I’m not sure whether to be disappointed or optimistic. Auckland Transport has announced that following consultation, they are now looking at other options for the Te Atatu bus interchange. Here is the press release.

Auckland Transport has decided to look at further options for the site of the Te Atatu Transport Interchange.

The preferred option was the development of a bus interchange between Titoki Street and the realigned southbound off-ramp from State Highway 16.

The proposal for an interchange at Titoki Street went to public consultation and Open Days, 150 people made submissions.

Simon Milner, Public Transport Operations Principal Network Planner says, “In light of those submissions, other sites will now be investigated. Titoki Street as an option will be placed on hold pending the investigation of other options. Investigation is planned to begin immediately and is expected to be completed in October this year.”

A Transport Interchange will be needed in Te Atatu by 2015/16 as part of the New Network structure for public transport in Auckland.

This will see a frequent service network which will deliver services at least every 15 minutes throughout the day, seven days a week. The Te Atatu Interchange will be a key part of this New Network.

The report can be viewed at: http://www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz/improving-transport/te-atatu-interchange/Pages/default.aspx

I’m disappointed because a bus interchange is going to be key for the new bus network that gets rolled out over the next few years. It also seems that locals who have complained did not fully understand the proposal. They still seem to view buses as noisy smelly vehicles full of poor people just waiting to vandalise their neighbourhood when the opposite is true. They also failed to see just how beneficial it would be having what would be the equivalent of a train station on their doorstep giving them quick and easy access to many parts of the city. It is also disappointing that such a small group of people can prevent development that will positively impact on probably tens of thousands of others.

Te Atatu Routes

Yet at the same time I am optimistic. The proposal would have seen westbound buses along SH16 have exit then cross over the motorway to access the interchange, then get back across the motorway again before getting back on the motorway. With AT now looking at other options, hopefully they will now consider adding the interchange as part of a proper busway proposal.

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Te Atatu Interchange 3
The interchange is now on hold

AT have also included in their information a report on outcomes of the consultation through which they received 150 pieces of feedback.

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27 comments

  1. Hi Matt, You underestimate the intelligence of the general residents of Titoki Street, we fully understand the proposal, if you go to https://www.facebook.com/pages/No-Bus-Station-on-Titoki-Street you will see we are not against the Bus Interchange just trying to make sure our effects are fully understood under a formal process as piggy backing on the NZTA Motorway widening project does not enable a full and fair process for our effects to be mitigated. Auckland Transport would only have to stay within the already approved conditions under Designations of the District Plan which did not include a Bus Interchange…Maybe you are the one not fully understanding, All we asked for was that the proposal be publicly notified to be sure it was handled as it should be. I’m sure if this was happening in your back yard you would want the same consideration. Hopefully this pause will give time for everyone to think and properly consider the Bus Interchange proposal location and if it does turn out to be Titoki St more consideration given to the Titoki St residents.

  2. Is this the only transfer point where a big interchange like this is going to be needed? None of the other transfer points on the RPTP frequent map involve a bus route on the motorway (except the Northern Busway, which already has interchange stations).

  3. Further more… If Auckland Transport and NZTA had collaborated earlier on, the massive earthworks, big fences,retaining, landscaping, in ground stormwater detention that are happening now for the construction yard, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars could have turned into the Bus Interchange on the completion of the Motorway Widening project rather than being removed and binned in 4 years time. Surely this would have been a better use of our tax dollars and helped to reduce Auckland transports budget considerably.

    1. Now I’m no civil engineer, but do you seriously think the works being done now for the construction yard, and the works required for a bus exchange are even remotely similar?

      1. Yes. Large flat area, fully drained, strong foundation laid for pouring concrete, right next to motorway ramps…

        1. That construction yard is not at all like the station would be. The yard is not what you’d call fully drained. Doesn’t need to be as it is not going to be covered with concrete. Their drainage is very simple and all drains into existing pipes and also out through a little semi man made dit/stream out under the coastal walkway. The bus station’s drainage i suspect will all go out through the pixie stream. This will also mean a partial stormwater upgrade for titoki street.

  4. @ Donna’s last post. Don’t even go there. Having the interchange that far into the harbourview reserve/pony club will create an even bigger uproar. Plus, that would then have to be consulted with a much much larger amount of the community. Both sides of the motorway. I do notice too that the Titoki and surrounds resindents don’t seem to think the opinions of the residents over the motorway matter. Certainly the vibe I’m getting. The interchange is never going to go in at McCormick Reserve. So, it will either be on Titoki st, or over on the ex pony club land by the pylons. The pylons will pose a problem and will be quite expensive to move/alter.

