Major projects
Priority bus projects
Northern Busway extension to Orewa
The 8.4km Northern Busway operates as a full Rapid Transit Network, connecting to the CBD and rail/bus services across the east, west and south of the region. It also provides a strong transport core on the North Shore.
The Northern Express bus carried 1.5 million customers on the new dedicated busway last year.
The Busway has its own right of way only as far as Constellation Drive Station, although it operates with shoulder bus lanes through to Albany Station.
Plans to extend the Northern Busway up to Orewa are divided into two phases:
- connect the existing Busway at Constellation Station with Albany Station and continue to the Northern Motorway at Redvale
- extend the Busway from Redvale to Orewa.
This extension will have a number of benefits:
- reduce bus travel times
- increase reliability from locations north of Constellation Drive by freeing bus services from motorway congestion
- make bus travel more attractive to residents of Browns Bay, Albany, Orewa, Silverdale and the Whangaparaoa Peninsula.
Further investigations are required to confirm the nature and alignment of the extension, its northern termination point and the park-and-ride facilities required.
Target date: 2031-2040
More information on this project is available here:
Bus infrastructure improvements
Investigations are under way to upgrade the Panmure-Botany-Manukau corridor to a Quality Transit Network (QTN) as soon as possible. QTNs provide fast, high frequency and high quality passenger transport services between key centres.
This corridor will then be further upgraded to a Rapid Transit Network (RTN). RTNs involve a public transport system with a high frequency, high quality service operating on "transport spines" that do not get held up by traffic congestion. The route should also be future proofed for conversion to light rail at a later date.
Investigations are under way into the Henderson-Westgate-Albany transport connections to determine the best options for constructing both QTN and RTN connections from West Auckland through to the North Shore via the Western Ring Route.
The strategic benefits of a QTN/RTN route from Henderson to Albany include:
- providing a high quality public transport link between subregional centres,
- integration with intensive development along that route,
- relief of congestion on part of the Western Ring Route, and
- reducing the need for further road capacity on State Highway 18.
Target dates: east Auckland QTN 2010, RTN 2021-2031; west Auckland future proof the route.
More information on this project is available here:
