North Shore City - Transport

Transport

Commuting within the North Shore itself can be done relatively easily, but those who commute to Auckland City and need to cross the Auckland Harbour Bridge face severe traffic congestion. The alternative route through western suburbs is also prone to nose-to-tail traffic at peak times. As with the greater Auckland area, there has been much discussion regarding the problem at both national and local government levels, but very little concrete action, mostly related to the high cost and difficulty providing additional crossings over the Waitemata Harbour. Several options for new bridges and tunnels have been studied in depth, but at the moment, the official position is to mitigate congestion effects instead of providing new infrastructure.

Public transport has been upgraded in an attempt to reduce the city's car dependence. The Northern Busway along the Northern Motorway, together with new park and ride facilities in Albany and Constellation Drive (completed in late 2005), is to serve as the spine of a bus-based new rapid transit system for North Shore City and Hibiscus Coast citizens. In 2003, there were indications that the early stages of the busway project were generally regarded as a success but that important tasks regarding integration of bus lines were unresolved. The North Shore City Council increased the number of these facilities with more park and ride stations in Sunnynook, Smales Farm and Akoranga park. These were completed in February 2008. In January 2009, the Northern Busway began trial runs featuring New Zealand's first "bus-dedicated roadway."

A number of North Shore suburbs have a regular ferry service to Auckland City, including Devonport, Stanley Bay, Bayswater, Birkenhead. Others are planned for Takapuna and Browns Bay. A plan to turn the city's streets into a venue for a three-day V8 supercar race has generated controversy; traffic experts were hired by the North Shore City Council to assess whether such a race was possible "without causing mayhem on the roads."