Northwestern Bus Stops Northwestern Bus Stops
Proposal status: Feedback open until 7 May 2023
Project area: West Auckland
Proposal outcome
In May 2023, we sought community feedback for bus services improvements at multiple locations across Northwest Auckland.
The projects below are proceeding without any changes:
NWB-002 - 379 & 460 Swanson Road
NWB-005 - 9-14 Metcalfe Road
NWB-006 - 11 Hikurangi Street
NWB-007 - 676 & 721 Te Atatu Road
NWB-008 - 10 Schoolside Road
NWB-009 - 55 Nobilo Road
The projects below are proceeding with minor changes:
NWB-001 – 235 & 233 Swanson Road
- We will be replacing the bus shelter with a bus bench.
NWB-003 - 449-455 Swanson Road
- We will be replacing the bus shelter with a bus bench.
NWB-004 is not proceeding due to issues at the site.
What happens next
We anticipate the changes will be constructed in November 2023. We will be in touch with the local residents and businesses prior to any construction taking place.
Community feedback
Thank you for helping us make better decisions for your neighbourhood, informed by your local knowledge. A summary of your feedback and our responses to community questions is below.
NWB-001 – 235 & 233 Swanson Road
Download NWB-001 updated drawing for 235 & 233 Swanson Road (PDF 1MB)
- Concern that the bus stops in the area are too close together.
These bus stops will help serve the new bus network that is planned to go live at the end of this year. The new network includes a high frequency bus route along Swanson Road and 2 routes that run through Larnoch Road. These bus stops will accommodate the additional routes and increased frequency of bus services as well as reducing the walking distance for passengers transferring between bus routes.
- Concern about tidiness and request for information about bus station maintenance.
If there is any issue with rubbish being left near the bus stop, the issue can be raised with Auckland Council, to see if a solution such as the provision of a rubbish bin can be investigated. Report a problem here: https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/report-problem/Pages/report-a-problem.aspx - Concern that the bus stop at 35 Swanson Road will stop traffic trying to get into the two lanes. Concern that the stopped buses will block traffic.
The bus stop will be empty for most of the time as buses only stop for around 20-30 seconds to let passengers on and off the bus. We anticipate that the traffic impacts from the bus stop will be minimal.
NWB-003 - 449-455 Swanson Road
Download NWB-003 outcome drawing for 449 - 455 Swanson Road (PDF 1MB)
- Concern that people already find it hard to turn in/out of the Fresh Choice and the stop will reduce visibility.
We've investigated this concern and have found that the additional five metres of broken yellow lines between the driveway and bus layover will improve visibility for people turning in and out of Fresh Choice.
- Concern that many people already find it hard to turn out of Earthsong and stopped buses will make this harder and reduce visibility.
Cars can currently park right up against the driveway that leads to Earthsong. Our design includes a 6-7m gap between the driveway and the rear of the bus layover which will make it easier to turn in and out of the driveway, whilst improving visibility.
- Support for bus stop but concern that additional space needed for the bus layover will remove parking in front of 449-455 Swanson Road and negatively impact businesses and future developments.
This bus stop and layover will be the terminal bus stop for a new bus route that will travel south down Luanda Drive, and then turn east onto Swanson Road. This means that the first bus stop and layover for this route needs to be located soon after Luanda Drive to prevent any gaps in the route to better serve people who take the bus.
The location in front of 449-455 Swanson Road was considered the best option as it is close to the shops and will improve access to public transport as the buses will be located nearby for a greater proportion of the time. The needs of bus drivers were also considered in this decision as they require a safe place to take their break.
Locations on either side of 449-455 Swanson Road were also investigated. However, the bus layover could not be moved further west because it would conflict with the existing pedestrian islands and could not be moved towards the east due to the Fresh Choice driveway, angle parking outside the shops, and the raised pedestrian crossing.
The length of bus stop markings and broken yellow lines is the minimum amount required for a bus layover to allow two buses to safely pull in, out, and park in the bus layover.
- Suggestion for buses to go into the carpark behind Fresh Choice.
The carpark at Fresh Choice is private land and buses cannot operate within that area. - Request that buses don't sit too long with the engine running.
Bus drivers are instructed not to leave the engine idling at bus layovers. - Request for some mobility parking and general parking at Earthsong.
While this is not a part of this project, we have logged your request in our systems for further investigation.
- Suggestion that the bus stop should be in-line with traffic to reduce parking removal and allow for the shelter to be further from the boundary, so it doesn't interfere with future shops.