  5. HI Jamee, You would see the Titoki st proposal from Te Atatu South side also . All I was saying is the actual location should have been better considered in the first place and publically notified so we as Te Atatu Peninsula & Te Atatu South residents get the best outcome and have a say on a Public Transport facility that will affect all of us. If Auckland Transport wants to reduce costs giving works 2 purposes would surely help.

  6. Unconvinced we should be paying any attention at all to loons like this, with statements like “Rubbish, vermin, vomit, vagrants, criminals, all the things that go along with Bus Stations”.

    You know who uses the bus in your neighbourhood? YOUR NEIGHBOURS.

    1. Agreed. Also, when they talk about these so called vermin, vagrants, thugs and criminals, they seem to forget that they have those type of people “Living” in titoki street. Or do they conveniently forget that because most of those people are having their houses demolished……….

      1. Besides all this, I do agree that Auckland Transport did spring this on everybody. Certainly came as a surprise to me when I first heard it. Considering how the nor-west parts of west auckland have always been ignored. All I thought was happening was that noise walls were going up and the remaining land switched to council owned open space.

        1. Where exactly did the residents call bus riders ‘Rubbish, vermin, vomit, vagrants, criminals’?

  7. Jamee: “All I thought was happening was that noise walls were going up and the remaining land switched to council owned open space.” Yes, that’s what we Titoki St residents were told was happening, then suddenly this bus interchange proposal was lobbed into that land, with the likelihood that it was going forward as a non-notified consent process. Which means our rights to officially object/have input were taken away. We have been asking for the proposal to have to go through a publicly notified resource consent application so that we can exercise our democratic right of making official input/objection. We object to the way in which it came about and the level or arrogance/incompetence in the consultation process (eg leaving a note in the letterbox late on Feb 20 afternoon to say that a meeting was happening about it at 7pm that same night. This was the first we heard of it.) And today, putting out a press release saying Titoki Street had been dropped as an option, then retracting that and replacing it with one saying Titoki St is going on hold while other options are considered. Incompetence? Politics? what’s going on behind the scenes that makes it look like incompetence? Anyway, the current situation is that we residents are in limbo again for 6 months while AT does the work they should have done in the first place – ie to properly consider all the options.

    1. All that is true. I just hope something is sorted out relatively soon. However it ends up being done, I just hope it can be done alongside the motorway works.

  8. I use the Te Atatu bus frequently, 1-2 hours a bus during non-peak times is horrible, hope the bus station goes ahead. I think the people against it are mainly gas guzzling heavy car users, which seems to be common place here on the peninsula. Though I really don’t know why they are saying stuff like drunks and criminals on the bus? 100’s of people from the Peninsula use the bus, I use the bus sometimes early in the morning, mid afternoon, and even very late at night, ive only seen one drunk in the past year traveling almost every weekday and every other weekend. I think they are just whining because they have to sacrifice there some of their land, who wouldn’t I guess. Could be placed elsewhere, i’m not sure, we will see..

    1. The 048/049 timetable has always been a disgrace. I’ve pushed and pushed for it to be updated.
      I hope the station goes ahead as well. God knows we need it. But I don’t want AT to think that most the current 048/049/080/090/087 services etc are going to be forced to end and/or transfer at the station. Then you might have too many people hanging around. But, in regards to the thugs hanging around. Those “Thugs” will be peninsula residents anyway, and probably live close by. They can’t act like somehow it will be attracting idiots from elsewhere and bringing them to what will be a relatively small station, as if their neighbourhood is all good and clear of these “thugs”. They’re talking about people who already exist in their area. But besides that, it will “NOT” be a place to attract crowds of thugs to loiter. There will also be frequent security and CCTV.

      If the station goes ahead there, which it is most likely to (because it won’t be using up valuble and precious parkland), I hope to god they put a footbridge accross to McCormick Park (they have given several other areas bridges). That way it is easier for people to get to a westbound stop that they may put next to the westbound onramp. I and a lot of others don’t want westbound/outbound buses having to loop round over to titoki and then to go back to the motorway.

      Time for bed now.

      1. Ped bridge? Nah, just build a west bound, single lane flyover to the Northern side of the motorway (city side of Te Atatu), full 2 lane busway past interchange/overbridge and then 2 lane flyover to get buses from both directions back onto the southern side to link to the Lincoln Rd interchange. Easy 🙂

        1. So you guys want these massive flyovers now. What about for the SH1-SH18 connection.

  9. Yeah, considering 048/049 is the only Downtown service for miles in the area, its shocking. Especially for somewhere so close. Henderson is further away yet it gets tons of PT options from NZ Bus/Ritchies and Veolia train services. Im all for 15 minute bus services from the Peninsula, they can put the interchange in front of my house if they like, but im afraid its too far from the motorway 😛

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