George Street, Newmarket - Bus Parking Improvements
Consultation Outcome
We thank everyone who provided feedback on our proposal to improve safety and traffic flow during school pick-up and drop-off times on George Street, Newmarket.
After reviewing the feedback, we will proceed with no changes to the proposal. This includes:
- Converting two paid parking spaces outside 8 George Street into bus parking
- Operating on school days only from 7:30 am to 8:30 am and 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm
- Outside these hours, the spaces will return to paid parking, as they are located within a paid parking zone
What happens next
We anticipate these changes will be installed by September 2026.
You can also find the latest project information at https://at.govt.nz/projects-and-initiatives/george-street-bus-parking-improvements
Community Feedback
Thank you for helping us make better decisions for your neighbourhood, informed by your local knowledge.
We received nine submissions in total, with most respondents supporting the proposal:
- Three submissions were received through the online survey
- Six submissions were received via email
These are some of supportive comments:
- It is critical for ACG Students to get bus parking.
- Extra parking for buses which is a form of transport we want to encourage.
- I am writing in support of the additional George Street Bus Stops. The road is basically unusable to the public at school pick up & drop off times currently. The school needs to be able to safely have space for students of all ages to wait for their bus & board their bus without the pressure of public cars speeding and not paying attention to the dangers around them. School is an essential part of our society, and we must prioritise the short window of time students have to get to & from school without any further implications. I fully support at least 1 additional bus stop being added.
Below is a summary of your feedback and our responses.
Suggestions to improve the project
- Suggested adding more bus stop spaces to better accommodate school buses and improve safety.
AT Response: On-street parking is a valuable public asset, and Auckland Transport generally does not make changes solely to meet the needs of a specific individual, business, or organisation. Any changes to parking need to carefully consider the needs of the wider community.
In this case, we acknowledge the need for additional bus parking due to high demand from the school in the area. However, after considering the impact on surrounding businesses and the need to balance parking for both school buses and customers, we are unfortunately unable to provide more bus parking than what is currently proposed.
In 2024, Auckland Transport provided bus parking, and the proposed changes represent a further addition to support the school.
- Suggested relocating the proposed bus stop location to improve visibility, access, and reduce potential disruption to nearby properties.
AT Response: We have reviewed it and undertaken further investigation, including a site visit during the afternoon school pick-up period and discussions with a Traffic Engineer at Auckland Transport.
During the site visit, we observed vehicles using the driveway at 8 George Street, likely by parents collecting their children. While this was occurring, vehicles exiting the shared driveway were travelling at low speeds and were able to manoeuvre safely.
Based on these observations, drivers exiting the driveway should be able to cautiously edge forward to gain sufficient visibility past buses on either side, after checking for oncoming traffic.
Additionally, approaching vehicles travel over a speed table, which reduces their speed and allows them to stop more easily if required while a vehicle is waiting to turn right out of the driveway.
We also noted that limit lines are already in place adjacent to the driveway, meaning shuttle buses are expected to park within these boundaries.
During our initial site visit, a shuttle bus was observed parked in this location, which suggests that this area is already being used for shuttle parking during afternoon school pick-up period.
While we acknowledge that the proposed location may create some visibility constraints, our observations indicate that vehicle speeds are low and drivers are generally able to navigate the area safely. Based on this, we do not intend to make any changes to the proposal at this stage.
- Suggested extending the proposed afternoon operating hours from 3:30pm to 4pm to better align with school pick-up times.
AT Response: We have contacted the shuttle bus operator to confirm whether any buses are scheduled for 3:45 pm. They advised that their buses typically wait for students who are occasionally late.
We understand this situation can be challenging. However, extending the bus parking time to 4:00 pm would impact customers and local businesses who rely on these paid parking spaces after the restricted period ends.
For this reason, we will not be extending the bus parking time restriction at this stage.
About the project
We’re proposing to change two paid parking spaces outside 8 George Street into bus parking to help improve safety and traffic flow during school pick-up and drop-off times.
During our site visit, we observed that buses have difficulty finding suitable places to park at these times. This is a daily concern, and a request has been received to provide additional bus parking in the proposed area to better service the schools.
What we are proposing
George Street, Newmarket - Proposal Drawing
- Introduce bus-only parking outside 8 George Street, on school days only from 7:30am to 8:30am and 2:30pm to 3:30pm. During the restricted times, other vehicles will not be able to park there.
- Outside of these hours, the space will return to paid parking, as it is within a paid parking zone.
Benefits and impacts
- Buses will have a designated place to stop safely.
- The changes will help reduce congestion during school start and finish times.
- Clear parking rules will make it easier for all road users to understand how the space is used.
What we want your feedback on
We value your local knowledge and would like to have your feedback on the proposed bus parking changes.
How you can have your say
Have your say by completing the online feedback form. The form will be open from 1 May 2026 to 15 May 2026.
If you would like to receive updates about the outcome of the proposal, please include your email address when filling out the online feedback form.
Reviewing feedback and deciding the next steps
After the consultation period, we will review the feedback we received and post the outcome of this proposal and a summary of community feedback on our website.
