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AT approves key section of Eastern Busway AT approves key section of Eastern Busway

Auckland Transport’s Board has approved the design for the Pakuranga to Ti Rakau Drive Bridge section of the Eastern Busway, following community consultation on the proposed design and route in late 2021.

This approval includes the Reeves Road Flyover, which will enable efficient and reliable Eastern Busway services, while also reducing traffic at key intersections on Pakuranga Road and Ti Rakau Drive.

When considering the design at its February meeting, AT’s Board decided to defer its decision on the Ti Rakau Drive Bridge to Botany Town Centre section until late March to allow for more time to consider the strong community feedback on the design for this section.

AT Executive General Manager, Integrated Networks, Mark Lambert says the feedback received on the proposed design showed keen support for the next stage of the Eastern Busway.

“We were pleased to hear from East Auckland residents and business owners about how this project will expand their transport choices and enable their communities’ rapid growth and development,” says Mark Lambert.

“Every submission we received was considered by our specialist team of engineers, designers, planners, and architects involved in the design work.

“We really appreciate the time and effort people put into giving us feedback on the proposed busway design, particularly as it was given at a time when Aucklanders were managing the challenges of the COVID-19 lockdown.”

“We acknowledge that the proposed design would affect the Burswood residential community, which is why we’re taking extra time to carefully consider the feedback we received from Burswood residents.”

The proposed busway design from Ti Rakau Drive Bridge to Botany Town Centre will significantly increase access to a rapid transport network for surrounding residential communities.

It will also be a safer route for walking, cycling, bus and road users; improve bus journey efficiency and reliability and minimise disruption for the strategic freight route; be approximately 12-18 months quicker to build; and support this fast-growing area of Auckland by opening it up for future urban development.

Several themes of feedback were received during consultation, including: 

  • Support for the busway overall as well as for the transport options it will enable for East Auckland.
  • Some strong objections to a proposed new connection at Burswood and requests for alternative designs between Ti Rakau Bridge and Botany.
  • Mixed views on the allocation of existing road space. Some people indicated that more should be done to encourage mode shift and reduce vehicle use and emissions. Other submitters said it was essential to maintain traffic flow and vehicle lanes along Ti Rakau Drive as it is already congested.
  • Concerns about potential loss of open space and reserve land.
  • Worries about the level of disruption that may be caused during construction. 

AT will continue to engage with residents, business owners and stakeholders to understand views, concerns and opportunities raised by submitters during consultation and how these could be mitigated. There will be more opportunities to give feedback this year when the design is refined and during the consenting stage of the project.

The Eastern Busway will be a vital part of Auckland’s future transport network and when completed will carry more than 30,000 passengers daily, giving 24,000 more people access to a high-quality bus station within 1km walking distance of home as well as excellent facilities for those on bikes or on foot.

Feedback chart

A summary of the consultation feedback and the project’s responses are detailed in the March 2022 Eastern Busway update on easternbusway.nz

Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XXkiyA9UEM