FAQs

Please visit Whangaparāoa Bus Station (https://at.govt.nz/projects-and-initiatives/whangaparaoa-bus-station) for the most regular updates. 

To ask a question on the project please email ATengagement@at.govt.nz.

The benefits are improved bus connections, bus reliability, and access to key destinations. The station supports faster, more reliable public transport and better transfer opportunities. This will reduce single occupancy vehicle travel, providing a frequent and reliable bus service to reach various destinations on the North Shore as well as the city centre. 

The Whangaparāoa Bus Station will:

• Improve access to jobs within 45mins commute, using buses more by 40% in the morning peak
• Reduce bus travel time by 15mins between the bus station and Albany 
• Reduce bus travel time to the city centre by 20%
• Increase the number of public transport trips starting on the Whangaparāoa Peninsula by around 27%

Whangaparāoa Bus Station is a key part of a proposed future bus network for the Peninsula when O Mahurangi - Penlink opens. New bus services, including a frequent service that runs the length of Whangaparāoa Road every 15 minutes, 7 days a week, providing a direct and convenient alternative to driving to the station and parking on local streets is proposed. For more information, please visit haveyoursay.at.govt.nz/wpstudy.

Standards, guidelines and manuals define how projects are designed and delivered to the required quality standards. Manuals & guidelines are available online. 

Design decisions balance community feedback with practical constraints such as land availability, funding, safety, design standards and deliverability. The aim is to deliver infrastructure that is fit for purpose and provides long-term value for the community.

The community have shared what is important to them about the station designs, to strike the right balance on what’s important to have at the station, such as improving bicycle racks and Kiss and Ride facilities within station limits, planting and landscaping aspects, asking for better lighting and CCTV, improved accessibility features within station limits, and customer amenities expected (top up machines etc). 

Some elements, such as the overall location, the Kiss and Ride, and access layout are constrained by the site. With the community’s input, we have improved our designs to make the amenities the best they can possibly be. 

This bus station helps passengers transfer between local bus services and rapid bus services towards the city centre. The Kiss‑and‑Ride delivered with the station is a short‑stay pick‑up and drop‑off area, where people can be dropped off to catch a bus or picked up after their journey. This supports people who are being driven by whānau or carpooling, or who cannot easily walk or cycle to the station.

We recognise concerns about potential parking in local streets and near businesses. In a 2022 parking study, we investigated parking within a 1 km walk of the station area. 

The study concluded that only 20% of on street parking spots were being used at different times throughout the day. This shows there will be plenty of alternative parking locations within walking distance to the station location, for those still wanting to drive closer to the station. 

Parking behaviour will be monitored as the project progresses, and we will work with relevant partners if issues arise. 

As part of the bus station project, we initially proposed parking restrictions on Cedar Terrace immediately outside the station to support safer pick up and drop off activity and help manage traffic during peak periods. 

If parking demand around the station creates issues once it is operational, additional parking management options, such as time-limited parking, may be considered in line with Room to Move: Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s Parking Strategy.

In response to community feedback, we are now considering extending parking management measures further along Cedar Terrace and onto Norfolk Road and Scott Road from day-1 of operation. 

Additional options, including time restrictions and broken yellow lines/clearways within approximately 500 metres of the station, are also being assessed. These proposals are currently being developed and will be provided to the Local Board for review. 

Whangaparāoa Bus Station has been investigated, designed and developed over several years with the involvement of the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board, to establish a station that is fit for purpose and within the constraints in central Whangaparāoa.

 A Park and Ride was not included beyond the Business Case stage as it did not align with the requirements set out in AT’s Parking Strategy. A Park and Ride was raised and discussed, in addition to not aligning with the Parking Strategy, there is no feasible space available where the bus station is proposed to be delivered. The project scope is to build a bus station with customer facilities attached, delivered within the available land, with funding and operational constraints.

There is no available land at the proposed station site to accommodate a Park and Ride without significantly expanding the project scope. Providing this would require additional land acquisition, funding, consenting, design work, and ongoing operating and maintenance costs. It would also introduce access, safety and stormwater considerations.

Research shows that most people access public transport by walking, cycling, using connecting bus services, or being dropped off, meaning Park and Ride facilities typically serve a relatively small number of users compared with the investment required. 

As a result, the current design focuses investment on the core bus station, reliable bus connections, walking and cycling access, and pick-up/drop-off facilities. This approach supports more people, makes best use of available funding and land, and aligns with Auckland Transport’s Parking Strategy and the future public transport network for Whangaparāoa.