In just over a month, Auckland is going to see some of the biggest changes to our public transport network since the completion of the New Network over six years ago.
The decade between 2008 and 2018 was one of the most significant for public transport in Auckland. Almost every year there were significant improvements to parts of our public transport network, such as:
- various upgrades to the rail network like double–tracking, electrification and station upgrades
- the opening of the Northern Busway
- the introduction of region-wide integrated ticketing (HOP)
- integrated fares that make transfers easier
- completely revamping our entire bus network, the last upgrade of which went live in 2018
The network has continued to evolve, although not on the scale we saw during that decade. Some of that is of course due to the disruption brought about by COVID – but it’s also felt as if AT got a little shy of making changes.
So, while the changes discussed in this post are not to the scale that we saw during the decade mentioned above, they are still significant nonetheless.
Bus Route Changes
On Sunday November 17, Auckland Transport will finally implement a number of long overdue improvements to crosstown buses on the isthmus. The big headline change here – alongside a suite of other changes – is the unlocking of the OuterLink which will end the dreaded Victoria Park Pause and make the service more reliable.
When Albert-Eden Local Board member Christina Robertson highlighted some of these changes and the rationale behind them in a guest post a few months ago, the exact launch date was unknown. In addition, other big changes come on Sunday 17 November include upgrading the 650 and 670 routes to frequent status, meaning a bus every 15 minutes, all day, 7 days a week, and extending the 64 to St Lukes, plus a few other improvements coming alongside these, too.
As a quick summary, here’s what Auckland Transport says about the changes:
We are making changes to the OuterLink bus route in November. These changes will ensure we deliver an efficient and reliable service to our customers.
It is not meeting its promise of a bus every 12 to 15 minutes. It’s often unreliable, and buses are catching up to each other along the route. This means there is sometimes a long wait for a bus and then 2 turn up at once.
Circular routes such as the OuterLink are problematic, as buses often need to wait at some bus stops to adhere to the timetable. This often happens while passengers are on board, creating a poor journey experience.
We are also aware that some crosstown journeys are not as easy as people would like.
To address these problems, we’re making changes to some of the bus routes that cross Auckland’s central area. This includes increasing the frequency of routes 650 and 670.
These changes mean there will be an additional 40,000 Aucklanders within 500m of a frequent crosstown bus service (at least every 15 minutes 7am to 7pm, 7 days a week).
We will support these changes with other improvements for customers who will now need to include a bus change in their trips. This includes new interchanges and layover areas.
It’s nice to see that AT have put out an easy-to-read map highlighting the changes. Far too often in the past, it’s just been a wall of text. Good visuals really help people make sense of what’s happening.
HOP Card Changes
As well as changes to bus routes, there will be changes to how we can pay to use them: Auckland Transport is about to go live with letting people use their phone or credit/debit card to tag on to services. As 1News reports:
Aucklanders will be able to tap onto a bus, train, or ferry with their phone or credit and debit cards by the end of the year, said the city’s transport agency.
First announced to be rolled out in June this year, Auckland Transport delayed it until late 2024 due to supply chain issues getting equipment into the country and established in data centres.
Accepted payment methods will include contactless debit and credit cards, as well as Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay in the digital wallet of one’s smart device.
Contactless payments will be “another big step forward” for Auckland’s public transport network, said AT director of public transport and active modes Stacey van der Putten.
“Contactless payments is about having more ways to pay, making it much easier for people to use buses, trains and ferries.
“It’s about being able to turn up, pay and use public transport that gets people to more places without too much thinking ahead.”
Van der Putten said it would make public transport more accessible for tourists, visitors, casual users, first-time users, and even those regular customers who may have forgotten their AT HOP card.
“When we go live, the changes will only apply to standard adult HOP fares, so those customers qualifying for a concessions such as SuperGold, student and tertiary discounts will still need to use AT HOP cards.”
This is another change that has long been talked about, with Auckland Transport first mentioning the possibility around a decade ago. They haven’t yet released an exact date for this going live, other than saying it will be “before the end of the year”. This looks to be just a placeholder time-frame, and I’ve heard it could well be sooner if testing goes well.
There are a few other big changes for public transport in Tāmaki Makaurau coming over the next few years, such as the introduction of new electric and hybrid ferries – and of course the huge one being the opening of City Rail Link in 2026. Good to have things to look forward to, eh?
