Midtown access trial
Access to midtown changed on Sunday 19 April 2026.
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Project details
Start date
19 April 2026End date
Late 2027Location
Midtown — Queen Street and Wellesley StreetTransport involved
Walking, driving, train and busOverview
Auckland’s midtown is getting ready for a busy year. Stage one of the Wellesley Street bus improvements is now done and Te Waihorotiu Station opens later this year. Thousands of people will use our new transport hub on Wellesley Street every day.
We’re trialling a set of easy-to-understand access changes to balance movement and accessibility. The changes will make sure:
- buses run reliably
- people can get to their destination safely
- we support the soon-to-be busiest transport hub in New Zealand.
The trial will run for up to 2 years. This gives us time to monitor what’s working, understand the impacts and make changes if needed.
Latest updates
Wellesley Street (between Elliott Street and Queen Street)
Bus lanes operate 7am to 7pm daily. There is no general vehicle access to Queen Street during these hours.
The best routes for general traffic through midtown are Mayoral Drive and Victoria Street.
Queen Street (Between Wakefield Street and Wellesley Street)
The goods vehicles and bus lane operates between 7am to 7pm daily.
Loading zones outside Acecco supermarket and the Smith & Caughey building will be limited to 5 minutes on weekdays between 6am to 6pm. At all other times it will be for 15 minutes.
Mobility parking outside 290 Queen Street will be 30 minutes on both sides of the street.
There are new dedicated pick-up and drop-off locations in Wakefield Quadrant. This makes for better access to key midtown destinations like the Town Hall and the Civic Theatre.
Total Mobility registered vehicles can use the goods vehicles and bus lanes on Queen Street from 7am to 7pm each day to access mobility parking on Queen Street.
Elliott Street has been a shared space since 2011.
Works on Wellesley Street are nearly done and the CRL is opening later this year. Loading zone times went back to standard shared space operating hours on Sunday 19 April 2026.
What this means for you
On-street loading and servicing changed to 6am to 11am (from 6am to 6pm).
From 11am to 6am, no stopping will be permitted except in dedicated loading zones.
You can still access:
- local businesses
- the 2 public carparks
- motorcycle parking on Elliott Street via Wellesley Street.
We are working to make Elliott Street a safe, welcoming shared space in our city centre while supporting business operations. We plan on adding 3 more spaces — 2 on Elliott Street and one on Darby Street. These would be operational at all times. We will update you when we open the new loading zones.
Timeline
Quarterly reviews
We’ll review the trial settings quarterly and share updates on what we’re seeing. We’ll gather a range of data, including:
- bus travel time
- pedestrian safety
- traffic volumes
- compliance
- servicing activity
- feedback from landowners, residents, businesses and visitors.
We’ll gather feedback by survey, and face-to-face, direct engagement with communities and stakeholder groups.
The first trial review period will be in July 2026.
Te Waihorotiu Station opens
Te Waihorotiu Station is a new train station created as part of the City Rail Link. When it opens in 2026, it’s expected to be the country’s busiest train station. To find out more, go to Te Waihorotiu Station.
End of trial
The trial will last for up to 2 years, giving us time to learn what works and where changes may be needed. This timeframe also allows for meaningful input before any decisions are made about permanent changes.
Key documents
Community feedback
Project benefits
Bus reliability
Better access to key destinations
Mobility parking
Efficient management of road space
Project background
We’re taking a pragmatic, balanced approach. We will:
- reduce obstacles for visitors, businesses and residents
- support key destinations and the night-time economy
- monitor the changes so we can adapt where needed.
We're trialling these changes under the Land Transport Rule: Streets Layout 2023 (opens in a new tab).
Midtown Advisory Group
We’re setting up a new forum – the Midtown Advisory Group – to make sure a diverse mix of people and organisations can be involved. This group will help shape the trial by sharing insights, giving feedback and reviewing results.
We welcome both individuals and groups to apply. Each quarter, we’ll share the trial results with the Advisory Group for discussion and comment. Our goal is to make the evaluation process collaborative, transparent and reflective of the community’s experience of the changes.
