Bus Lane Trial Coming to Manukau Station Road, Manukau

Written by Ben Ross - Talking Auckland

Auckland Transport to trial a bus lane to help busses move through Manukau City Centre

Auckland Transport are being quite with this one but in just over a week a bus lane and speed reduction for Manukau Station Road in Manukau City Centre is set to be trialled.

From Auckland Transport:

Background

Manukau Station Road bus lane trial

Auckland Transport (AT) is proposing changes to Manukau Station Road to improve bus speed and reliability, and pedestrian safety.

Project overview

Manukau Station Road is a major corridor for the bus network, transporting thousands of commuters in the morning and evening peaks to and from the Manukau Transport Interchange. Given the increasing demand for transport in Auckland and limited opportunities for increasing road capacity in urban areas, it is important that we make effective use of the available road space for moving people.

We have identified a number of bus priority measures on Manukau Station Road to improve service speed and reliability. We have also identified opportunities to improve pedestrian safety.

Benefits
  • Time savings for public transport users.
  • Improved reliability of bus services.
  • Faster, better alternatives to travel by car.
  • Improved pedestrian crossing opportunities.
Timeline
  • 29 January – 15 February 2019: bus lane trial – eastbound side of Manukau Station Road.
  • March/April 2019: Assess trial and finalise wider proposal. If the bus lane trial is successful we may leave the lane in place until permanent road markings are applied.
  • April 2019: Consult of the wider proposal.
  • Late 2019: Construction.

Project details

Bus lane trial

We are trialling a bus lane on the eastbound side of Manukau Station Road, between Davies Avenue to Leyton Way.

The purpose of the trial is to ensure that any alteration to the road capacity during the operational hours of the bus lane does not adversely impact the nearby SH20 Lambie Drive off-ramp.

The speed limit along this section of Manukau Station Road will change to 50km/hr for the duration of the trial. This will apply to both sides of the road. Any permanent change to the speed limit will be consulted as part of the wider proposal of public transport and pedestrian improvements for Manukau Station Road.

What you need to know

  • The trial will run from 29 January to 15 February 2019.
  • The bus lane will extend from Davies Avenue to Leyton Way and will be operational 7am to 10am, and 4pm to 7pm, Monday to Friday.
  • The bus lane will reduce road capacity in the morning and evening peaks, impacting traffic in and around Manukau Station Road. Please plan your journey and allow extra time to reach your destination, or consider using other modes of transport to get there faster.
  • We will be monitoring traffic over the trial period and the signalised intersection timings will be amended, as necessary, to account for the new bus lane and help keep traffic flowing.
  • We may leave the bus lane in permanently if the trial proves successful.

Download the trial bus lane design plan (PDF 3.4MB)

The wider proposal for Manukau Station Road

The eastbound bus lane is part of wider proposal of public transport and pedestrian improvements on Manukau Station Road, including:

  • A bus lane on the westbound side of the road.
  • New pedestrian crossings.
  • Traffic signal changes.
  • Two new bus stops – one on either side of the road.
  • Some minor road widening.
  • Reducing the speed limit to 50km/hr (from 60kmn/hr).

Average vehicle speeds on Manukau Station Road are under 50km/hr currently due to traffic volumes. We believe that a lower speed limit is more appropriate because of development, including the new Manukau Transport Interchange, bringing more people to the area and supports our planned pedestrian improvements.

The bus lanes may also benefit the proposal for the Airport to Botany Rapid Transit project, which includes an option for using Manukau Station Road.

More information about our plans will be posted here online when the proposal is finalised. We anticipate this will happen in April 2019.

For more information on this project

Contact Auckland Transport

Manukau Bus Lane trial and where the permanent bus lanes would go
  • Manukau Station Road Bus Lane Trial

  • Manukau Station Road Bus Lane Trial

  • Manukau Station Road Bus Lane Trial

Source: Auckland Transport

The bus lanes and the 50km/h speed limit (down from 60) has been a long time coming since Auckland Transport decided not to place both in when the Manukau Bus Station was opened recently.

Manukau Station Road is the southern east-west spine for Manukau City Centre moving a lot of transit and pedestrian traffic to and from the area. Cars using the road in peak time are often rat-running to avoid the State Highway 1/20 interchange so reducing capacity to general traffic should force them back to State Highway 20 where they are meant to be.

As for the rest Manukau Station Road is a high pedestrian area with the stations, MIT, mall, Rainbows End, Police and Courts all flanking the arterial spine. Also Manukau Station Road (then Wiri Station Road) has not been State Highway 20 since the South Western Motorway was complete years ago, so there is no need to treat it as the car arterial it once was.

Manukau Station Road option 3 redevelopment potential Source: Panuku Development Auckland

Looking forward to the bus lane and speed limit reduction trial and said trial becoming permanent sooner rather than later.

Manukau station road redevelopment options Source: Panuku Development Auckland