In-line bus stops are provided throughout Auckland. This proposal is for a bus layover as the bus would wait for an extended period. Therefore, it is not appropriate for this project.
- Suggestions to relocate the bus layover to one of the following locations: past the shopping centre, on Arney Road, on the other side of the road.
The proposed location was considered the best option as it is close to the shops and will improve access to public transport as the buses will be located nearby for a greater proportion of the time. The needs of bus drivers were also considered in this decision as they require a safe place to take their break. Other locations nearby were explored, however immediately east there is the supermarket driveway, a raised pedestrian crossing and angle parking. Placing the layover further west was considered, however the current proposed location was favoured as it better services the shopping centre and provides optimal spacing between the bus stops before and after it.
NWB-005 - 9-14 Metcalfe Road
- Concern that water pools in the bus shelter to the point that it becomes unusable.
Thank you for letting us know. We’ve logged this request for the relevant team to investigate.
NWB-006 -11 Hikurangi Street
- Suggestion to locate the bus stop near the Tasti Factory on Totara Street.
There are several considerations for the location of a new bus stop, and one of these considerations is making sure we capture as many bus patrons as possible. We are planning to install a bus stop and layover on Totara Road, close to Te Atatu Road. The bus stop on Hikurangi Street aims to serve residents on Hikurangi Street, Rewarewa Road and Dawnhaven Drive.
- Will there be any other bus stops nearby and where will they be placed?
A new bus route will travel along Te Atatu Road, Hikurangi Street and Totara Road. As part of the new bus route, there is also a bus stop proposed outside 722 Te Atatu Road and a bus layover is proposed along Totara Road close to Te Atatu Road.
- What is the size of the busses?
The buses are typically either 12.6m or 13.5m long, 2.5m wide and 3.35m height. These are single deck buses.
- Concern that a bus stop will remove resident parking and a bus pulling in and out will be disruptive.
The length of bus stop markings and broken yellow lines is the minimum amount considered necessary for buses to safely pull in and out of the stop. The bus stop will be empty for most of the time as they will only be used when passengers board or alight the bus stop and only for around 20-30 seconds each time.
NWB-007 - 676 and 721 Te Atatu Road
- Request to move the bus stop proposed outside 676 Te Atatu Road to at least 674 to prevent people congregating at the bus stop outside a busy driveway (driveway leads to 6 houses which has many cars and lots of traffic).
Widening the footpath at the bus stop will provide pedestrians with enough room to wait for the bus stop without interfering with people using the driveway. Shifting the bus stop from 676 to 674 Te Atatu Road, or further south, would require the proposed pedestrian islands and bus stop outside 721 Te Atatu Road to also be moved south, to maintain a gap between the islands and the bus stops. It is not considered suitable to locate the bus stop outside 721 Te Atatu further south, as it would be too close to the intersection. Drivers are likely to overtake stopped buses and this is less safe if the bus stop is further south as it is close to where drivers queue in the right turn bay and turn in and out of Kervil Avenue.
- Concern that the bus stop blocks the driveway of 723 Te Atatu Road which has 5 houses, lots of cars, children who play in the driveway, unwell elderly, and because in an emergency it would take time for a bus to move.
The back of bus stops will sometimes cover driveways when there is not enough space, and this is common at many bus stops throughout Auckland.
The bus stops will be empty most of the time and will only be used when passengers board or disembark the bus stop and only for around 20-30 seconds each time. In the case of an emergency, the bus driver would be able to quickly move the bus.
- Suggestion that there is an existing bus bay just past Waipani Road that is not being used which would be used instead of a new stop.
According to our design standards, bus stops near a crossing facility (like the pedestrian islands in front of 705 Te Atatu Road) must be on either side of the crossing on different sides of the road.
If the bus bay was used, the corresponding bus stop on the other side of the road would be located around 650 Te Atatu Road. This location is not suitable for a bus stop as would be on a bend, meaning that drivers attempting to overtake the stopped bus wouldn’t be able to see oncoming traffic clearly.
- Concern that 721 Te Atatu Road will be developed soon which impacts this decision.
If there are any development plans, particularly altering the existing driveway, consented plans should be supplied to review the impact on this proposal.
- Concern about where to put the rubbish bins from 678-678D and the surrounding houses as they don't fit on the berm now and won't with this new stop. Suggestion for a designated bin area.
Residents may need to place their rubbish bins further from their house, but there should be enough room nearby.
