Making public transport faster and more reliable is some of the key ways to get more people to use it, meaning more people can move around the city. Yet far too often we rely on big projects to deliver these improvements. So it’s pleasing to see that Auckland Transport are consulting on a handful of small, low-cost improvements to Dominion Rd to speed up buses.
Auckland Transport (AT) is asking for feedback to change the operating hours of Dominion Road’s southbound bus lane by one hour, to help improve congestion.
AT is also proposing to install a peak time right hand turn ban at certain bottleneck intersections to improve traffic flow.
“Dominion Road is long, but quite narrow, and we simply can’t fit any more vehicles down it – it’s reached its peak,” Chris Martin, AT’s Road Network Optimisation Manager says.
“More Aucklanders are on move earlier in the afternoon, and this, combined with school traffic, means the peak travel time home on Dominion Road now starts at 3pm rather than 4pm. We need to keep pace with this, and make the appropriate amendments to keep it moving,” Mr Martin says.
“The only things we can do to speed up travel is to make the most of the space already on the road, and this means using the existing bus lane more, and to restrict right hand turns at key intersections.
“We believe this change will save the average bus passenger up to three minutes in travel time between 3pm-4pm along Dominion Road. That’s up to 15 minutes every week,” he says.
People who travel along Dominion Road will know all too well that it is often congested in peak times.
It’s been this way for more than a decade. While Auckland’s population has grown rapidly since, the number of vehicles that can fit down the road, around 25,000, has remained the same.
On top of those 25k vehicles, AT say.
Around 7,500 passengers ride a bus through Dominion Road each day, with 3,000 of these people tagging on at stops along this road.
This important route runs up to 29 buses (bus no. 25L, 25B, 252 & 253) per hour in both directions, making it essential for the community’s travel needs.
A key aspect to those bus passengers is when they travel as most will likely be travelling at peak times but AT traffic counts suggest that 1.5k vehicles travel the road in each peak period. So at those times buses are carrying the majority of people along the corridor.
There are only four changes being proposed and while they are small, the idea of restricting right-hand turns is bound to upset some people. So here’s what’s proposed.
Bus Lane Hours
Our data shows that more people are using Dominion Road between 3–4pm than in previous years, with the afternoon peak starting earlier and lasting longer. Carrying over 32,000 people daily, Dominion Road is a key bus route with growing delays—up to 6 minutes in the morning and 8 minutes in the afternoon. While the 4–7pm bus lane has improved bus travel during peak times, increasing congestion from 3pm, especially from school traffic and people working flexible hours, is now causing delays before the bus lane begins.
Proposed changes include:
- To help everyone move along this road more efficiently to ease congestion, we are proposing to add an extra hour to the weekday bus lane operating times along Dominion Road, heading southbound (away from the city) so that it starts at 3pm instead of 4pm.
- Changing the start time to 3pm will help reduce delays by 2–3 minutes for all road users and better support the longer afternoon peak.
They should make this change (or better) to all bus lanes around the region.
Memorial Avenue/ Dominion Road intersection
This intersection gets very busy, especially at peak times. In the morning, northbound (towards the city) traffic backs up from Mt Albert Road, and in the afternoon, southbound (away from the city) traffic backs up from Denbigh Avenue. These queues often block the Memorial Avenue intersection. Bus lanes end before the intersection, so buses get stuck in the same traffic as other vehicles.
Proposed changes include:
- 1294 – 1306 Dominion Road: we are proposing continuing the bus lane through the Memorial Ave intersection on Dominion Road. This means joining them up where it breaks on both sides (approx. 30-40 metres on each side). This will enable two lanes (one bus, one general) to move through this intersection.
- We are proposing to install part-time right turn bans at 7-10am and 3-7pm on weekdays in and out of Memorial Avenue from Dominion Road to improve traffic flow.
- Plans include installing broken yellow lines on Memorial Avenue, to improve traffic flow for those heading onto Dominion Road.
