Auckland Transport created a bit of a kerfuffle with Whangaparaoa residents last year with the suggestion the the Gulf Harbour ferry could be stopped after Penlink opened. Now they’re asking for feedback on how public transport services should work in the future and giving three options.
People on the Whangaparāoa Peninsula are being asked what they want from their future bus and ferry services, as Auckland Transport (AT) launches its four-week public engagement campaign today.
Auckland Transport has commissioned an independent study to identify a public transport network for the peninsula that would benefit the most people following the opening of O Mahurangi Penlink.
The opening of O Mahurangi Penlink will be a significant change for the peninsula says Dave Hilson, AT’s Principal Service Network Planner.
“We need to plan what this means for public transport on the peninsula and are asking people what’s important to them, whether that’s having a variety of transport choices, more frequent services, more direct routes, or faster travel times.
AT say they don’t expect to make any changes to services before 2028 when the existing Gulf Harbour ferry contract is due to end even though Penlink is currently due to be completed in 2026.
At a high-level the three options are
- Scenario 1: Existing buses and ferry run more often than they do today.
- Scenario 2: The NX2 serves a new Whangaparāoa Station via O Mahurangi Penlink throughout the day, and a new frequent bus service runs between Gulf Harbour and the new station. The Gulf Harbour ferry does not run.
- Scenario 3: The Gulf Harbour ferry service, and a new frequent bus service between Gulf Harbour and Hibiscus Coast Station. NX2 does not use O Mahurangi Penlink and serves Hibiscus Coast Station at peak times only.
I think Scenario 2 is the best but let’s look at them.
Scenario 1 – Existing buses and ferry run more often than they do today
In this scenario there is no change to existing routes but a few services would run more frequently, but not by much. To me this is the worst of the options.
Scenario 2 – NX2 via O Mahurangi Penlink, and frequent 99 bus service between Gulf Harbour and new Whangaparāoa Station
As I noted above, I think this is the best option and that’s because it will provide faster journey times for most trips. This option is the only one that would see buses make use of Penlink which also means it provides more options for people living in the area. In addition a new frequent bus will connect the eastern part of the peninsula to a Whangaparaoa bus station. The main trade-offs here are that the ferry service is dropped and people wanting to get to mid-town or the universities would need to transfer to the NX2 at Albany or one of the other busway stations – though given the frequency increases south of Albany, this should be a pretty quick and easy transfer.
One thing about this that AT note is:
When O Mahurangi Penlink opens it will have one general traffic lane in each direction. It will be future proofed to include bus shoulder lanes – these would allow AT buses to bypass any congestion in the general traffic lanes.
The bus shoulder lanes will not be available when the new highway first opens. At this time, it is not known when the bus shoulder lanes would be available to AT buses.
Why won’t Waka Kotahi have them available from day one?
Scenario 3 – Gulf Harbour ferry service, and frequent 99 bus service between Gulf Harbour and Hibiscus Coast Station
This is somewhat of a hybrid between the two options. It retains the ferry service but doesn’t make use of Penlink so in return the frequent service above is run through to Silverdale.
Additional Information
AT say they are not seeking feedback on a scenario where both the ferry is retained and Penlink is used noting
AT is not seeking public feedback on a scenario that includes both of the following:
- A frequent NX2 serving a new Whangaparāoa Station via O Mahurangi Penlink throughout the day, seven days a week; and
- The Gulf Harbour ferry service running throughout the day, seven days a week
The operating cost of such a network would exceed the available budget, which has already been set for the next ten years.
They have provided some other useful additional information about these options, most notably some estimated journey times from various places along the peninsula to either Silverdale, Constellation Busway Station or to the city centre.
In almost all examples, Scenario 2 will provide faster journey times, in some cases over 20 minutes faster than the other two options. Even catching the bus from Gulf Harbour to the city centre with a transfer is expected to be faster than the ferry from Gulf Harbour.
They’ve also highlighted this showing where people are travelling based on the 2018 census.
There’s more information about the options available on the AT website and they list some public sessions taking place over the coming weeks if you want to speak to someone in person.
Consultation closes on Sunday 1 December.
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Loss aversion theory means the locals will probably prefer option 1, even though it’s crap.
If the bridge has tolls, the traffic on this route can be managed so that bus lanes aren’t required.
From Gulf Harbour to the proposed Whangaparoa station is a single lane road (each way) that already faces congestion during peak times – how on earth it can be suggested that the bus is faster than the ferry is beyond belief.
This consultation looks like the old trick of asking your kids “do they want chocolate or vanilla ice cream for desert”, and not asking “what do you want’.
Consultation isn’t designed to answer the question “what do you want”. I think people falsely assume consultation is a form of direct democracy, where not being listened to means something has gone awry.
Answering the question “what do you want” is more for when you’re electing councillors and local board members.
