Auckland City Centre Rail Link - Business Case Review - Ministry of ...

Auckland City Centre Rail Link Business Case Review | May 2011
However, these are measures that will extract some limited additional capacity out of
the network rather than ones that will form an enduring solution to the capacity
constraint itself.
1.1.2 Bus service constraints
While the Business Case discussed constraints around further development of the
bus system in the central city, it did not consider external measures that might
address some of the bus system issues in the central city, which might influence the
timing of the CCRL. Such factors include:
the absence, until the end of 2012, of integrated ticketing facilitating multimodal
journeys
the general absence of timed integration between bus and train services at
key interchanges — this integration has been a practice of the Wellington
public transport system for many years
sub-optimal operations of the Britomart bus interchange which reduces its
operational performance and does not optimise intermodal connectivity for
customers
the widespread distribution of bus terminal stops throughout the core CBD,
making it difficult to transfer between many services
relatively poor central area circulator services, especially to the fast-growing
Wynyard Quarter — although Auckland Transport is planning to make
significant progress in this area later in 2011
conflict between different service groups in the same corridors, such as
between northern and western bus services on Albert Street, which reduces
the effectiveness of existing bus priority measures
While these issues constitute a significant challenge to optimise bus operation in the
central city, their resolution would mostly contribute to a rationalised and more
integrated central area bus network, rather than one that would add major new
capacity. This is due to the constraints of the existing street network, particularly on
the eastern side of the city centre, the limited ability to add significant new bus priority
measures across the city centre without unduly compromising its place function, and
the need to appropriately balance the needs of all road user groups. Also of note is
that the bulk of the central area bus network serves areas without rail, particularly the
bulk of the Auckland Isthmus and the whole of the North Shore and the Hibiscus
Coast.
Any reduction in bus volumes by improving integration with rail would most likely be
taken up by improved service frequencies from other areas.
1.2 The Review position
The government is currently undertaking a $1.1 billion programme to upgrade and
electrify the Auckland metro rail network (alongside a further $500 million for new
trains expected to be funded by the Auckland Council and NZ Transport Agency
(NZTA), and ongoing Auckland Council and NZTA investment in rail stations). This
will improve the frequency, speed, reliability and quality of rail services. The former
Auckland Regional Transport Authority‘s Rail Development Plan notes that the
investment in electrification will:
reduce congestion, improving freight travel times and road user journey time
reliability
encourage intensification of development along rail corridors
increase economic activity and labour productivity in the CBD
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