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Can’t wait for the contactless payments, although the new readers are definitely worse than before for trying to see if it has tagged on/balance. Maybe it is just being tall but the view is weird.
I totally agree. The font used is too small. Need to be three times bigger. It also sometimes makes the error chime after a successful tag on/off.
I had been enjoying the new displays, finding them easier to see if it’s tagged on our of properly. I guess we all see things differently.
The new type screens but with larger text would definitely be better. The old type had a very good text size for reading but the black text on a muddy background of the old style LCD displays gave poor contrast which was hard to read particularly in bright sunlight. The new LED type displays are much better contrast but the small text certainly makes it hard for anyone who uses reading glasses but doesn’t wear glasses all the time.
I much prefer the new machines and they seem to more accurately tag on and off (I had all sorts of accidental missed tag on/offs on the old machines).
IF I DONT HAVE TO HAVE A HOP CARD CAN JUST HOP ON A BUS ON A WHIM & USE CONTACTLESS PAYMENT ACROSS THE NET WORK i MIGHT GO BACK ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT
For once all-caps might be a legitimate and appropriate choice.
WTF contactless payments will not work for conversion fares. OMG AT get your sh*t together.
Think that’s coming later, and with national ticketing system. Cheer up dude this is a good start.
This is short term upgrade to allow contactless payments until HOP is replaced in 2026 with the new national ‘tap & travel’ payment system – Motu Move https://www.publictransportforum.nz/articles/article/new-national-public-transport-payment-system-12-06-2024/
Great for those who in the outer areas of Central Auckland.
What about a bus route between Kumeu to Swanson Train station.
Even better is that there are three routes from Kumeu to Westgate where you can get onto the WX1 or 11, which are very frequent and fast to the city. WX1 takes the m’way all the way to Newton Rd and both will go down Albert St once that reopens.
Do you mean “concession fares”?
It is not possible create a specific direct bus route from every starting point, to every destination across Auckland.
Contactless payments will hopefully drive a big increase in public transport use. No longer having to worry about your Hop Card (and the faff of delayed balance top ups via its app) removes a big source of friction for travellers.
Yes. Should help a lot with that.
Any word on if AT or Motu Move plan to support Apple’s express mode?
Go here: https://at.govt.nz/about-us/news-events/media-centre/2023-media-releases/swipe-right-on-public-transport-paywave-google-pay-and-apple-pay-coming-soon
I suppose that one day we will discover the cost of implementing this technology, and I wonder if it will be less than just letting everybody use public transport, for free?
Visiting stations like Panmure, they seem more like prisons than train stations. There is not a single seat inside the building for one to rest ones weary legs, phenomenal for a transit centre. Compare that with New Lynn, our earliest attempt, that still compares very favourably to almost every other; particularly as for some reason it does not require those “jumper proof” gates; which seems a bit ridiculous given that we do not lose security when someone rides for free, but encouraging physical activity to do so, could elevate adrenaline, and may actually cause more harm than the actual free ride.
Given that we live in this reality, I have happily taught my eldest son, now seven years old, exactly how much a human is worth, and how that a child is worth sixty percent of an adult, while a low income dad is only worth half a normal person. My youngest son, at four years old, cannot wait to get his own ATHOP card, which will be another cost that I will happily cover, as it does mean that three half persons are not driving a private motor vehicle, and so potentially as a small family, we are doing something positive for the environment.
But that will not save us from eventual poverty, so at some point we will need to open the Auckland Harbour Bridge to foot and non motorised wheeled (skateboards at least), so that my kids and I can spend a little more on kai, and a little less on moving between their mother’s and their father’s homes!
bah humbug
Completely agree with Panmure Station. I use it quite often and it is very disappointing every time I use it. Between the unused and bleak building, the concrete awful bus terminal and the platforms which are awful. A truly depressing experience which feels as if some American 60s designer built it.
Some improvements which would be much appreciated would be more seating, more noise barriers to stop car noise, rethinking the next train displays (the one heading from Pakuranga towards town is blocked by a sign right in front of it and when you can read the ones inside, they only care about trains in 40 minutes – not helpful) and other changes which would improve the passenger experience.
