule must be submitted to MRC and TMR, approved by Superintendent of MRC.
• Project must be completed in all respect without schedule and cost over-run
• Superintendent of MRC to accept and take handover of the project after his/her full satisfaction by meeting all requirements.
• After the practical handover, Superintendent will sign-off the project 

I have been assigned the responsibility of managing the project as Project Manager. As per the tender documents, my authorities and brief job responsibilities are documented. My authorities & responsibilities are:

• I shall be fully associated with the project till contract closure and will ensure full compliances
• I shall coordination work with local community and government authorities etc. 

Structure of the project board for authorizing this document:   

Authorizing Project “Quota Park Shared Footpath”    

References:

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Australia. Department of Transport and Main Roads (2017). Cycling infrastructure grants. [Online]. Available at: https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Travel-and-transport/Cycling/Cycling-infrastructure-grants (Accessed 31 March 31, 2017).  

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