The Northern Expressway is the best piece of bus infrastructure we currently have, so it makes sense to build from this.
A ferry will always be the nicest way to travel, but if Auckland Transport is serious about ensuring that public transport serves everyone, then the order must always be TRAIN, TRAM, FERRY, BUS.
The weakness of the Northern Expressway is Waka Kotahi’s inability (and apparent unwillingness) to unlock the Auckland Harbour Bridge. With this, the NX buses will be almost as good as the trains we have in the other areas of the city. This is very important because every time I cross North on that bridge, I feel sorry for all the people living over there who do not have access to a train station.
AT is promising TRAINS AT THE SPEED OF THE CITY and we live in a constantly gridlocked, inefficient, and private motor vehicle dominated “city”; which basically works against the very notion of THE CITY.
Wellington pays high house insurance, Auckland pays high car insurance. Wellington is built on an earthquake / flood prone hillside, Auckland is built on a field of approximately six century dormant volcanoes.
We need more apartments.
bah humbug
“The weakness of the Northern Expressway is Waka Kotahi’s inability (and apparent unwillingness) to unlock the Auckland Harbour Bridge”
It just isn’t though the bridge is usually pretty fine congestion wise even in peak traffic.
Wouldn’t bus be ahead of ferry?
It should be buslanes, busways, trams then trains. Ferries are something altogether different.
Hi Matt. I wonder if this is correct? Is not scenario 2 a NX2 from Whangaparoa
“The main trade-offs here are that the ferry service is dropped and people wanting to get to mid-town or the universities would need to transfer to the NX2 at Albany or one of the other busway stations”
Think he means from Silverdale / HC station you will need to transfer to NX2 at Albany.
They have incorrectly got a NX2 label on the HC station in scenario 2 when there shouldn’t be.
So the transfer at Albany or another busway station south of there will be necessary to get to mid-town/universities for those going from Hibiscus Coast Station when they currently can get a one seat ride from there (without a walk or another transfer etc from downtown). The current NX2 service to and from HC though is limited in frequency and is only peak direction at peak weekday times apart from a couple of night bus options from the city.
PLEASE take care when responding to the AT survey. If you want the ferry to continue, the Hibiscus Coast Ferry Group Admin team STRONGLY recommend Option 3.
By selecting Option 2 you are saying you no longer want a ferry and Option 1 seems designed to split voting between 1 & 3 thereby potentially diluting votes to keep our Ferry, such that 2 could come out top!
Once again, the cynic in me believes this is another example of AT being disingenuous with their options.
Here is some insight into why the Group recommend OPTION 3
– the ferry service is retained (ensuring fastest and most comfortable connection to city)
– ferry service relieves increasing strain on internal peninsula roading network and motorway connections where on/off ramps are likely to further slow motorway traffic
– a new frequent bus service (99) runs along the peninsula (every 15 minutes) – even more conges
– the NX1 & NX2 remain at the HBC Station (ensuring other Coast commuters don’t have to transfer further down the busway to catch).
– Provides option to still push for weekend ferry sailings and NX bus connections via Penlink (which should be occurring irrespective).
Providing decent PT to Whangaparaoa is just subsidising sprawl.
still seems bizarre to me to have Whangaparaoa’s bus station nowhere near the de facto town centre of Gulf Plaza or any high-density residential zoning. where’s the transit oriented development?
The is a “town centre” in Whangaparaoa.
Option 2 is the WORST option for those that live east of the Penlink and use the ferry. The ferry ride is 50 minutes uncontested and unaffected by road incidents and this type of reporting does not serve our community. The area has grown significantly since Fullers swallowed Discovery360 who used to operate the ferry with no issues. Clearly the data AT have supplied is designed to mislead people. Buses are more vehicles on the road and north of Albany it doesn’t take much for the ‘motorway’ to become a car park….option 3 serves both ferry and buses and is the best option
About to digest this more (or will I watch the US election results rolling in?) but be good if they gave a rough cost comparison between the options.
Any option needs to be assessed against cost per head and funding constraints vs alter atives. In a context where govt is saying AT needs to meet a higher % of farebox recovery. Ie more rates. Ferry PT is very expensive per trip and not flash for emissions given no electric ferries have this range yet. So unless area is happy to accept a targetted rate to maintain a less optimal ferry service … there is really only one viable option
As always they f%$# up the maps, NX2 showing in map 2 just confuse us all when it clearly states “The NX2 would no longer use Hibiscus Coast Station as it does today.”
Be also handy to know the current frequencies without having to look them all up.
Seems option 2 is the best and what AT want to do too. Considering the ferry is cancelled in bad weather easily, it sadly is best to say goodbye to it.
* label showing at HC station.
[then proceeds to make mistake too – but hey I edited mine.]
