Auckland Transport have highlighted this before but it’s worth repeating in the lead up to the start of the CRL works. As part of the effort to minimise disruption and encourage people to use public transport which is more spatially efficient they will be installing a number of new bus lanes around the city centre.

Auckland Transport is adding more than 1.2km of new 24 hour a day, seven days a week, bus lanes to the city centre to minimise effects on bus timetables when construction starts on the City Rail Link (CRL) later this year. The work on the bus lanes starts this week.

In November, a new stormwater main being tunnelled under the eastern side of Albert Street between Swanson and Wellesley Streets for the City Rail Link will affect traffic lanes at these and the Victoria Street intersections.

Some bus routes and stops are being moved to new locations away from these construction works and an information campaign will inform bus users of the changes.

The new bus lanes will be on:

  • Fanshawe Street between Daldy and Halsey Streets
  • Halsey Street between Fanshawe and Victoria Street West
  • Victoria Street West between Graham and Queen Streets
  • Wellesley Street West between Sale and Queen Streets
  • Mayoral Drive between Cook and Wellesley Streets
  • Hobson Street between Wellesley and Victoria Streets

The new bus lanes will be marked using a system called EverGreen which has been developed to align with Zero Waste Policies. It is made of 90% renewable resources and is made in New Zealand.

“The main construction work involves trenching along Albert Street and will start next year. The work is expected to take about 3½ years. Bus changes will be staged around construction during this time,” says Chris Bird, CRL construction manager.

“We’d like Aucklanders who usually access the city centre by car to consider alternatives next year to minimise effects on city congestion”.

Auckland Transport will run a campaign early next year, closer to the main construction work, advising commuters to reduce their car trips into the city and will also hold information sessions on travel choices such as public transport, walking, cycling, carpooling and flexible working hours.

On Street changes for CRL works

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10 comments

  1. Citybound looks acceptable to me. But outbound (afternoon peak) buses will get stuck at the end Wellesley St and beginning Halsey St. Also no priority from Halsey St to Fanshawe Street. I really question is that the best they could’ve done? I reckon they should ban left turn from Halsey St to Fanshawe Street except buses. Problem solved – but that would surely get NZ Herald talking. Also, AT haven’t really been upfront as to where the termini are – the North Shore New Network consultation mentioned Symonds Street… but surely that can’t be?

    1. what do you mean no priority for halsey to fanshawe? That’s one of the new 24/7 bus lanes.

      They should definitely make the left of the two left turn lanes from halsey to fanshawe bus only, but the new green bus lane line on that map stops just short, indicating busses will be fighting it out with cars.
      The issue with banning cars from all left hand lanes from halsey to fanshawe is that halsey st north of fanshawe will still be closed so you can’t go straight ahead . Left turn then right is how many vehicles access wynyard qtr at the moment. Mind you at first there were large queues to turn right (and then presumably left), but those vehicles all disappeared after a couple of weeks and queues are back to normal now.

  2. They’re also resurfacing Wellesley St West this week. Not sure why – the old surface looked perfectly fine to me. I’m guessing it’s so they won’t have to resurface again any time soon (ie during CRL construction)?

    1. yeah i don’t know why they couldn’t have just painted yellow lines on the existing surface to remove the parking.
      Should have done that years ago, so much nicer biking up wellesley st now.

      Heading east, after nelson st, the left hand lane used to get far too narrow at the end due to the last couple of parked cars. Always had cars either violently accelerating to get past before it narrowed, or sitting patently behind me making it impossible to then pull out into the right hand lane. go past go past please, then the lane will be clear for me to go right.

      1. The road was resurfaced to eliminate ghost marking on the road when the new line marking is put in place – provides a cleaner look/surface and is much safer in poor weather conditions.

  3. Lets make it so after the CRL rail link cut and cover section on Albert Street is built, we have bus lanes on each side the full length of Albert street.

  4. Citybound on Symonds being AM Peak only is stupid, once again the other day my bus was stuck behind dozens of cars legally in the bus lane at PM Peak… It should be either both peaks or permanent!

  5. I’m all for Bus Lanes and Cycle Lanes, but does this mean that the two lanes already largely congested in peak PM timeframes, going up Hobson to the Southern Motorway will now be down to one lane? Hopefully an allowance has been made for this, as it already can take up to 30 minutes to get up Hobson Street before you even get to the motorway – taking things down to one lane will create more congestion at all points of entry to Hobson Street. Can anyone advise?

    1. > taking things down to one lane will create more congestion at all points of entry to Hobson Street. Can anyone advise?

      I think it’s likely to have no real effect on the wait to get on the motorway. The traffic standing still in those two lanes is basically queueing for the motorway ramp lights, rather than being congested on Hobson Street itself. At many intersections, there’s long green phases where no vehicles can get through at all, because they’re just waiting behind cars on the far side of the intersection. Going down from two lanes to one should mean that queue moves twice as fast to the ramp lights, but will be twice the distance.

      You’re still ultimately waiting for a certain number of cars to get on the motorway before you do. That’s not changed by the shape of the queue. Might as well have a long thin queue rather than a shorter, wide one.

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