The focus for improvements to public transport around Onehunga in recent years has been in the form of trains with services reinstated to the town centre back in 2010 after being stopped 37 years previously. The station has since been wired up and is now ready and waiting for our new electric trains to arrive. Positively patronage at the station has also been steadily improving and combined with the station at Te Papapa, is likely to exceed 2016 level of patronage that was predicted when the station was built.
But while the trains have been added, not a lot of effort had gone into the local bus infrastructure until now. Not far from the train station is the Onehunga Transport centre which is a bus interchange. It was previously not very inviting and I would say actively worked to put people off using buses. It had very little seating or shelter, the footpaths were quite narrow. Further while the bricks probably looked good when they were first installed, they come across as tatty and dull in the streetview image below.
On Sunday the transport centre officially reopened after a makeover and it looks much better. These images are courtesy of Auckland Transport.
The upgrade fixed the issues mentioned above as well as a few others. One thing I’m not that impressed with however is the amount of clutter on the footpath. on this short stretch of road I count at least 5 poles with what I assume are no parking or bus stop signs on them, there is a rubbish bin, at least one real time sign and a light pole. I do however really like the look of the bus shelters and also added another feature that doesn’t appear obvious at first, Kassel kerbs.
These special kerbs we invented in the German city of Kassel back in the mid-90s as a way to improve the customer experience of people using modern low floor buses, especially for those who are disabled. It is actually quite a simple concept as it is just a concaved kerb. The driver moves into the kerb which helps to keep the bus the right distance from the footpath. The kerb is also slightly higher than normal so combined with being closer to the footpath, means that the gap between it and the bus is much smaller than it would otherwise be. It is therefore much easier for people to board which can speed up dwell times. In many ways it is similar to having a level boarding of trains like we will have with the low floor carriage in our new EMUs. I believe that they have also been used at a few other locations and that there is now a local manufacturer of them so hopefully they can eventually be rolled out to all bus stops. Here is a little video about them
Starting this Sunday a new service will be calling at the upgraded transport centre. The current 380 Airporter service which goes between Manukau and the Airport is being extended to Onehunga although oddly not all services. The route is actually identified in the RPTP as a frequent route meaning it will eventually operate with at least 15 minute frequencies but I guess that will come later as the new bus network starts to be properly rolled out. Here is the route.
The buses running this route have received the AT branding similar to the Northern Express (although the logo is smaller). The bright orange is certainly eye catching and perhaps suggests that buses on each of the frequent network buses will get route specific colouring.
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I’m pleased to finally see real time information screens at Onehunga. I always thought it was odd that such a major interchange didn’t have real time screens. A quick look at the train and bus timetables shows that the connection times are quite good for rail-to-bus connections. I probably will use this instead of the much more expensive Airbus Express service!
The bus train connection is let down by two things. Although the timetables should line up in practice they don’t especially in the evening rush hour (a 30 minute delay is common). Also bus drivers will not wait for people coming off the train and vice versa. It is only really an issue when going from the train to a bus further south. This will hopefully change once buses stop going all the way into town. The more pressing issue especially during winter is that there is no bus shelter by the train station. I have contacted AT about this and they have said no changes will be made until the RPTP is being rolled out (so maybe 2 years away). In the end I either walk to and from the train to Mangere Bridge or get picked up from the train station if the weather is bad.
Another argument against privitisation – no coordination of different modes so that connections are a nightmare. It should be guaranteed that there is a bus waiting for each train. PT 101 failed again by Auckland.
I believe the issue with the real time displays was that there wasn’t enough power available to run them. The upgrade allowed them to sort that out.
This service frequency needs to be greater than 15 minutes from the start. Getting it to 10 minute frequencies minimum and make sure you have some connections for those with early and late flights. Build the demand for bus lanes and then airport rail. Getting the RTN map extended to the airport would be at least a physiological boost to the network to show that it goes to high demand locations ie the Airport. It is a good start but we should go big or go home
Not sure I agree, mainly because:
1) there’s many other bus routes in Auckland where 10 minute frequencies would deliver more patronage; and
2) The airport already has a 10 minute service – the Airport Express.
Airport Express is $16 OW and doesn’t serve Newmarket where the train does.
10 min train frequencies wouldn’t be possible due to the single track status of the line.
I rather thought that the fiasco NZ Bus encountered with its localised brand liveries – WakaPacific, Metrolink, etc, – would have provided a salutary lesson to AT that specific route liveries are a bad idea because, due to the nature of a bus fleet, you end up running ‘incorrectly’ liveried buses on specifically identified routes thus confusing the issue. Rather than even more liveries, we just need one standard livery to emphasise the point of integration. It’s one of the reasons London buses are universally recognised and it adds significantly to the public utility. How many times do we need to reinvent the wheel in this city?
The company running these buses only runs the airport runs.
which bus company runs this route?,is it the same company that runs the other “blue” airport buses?
ah sorry,read the post above me.its nz bus.