Looking at current ferry timetable, it’s 30-60 mins peak time anyway, so is it going to have a slightly better spread of 30 mins if they keep it in scenario one – doesn’t say in their details. Ditto with the 2 hourly middle of the day.
“As always they f%$# up the maps, NX2 showing in map 2 just confuse us all when it clearly states “The NX2 would no longer use Hibiscus Coast Station as it does today.”’
This is probably because the experienced graphic designers, and bus marketing people at AT have all been made redundant, leaving no one with any experience to check the maps and comms on those teams.
Could be, I guess they don’t want too many staff, $$$. Also thought I was going nutty (which I might be, but that’s another story), the map is showing different for the 983 NW of Red Beach shops that what is on the latest map and has been since the new network.
It’s showing cutting out the Red Beach Rd/Highway corner through Kukuwai & Taikura Ave’s which I presume is for speed but also as there is now more houses/people in that new subdivision now.
Feels like the best option is #2, but removing the infrequent buses, extending the 99 to Hibiscus Coast Station, adding an on demand shuttle like MyWay. Then keeping the ferry. Budget wise obvs won’t work, but that should be the long term ideal. And the best way to reach that imo is actually #3. I’m not submitting on it though, as I don’t live there nor travel there.
Seems silly to keep a ferry that costs an absolute bomb when a cheaper, more frequent and not any slower option is also being provided
Option 4: Run the Ferry during peak hours only (and on weekends). Run NX2 to Whangaparaoa station all day.
You might lose 1 bus service during peak time (unless numbers demand it) so it’s mostly cost neutral.
Would be madness not to use Penlink for PT.
As for the shoulder lane issue, I think it’s probably a case of them building one side of the road at a time (lane plus shoulder). Initially the shoulder will be used as a regular lane before reverting to a shoulder lane once the other side opens up (assuming central median barriers etc). It means long term if they build a duplicate bridge they can make the road 4 lanes very quickly and just cheaply tack on some shoulder lanes later.
Looking more at this, dropping the ferry and it’s specific connecting bus route, and shortening both the 982 & 983 clearly gives an efficiency gain to give more frequency to those and the new/replacement 99 route that can just loop at the end of the peninsular. Basically the 99 is replacing what most of what the 3 buses buses do.
you could easily combine the bits of the 982 & 983 that don’t double the 99 into a single route, terminating at Manly.
I’ve personally been partial to the idea of splitting the 99 into branches at Red Beach that go to Silverdale and orewa respectively, like in the hibiscus coast new network consultation – but the 9823 hybrid could potentially do that leg instead of complicating a core frequent bus route.
A bit of overlap is OK I think, so you don’t have to walk a big walk or transfer for a tiny bit of the journey.
It would be good if they explicitly stated how many bus services removing the ferry would fund, because the difference in cost per passenger must be stark considering the inefficiency of the ferry and the long distance
This is a frustrating part of the consultation. AT should be way more transparent at how expensive it is to run massive long ferry routes.
What about the public’s right to their ’travel option of choice ‘ ?? The ferry is a much nicer way to travel …. Quicker ? Potentially not …. But if services were more regular, and faster, environmentally friendly boats were utilised , it could potentially attract more commuters. And what about a car ferry option? With the roads already overburdened by an expanding population and poor ‘non- road’ travel options …improving ferry services may be the way forward…..
I am a Whangaparaoa resident and the ferry is a fantastic service to have. You can sit down with your laptop, have a cup of coffee and breakfast, and start your work before you get to the office. On the way home at the end of the day you can relax with a glass of beer or wine. There is also the opportunity to open another ferry terminal on the North Shore somewhere between Browns Bay and Takapuna, and run a limited service over the weekend.
Sydney has an excellent ferry service that works, but often seems to get overlooked in Auckland. Surprisingly the Greater Auckland website never really seems to embrace ferries which baffles me as it is a great way to travel which takes cars (and buses) off the road.
Why can’t we keep the ferries and have the buses still use Penlink but just not have a bus station? Have a Whangaparaoa bus that starts at the Gulf Harbour terminal, go down Penlink to the Albany station and people can transfer there?
There have actually been quite a few posts over the years on expanding the ferry service and the upshot has been it’s in the too hard basket. Some areas are tidal (Te Atatu Peninsula), some would require massive wharves (Browns Bay, Takapuna, I think) and most would still be quicker by bus, so why spend money that isn’t there.
However, for the Gulf Harbour ferry, it does seem a step backwards to cancel a popular ferry route in a harbour city that is crying out for more.
It does sound a nice option on a good day. I have used it going counter-peak in the morning to try it out. We were the only ones on it apart from the staff. Similar to the Te Huia train idea with the Wi-Fi, cafe and toilets. Don’t forget the cancellation rate is high due to weather then you have to alter the normal commuting routine to go some other way. Also the environmental issue is a thing too.