- Suggestion that a signalised crossing would be more beneficial for the community as school kids cross Te Atatu Road and need to see past the busses easily.
The new bus stops are located after the proposed pedestrian islands, which will allow pedestrians to see approaching vehicles, including buses. The pedestrian islands in the middle of the road allow pedestrians to wait and only cross one lane of traffic at a time, improving pedestrian safety.
- Concern the bus stop at 676 Te Atatu Road will encourage more people to go through the private walkway which should only be used by residents.
We recommend installing signage to alert pedestrians that it is a private driveway.
- Concern that a new development at 686 will have 6 properties which means that 14 properties will need to put their bins somewhere.
These changes should not impact the development at 686 Te Atatu Road so there should be enough room to put bins.
- Suggestions to move the bus stop to the following locations: 688 - 692 Te Atatu Road, or 672 - 674 Te Atatu Road, 694 Te Atau Road by the dairy.
There are several considerations for the location of a new bus stop. Some of these considerations are making sure we capture as many bus patrons as possible and providing ideal spacing between adjacent bus stops. The bus stop location was chosen based on these factors. - Suggestion for broken yellow lines to be extended towards 682 Te Atatu Road as parking impacts driveway and bus access.
There are 3 driveways immediately past the proposed bus stop where parking is not allowed. This is sufficient distance for a bus to safely exit the bus stop and manoeuvre past a car that is parked just after the driveways.
NWB-009 - 55 Nobilo Road
- Concern that the bus stop requires the removal of a carpark which will increase congestion.
Parking removal here is required to ensure a 9.2m long footpath area is provided next to the bus stop. This will allow passengers to get on and off from the front and back door of the bus onto the footpath. This will improve accessibility for bus passengers with limited mobility.
The bus stops will be empty most of the time and will only be used when passengers board or disembark the bus stop and only for around 20-30 seconds each time. Therefore, it is not expected that the proposed changes will have a significant impact on congestion.
- Concern that the bus stop is over the driveway of 53 Nobilo Road which is an inconvenience.
The bus stops will only be used for around 20-30 seconds when passengers get on and off the bus.
- Suggestion to move the bus stop to 11 or 13 Nobilo Road as it would be easier to change their large grass berm into a bus stop and it would have less impact on parking and driveway access.
As part of the new bus route in this area, the location of the bus stop on Nobilo Road was investigated. There are many considerations for the location of new bus stops. Making sure we capture as many bus patrons as possible and providing ideal spacing between each bus stop are some of the key considerations. Bus stops are also proposed along Station Road and Schoolside Road. Positioning the bus stop at 11 or 13 Nobilo Road would put it too close to the proposed bus stop at 83 Station Road.
Join us in getting the Northwest region future-ready
These proposals are part of the larger Northwestern Bus Improvements projects, which aims to provide more travel options in the Northwest by creating reliable bus journeys both locally and for people travelling into the city centre.
For more information on the project, please visit the Northwestern Bus Improvements project.
To provide feedback on specific local bus stop projects or find out more information, please look below.
What happens next
- We’ll consider all the feedback we receive, and then decide the best way to move forward.
- We’ll post the outcome of this proposal and a summary of community feedback on this webpage.
- We can email you the proposal outcome as soon as it’s ready – just select that option when you fill in the survey.
235 and opposite 233 Swanson Road
We’re proposing to:
- Install a bus stop and bus shelter at 235 Swanson Road and opposite 233 Swanson Road.
- Install a traffic island by the bus stop opposite 233 Swanson Road. This is a raised block in the road to separate traffic lanes and keep drivers safe by preventing them from unsafely overtaking stopped buses.
- Widen the footpaths near the new bus stops.
- Install tactile pavers. These are yellow guidance markers which lead visually impaired people to where they can get on the bus.
This project aims to improve the bus experience on Swanson Road by:
- Upgrading the bus stop to be safer for buses, bus users, pedestrians, and other road users.
- Protecting bus users from wind, rain, and sun while waiting for the bus.
- Providing bus stops for the new bus service that will run along Swanson Road between Henderson and Te Atatu Peninsula.
Download proposal drawing for 233 Swanson Road (PDF 1.22MB).
Consultation Close Date: 7 May 2023
379 and 460 to 464 Swanson Road
We’re proposing to:
- Remove the bus stops and shelter outside 379 and 460-464 Swanson Road.
This project aims to improve the bus experience on Swanson Road by improving journey times as there’s another set of bus stops nearby.
