Northwestern Bus Improvements Northwestern Bus Improvements

Where will the new bus stops be located?

There will bus stops located on the interchanges at Lincoln Road and Te Atatū to allow local bus services to connect to the express services along the motorway. 

Why do we need new bus stops on the interchanges?

The northwest is growing. By 2046, it is expected to have 37,000 new houses, 11,000 new jobs and nearly triple the number of people travelling along the Northwestern Motorway (SH16). The Northwestern Bus Improvements project (NWBI) will provide more frequent express bus services along the Northwestern Motorway between the city centre and Westgate. The bus stops on Te Atatū and Lincoln Road interchanges will allow the express services to quickly and easily exit and re-enter the motorway using the on and off-ramps. Passengers can transfer to local bus services that will have bus stops located close to the express bus stops. At least 4,000 passengers are expected to use the express services each day. Predicted residential and employment growth in this area supports the need for more public transport options in the Northwest.

Will there be park and ride facilities?

Park and ride facilities are not being considered as part of the NWBI project. Providing a park and ride in this already heavily congested area is likely to increase private vehicle trips, encourage more cars on the road and worsen local road issues. Additionally, building a park and ride facilities would be very expensive due to the high cost and limited availability of land around the Westgate, Lincoln Road and Te Atatū interchanges.

How can I get to and from the new bus stops if there is no park and ride?

The roll out of a new bus timetable will provide more local bus feeder services and improved routes to make it easier for customers to access the express services. When the bus stops on the interchanges open in 2023, there will be further service changes which will re-route and improve bus services to the new station. This means that the residential and commercial centres from the western suburbs will become more accessible via local feeder services and improved express services.

Improvements proposed over the next five years

Improved bus priority on the Northwestern Motorway (SH16)

The existing bus shoulders will be extended on the Northwestern Motorway (SH16) between Westgate and Newton Road to fill the gaps and provide a more reliable journey for people taking the bus into the city centre.

New bus infrastructure

The bus stops will include weather protected, high-quality shelters. Other features include passenger information displays and CCTV cameras that operate at all times. Good lighting will be provided to enhance safety.  

People can use local feeder buses to get to the new interchange bus stops where they can connect to express services travelling into the city using the extended bus shoulder lanes.  

Locations for park and ride facilities in the northwest will be considered as part of the long-term investigations, in alignment with Auckland Transport’s parking strategy, but will not be delivered as part of the current project. 

Westgate: Proposed locations of new bus infrastructure

The detailed design and resource consenting process for the new Westgate bus station will be undertaken during the next phase of this project and is expected to begin at the end of the year, with construction starting in 2023.

Lincoln Road: Proposed locations of new bus infrastructure

Te Atatū Road: Proposed locations of new bus infrastructure

Renderings of bus infrastructure

What to expect 

Work will be carefully planned and staggered over the construction period to ensure the safety of work crews, drivers and the community. 

All efforts will be made to minimise disruption; however, people are advised to expect delays and plan ahead.   

All work will be carried out within the existing corridor and no private land is required for work at Lincoln Road, Te Atatū Road and along the SH16 motorway corridor. 

Construction - Lincoln Road   

In preparation for the new bus interchange on Lincoln Road, a new roundabout will be installed at the intersection of Lincoln Road/Selwood Road/The Concourse, designed to accommodate double-decker buses as well as the large trucks which use The Concourse and Selwood Road.  

The work will include installing a central island with a mountable collar, reshaping the existing raised median island on Lincoln Road and constructing new traffic islands on The Concourse and Selwood Road.  

Construction is expected to begin in late early September and may require some full or partial closure of the intersection at times to enable construction activity to occur safely.   

Advance warning of any closure or restrictions will be provided to businesses on The Concourse and Selwood Road and we will work to time any closures to avoid peak traffic periods where possible.  

Construction - Te Atatū Road North –Titoki Street - raised pedestrian crossing (August 2021) 

Construction work will include new kerbs, berms and footpaths to narrow the entry to Titoki Street.  A new raised pedestrian crossing with upgraded lighting and signage will be installed to make it easier and safer for people on foot. 

Titoki Street will be temporarily closed at the intersection with Te Atatū Road to enable the construction of the raised concrete pedestrian crossing,  

When the work is complete, two traffic lanes will still exist, allowing you to drive into and out of Titoki Street at Te Atatū Road. 

At a later stage in the construction programme, the indented bus stop outside 378 and 380 Te Atatū Road will be extended to accommodate two buses with a new bus shelter.

New network for the northwest

Building bus stops at Westgate and the Lincoln Road and Te Atatū motorway interchanges will enable a high-frequency express bus service using the motorway to connect with local feeder services operating to each stop. 

This means we will need to review bus services and routes.  

It may mean having to change buses to get to your destination but with buses running about every 7-8 minutes throughout the whole day on the Northwestern Motorway (SH16), it will mean you can travel more often to more northwest destinations. Buses on the motorway will also have quicker journeys thanks to upgraded and extended bus shoulder lanes. 

In the near future, we will provide more information on the proposed changes to the existing network. 

The proposed improvements to the bus network are detailed in the maps below. 

Current all-day bus network map

The proposed improvements to the bus network are detailed in the maps below.

Current all-day bus network map

Proposed all-day bus network map

In 2014, we undertook public engagement on the Public Transport New Network proposals for West Auckland. In 2017, Auckland Transport implemented as many improvements to the bus services as possible with the limited bus infrastructure in place.  

Long-term plans (beyond 5 years) for rapid transit to the Northwest are being investigated by Waka Kotahi, which will build on these short-term improvements.  

Read more information on how we have used the feedback provided during the 2014 network review.