A transport network that only provides for people driving cars is not the future that communities see for Tāmaki Makaurau.

We are planning now so that future generations have genuine options for how they travel around their community.

A shift to more sustainable transport modes, especially walking and cycling, is needed to take action on climate change and to achieve a zero-carbon transport network.

We know that better footpaths and dedicated cycling facilities encourages people to walk and cycle, especially for local trips.

We are at the early stages of planning for the new bus network, it may be up to 30 years before they are ready.

Te Tupu Ngātahi Supporting Growth aims to investigate and route protect the strategic transport networks required to support Auckland’s future urban growth areas in response to the Auckland Council’s Auckland Plan 2050 and Unitary Plan.

The FTN bus routes will be built as growth happens and as funding becomes available. This may not be for some time, perhaps decades.

However, over the next,12-18 months, the land required for the new FTN bus networks will be designated so that they can be built when the population increases.

Read more about route protection and designations here.

In some sections, the roads being considered for new bus networks will need to be upgraded so that they can fit in dedicated bus lanes, improved footpaths and new cycling paths, and this process takes time.

We are working to protect the land needed for future bus routes that will be required over the next 10 to 30 years.

As with any significant transport project in New Zealand, there are many stages involving landowners, community, council, and stakeholders that need to be worked through.

Following successful route protection, future project stages include concept design, resource consent approvals, procurement, detailed design and construction.

For some projects, the time between route protection and construction is short, but in other projects it can be some years before construction begins.

No, these projects are not yet funded for construction. Funding will need to be secured at a later date.

Yes. Some properties will be impacted by the need to upgrade some sections of road to fit in the new bus routes.

Once we know what land could be affected, we will contact potentially affected landowners directly.

We expect to be talking with potentially impacted landowners in mid-2023.

Planning for these projects is still at an early stage and there is still a lot of work to do to understand exactly what locations and properties will be affected.

We need to undertake detailed investigations and further refine the design before we can understand the final impacts on any individual properties. Part of the detailed investigations include meeting with property owners to understand how they use their property.

These investigations will also include an assessment of environmental effects such as potential ecological, noise or visual impacts, and considering how these can be avoided, minimised or mitigated.

We may need to undertake non-intrusive site walkovers to do this and will seek your permission to access your property if this is the case.

There is more information available on our website to help property owners understand what a designation on their land might mean.

To provide future transport routes for buses, walking, cycling, general traffic and freight, our work provides for future road widening.

The need to widen roads reflects our expectations for the future, including accommodating higher travel demands on arterial roads and applying modern design standards that have a greater emphasis on safety and sustainability.

For example, most future arterial roads in existing (and future) urban areas will provide separated walking and cycling facilities. Walking and cycling need to be safe and convenient transport options for more people, helping us meet sustainability objectives.  

Better and more integrated modes of transport will also be required by future generations choosing to live, work and play in the area. The work we are undertaking by designating areas of land now, means that those living and working in South Auckland will have more choice about how they travel.