ARTA Media Release
24 January 2008

Major improvements to North Shore bus services coming up

North Shore bus commuters will benefit from major improvements to services with the opening of the new Northern Busway shortly, including increased frequency for the highly popular Northern Express service.

They will also be the first to use the Auckland Regional Transport Authority’s first step towards the introduction of a single transferable ticket, the Northern Pass.

Auckland Regional Transport Authority General Manager, Customer Services, Mark Lambert says, “The Northern Busway will provide a new connected bus system for quick and convenient travel around the North Shore, to Auckland City and back, and across the wider Auckland region.

“With the opening of the Northern Busway, North Shore residents can look forward to improved frequency on key routes like the Northern Express, better connections, more direct routes and better coverage across many areas on the North Shore.

“The busway, combined with feeder bus services, is one of the steps towards ARTA’s development of a new passenger transport network concept for Auckland. It will open up travel options for North Shore residents who can use a local service to get to one of the five busway stations and transfer at modern facilities to other local North Shore or Auckland services.

“The new Northern Pass transferable ticket ARTA has developed in association with its bus operators, and the lower priced Discovery Day Pass, means commuters will also be able to easily change services between different bus operators around the North Shore and Hibiscus Coast”, says Mr Lambert.

From Sunday 3 February, many North Shore bus services will travel via one or more of the new busway stations at Akoranga, Smales Farm and Sunnynook; while some bus services, like the popular Northern Express, will stop at all five busway stations.

The Northern Express has been operating since November 2005 and regularly carries about 58,000 passenger trips a month, resulting in 500 fewer cars making the congested trip from the North Shore to the Auckland CBD each morning.

Mr Lambert says, “Because the Northern Express has proven so popular, the service will now be operating more frequently – every 5 minutes during peak times, and every 10 minutes inter-peak and from 8am to 6pm on weekends.

“While many services will operate more often, a small number of bus services will have their frequency reduced due to low patronage, with a handful of services no longer running.

“The decision to modify some of the services and routes was made after a review of North Shore bus services, taking into account patronage, running times, the availability of alternatives and the best use of ratepayers’ money,” says Mr Lambert.

The Northern Busway is a partnership between the Auckland Regional Transport Authority, North Shore City Council, Transit New Zealand and Auckland City Council, working together with the bus operators, to provide Aucklanders with a world-class passenger transport system.

An average of 70 buses an hour will use the Northern Busway during the peak period (Monday-Friday) to head south from the Akoranga busway station to the Auckland CBD. The busway is designed to accommodate up to 250 buses an hour by 2016.

Mr Lambert encourages passengers to get more information (including new timetables) about North Shore bus services, and travel planning advice by calling the MAXX Contact Centre on (09) 366 6400 or visiting www.maxx.co.nz. North Shore residents should also look out for an information pack in the post and for a service changes information flyer on buses to and from the North Shore.

About North Shore and Hibiscus Coast bus services from Sunday 3 February 2008:

Hibiscus Coast
 893, 894 895, 896 898, 899 – Travelling via Albany Centre, Albany, Constellation, Sunnynook and Smales Farm stations, then via Taharoto Rd to Takapuna and mid-town.

Albany
 Northern Express services – Increased frequency: every 5 minutes in peak, and 10 minutes inter-peak and core weekends (8am to 6pm), stopping at all busway stations.
 560 service – Extended to Massey University and travelling via Apollo Dr instead of East Coast Rd.
 880 – Weekday frequency will be doubled from every 60 to 30 minutes.
 886 – New route via Browns Bay shops, Carlisle Rd and East Coast Rd to Constellation station, with improved weekday frequency from 60 to 30 minutes.
 887 – New route via Glamorgan Dr to Albany station and Massey University, then to Constellation station via North Harbour Industrial Estate, with weekday frequency improved to 30 minutes.
 891 – Travelling via Smales Farm station.
 890X – Replaced with 891X and will be operated by North Star. Services will depart from Albany Village instead of Albany station and have been extended to Newmarket via Smales Farm station, Akoranga station, Downtown and Symonds St (University of Auckland). Will no longer travel to mid-town via Albert St.

