Auckland Transport’s Plan To Help Ease Afternoon Congestion In Epsom And Greenlane

Auckland Transport (AT) wants to make time changes to both T3 lanes along Manukau Road and Pah Road in Epsom, and a bus lane on Great South Road in Greenlane, to keep our city moving.

These changes will make journeys more seamless and congestion free for the growing number of bus passengers along these routes. We are asking for feedback from the public on these changes.

Chris Martin, AT’s Road Network Optimisation Manager, says more people on buses need to travel through these main arterial routes, which together make up Auckland’s second busiest bus route following the Northern Busway on the North Shore.

“These are our two busiest arterial routes in central Auckland, and extending the hours of both existing T3 lanes on Manukau Road and Pah Road and the bus lane on Great South Road is one way we can help alleviate afternoon congestion.

“AT is proposing that we open these traffic lanes an hour earlier at 3pm, instead of 4pm. They will continue to be active until 7pm.

“Our network optimisation team has conducted a thorough investigation and found that congestion on these roads begins at 3pm, coinciding with school pick-up hours,” Mr Martin says.

“To address this issue and align with our goal of moving people efficiently and safely, we are proposing low-cost, minimally disruptive changes to Manukau Road, Pah Road, and Great South Road.

“These improvements aim to enhance traffic flow and ensure a smoother journey for all road users.”

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Epsom, Greenlane, and the surrounding suburbs are experiencing rapid growth, making up one of the city's most diverse and bustling areas. It’s home to some of the busiest schools, businesses, food stops, and retail spaces in Auckland, and sees significant daily traffic.

Popular bus routes such as Route 70, Route 30, and Route 309 run through this region, contributing to its high traffic volume.

“Getting more people, including thousands of school students, moving through this area on buses is pivotal if we want to manage congestion,” Mr Martin says.

AT is also proposing to extend the length of the existing bus lane on Great South Road by 40 metres, installing no stopping yellow lines on a section of Manukau Road near Owens Road, and implementing an afternoon clearway on the northbound side of Manukau Road between Epsom Girls’ Grammar Sports Centre and Alpers Avenue.

This optimisation project is open for feedback from the public until 1 June 2025. Please take the survey here to share your thoughts.

Notes:

• Manukau and Pah Road move up to 36,000 vehicles every weekday, while Great South Road moves up to 18,000 vehicles each day.
• During peak time Manukau Road and Pah Road has up to 14 buses per hour and Great South Road has 9 buses including 7 double-deckers.
• These buses have moved around 1 million passengers from January to March so far this year.
• The busiest section of Manukau Road is between Royal Oak roundabout and
  Greenwoods Corner with an average daily traffic volume of up to 29,000 vehicles
  (incl. buses and trucks) per day.

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