Tranzit.
That is incorrect. The blue Airbus Express buses are operated by Johnston’s Coachlines. The orange AT Airporter buses are operated by Tranzit Coachlines.
If the train-bus connection is to be promoted as an aiport route, why have two timetables? There should be a single Britomart – Airport – Manukau timetable, similar to the below example from VLine in Australia. The bus and train portions of the journey even have the same service number.
http://www.vline.com.au/pdf/timetables/temporary/Bairnsdale3.pdf
Integrated timetables is how it used to be in NZ, when InterCity Rail and InterCity Coachlines were one outfit, and it’s still the norm in many parts of the world. Auckland PT would be far better off to go with mode-neutral timetables, and this airport route would be a great place to start.
Good point Geoff.
Makes sense and gets a route underway prior to any rail line making it to the airport.
I agree it is time to promote this service in combination with the train. I’ve used the 380 Airporter service from the airport to Papatoetoe to catch the train. This is infinitely preferabe to the new service to Onehunga Station and should be the one promoted with a through timetable. At Papatoetoe it meets trains on the sourthern line (south and north) and the eastern line so serves a much wider area than the occasional train from Onehunga. Additionally the new bus timetable shows 18 minutes from international terminal (11 from domestic) to Papatoetoe Station while it is 27 minutes to Onehunga from International (and over 30 from Domestic). AT should make it 15 minute frequency and promote a through timetable and through fares. Why wait a couple of years to increase frequency?
It would be very nice if, when integrated ticketing comes in, we had one timetable for everything.
When the Airporter service started it was run by Tranzit Coachlines, who I think are still running this service. The Airbus service is run (as far as I know) by Johnston Coachlines.
“Jesus is Lad”, eh?
I was about to ask you “what the hell?” and then I saw it in the first photo – gold!
Zoom in and you can see that it is actually LRD. Txtspk for lard. My guess is that he’s not keen on cycling.
If you go to the street on streetview it is actually “lord” is just google’s image stitching that is a bit wonky…
Spoilsport.
would Jesus take public transport in Onehunga?
Well donkeys are few and far between in Onehunga and I doubt that he has a drivers license so I guess it’s PT or walking. Mind you he does have a key advantage in respect of walking given the water thing. He’d be great on Piha Rescue or maybe running a little wine bar/fish restaurant in the CBD.
Station looks nice.
I tink that there are many better options for this service, but at least it is an improvement.
Please elaborate …
I think that running a service from the north, and one from the east would be better. I think that the one to the North should run all the way to the CBD, or to Penrose and have 10 minute frequencies. The Onehunga train lien doesn’t go often enough to make this a reasonable service.
There already is a bus service that runs all the way to the CBD. But regardless, the idea of through routing all buses into the CBD is thankfully something that AT will soon be doing away with. A frequent bus service connecting to and from the train at Onehunga is preferable to an infrequent service all the way to town duplicating the train along half its length.
precisely my thoughts as well.
Exactly: Listen to the BBC.
There is only the private one going airport to CBD, and I don’t feel that is a good way to operate PT (for profit).
I agree that generally we shouldn’t terminate buses in the CBD, but I think that this is one of the only exceptions (NEX Dom road, and Mt Eden Road being others). Most rips to the airport on a bus will terminate in or near the CBD, and as such I think that the airport service either needs to connect to a train station with good frequencies, or go all the way to the CBD either of those would be better options.
I think Penrose station is the the best short term solution until the CRL is built.
I do agree to an extent that Airbus should bring their fares in line with other bus routes. The current fare seems too high.
Oh for godsakes! How hard is it to actually label the fare options from the giant piece of infrastructure in the middle of the route, i.e. the airport? Imagine for just a moment you’re a newly arrived tourist (or just, you know, an Aucklander) thinking they’d like to use this service. Pukaki Bridge doesn’t mean didly to you… you look at the map… where am I again and what does that mean for where I’m heading? End-user design 101 – remove superfluous information and offer fare information that the user at THAT PARTICULAR stop actually needs. Airport to Onehunga = $X, Paptoetoe Station = $Y, Daily passes all zones = $Z. But no, we still assume everyone understands the “stage” system and how it relates to the rest of their journey (note: they don’t).
And I’m sorry but 2 whole years for a lousy 15 minute frequency that starts and ends when exactly? Auckland… fails again!
You know that the AIFS is going to change the fare structure right?
Yeah, so, when? I’m an end-user NOW. I need the information NOW. Not when it’s convenient for AT. Christ does anyone understand the concept of customer service? If that’s the attitude towards providing information for PT users then no wonder Auckland is a mess.
I agree, I spent 5 mins looking at that fare map trying to work out how much it cost to go to the airport!?!