East Coast Rd/Beach Rd
 76X – Travelling via Constellation and Sunnynook stations.
 85X, 86X – Travelling via Constellation and Sunnynook stations, with improved weekday peak frequency from 20 to 15 minutes.
 863X – Travelling via Smales Farm station.
 866X and 877X – Travelling via Smales Farm and Akoranga stations to University of Auckland.
 87X – Travelling via Albany station, with weekday peak frequency reduced from 15 to 20 minutes.
 881 – Service extended to Newmarket, travelling via all busway stations, Downtown and Symonds St (University of Auckland).
 822 – Service discontinued.
 839 – Travelling via Akoranga station with inter-peak frequency reduced from 40 to 60 minutes.
 858 – Travelling via Smales Farm and Akoranga stations with inter-peak frequency reduced from 40 to 60 minutes. Will no longer travel via North Shore Hospital.
 875 – Travelling via Smales Farm station with inter-peak frequency reduced from 40 to 60 minutes.
 879 – Route change via Deep Creek Rd and Glamorgan Dr and will travel via Smales Farm station. Inter-peak frequency reduced from 40 to 60 minutes.
 962 – Services will start from Albany station and travel to Newmarket via all stations and Ponsonby. No longer travelling via East Coast Bays.
 963 – Service discontinued.

Sunnynook and Unsworth
 843 – New service from Constellation station to Takapuna via East Coast Rd, Kitchener Rd and Hurstmere Rd. Will be operated by North Star.
 845 – Replaced by routes 843 and 873.
 873 – New service from Constellation station to Takapuna via Sunnynook shops, Forrest Hill Rd and Smales Farm station. Will be operated by North Star.
 873X, 874X, 905 – Travelling via Smales Farm station.
 900X – Minor route change and no longer travelling via Goldfinch Dr, Unsworth Dr and Barbados Dr, providing a more direct route from Unsworth to Midtown via Constellation and Sunnynook stations.
 956 – Travelling via Constellation and Sunnynook stations with peak frequency reduced from 20 to 30 minutes. Inter-peak services between Greenhithe and Constellation station will be discontinued.

Bayview/Windy Ridge/Glenfield
 911 – Travelling via Akoranga station. Will no longer travel via Taharoto Rd and Northcote Rd on return trips to Glenfield.
 913 – Route change and travelling direct from Windy Ridge to Takapuna via Glenfield Rd, Pupuke Rd, Ocean View Rd, North Shore Hospital and Smales Farm station.
 915– Increased weekend frequency and travelling via Smales Farm station instead of North Shore Hospital. Only weekday peak services will travel from Bayview, at all other times catch route 955 and transfer at Glenfield.
 952 – Will no longer travel via Windy Ridge, now travelling via Raleigh Rd and College Rd instead of Onewa Rd. Buses will depart from Albert St stop M11 instead of Victoria St West.
 953 – Replaces the 952 in Windy Ridge and provides a more direct service via Glenfield Rd and Onewa Rd. Operated by Birkenhead Transport.
 954, 955 – Timetable changes.

Northcote/Marlborough
 555 and 556 – Services have been merged and extended to Albany station via Constellation, Smales Farm and Akoranga stations and Sunnynook Rd (near Sunnynook station), Apollo Dr and Massey University. Buses will no longer travel via North Shore Hospital and Sunnybrae Rd.
 920, 945X – Travelling via Akoranga Dr.
 922 – Travelling via Akoranga station. Will no longer travel via Taharoto Rd and Northcote Rd from Takapuna to Northcote.
 946 – Replaced by route 945 operating between Glenfield and Takapuna via Akoranga Dr and Akoranga station, services will no longer travel via Northcote to Midtown.

Bayswater/Devonport
- 802X – Weekday peak reduced from every 20 to 30 minutes.
- 803, 804 – Selected services extended to Smales Farm station, North Shore Hospital and Milford. Weekend frequency reduced from every 30 to 60 minutes.
- 867, 868 – Discontinued and replaced by 803 and 804.

Beach Haven/Birkenhead
- 957 – Additional weekend services.

NiteRider
- From Friday 8 February, NiteRider service N83 will have a timetable change and depart central Auckland at 1.00am, 2.15am and 3.30am.

ENDS

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