Manukau is missing a bus and train transport hub for South Auckland, but Auckland Transport (AT) has developed plans to change this.
The Manukau train station sees an average of 1037 daily week day passenger trips and is currently the 13th busiest station in Auckland.
AT has now developed concept design plans for the proposed new bus station, aimed at making it easy to transfer between trains and buses, as well as between bus services.
It will be designed to have sufficient capacity for long distance coach services. The facility will also feature a large enclosed waiting area similar to an airport lounge.
Auckland Transport is seeking public feedback on the concept design to help make an informed decision to provide a high quality bus station and customer experience.
Located right next to Manukau train station, the Manukau civic offices car park on Putney Way (between Davies Avenue and Osterley Way) will be transformed to a 23-bay bus station. The train and bus stations will be linked by a covered walkway.
The AT project, in partnership with the New Zealand Transport Agency, is expected to cost approximately $26 million.
Auckland Transport investment and development group manager John Worth says Manukau is the gateway to south Auckland and Auckland Airport.
“By providing a public transport hub at Manukau, it will provide people with greater transport choices by providing better connections with the places Auckland residents want to go,” says Worth.
“This is part of our aim to reduce reliance on private transport to ease congestion on local and arterial roads.”
The entire structure will be designed to provide a public transport experience which will be safe and accessible for everyone. Temporary bus stops will be installed on Davies Avenue to allow the new network to operate smoothly until the station is constructed and opens in the second half of 2017.
“We’d like to invite people to have their say in the design process, so we can understand what is important to public transport users and the wider community that will then inform the design,’ adds Mr Worth.
To support the rollout of the new network in south Auckland, Auckland Transport is also is building new bus and train stations at key locations like Pukekohe and Otahuhu.
It will be designed to allow for regional coach services currently using Leyton Way at Westfield Manukau to be moved to the bus interchange.
The consultation period starts today and closes on Friday, 20 November 2015. Auckland Transport will hold three public information days for members of the public to speak with the project team and get their questions answered.
