Transport Minister Chris Bishop. Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel
Works toward improved public transport for northwest Auckland are a step closer after an investment case was endorsed by the Transport Agency, the Minister of Transport says.
The announcement on the Northwest Rapid Transit plan - which includes public transport on State Highway 16 (SH16) from Brigham Creek to the city centre and a Northwest Busway - was made by Minister of Transport Chris Bishop, speaking at a media standup on Wednesday.
The work would make public transport "faster, more frequent and more reliable," Bishop said, and would be carried out in stages - possibly through the Fast Track Approvals process.
The first work on construction of the Northwest Busway itself could begin in 2027, depending on funding, but a third stage of the wider project was not expected to begin within the next ten years.
"The Northwest Busway includes a park and ride station at Brigham Creek and stations at Westgate, Royal Road, Lincoln Road, Te Atatū, Point Chevalier and Western Springs. It will be able to move up to 9000 passengers per hour in each direction - the equivalent of four motorway lanes, Bishop said.
"It will also provide a reliable 25-minute journey time from Brigham Creek to the city centre - all day, every day."
Work to benefit West Aucklanders would get the first priority, with the focus on "more people benefiting from faster and more reliable journeys, as quickly as possible, while building on the hugely popular WX1 service."
"Currently, people in the north-west don't have reliable public transport options, and 60 percent of residents commute out of the area. Most people travel to work by car, more than any other area in Auckland, and the Northwestern Motorway regularly suffers from congestion and delays," Bishop said.
"Work is already underway on a new station at Westgate, funded separately by the government's Infrastructure Reference Group, with the first stage, which will serve local bus services, expected to open in mid-2026."
The plan would be designed to be as efficient as possible, the minister said.
"We are going to do it in stages... too often in New Zealand we've done it all in one go and the cost blows out and people get frustrated."
Carrying the work out in a sequential staged way would mean easy wins up front, and would start to build up the social license for the project too, he said.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, speaking at the standup, said doing the work bit by bit was a smart plan.
"There's not endless money in this country and I'm interested in keeping the cost down. We're going to save money this time."
The project would help growth in the north west of Auckland, Brown said: "It's what Aucklanders have been asking for, it's what I've been advocating for on their behalf, and it's a signal that Wellington is listening to Aucklanders' needs."
Asked about the bus station adding to existing strain on car parking in the area, Brown said high demand for parking was good because it justified more future improvements, proving the need for work to be done bit by bit to solve any surrounding problems: "When there's too many passengers, that's really good ... these things don't just stay still."
He said more carparking was among the things that could be done as part of the steps of the plan, if there was need for it.
A report commissioned by the mayor, and released recently, found congestion cost the region $2.6 billion a year, in terms of lost time, lost customer spending and reduced business investment.
The government's 2024 Policy Statement on Land Transport had highlighted the Northwest Busway as a priority, Bishop said.
What happens next?
NZTA's next step would be consultation with "stakeholders and landowners" on the Northwest Busway, Bishop said.
"The project will now seek to obtain statutory approvals for the project - likely via the Fast Track Approvals Act," he said.
"We're committed to cutting red tape and ensuring critical infrastructure is delivered sooner to support growth, improve safety and keep New Zealand people and businesses moving."
In late 2024, the NZTA Board approved $116 for the project, for early consenting work and buying property for the Brigham Creek and Lincoln Road stations, Bishop said.
"Stage 1 will see new stations at Brigham Creek and Lincoln Road as part of a $330m - $380m* package of work.
"Stage 2 will include the separated and bi-directional busway from Brigham Creek to Te Atatū, along with the stations at Royal Road and Te Atatū, the second stage of Westgate station, and the city centre connection at Newton at an estimated investment of $4100m - $4600m*."
Stage 3 was not expected to be delivered in the next 10 years, but includes work on the Point Chevalier station, Western Springs station, and the busway between Waterview and the city centre. The estimated cost for this stage was not included.
* The estimated amounts assume the project gets delivered in the next 10 years and include 30 percent to account for escalation and administration, Bishop said.
This latest announcement follows another announcement made by the minister earlier on Wednesday.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro
Bishop announced NZTA's preferred route for the Northland Expressway. The replacement for State Highway 1 over Northland's notorious Brynderwyn Hills will be built just to the east of the current road.
It was a major change from the original plan of building the new four-lane highway well to the west of the slip-prone hills.
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