Wiremu Street/Dominion Road intersection
This area often gets congested because the road is narrow, there’s lots of activity along the sides, and its proximity close to two nearby sets of traffic lights (the Dominion Road / Balmoral Road intersection and a mid-block crossing near Rockfield Road). Turning in and out of Wiremu Street and Dominion Road also causes delays in both directions as vehicles can build up waiting for the vehicle to turn.
Proposed changes include:
- Restrict right turns at Wiremu Street (602-618 Dominion Road) to improve productivity and congestion
- The proposed times for restricting right turns in and out of Wiremu Street is 7am-10am and 3pm-7pm on weekdays and 11am-7pm on weekends.
George Street/View Road/Dominion Rodad intersection
This intersection experiences heavy traffic, especially during the afternoon peak period. Our observations have shown that southbound (heading away from the city) afternoon peak queues tend to originate from the Dominion Road / Valley Road intersection, often extending through the View Road intersection.
In the morning peak, the View Road / George Street intersection slows traffic because of its staggered layout causing inefficient signal timing. It’s a bottleneck for northbound (heading to the city) traffic and often makes it hard for buses to change lanes to turn right into View Road.
Proposed changes include:
- We are planning to upgrade the pedestrian crossing on the George Street/Dominion Road intersection by adding a raised pedestrian crossing, removing a set of traffic lights and a 24/7 right turn ban in and out of George St to reduce crash risks.
- We are proposing to install a clearway in front of 72-114 Dominion Road, near View Road to improve traffic flow. This will mean no parking is allowed on the eastern side of Dominion Road between Horopito Street and View Road (about 90 metres) in the afternoon peak, 3pm to 7pm on weekdays.
- At the View Road intersection, we also plan to remove the left turn slip lane and install a pedestrian crossing.
These changes look good so it’s worth supporting them, especially if you live in the area. Consultation is open until 25th May.
Perhaps my biggest issue with them is that it has taken AT this long to get to them. They should have made these kinds of changes years ago and looked to do the same thing on other arterials around the region.
Once small improvements like those suggested by AT have been made, perhaps we can also get back to progressing a bigger fix.
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Light rail on Dominion Rd is a great idea. No wait maybe we could build an underground metro system. No better still why don’t we build the tunnels for metro and just shove light rail in them? We can have all the expense of metro without the capacity. Who is with me?
Sounds like a great idea! I’ll look at getting a working group set up who can maybe start the consultation process with the public. Then ignore most of that provide some advice back to us in 3-5 years. Then maybe we can look at getting a business case underway.
Also been thinking, maybe we should chuck it down Sandringham Road instead? I heard there’s a few houses out that way.
I still reckon the RMA stymied surface level. You can’t even build a house the slightly shades your neighbours yard, how could they possibly build a noisy train line near existing residential houses?
Agree, as much as I liked it, I think surface light rail was going face some serious head winds from well connected and lawyered groups.
Transport is a permitted activity in a road corridor, it’s no problem.
Building train station entrances and elevated viaducts across suburban plots in Sandringham however…
Pretty sure the horse is well dead by this point, maybe leave it be.
at this point auckland collectively deserves the traffic woes and pollution after voting for numpties who break promises and numpties who take a flamethrower to those broken promises.
Pretty sure it’s not just Auckland that chooses the central government.
Yes I think we are only supposed to be up to the denial or anger parts, anything is premature.
There is currently a short 200m gap between the bus lanes that start/end at George St and the cycle lanes that start/end at Charles Street. These improvements should include cycle provision through the George St/View Road intersection to fill that small gap, which is currently the most dangerous part of my commute by bike along Dominion Road.
100%
“clearway in front of 72-114 Dominion Road, near View Road to improve traffic flow…. 3pm to 7pm on weekdays”
What exactly does “improve traffic flow” mean?
How will the clearway be utilized?
Should they remove these car parks 24/7?
Great about Wiremu Street. It’s so close to Balmoral Rd where people can go to avoid those right turns, and having Dominion Road obstructed by those turners avoiding the lights seems so unnecessary.
These changes were of course delayed in the past by the various wider Dominion Rd upgrades that have been deferred over the years.
There will be more like this on all the arterial that Connected Communities tied up for years. Great to finally see these happen. Need to be looking at bus lanes during events as well.