Download proposal drawing for 464 Swanson Road (PDF 1MB).
Consultation Close Date: 7 May 2023
449 to 455 Swanson Road
We’re proposing to:
- Install a bus stop and bus shelter at 449 to 455 Swanson Road.
- Widen the footpath by the bus stop.
- Install tactile pavers. These are yellow guidance paving markers which lead visually impaired people to where they can get on the bus.
This project aims to improve the bus experience on Swanson Road by:
- Upgrading the bus stop to be safer for buses, bus users, pedestrians, and other road users.
- Protecting bus users from wind, rain, and sun while waiting for the bus.
- Providing an end of service point for the new 148 and 149 bus services.
Download proposal drawing for 445 Swanson Road (PDF 1MB).
Consultation close date: 7 May 2023
550 Don Buck Road
We’re planning to install school bus only signs at 550 Don Buck Road. This change would allow school buses to use an existing bus stop.
Public buses no longer use this stop because it’s not a stop on their route.
Download proposal drawing 550 Don Buck Road (PDF 1MB).
9-14 Metcalfe Road
We’re proposing to:
- Install a bus stop and bus shelter at 9 Metcalfe Road.
- Install a bus stop at 14 Metcalfe Road.
- Widen the footpath at 14 Metcalfe Road.
- Install tactile pavers at 14 Metcalfe Road. These are yellow guidance paving markers that lead visually impaired people to where they can get on the bus.
This project aims to improve the bus experience on Metcalfe Road by:
- Upgrading the bus stop to be safer for buses, bus users, pedestrians, and other road users.
- Protecting bus users from wind, rain, and sun while waiting for the bus.
Consultation close date: 7 May 2023
11 Hikurangi Street
We’re proposing to:
- Install a new bus stop at 13 Hikurangi Street.
- Widen the footpath near the bus stop.
- Install tactile pavers. These are yellow guidance paving markers that lead visually impaired people to where they can get on the bus.
This project aims to improve the bus experience on Hikurangi Street by:
- Upgrading the bus stop to be safer for buses, bus users, pedestrians, and other road users.
- Providing a bus stop for the new bus service that will travel between Henderson and Te Atatu Penninsula.
Download proposal drawing 11 Hikurangi Street (PDF 979KB)
Consultation close date: 7 May 2023
676 and 721 Te Atatu Road
We’re proposing to:
- Install a bus stop and bus shelter at 721 Te Atatu Road.
- Install a bus stop at 676 Te Atatu Road.
- Install a pedestrian island in the road between the new bus stops. This is a raised block in the middle of the road that protects pedestrians as they’re crossing.
- Install tactile pavers. These are yellow guidance paving markers to lead visually impaired people to the crossing and to where they can get on the bus.
This project aims to improve the bus experience on Te Atatu Road by:
- Upgrading the bus stop to be safer for buses, bus users, pedestrians, and other road users.
- Providing a safe location for people to cross the road.
- Protecting bus users from wind, rain, and sun while waiting for the bus.
- Providing bus stops for the new bus service that travels between Henderon and Te Atatu Peninsula.
Download proposal drawing for 721 Te Atatu Road (PDF 1MB).
Consultation close date: 7 May 2023
10 Schoolside Road
We’re proposing to:
- Install a bus stop and bus shelter at 10 Schoolside Road.
- Remove a tree so that the bus can safely enter the bus stop.
- Widen the footpath near the bus stop.
This project aims to improve the bus experience on Schoolside Road by:
- Upgrading the bus stop to be safe for buses, bus users, pedestrians, and other road users.
- Protecting bus users from wind, rain, and sun while waiting for the bus.
- Providing a bus stop for the new bus service that will run along Schoolside Road.
Download proposal drawing 10 Schoolside Road (PDF 1MB)
Consultation close date: 7 May 2023
55 Nobilo Road
We’re proposing to:
- Install a bus stop and bus shelter at 55 Nobilo Road.
- Install tactile pavers. These are yellow guidance paving markers to lead visually impaired people to where they can get on and off the bus.
- Widen the footpath by the bus stop.
This project aims to improve the bus experience on Nobilo Road by:
- Upgrading the bus stop to be safer for buses, bus users, pedestrians, and other road users.
- Protecting bus users from wind, rain, and sun while waiting for the bus.
- Providing a bus stop for the new bus service that will run along Nobilo Road.
Download proposal drawing 55 Nobilo Road (PDF 1MB).
Consultation close date: 7 May 2023