There are a number of consultations which end soon that if you haven’t already, you may want to put a few minutes aside this weekend to have your say on

West Auckland New Network

Auckland Transport are consulting on the new network for West Auckland which will streamline the current spaghetti like group of bus routes into a more streamlined and legible network. The new proposed network is below.

West Auckland Proposed Routes 1

The main issue with the proposal is the lack of interchanges at Lincoln Rd and Te Atatu like was initially planned. It turns out they had to be dropped off due to a lack of funding with AT saying:

AT is redesigning the bus network across all of Auckland. Within each area, there are opportunities to improve public transport. However, the reality is that all changes will take time to implement, especially where major new infrastructure needs to be built, or where the cost of operating services will increase substantially. Both will require more ratepayer (Auckland Council) and taxpayer (New Zealand Transport Agency) funding than is currently budgeted.

For West Auckland, AT has taken the view that it is better to make as many improvements as we can afford to make in the next 2 years, to take advantage of the benefits electric trains will bring, rather than wait until all of the desirable infrastructure is in place.

The current proposal which is out for consultation is shown on the left-hand diagram below. On the right-hand diagram is the network we want to implement as soon as we have the necessary funding and consents to build interchanges at Te Atatu and Lincoln Rd, in anticipation of the long-term proposal to build a Northwestern Busway. We hope this clearly illustrates the benefits of the more frequent and better connected network that will be possible once the required infrastructure is funded and built.

West Auckland With and Without Interchanges

If you make a submission I would suggest you comment on the urgent need for these interchanges to be built (and in advance of the NW Busway) so a more legible and useful network can be put in place.

Northern Corridor Concepts

The NZTA are consulting on a number of potential options for super sizing the motorway from Upper Harbour to Greville Rd.  The NZTA say consultation is only open till the end of November so get your submissions as some of the options are horrific looking – although I’m not sure if that is a ploy to get people to accept the lesser options. Option 3 is perhaps the worst creating a mini spaghetti junction on the North Shore.

Northern Corridor Improvements Concept 3

The NZTA is also working out where a future busway extension will go. It seems that busway Concept 2 would only happen if motorway Concept 2 or 3 was chosen. The presence of the busway in the consultation plans seems to have had some thinking that the busway is once again going ahead after the government cut it from the funding package. However my understanding is the NZTA are just working out where they will put it and that it will remain unfunded.

In my submission I’ll be saying that regardless of what option is chosen the NZTA should build the busway first to see what impact that has and to give people a proper alternative.

Northern Corridor Improvements Busway

Shaping the Downtown public spaces

We’ve talked before about the Downtown Framework which is a document that is meant to bridge the various higher level plans and strategies the council have dreamed up and looks at what projects are needed to enable those along with how they could actually be implemented. The Downtown area covers the map below which has been divided up into 8 areas of opportunity.

Downtown Framework - Areas of Opportunity

The framework would see a number of new public spaces created or redeveloped and the council are wanting feedback on how that may happen and what features the spaces should provide.

You are invited to have your say on what you want from public spaces in Auckland’s downtown.

Lower Queen Street, outside the Britomart building, is earmarked for a new civic space, which will be created as part of early work on the City Rail Link. New downtown bus interchanges will make it possible to remove traffic from most of this area.

Two public spaces will also be developed on the waterfront near the ferry building. They will be funded by the sale of Queen Elizabeth Square, which means they will not draw on ratepayer funding.

Although these public spaces are still some years away, this is your chance to shape planning and tell Auckland Council what you want to see in them and what services you want them to provide.

“Aucklanders want and deserve world-class design, with places designed for people,” says Auckland Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse.

“Quality space is essential for residents, businesses, employees, visitors, shoppers and students.”

Lower Queen St

Feedback closes December 12

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6 comments

  1. All of these grand visions, consultations, concepts and constant redesigning is mainly just a money drain for the bureaucrats. What is required immediately, like tomorrow, is a lot of tweeking to the present operation. A bus shelter here, a toilet there HOP cards sold at bus stop dairies and a real look at weekend services and everybody please stop being so bloody precious about the whole thing.

  2. Question: Why do you need a busway to move the main Westgate-to-Lincoln bus route off Makora and Triangle Roads? The current motorway could be used could it not? My impression is that AT specifically want all the buses on Makora and Triangle Roads in order to serve those areas, and to fill the buses, as they won’t be full leaving Westgate, and therefore it’s too early to go on the motorway (or busway in your scenario). In other words, if a busway magically appeared between Westgate and Lincoln tomorrow, AT would not use it.

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