Wiremu Street should be left turn only permanently. Even at off peak times, buses and general traffic often get stuck there because people want to turn right and the intersection is blocked due to people not respecting the cross hatching.
Write in with that. Right turn out would probably be needed off-peak, but right in is not needed, as people can use Volcanic St (or McDonalds).
Ironically, the light rail scheme would have made these right turn bans much easier to manage, because you could simply U-turn in the right turn phase at the next lights.
The tracks in the middle mean there is space to U-turn at any set of lights.
2012 – we have this great idea for a modern light rail system.
2025 – what if instead of 4pm the bus lane started at 3pm
I just let out a hefty chuckle
2026 – too many objections from ‘stakeholders’; nothing was done
2028 – Monorail?
Nothing controversial here — all seems sensible.
The problem seems to be companies/owners claiming they were blindsided by these changes, and that changes will destroy their business.
Time for AT to be bold, and notify everyone that in the next 30 years, Dominion Road may become bus only (no private cars allowed) — regular updates and planning every 5 years. This should give everyone a chance to adjust.
“all seems sensible” ? That’s shorthand for “this is doomed for failure…”
The simplest, most sensible actions, get transformed into impossible dreams that never come to fruition.
Start charging car drivers who occupy public road space with their silly metal boxes with wheels.
They have been blocking our public space for too long and no one will stand up to them and say ENOUGH.
We need true leadership in this donkey town, if we wish to be considered a respectable city.
BAN PRIVATE MOTOR VEHICLES.
bah humbug
The fact that in the upcoming election or even previous election we didn’t have any candidates running on a platform of reimagining transport in Auckland is telling. Despite congestion being most people’s key issue…
It’s absolutely ridiculous to think that in the 15 yrs I’ve lived in Auckland that nothing has actually been done to improve the situation of transport down Dominion Rd.
Increasing population without providing the necessary infrastructure, what did they think would happen.
They ( the Council and Auckland transport) knew it would come to this and still did nothing.
Forward planning not exactly their strong point.
A large, sprawled out city with an ever increasing population but sadly no infrastructure planning in advance to go with this.
Stop wasting money with small fixes. Plan and do things properly and stop wasting rate-payers money.
As someone who takes a bus twice a day down Dominion Road, can I say the issue isn’t so much the time the bus lane starts as enforcement. I reckon every day there are cars parked in the lanes within the 4-7pm restriction, especially outside the restaurants. Buses have to stop and merge into the very busy car lane. Maybe a week of someone actually ticketing those cars would make a difference.
I don’t know if they’ve gotten slack since, but when I used to catch the 20 along New North Road I always saw AT staff and tow trucks at the ready for when the clear lanes were active.
Its why 24/7 buslanes make sense. No ambiguity.
This.
Yellow lines=tow truck driver removing the problem vehicle immediately.
ATs current plan will need AT staff onsite to sign off on tow trucks taking action.
I’m biking up Manukau Rd every day, and every single day there are cars getting towed at 4pm, with AT staff present. Is Dominion Rd not seen as important enough? Maybe just not enough tow trucks and staff to go around?
I’m not exaggerating – every single day, no matter how many they tow there just seem to be more queueing up to take their turn to get towed.
I’ve never seen a tow truck on Dom road (he says, on a bus, as it attempts to get around another parked car).
Cameras on buses, tickets sent out in the post (e-mail) with time stamped photos.
Yup, big success in NYC. If they can make it (happen) there, then…..
Because Dominion Rd is only 2 lanes each way at this point, the right turn restriction at Memorial Ave should be 24/7, not just in certain hours. There are good alternative options in both directions, and making it 24/7 makes the route planning consistent for drivers (and Maps directions etc). The survey has an option to suggest this, so it’s worth filling that out.
+1
I cannot fathom why they didn’t restrict right hand turns on Wiremu 20 years ago. It’s a constant source of holdups, the lights turn green and only a handful of cars get though before the lane is at a standstill because cars are parked in the bus lane and a car is stopped on the main traffic lane waiting to turn right into Wiremu. Meanwhile the traffic from Balmoral road intersection gets backed up along Dom Rd all the way to Valley road.
The 3pm bus lane start will be great for doing school pickups on the bike. Always a bit hairy biking through there when the bus lane is not in operation.
Agree. No one abides by the no right hand turn at certain hours, unless they actually policed it which seems unlikely. Can they use cameras?
Why didn’t they restrict it? Because car convenience is king (even when it affects car convenience!).
I know that when the Mt Albert town centre signals were redesigned some 5 years ago, a 3% (of total traffic flows) right turn caused some 10-20% overall capacity loss and corresponding delays. AT investigated for ages whether to ban that right turn, permanently or at peak. They decided it was too much a change for people to accept. It’s interesting they are now looking at it here, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
The easy way to fix the View Road intersection is to not turn right at View road! The few buses that currently do that are called express, and for a good reason.
Denbigh Avenue Roundabout wasn’t mentioned, this intersection is a shocker. Small roundabouts simply don’t work at rush hour. Buses in one direction park in the middle of the roundabout to let fellow bus drivers coming the other way have a chance. But you often have to wait 5 minutes for that to happen.
I get the felling AT don’t really want to fix Dominion Road as it will reduce the business case for Light Rail. Some pretty easy fixes that are not mentioned here.
Unless there are UK style cameras everywhere policing this (including when people block intersections by covering the cross hatching) it will not do much other than drum up well researched articles and robust drive show debate on NZ herald and ZB.
Lack of enforcement seems to be the main contributor to the driver quality (or lack thereof) in Auckland. I don’t think there is a day where I have driven that I haven’t seen offenses that, if they were ticketed by a police officer, would result in demerit points.
Maybe we need to expand what offences under the Transport Act parking wardens can enforce
Will AT commit to following official process?
Or will the project team incorporate valid feedback, confirm a great design and then…
… throw it all away because someone complained?
The supply of public goodwill to keep submitting when AT shows no respect for their own processes might dry up, you know…
It’s unfortunate that central government isn’t stepping and not saying “its time to build $7 Billion 4.5 KM Heavy Rail with 4 stations(Bellwood Ave, Balmoral, Pollard Park, Windstone) under Dominion RD” cause that right now it would solve Dominions congestion, vehicle use reduction, provide alternative transport mode, provide conveniency and accessibility! A lot of people down would be wanting a mode that gets them to Waitemata/Britomart same time as a car would! A Road user charge will be displacing vehicles to another main corridor(Mt Eden Rd & Sandringham RD) in the short term and in the long term 10-15 years time vehicle use will increase back to full capacity numbers again be back to the same issue. The whole road user charge is nonsensical and not practical solution to solving Dominion RD!
Ideally the government should scrap some RoNS roads(SH1 Whangarei to Port Marsden Highway, Hamilton Southern Links, Takitimu North Link Stage 2, Petone to Grenada Link Road and Cross Valley Link) and use the roads for next election cycle RoNs. Rapid transit like Dominion, which is in real need of Heavy Rail line right underneath! Also with adding Heavy Rail underneath we’d be solving housing supply, value of properties would increase due to convenience and accessibility, we’d be fixing rental market availability and reducing rental average prices in Auckland and making journey times quicker as a car would.
It’s unfortunate that central government didn’t get light rail built 8 years ago. That would have been much better. 4 minute headways, stops every 800m at street level right on the doorstep of shops and apartments, green tracked corridor for more urban nature, less expensive and more feasible.
Even more unfortunate that this current government cancelled light rail entirety without a replacement.
It was Winston Peters who waiting for all of the planning and consultation work for LR to take place, then he torpedoed the entire project
https://youtu.be/bNTg9EX7MLw?si=evC8K-98-5G3rQT8
Just out other day, great video of the benefits of LRT.
It is unfortunate that Council did not build light rail 25 years ago when it bought my Dominion Road apartment from me for that purpose.
“Auckland Transport (AT) is asking for feedback to change the operating hours of Dominion Road’s southbound bus lane by one hour, to help improve congestion.”
Why do they need to consult over this? Just do it and save some money and time?!
This would also save them all the waste from having to first accept & use that feedback in a redesign and then backtrack it all under small backroom pressure.
The Local Government Act requires decision-makers in the local government sphere to do certain things. One is to demonstrate taking account of the preferences and opinions of people affected by those decisions. AT sees itself as needing to comply with these requirements – because if they don’t there are great howls of outrage in this democratic system.
A clear direction needs to be given by Government and Council that AT is intended to be unshackled and free to make whatever decisions it thinks are best for the whole regions transport needs without pandering to the selfish interests of locals. But instead the law is going to change the other direction and AT scrapped in favour of decision making by councillors and local boards who only care about projects that will get them re-elected by the ignorant selfish masses.
“Why do they need to consult over this? ” AT is required by law to consult on these projects. Solution, lobby Govt to change the law.
Light rail was fradulent to begin with. Anyway, it is dead. We cannot afford it. End of Story.
Now, AT Transport: why not institute xpress buses along Dominion Road, and restore the xpress bus on New North Road? Costs us (not you as you are paid by us, the taxpayer residents) far less – just a few more buses and drivers.
Correct, we can only afford to spend billions on roads such as Mill Road and East West Link. We can also afford billions on tax cuts for landlords.
ah yes, surely the fact that dominion road buses have been overcrowded and unreliably bunched up for years at the maximum frequency that sporadic bus lanes can handle – to speak NOTHING of the congestion where bus routes all interline at Symonds St and Wellesley St – can be solved by a few peak express services. The truly brilliant (/s) minds of the so-called fiscally responsible at work.
Not sure how effective an express bus would be if the only way around an all stops bus is to pull into the stationary line of traffic in the general lane.
The express bus goes via Ian McKinnan Drive and and Queen Street, a significantly more direct route. But not many of those and only at peak.
It’s not really an express bus as it used to be though.
Up until early 2010s, express meant non-stop to Mt Roskill shops (which was always fun as there were always people in the bus wanting off before that).
These days it’s only non-stop to just past the overpass, i.e. Charles St.
Same the other way around. That was a great service, especially for people from Lynfield and Blockhouse Bay.
Yes, surely there is demand for very limited stop one via Ian McKinnon all the way to Lynfield and Blockhouse Bay. Pity with the split I guess it kills it’s power off a bit. No stops between SW Motorway/Denbigh Ave say and Upper Queen St apart from one at the midway point of Balmoral Rd.
Checked the timetables, old Jan 2021 sure had more “express” buses compare to now.
There was 17 in the morning and evening peaks compared to 10 morning and 5 evening ones now. 2.5 & 3.4 hr span to now just 1 hr & 1/2 span.
I guess when less people worked from home & bus budget/trimming of some peaks services they got the chop. Of course this peak/express is more a city centre one compared the standard 25 bus which passes right by the University.
Part-time right turn bans will be useful across the network, so demonstrating them on Do-minimum Rd, using mix of static signs and VMS will provide monitoring of compliance and benefits as proof of concept, to use them elsewhere, such as Carrington/New North Rd. At least demonstration of minor changes will build support for lots more minor changes, while we wait for politics and the economy to align for doing a real fix to the tramway suburb.
Can they head to full 24-7 tidal lanes and full right hand turn bans?
At last some fixes for Dominion Rd. Let’s go for it. I think some similar things were out on hold due to the impending light rail plans.
Why do they need two through lanes southbound on Dominion Rd at View Rd?
They have to immediately merge, and they inevitably block the bus lane. Going southbound, have a left turn onto View, and a single lane continuing on Dominion. Done.
George Street-Dominion Road is an awkward one because that is one of the few ways to get from Dominion to New North Road.
I guess it will all just shift to Charles St which leads to George (sounds royal). That Charles looks dangerous turning out of to Dominion due to the motorway like bit coming from the overpass downhill run.
Actualy not downhill at all, I checked, more up hill but it’s motorway like.
Have just been to Shanghai on business public transport was great metro system I would suggest our organization goes there to see how it is done .
Above and below ground .
I guess when they say:
“We are proposing to install part-time right turn bans at 7-10am and 3-7pm on weekdays *in and out* of Memorial Avenue from Dominion Road to improve traffic flow.”
