Between 14 October and 4 November 2011, Auckland Transport consulted on proposed changes to the 020 bus service. The proposed changes included:
a) diverting the current 020 route via Howe St, K Rd and Vincent St, to restore a link to K Rd;
b) converting five morning and five evening peak trips to 020 Express trips (020X) which would run via the Hopetoun St Bridge; and
c) reinstating the start and finish of the route at the Westmere shops (on Garnet Rd, near Oban Rd and Faulder Ave).
Communication of the proposal during the consultation period included:
Feedback was provided via either a hardcopy feedback form or an online version on the MAXX website.
Auckland Transport has reviewed all of the feedback received and used this to make final route decisions. Some of the feedback was outside the scope of this review, however this will be considered in the review of all central bus service changes made on 21 August 2011.
339 people provided submissions
66% were current 020 bus users, while 34% were non 020-users. The non-020 users main interests were in restoring connections to K Rd, Grey Lynn and Three Lamps, and the Westmere terminus location.
74% supported or strongly supported the proposed changes, while 21% did not support or strongly did not support the proposal.
Reasons given for liking the proposed changes were:
Base: People who answered the question (n=298). Multiple answers possible so does not sum to 100%.
Reasons given for not liking the proposed changes were:
Base: People who answered the question (n=215). Multiple answers possible so does not sum to 100%.
In addition to the feedback form responses, 15 emails, letters and phone calls were received via the MAXX contact centre. These people had similar likes and dislikes to the above.
Given the strong level of support for the proposed changes, Auckland Transport now plans to make the route changes through Freemans Bay and introduce the 020X as outlined in the proposal. These changes are to be implemented on Tuesday 7 February 2012. The route will also be extended at the Westmere end so it starts and finishes at the Westmere shops on Garnet Rd.
Click here to see the details of the changes and route maps
In making these decisions, Auckland Transport is aware that, as is the case whenever bus services are changed, some existing customers will be disadvantaged. The overall objective of these changes is to restore a link to K Rd and Howe St for central bus users, while retaining a quicker peak option for people travelling between Westmere/Richmond Rd and the city centre. Auckland Transport apologises if any inconvenience is caused to some existing customers as a result of these changes.
The changes are to be made on Tuesday 7 February 2012. The route changes will be advertised at least two weeks in advance.
A review of all the central bus service changes made on 21 August 2011 will also be undertaken in the first half of 2012. Any out-of-scope feedback received as part of the 020 review will be incorporated into this process, and there will also be an opportunity for interested parties to provide additional feedback.
If you wish to provide feedback or ask any questions please call MAXX on 09 366 6400