And what is with that map? Overly detailed, overly complicated, totally un-user friendly. You don’t need every damn street in the region identified. Name the major stops, the major roads, provide a simplified gemotry for the route and identify major interchanges and places of interest. Why does this have to be pointed out?
And do these buses have an automated verbal message of upcoming stops? It bloody well should. So. Utterly. Basic.
This is an excellent example of a printed route map. There’s nothing worse than maps that omit important locational information on the assumption that everyone has the same local familiarity that the map designer has. The stylised London Underground map works well because it is backed up by more detailed bus route maps. Putting price information on printed maps leads to huge wastage every time the fares are revised. Of course this map is not one that would be used at any of the route bus stops or online as that it is the level at which Tim’s arguments become relevant.
automated verbal message? So. Utterly. Complex. And. Expensive.
I agree with Kevyn – keep the detailed information, at least online so that people who are not familiar with the route can do some research before they decide to hop on the bus. The new maps at some of the bus stops miss out a lot of information though, I think they should include some major landmarks and some other important roads e.g. helpful if you want to connect with another service. It’s nice to be able to know where you are in the big city! Also it’s helpful to have detailed info if someone catches the wrong bus by mistake and has to hop off and try again.
Automated messaging should be standard on buses. We’ve had the GPS system for over a decade now. Why has this not been translated into a verbal ID system for users… “Next stop… Pukaki Bridge”? ESPECIALLY for an airport bus where your potential user group is entirely unfamiliar with Auckland.
And no, you’re wrong, detailed maps are completely useless and this one is just as terrible as all the other ones – locals know their way already, new arrivals don’t care, they just need the basics. Give a straight line with major features and interchange points related to the stops (and which routes intersect where). Don’t provide some squigly line through the backstreets of Auckland that doesn’t tell end-users what they need to know. Provide average journey time and fare information. It’s so incredibly basic. the London maps wok well because you have the option and it shows all this information that the end user would need. Auckland doesn’t even provide that. Useless.
The Northern buses leaving Albert Street have both a metro, and a road map of the routes, it is very handy to see the general picture, and the finer details.
To be honest they don’t look all that different from normal high profile vertical Krebs. The fillet at the base is certainly nowhere near the size of the wiki example.
Anyway, most Krebs are slipped formed these days using a simple mold. Good idea however to reduce tyre wear.
Hi guys
It seems that there used to a lot of buses in the Auckland city region its seems to be all gone missing?
Like the current MAN large proportion of them are gone? And a batch of the Scania Bus (the airport and howick eastern bus types) is gone missing too?
Jacky
Actually, the thing you *do* need at an airport, especially an international one, is a warm body to sell you a ticket and make sure you get the right bus for where you are going. Last time I came into Auckland the woman selling tickets for the Airporter made sure that I got the service which went past the Auckland hotel I was staying in. OTOH I can think of a very bad experience I had at another airport where I got thoroughly lost because this sort of basic public service wasn’t available.
I can see how visitors would get confused about transport choices to the city . They need simple signs saying what to take where. Otherwise everyone defaults to the expensive express bus to town . This service is a good step though for locals. I live in mangere bridge and it’s crazy to have to resort to a $20-25 taxi or friends just for the ten minute journey to the airport! Not to forget the people who work around the airport who live nearby.
Looking at the timetable this does connect perfectly with the current Onehunga rail services, it planned to leave station a few minutes after train arrives.
In a related point any idea if Onehunga line will get better frequencies with electrification. I know single track limits things somewhat but 20 or 30 minute frequnecy would be big improvement, especially as Mangere Bridge residents will be using this airporter service with frequent network rolled out, and then will need to change at Onehunga, so much better to change to a quicker train.
New bus service. … 1) quite good but afternoon bus was 10 minutes early. yep i know unheard of right. or was it 20 minutes late There is only time point (the beginning ) so who knows which bus it was. Hey AT you need to check your route times a little better than that.
What is the deal l with not being able to use the all purpose (that is what they led us to believe) HOP card. Cannot believe you introduced a new route new bus and did not keep it up to date with current payment options. (what were you thinking). In fact currently you have to pay cash for every fare how many years ago is that? Thought we were trying to move forward.
First point, ‘Auckland Transport Blog’ is an independent blog about transport and surrounding issues that is supported by the Campaign for Better Transport. It is not in any way related to Auckland Transport or Auckland Council.
AT HOP is not yet available to buses. It will be rolled out from this month on Urban Express buses and will be in place across the entire network by next year. It’s a gradual process towards integrated ticketing.
If a bus is late, then the best thing to do is to complain directly with AT. http://www.maxx.co.nz/feedback/complaint/vehicle-complaint.aspx
Of course, because as a member of the public wanting to complain about the Hop card or the reliability of the AT bus, I’d know to go to a MAXX website. Any more brands you want to throw into the mix?
Maxx is being phased out. My understanding is that a new website will integrate http://www.maxx.co.nz with http://www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz.