In the last year, improvements were made to the bus network here in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. This has been thanks to funding allocated from the Climate Action Transport Targeted Rate (CATTR) and the rollout of the new bus network in West Auckland. These improvements include the introduction of new routes, increasing the frequency of existing routes, and installing new infrastructure to improve reliability and accessibility, and to improve the customer experience on public transport.
So, top up and tag on your HOP card, we are going on a trip around the city to have a deeper look at these improvements, which saw the delivery of 7 frequent bus routes and the gains that have been made from the implementation of these improvements.
Route 74 and 76:
We will start on the eastern side of the isthmus with the upgrade of the former connector buses of 743 and 762 to become the 74 (Glen Innes to Onehunga via Sylvia Park) and 76 (Britomart to Glen Innes via Ōrākei), both routes run every 15 minutes ( 76: 6:15 am to 7 pm, 74: 6:15 am to 8 pm). These improvements went live in early 2023, to deliver alternative public transport options during the closure of the Eastern Line due to works undertaken as part of Stage 2 of the Rail Network Rebuild (RNR).
Despite trains returning to the Eastern Line in January this year, the patronage of these two services has continued to thrive, with the 74 averaging 2,100 boardings and the 76 averaging 2,750 boardings a day. An increase from an average of 1,600 on the former 762 and 1,400 on the 743 before the closure of the Eastern Line for RNR Stage 2.
West Auckland:
We’ll tag off our HOP card at Britomart and walk across Te Komtitanga and Commerical Bay to Lower Albert St to tag off the WX1 to head northwest. The service went live as part of the Northwestern Bus Improvements in November 2023. The WX1 is an express service (running every 10 minutes from 7 am to 7 pm) from the city centre to Westgate via the Northwestern Path with peak-only bus lanes on the motorway’s shoulder to act as an interim rapid transit service.
The 11T and 11W were also introduced between Westgate and the city centre with 11T going via Triangle Rd and 11W going via Waimumu Rd in Massey before joining the Northwestern Motorway at Lincoln Rd interchange before leaving the motorway at Point Chevalier to travel to the city centre via Great North Road and Karangahape Rd when the branch services are combined, the route runs every 10 minutes at peak times and 15 minutes outside peak times.
Two frequent bus routes were introduced for passengers from the WX1 to transfer to connect to Te Atatū and Henderson: the 13 (from Henderson Station to Te Atatū via Te Atatū Interchange) and the 14 (New Lynn Station to Lincoln Interchange via Henderson). These routes run every 15 minutes from 7 am to 7 pm, providing connections to Te Atatū, residential and business developments on Lincoln Rd, Waitākere Hospital, Henderson and New Lynn. Bike parking has been installed at interchanges at Lincoln and Te Atatū to help incentivise multimodal trips by bike and bus via the Northwestern Path, Henderson Creek Path, and Te Whau Pathway, with the latter currently under construction.
The WX1 is performing well, with the service recently passing 500,000 boardings since its launch. Patronage has also increased throughout West Auckland with patronage numbers in February 2024 showing an increase of 30% in Te Atatū and 25% in the Massey/Westgate area compared to patronage numbers in February 2020.
Plans in the future for the Northwest are:
40 new electric buses will be introduced to the 11T, 11W and the WX1 in April 2025, with the WX1 running on fully electric double-decker buses. These buses will help reduce air pollution and emissions.
A bus interchange is proposed to be built in Westgate to improve the customer experience when transferring from the 11W, 11T and WX1 to connecting services to Helensville, Kumeū and Huapai with indoor waiting areas, toilets, customer service desk and bus bays on both sides of the stations. Bike parking will also be installed for travel to the station via the Northwestern Path and the proposed cycleway on Hobsonville Rd, projected to begin construction later this year.
Waka Kotahi is investigating options for rapid transit between Brigham Creek and the city centre. The emerging preferred option is a bus rapid transit along the Northwestern Motorway corridor, similar to the Northern Busway.
Route 94:
We’ll catch the 112 to Hobsonville Point, take the ferry to the other side of the harbour at Beach Haven Wharf and walk to Beach Haven Town Centre to catch the newest addition to the FTN: The former 942 route, which last month was upgraded to become the 94 (Beach Haven to Takapuna Town Centre via Northcote).
This crosstown route runs every 15 minutes (7 am - 7 pm) and will improve access to public transport at Northcote Town Centre and to new homes built and under construction at the Northcote Development, a large-scale housing development led by Kāinga Ora. This service connects Northcote to town centres in Birkenhead and Takapuna, and to Akoranga Station where people can transfer onto the NX1, NX2 and 866 to either go across the Harbour Bridge to the city centre, Ponsonby and Newmarket or head north to Albany and the Hibiscus Coast. Early insights are showing that the 94 is averaging over 2,000 boardings a weekday, an increase of 300 - 400 boardings on the former 942 route. There’s also been an increase in boardings at the weekends.
What improvements are coming next?:
The 650 (Glen Innes to Point Chevalier via Balmoral Rd) and 670 (Otahuhu to New Lynn via Stoddard Rd) will be upgraded to become 65 and 67 in November 2024.
The 120 (Constellation Station to Henderson) is planned to be upgraded to the 12 in April 2025.
The following improvements are projected to be implemented sometime between 2026 - 2029, subject to Waka Kotahi funding:
The 15: Henderson to New Lynn via Henderson Valley Rd and West Coast Rd.
The 172 will be replaced by 17: Glen Eden to New Lynn via Titirangi.
The 37: Manurewa to Highbrook via Weymouth Rd, Roscommon Rd, Puhinui Station, Preston Rd.
The 361 will replaced by the 39: Manurewa to Ōtara via Clendon, Homai, Manukau and Tui Road.
The 376 will be replaced by the 40: Ngākoroa Station to Papakura via Auranga.
The 42: A one-way loop travelled around Paerata Rise, going to and from Paerata Station.
Like the routes discussed above, these routes will run every 15 minutes (7 am - 7 pm) and 30 minutes (6 - 7 am, 7 pm - 11 pm), 7 days are week.
Conclusion:
As we tag off, It is great to see the gains that have been made from introducing these improvements to help us create a more accessible, reliable and comfortable public transport network. If we continue to deliver more frequent transport routes to get from A to B, those gains will continue to grow, with less car congestion, less air pollution, and less emissions. Ultimately, alongside improvements to reliability with more bus priority and affordability with the $50 weekly fare cap, which was introduced last month. It will make getting around by bus, train or ferry (plus a bike ride for multimodal exploring) more attractive.
This is a lovely write up of the service improvements. Great work Shaun!
Great write up Shaun, clear and succinct. Well done!