It would be sad to see it go but I suspect the opportunity cost is too high to keep it. Would be good if AT gave a breakdown for this particular ferry cost per passenger (see post yesterday for general ferry compare with train and bus).
“You can sit down with your laptop, have a cup of coffee and breakfast, and start your work before you get to the office. On the way home at the end of the day you can relax with a glass of beer or wine”
I think it’s worth acknowledging for a moment that what you’re describing is a service funded and subsidised by all ratepayers in Auckland.
And hugely subsidised one at that.
“The report showed that the Gulf Harbour run charges users $11.60 while the cost per passenger is $41.16.”
I think it would be lovely if every suburb of Auckland, near the water, had a marina and a nice boat (that came with an onboard bar for coffees and wine) to take people everywhere. That would be splendid. That doesn’t happen because it’s rather financially unprudent.
There’s a reason why ferries aren’t more common in Auckland. Fundamentally, they are only the correct transport choice if there is no competitive alternative land route for buses or trains to take. A very good example of this in Auckland is Devonport. In that instance, the ferries fares pay for the operational costs, because it’s able to compete due to its immense geographic advantages.
Likewise in Sydney, Manly has similar qualities to Devonport.
“The romantic and scenic qualities of ferries always generate support, just as happens with rail services, but service must be useful, compared to your alternatives, if it is to succeed long-term.”
https://humantransit.org/2016/12/ferries-opportunities-and-challenges.html
I’m not actually opposed to keeping the ferry. But as part of that, the option on the consultation should be for Whangaparaoa: “Do you want to pay a targeted rate or levy to keep the ferry?”
If the community is happy to take on that massive ~$30-40 subsidy themselves, then I’m all for them keeping their ferry. Otherwise, they should expect a financially prudent, but fair slice of transport spending.
Yes, and their rates need to be much, much higher to cover the construction cost of Penlink, its maintenance (and climate event damage repair) costs, and the cost impacts of all the traffic out will induce around Auckland.
Unless we should be charging that to the development company that is making so much money from the sprawl along its length?
Pen link will be a toll road, so the users will be paying for the cost of the maintenance.
The main problem right now with our buses is traffic lights and slow drivers and access issues which ill discuss further
Nx buses have such strong air freshners that personally i cant use them and take gulf harbour ferry instead which adds 4-6 hours to my weekly journey.
I would think the air quality caused by the air freshners wouldnt pass testing as safe for human consumption, Id suggest At does something about this but they will not discuss it.
How can they possibly suggest they finally build Penlink and not let buses use it? Why don’t they make the good people of Walkworth take the bus to Auckland via the old SH1, where they can watch people go by on the new motorway?
Surely a park-n-ride in the Cedar Terrance reserve area would be the first item on any plan? (Is this the same lot that just added two more years to redesign a bridge?)
This is a set-up to cancel the ferry, which should always be a peak-time option when patronage makes it a viable option.
Why stop ferries? Their huge benefit is they don’t take up road space and shift alot more people than buses do. It would be sheer stupidity to stop GH ferries.
Neither of these options is realistic for particularly operating NX2 and having fast, frequent service in & out of Whangaparaoa. We should be constructing a Dairy Flat Bus Station instead of Whangaparaoa bus station.
Residents needing NX2 at Hibiscus Coast bus station shouldn’t have to get off albany or wherever bus station & wait 10 – 15 mins which takes commuters time of use and journey longer. The 99 bus should go all the way to Dairy Flat bus station instead of terminating at Whangaparaoa. It’s going to be a fast, frequent service anyway.
Dairy flat is becoming an estate for a lot of commuters and would capture a lot of people if built park & ride. Also there’s the possibility of North Shore airport becoming a huge passenger airport in-future to consider.
Logically it make sense anyway to build a bus station at Dairy Flat since there’ll be an off-ramp & can build a dedicated on ramp Northbound for buses or perhaps any vehicle. For Southbound, you could easily build a off & on ramp at ends of station.
“wait 10-15 minutes” lmao clearly you haven’t used the Northern busway, the NX1 runs every 3 minutes at peak and the NX2 every 4 minutes so at most you’d be waiting a couple of minutes; if even that, cause I’ve seen NX1 and NX2 services arrive bunched together at the same time an awful lot which would make changing between them a literal immediate cross platform interchange.
Kiwis need to grow a pair and get used to transfers like the rest of the world.
Not good enough to “get used to” during winter & summer months, Cold during winter, stifling hot during summer! Commuters shouldn’t have to suffer!
Like i said. Grow. A. Pair. I’ve been commuting by public transport and by foot in all seasons for years. Your whining about weather is laughable – I’ve been more uncomfortable inside ubers and overheated private cars than i ever have been in a bus or train.
also fyi all the Northern Busway stations have full-length platform shelters and inside waiting areas. Changing between NX1 and NX2 buses or vice versa can literally be done without getting wet.