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Project details

Start date

March 2025

End date

2026

Location

Avondale

Transport involved

Driving, walking, bus and cycling

Overview

Rosebank Road is at the centre of Avondale Town Centre, an area growing fast with new homes and businesses. To keep up with growth and limited road space, we need to ensure our roads can move more people throughout the day.

The focus of this work is on Rosebank Road, between Great North Road and Blockhouse Bay Road.

This important route is essential for the community's travel needs. It connects 2 main roads and carries up to 18 buses an hour. Key bus services like the 22N, 22R, 67A and 67B rely on this road. Around 1320 passengers use these buses daily.

The current issues include: 

  • buses struggling to access bus stops because of on-street parking
  • unreliable travel times with delays of up to 3 minutes during peak hour because of congestion - particularly near the Great North Road and Blockhouse Bay Road intersections
  • pedestrian safety concerns, especially for people with mobility needs, due to inadequate tactile pavers, pram crossings and poor visibility.

We are planning several upgrades to improve public transport and safety on this section of Rosebank Road.

Latest updates

In March 2025, we asked the community for feedback on our proposal.

We received around 54 online submissions, 5 emails and 18 paper submissions from:

  • Avondale residents
  • bus drivers
  • bus users
  • local businesses. 

We received overall support for safety upgrades and improved bus reliability. After endorsement from the Whau Local Board, we are moving forward with these changes:

Lane changes

  • new peak-time (7am to 10am, 3pm to 7pm) bus lanes in both directions, supporting key routes 22N, 22R, 191, 67A and 67B
  • extend the eastbound clearway start time to 3pm between Avondale Community Centre and Great North Road to ease afternoon congestion
  • change the shared straight-through and turning lanes on Rosebank Road (at the intersection with Great North Road) to turning-only. This means only one lane will go straight through. People told us this would help buses move more smoothly and reduce unsafe merging.

Bus stop improvements

  • combine bus stops around Layard Street into one well-placed pair to improve bus-train connections and reduce parking impacts (subject to feasibility)
  • install new broken yellow lines at bus stops and intersections for safer sightlines and bus operations.

Pedestrian safety improvements

  • upgrade the pedestrian island near Layard Street to a formal signal crossing (subject to feasibility)
  • install a new pedestrian island on Roberton Road - this will also allow more parking as less visibility is required for crossing
  • renew and upgrade sections of footpath in the town centre to improve safety and accessibility.

Parking changes

  • convert 4 unrestricted parking spaces to P30 on Roberton Road to support quick trips to nearby businesses
  • convert the under-utilised taxi stand near 1971 Great North Road to general parking, providing a modest offset to town-centre parking changes.

We are still finalising the project details and will update this page with any additions or amendments.

We plan to deliver these changes in coordination with other maintenance works, to minimise disruption for local residents and road users.

Thank you to everyone who shared feedback and local insights to help shape the final design.

We also received a number of suggestions for wider improvements in Avondale, including additional special vehicle lanes and parking solutions. These ideas have been passed on to the relevant Auckland Transport teams to consider for future projects.

Project benefits

More capacity on buses

Currently this road can carry up to 20,000 people per hour during peak times. New bus lanes will increase this number.

Safer access for pedestrians

New tactile pavers, pram crossings and wider footpaths will make it safer for pedestrians to get around and access bus stops. Removing parking will make it easier for drivers and pedestrians to see each other.

Reduced delays for bus services

Buses will be able to enter and exit bus stops safely without having to go around parked cars. The new bus lanes will reduce delays, making everyday services more reliable for everyone.

Project background

This project is part of our wider Network Optimisation Programme. 

This programme is about making the best use of what we already have.

By fine-tuning traffic signals, adjusting lanes, and reallocating space, we can deliver quick, cost-effective improvements that make a real difference, without building new roads.

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