..they just mean *into* Memorial Avenue from Dominion Road, based on the drawings.
A month is a long consultation time for a set of straight-forward changes. I appreciate that there may be a legal minimum timeframe, but it seems too long.
Should be announced on Friday and goes live that Monday. Great, move on to the next thing..
They should close Memorial off completely from accessing Dominion Road for cars, but retain a pedestrian traffic light function. Then fix the Denbigh Ave roundabout
Well, at last something is happening. Better late than never I guess.
Rather than tinkering around the edges, here’s a simple plan for Dom Road
– 24/7 continuous bus lanes the length of it
– Safe pedestrian crossings (raised or traffic lights) across all major side streets and Dom Road itself more frequently.
That’s a concept which recognises Dom Road’s importance to efficient bus transport and pedestrian movements, especially around the busy shopping districts.
AT should get ambitious and actually transform Dom Road they way they say they will transform Auckland’s transport… not holding my breath though.
Oh and re the survey, has anyone else found it weird? Instead of asking if submitters support/oppose/support with reservations/recommend changes etc, it asks
>Is there anything you think we should consider for this proposed change?
With the response options
>Yes/No/I don’t know
So which option do you pick if you support or oppose a proposal? It’s not very clear.
If someone at AT is listening, please talk to a survey design professional and make things clearer, so people can express their opinion in an intuitive way.
Perhaps they are trying to make it clear the consultation is not just a voting/popularity contest with a question like that.
get rid of all road side parking, city to hillsborough. full time bus lane. high tow and fine.
otherwise make it one direction with sandringham rd like hobosn and nelson st.
How about a sort of heavy duty cow catcher type device on the front of buses? The bus continues in its lane, and if someone has dumped their car in the lane, it gets bunted out of the way. No chance of a driver shortage when the role includes that perk.
Personally think it’s the perfect opportunity for central government to step in and say “we need a ‘rapid transit corridor on Dominion RD’!” Which transport mode??? Heavy Rail of course! ALR failed due to Mt Roskill community protest of 4 line corridor between Heavy Rail & MRT mingled together due to their kids safety be at risk. Already a designated Southdown-Avondale line and bought land by Kiwirail meaning Dominion Rd only transport mode to transition to is ‘Heavy Rail’!
Balmoral and Dominion RD corridor is a perfect opportunity to start construction underneath! More 50-60 year olds would use public transport instead of private vehicles cause of accessibility, convenience and be same speed as car to CBD if a line existed underneath Dominion RD & Balmoral!
A lot of young couples or married ones, who wanting to start a family can’t afford to purchase their first x like in the olds days due to massive price value of homes in Auckland ranging from $1 Million-$1.5 Million to purchase if you really something that’s personally going to need to suit couples needs. We can’t continuously building these houses that are so far away from the CBD anymore and build them on greenland’s we’re taking way too much and taking away biodiversity!
From a savings stand point, it’s near impossible for couples to save up for 4 bedroom house unless you live soo far away from CBD and have luxury of WFH. Not everybody can do WFH from Auckland and $1 Million- $1.5 Million is way too high for any young saver wanting to start family! If you even include the bank mortgage interest rate every time the reserve bank hikes the cash rate, $1 million – $1.5 Million becomes near impossible for couples cause the interest is 60-70 % of $1 Million purchase, that equates to $1.6 Million – $1.7 Million with interest included! Which almost impossible for most couples since sometime in your life likely face redundancy and paying off mortgage takes most people 20 years, cause you also got to save for your retirement due to superannuation not enough to live off. Most couples don’t work $120,000-$180,000 in house hold or can consistently be able too either over a 20 year period due to lack of career progression and maintaining high salary position. Most banks expect at the moment for any young saver to have a savings of over 50% or higher to purchase a property and covered by insurance in-case something was to happen cause inability to pay mortgage. A fair value house price for Auckland would be $700,000-$800,000 for 4 bedroom. If 50-60 couples move out and opted for high density complex, they’d likely sell their 4 bedroom house for $700,000-$800,000 to anybody wanting to move in and start a family! If there were a Dominion RD Heavy Rail line, property investors would see ‘value’ in construction high density of 6 level apartments and 50-60 couples would see the benefits of moving due to convenient/accessible closer to city Heavy rail link! Also value of properties would rise if construction started and community would have more control of what type of property coming to neighbourhood since land be harder to purchase and amount of units in one apartment complex be less than other apartment complexes that have more as years go by meaning more community control.
