Some good news from Auckland Transport today – that work is going to be done to ‘spruce up’ the rather dilapidated Otahuhu bus station:
Otahuhu bus station is getting a new year spruce up, led by Auckland Transport.
Auckland Transport, NZ Bus (who operate the station), Auckland Council and the local business association have been working together on a programme to keep the station clear of graffiti and other vandalism and rubbish.
The recently completed first stage was to remove graffiti from station murals and then graffiti-guard them. Auckland Transport has also introduced night-time security at the station.
The clean up programme also includes:
Removal of vandalised bus shelters on the centre aisle. Toilets will be reopened during the day and early evening with improved regular cleaning and surveillance
Local Maori Wardens will be based at the un-used ticket kiosk to add another level of informal surveillance and security
A regular presence from Otahuhu neighbourhood policing team to deal with any unwanted or illegal behaviour.
Auckland Transport Public Transport Operations Manager Mark Lambert says the station has been a source of concern for Otahuhu people.
“Auckland Transport has worked closely with NZ Bus and Auckland Council to respond to that community concern by getting arrangements in place to deal with the issues there.
“We have a strong focus on encouraging people to use public transport, so tidy and clean facilities are a key part of that.”
NZ Bus General Manager – Southwest, Darek Koper says: “the safety and well-being of our customers is of paramount importance to us. We were therefore fully committed in working with Auckland Transport, Auckland Council and the Otahuhu community on this initiative.
“We have a strong customer base in the Otahuhu area and are pleased that we have been able to assist in improving bus facilities for our customers.”
Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board Chair Peter Skelton has welcomed the improvements to the bus station.
“Cleaner facilities and improved security will hopefully lead to people making better transport decisions, and also foster a better sense of pride in this important community space.”
The physical appearance of public transport infrastructure, such as bus stations, is extremely important in the way it influences how people perceive the quality of the public transport system. NZTA wouldn’t let its motorway signs stay tagged for very long at all, so why do we let our public transport infrastructure – like bus stations and the rail corridor in particular – stay looking so neglected? It’s a pretty tell-tale sign of how (at least in the past) Auckland had seen public transport as only something those with no choice will use.
I do wonder whether the days of bus stations like Otahuhu should be limited. As shown in the map below, the station is nowhere near Otahuhu railway station – so doesn’t offer much opportunity at all for people transfering between the bus and train (which is annoying as otherwise it would be the perfect location for a transfer point).
Much like the horrific Onehunga bus station – which relegates bus catchers to second class status hidden behind the main shopping street – I wonder whether we’d be better off getting the buses back onto the main streets in Otahuhu – making them visible, putting people outside shops where they might duck in to get a thing or two while they wait for their service and generally not treating public transport users like second class citizens anymore. I don’t really know what the best long-term solution for creating a proper PT node in Otahuhu is, but I guess in the mean time at least the bus station won’t look quite so terrible in the near future.
A good start would be to re-route the buses from Mangere to go via Walmsley Road and Station Road East. This is a very easy way of giving a great rail service to Mangere East and easily make rail the preferred mode from this area.
I think we’ll always be stuck with two seperate interchanges at Otahuhu, just have to try and run most buses through most of them with the station becoming the terminus and stabling depot.
Also Otahuhu town is very centrally located with respect to South Auckland so is a very obvious bus interchange points, with many buses coming from areas without rail like Otara, East Tamaki, Hunters Corner and Mt Wgtn.
Check out Takapuna’s bus interchange for how it should be done. Things that work well.
1. The station is centrally located in the area.
2. The station is on the street allowing buses easy access without having to wind through back streets.
3. The street sees plenty of traffic at all hours which increases safety for users and prevents taggers having the time needed to tag.
http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Takapuna,+Auckland&sll=-41.244772,172.617188&sspn=46.663563,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Takapuna,+Auckland&ll=-36.788303,174.771553&spn=0.000765,0.001206&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=-36.788227,174.771494&panoid=mFfc69wnGEuTFiY1sMlBtg&cbp=12,324.97,,0,5
Could combining Luke’s suggestion with a bus interchange on Gt South Rd between Station Rd and Princes St work? It’s less space so you’d need separate layover areas away from the interchange, but I’m sure there are a number of places to put those. It could be funded by selling the land the existing station sits on.
Having the layover by Otahuhu station would help reduce the space required and also create a nicer environment for the bus station.
The station could be put on Great South Road however many car parks will need to be removed at the street is actually rather narrow so not alot of space to put signs, destination boards etc.
Ave Road or one of those streets parallel could be another possibility and arent quite so hidden away as they do have shop frontages.
My view of ‘architectural statement, road engineer’s location’ bus stations was formed long ago by a chance visit to Exeter, UK. The bus left the you beaut new CBD fringe bus station empty, apart from me, and picked up its passengers along the main street just where I suppose it always had.
I can’t imagine any out of CBD location in ANZ where the density of bus traffic really needs more than suitable facilities at the kerbside, as in the Takapuna example. Buses should be on the street, as close as possible to where people want to be. That is their natural advantage.
Layovers areas for drivers are a different matter with different requirements.
Plenty of rail bus interchanges are grotesquely overdesigned. Bus A leaves half hourly from bay 1, bus B leaves half hourly from bay 2… to catch bus G you end up walk 50 metres past all the other empty bus bays. Eg Mandurah WA, Gosford and Liverpool NSW. Most of the time they could all pull up at the station entrance. Then have a separate overflow area for peak hours only.