Less waiting, more moving on Mount Smart Road

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Royal Oak is growing and changing, and this is impacting how easy it is to move. Mount Smart Road is a busy main road that 18,000 vehicles rely on each day. As more people move into the area, more people, and cars, need to use this road. This leads to more congestion and longer travel times.

We’re proposing changes to how vehicles use this road so that it can be more productive and move more people during busy times. Our proposal is guided by our Room to Move strategy. We’ve already made similar changes on other busy roads nearby and these changes have made travel easier for everyone, and more changes are coming. When our road network operates effectively, we can help reduce the amount of time you're stuck in traffic.

What’s proposed

We’re proposing to introduce a T3 transit lane on Mount Smart Road to reduce congestion and improve travel times for everyone. We plan to create a 1.2km T3 lane, heading towards the Royal Oak roundabout (westbound), between Victoria Street and the roundabout.

Vehicles with three or more people, buses, motorcycles and bikes can use the lane, which will be active between 4–7pm on weekdays. Outside these hours, the lane will be available for parking.

We’ll also add broken yellow lines at four bus stops on Mount Smart Road so buses can enter and exit bus stops safely.

We are unable to widen the road as this would affect people's homes. That’s why we’re making smart changes to the space we already have.

These improvements are quick to deliver, low-cost, and will help keep traffic flowing, especially at peak times.

Why we’re doing this

Mount Smart Road connects Penrose with Onehunga and Royal Oak. It carries around 18,000 vehicles daily. In the evening, heading towards the royal oak roundabout (westbound) trips can take up to 8 minutes, more than double the off-peak time, with speeds dropping to as low as 15km/h.

The T3 lane will improve journey reliability and get more people moving efficiently.

Have your say

We want your feedback by 15 June 2025.

Royal Oak is growing and changing, and this is impacting how easy it is to move. Mount Smart Road is a busy main road that 18,000 vehicles rely on each day. As more people move into the area, more people, and cars, need to use this road. This leads to more congestion and longer travel times.

We’re proposing changes to how vehicles use this road so that it can be more productive and move more people during busy times. Our proposal is guided by our Room to Move strategy. We’ve already made similar changes on other busy roads nearby and these changes have made travel easier for everyone, and more changes are coming. When our road network operates effectively, we can help reduce the amount of time you're stuck in traffic.

What’s proposed

We’re proposing to introduce a T3 transit lane on Mount Smart Road to reduce congestion and improve travel times for everyone. We plan to create a 1.2km T3 lane, heading towards the Royal Oak roundabout (westbound), between Victoria Street and the roundabout.

Vehicles with three or more people, buses, motorcycles and bikes can use the lane, which will be active between 4–7pm on weekdays. Outside these hours, the lane will be available for parking.

We’ll also add broken yellow lines at four bus stops on Mount Smart Road so buses can enter and exit bus stops safely.

We are unable to widen the road as this would affect people's homes. That’s why we’re making smart changes to the space we already have.

These improvements are quick to deliver, low-cost, and will help keep traffic flowing, especially at peak times.

Why we’re doing this

Mount Smart Road connects Penrose with Onehunga and Royal Oak. It carries around 18,000 vehicles daily. In the evening, heading towards the royal oak roundabout (westbound) trips can take up to 8 minutes, more than double the off-peak time, with speeds dropping to as low as 15km/h.

The T3 lane will improve journey reliability and get more people moving efficiently.

Have your say

We want your feedback by 15 June 2025.

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Page last updated: 30 May 2025, 10:43 AM