I really don’t get this fixation about vehicle weight, heavy or light, or even the type of wheels, pneumatic tyres or flanged steel wheels.
What is required is the separate right of way for rapid transit.
Between fully separated for the entire system/ route, and between very largely separated, but some at grade sharing or crossing other modes.
Determining this, answers the at grade, or sub surface question.
Finally, and only then, should the question of wheel type, and then heavy or light be considered.
Anon has a real irrational fixation on heavy rail and refuse to acknowledge facts that refute their obsession. starting to suspect they could be autistic or have something going on upstairs.
It’s not about the weight, it’s about picking the ‘correct mode’ of public transport for Auckland, which is ‘Heavy Rail’. LRM won’t have future in Auckland and shouldn’t have future, doesn’t provide flexibility, be fast at adapting to peoples needs, direct travel without waiting station for even a minute and versatility which Heavy Rail does provide! LRM doesn’t provide any economic gains while Heavy Rail does!
LRM no future for Auckland, so forget it!
lol what a joke
“flexibility” light rail and light metro can go on twice as steep gradients as heavy rail (6% vs 3%), tighter curves.
“be fast at adapting to people’s needs” light rail and light metro can be built on new routes where growth is
“direct travel without waiting [at] station for even a minute” LMAO i’m sorry, you’re the idiot proposing 20 minute peak service frequencies for your wack heavy rail lines! 20 minute waiting times! what are you even on?
“versatility” heavy rail cannot replace an overcrowded bus service like light rail can. heavy rail cannot have new routes added to it. running freight and suburban passenger trains on the same tracks is inefficient and hampers the operation of both.
“LRM doesn’t provide any economic gains” – what a load of bollocks, any mass transit mode provides economic benefits; and i guarantee you a more frequent light rail/tram line down Dominion Rd would produce far more benefits than an infrequent, overly-expensive heavy rail tunnel.
you are DREAMING, mate.
Selecting the right mode is extraordinarily route specific.
It is very dependent on the specifics of the available corridors along the length of the proposed route, including possible extensions.
Interestingly world wide the most prevalent mode conversions have from general road corridor to light rail, and from heavy rail, to light rail.
Followed by general road corridor to separated bus ways.
Worldwide, metropolitan heavy rail additions have been largely perimeter extensions, (such as our Manakau Centre Branch) or central city capacity and access improvements, mostly fully tunnelled ( such as our Auckland CRL)
ALR failed because of its cost, Anon. it was grade-separated through the Isthmus, there would have been no safety risk to children.
There’s a real need for Heavy Rail line underneath tunnelled 4.5 KM long below Dominion RD, be fantastic opportunity to breaking a bottleneck in out public transport system currently! With it opportunity to be convenient & accessible corridor for all commuters and while living there! Definitely massive opportunity to get property investors hooked into designing high density complexes in Dominion Rd and will be willing to do if guaranteed rail underneath Dominion RD! Property investors see that as an asset to community & good reasoning to build!
If the government decides to place ‘Road-user charges’ Dominion RD, its not going to do any good for the city and even the other bus routes 24B&R Sandringham RD, 27H,T&W Mt Eden RD will be negatively affected by change. more private vehicle usage will happen cause road users will avoid ‘Road-user charges’ for ‘free road’ like Sandringham RD & Mt Eden RD meaning increased traffic and result in displacement from Dominion RD!
The more housing stock for 50-60 year olds placed, the better it will be for the community overall, property CV increases, more harder to purchase land, harder to build massive amounts of housing units but perfect to create create twice bigger housing space of normal units for example 1-2 bedroom units meaning higher CV property value purchase to get better living experience!
You are completely unhinged