Hamilton’s Transport Centre - Te Taunga Waka o Kirikiriroa - has received its first major facelift since opening 23 years ago.

The completion of the project was marked this morning, 6 November 2024, with a blessing by mana whenua and attended by the local artists involved in the project, and representatives from Hamilton City Council, Waikato Regional Council, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and Base Civil.

Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate said the upgrades were designed to improve both user experience and the safety of the Centre.

“Working alongside our community and the police to progressively make Hamilton Kirikiriroa the safest city in New Zealand has long been one of the actions I’ve committed to as Mayor,” said Southgate.

“I am committed to revitalisingour central city to make it a great place where people want to spend time throughdesigning vibrant public spaces. This means everyredevelopmentin the heart of our city must not only look good butinclude better lighting, visibility, andotherpublic safety measures.”

The Transport Centre is a good example. Clear windows, new CCTV cameras, rainbow decals, new tactile directional mats, clearer lines of sight, and bright platform letters on the ground are just some of the changes that have been made to make the Centre easier to use.

“These features will help commuters to feel more at ease, when using public transport,” continues Southgate. “The space seems lighter, fresher, and more open than it has in the past.”

New live arrival/departure screens have also been installed, both within the building and on the platform, making travel easier for all members of the community. New and improved bus shelters have been installed to help protect centre users from the elements and improve their experience, as well as more toilets for use outside of operating hours.

Accessibility was also a focus with the new platform lettering on the ground and updated tactile directional mats, catering for our blind and low vision communities.

Waikato Regional Councillor and Deputy Chair of the Future Proof Public Transport Subcommittee Angela Strange said these improvements will enhance the passenger experience for a significant number of travellers.

“Last financial year, over one million passenger trips started or ended at the Transport Centre from our urban and regional routes, so it’s a very busy and important asset," said Strange.

"We trust that both our current and future passengers will enjoy the refresh.”

The celebration of the refresh continues with a treasure hunt by Waikato Regional Council – head down to the Transport Centre to pick up your map from the BUSIT counter or Travel Café. Answer the four easy questions and be in to win one of ten ‘treasure packs’ including $25 Bee Cards, $10 Travel Café vouchers and one lucky winner will receive a pair of JBL headphones (valued at $269).

The Transport Centre is located on the corner of Bryce and Anglesea Streets, in the economic heart of the Waikato, and is a core part of shaping a central city where people love to be.

The refresh was funded through Hamilton City Council’s 2021-31 Long-Term Plan with 51% covered by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.

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