Suburb's bus lanes face chop to ease congestion

New bus lanes through Remuera may be cut back after a site visit by the Auckland City Council's transport committee during yesterday morning's traffic peak.

Committee chairman Ken Baguley said traffic congestion was so serious that the council should consider converting about 1.28km of the bus lanes on Remuera Rd to clearways to provide two general lanes, and ban parking at peak times.

He said traffic was banked up yesterday morning along the full stretch he wants officers to review, from Lucerne Rd to Meadowbank Rd, exacerbated by drivers trying to cross a bus lane into Remuera Rd from a "rat-run" along Koraha St.

Mr Baguley said officers would also investigate adjusting traffic lights to improve flows, and converting a short section of bus lane around Remuera Rd's intersection with Portland Rd into a clearway.

That was because drivers were having to veer into the bus lane to get past traffic waiting in the middle of the road to turn right.

He acknowledged that his suggestions would mean a dramatic reduction in the extent of the new bus lanes, back to the western end of Remuera Rd between Market Rd and Newmarket, a distance of about 1.5km.

But he said they were practical solutions for a distinct set of problems on one particular transport corridor, and did not indicate a lack of council commitment to bus lanes elsewhere in Auckland.

"We just want to get a better use of the total road surface for everybody with an emphasis on encouraging people to public transport," Mr Baguley said.

"There is still that emphasis, but it can't be to the complete detriment of private motorists."

Mr Baguley's committee is also waiting for a staff report next week on whether a trial is warranted for introducing "multi-occupancy" vehicles to some of the city's bus lanes, a suggestion strongly opposed by City Vision councillors, who believe that may reduce the competitive advantage of time savings needed to boost public transport.

Although Remuera Rd was considered for such a trial, Mr Baguley understood staff were instead likely to recommend it be conducted along Tamaki Drive because fewer buses used that waterfront route, leaving more space for cars with two or more occupants.

He said that if every car carried two occupants, traffic volume would be virtually halved, leaving little congestion.

But he acknowledged that routes with heavier bus traffic might not be suitable for multi-occupancy lanes.

Mr Baguley said staff would also consider taking pressure off Remuera Rd by improving the intersection of Kepa and Kohimarama Rds, to encourage more traffic to reach central Auckland by that route, especially as volumes rose from sources such as the new Stonefields subdivision in the old Mt Wellington quarry.