Yes, a display on the outside when you arrive on the west side, so know whether to walk fast to bus or a train.
“which seems a bit ridiculous given that we do not lose security when someone rides for free, but encouraging physical activity to do so”
There are some good articles around that discuss why the NYC subway felt a lot less safe (personal safety) to people a few years after they stopped cracking down on fare-dodging and gate-jumping. Essentially, the reverse of the broken windows theory – turning a blind eye to fare evasion means “this is now a lawful place”, and other bad things follow.
This is not a comment on the pros and cons of free fares, or the lack of seating benches. But having rules and then not enforcing them is generally much worse than not having rules at all…
Lol – Should have said “not” instead of “now”.
Why do one’s typos so often reverse the meaning…
I’d wager that the recent Onehunga stabber didn’t pay when he jumped on the bus.
We want to keep those who refuse to contribute off PT, because there’s a strong correlation between willingness to do that, and antisocial behavior and violence.
If you make PT free, the middle class will flee due to the discomfort that will follow.
These changes are being made by PR hacks who have not actually consulted anyone. The Outer Link “improvements” deliver a much worse service. The link from Newmarket through MtEden and down Dominion Rd to St Lukes is a great crosstown route. The changes wipe out that completely. The other day I bussed from Mt Eden Rd to Parnell in 15 minutes. The changes will mean THREE BUSES. And a much longer trip.
Many use the Outer Link from Mt Eden Rd into Dominion Rd. This is lost.
Most routes bunch at times. So what?
Fight the axing of the Outer Link.
I’m sorry it won’t be so good for you for that specific journey, but think how much better it will be for many others, including those that may not have even used the service yet. PS Transferring on buses can be fun!
I am all for PT, but transferring busses is never *fun*, it is at best not too arduous. I semi-frequently change busses from one side at Victoria Park to the other (usually to/from the Outer Link) or from Lower Albert Street to the other side of Britomart. While these are ok walks in nice weather and I am a fairly fit person, rain or having mobility issues (or walking with a kid) would make these trips annoying.
I agree that transferring is not fun. But if the stops are close by and the next bus is close by in time, they can work. That’s kinda the goal of these changes (and success was proven by the New Network). Yes, some specific people / origin-destination trips suffer from these changes. But the overall tends to become better – sometimes strongly so. This then supports the case for more buses than before.
The real problem is that people HATE losing something they go used to, even if the overall outcome is better. Emotionally, one is a damage done to you now, while the upside is a future potential promise only, and may not even happen (or not to you). Thus people act like bus route changes will damage their lives, and act like car park removals will outright murder them or their businesses…
Try to keep up. Changes to the outer link have been consulted on several times over the last 5 years, including surveys, public meetings, feedback brochures on buses, info at bus stops, online feedback, social media outreach, and engagement with local businesses.
There were consistent complaints from passengers about the bunching and delays on the Outer Link route, more than on any other route. Hence the calls to review the route.
So will the introduction of the 67A route replacing the 670 mean more or less frequent services between Otahuhu and Onehunga?
More frequent
Refer to the map.
My concern is the quality of the new ticket machines which frequently break down on the buses I use, and many times during a week there are free rides for all because the ticket machine is out of action.
Not a good start to using the new machines to give me confidence about the future for paying by any method via these machines. AT must be losing a lot of revenue through these free fares caused by the frequent failure of the new technology.
There are no ticket machines on any of the AT buses.
Any idea how the $50 cap would work on PayWave?
Seems like the next big announcement wont work with the last big announcement.
(Not that I get to use it from Pine Harbour)
Seems the fare cap won’t work on paywave and you will need to use a HOP card, hopefully they can implement this quickly. We just swiped our paywave cards on the NY subway and it stopped charging us once we had paid $34 within 7 days, it was great.
While this is a huge improvement for the Isthmus, I’d argue that the Interim NW bus changes last year were a much bigger change than this one. It certainly was from an investment perspective – both capital and operations.
It’s a way bigger change to the network, with 3 new frequent routes, 4 new services and a complete restructuring of many others making it easier to get around the NW internally and bringing many parts of the NW closer to the City Centre, with some places getting a bigger travel time reduction than the CRL will bring to the Western Line. Patronage has skyrocketed and the changes are paving the way for future upgrades to full rapid transit.