The northwest is growing
The northwest is growing with more houses, more jobs, and more people needing to travel. It’s anticipated that by 2051, the northwest will have:
- more than 100,000 extra people living in the northwest
- more than 40,000 new households
- increased congestion
- increased pressure on our public transport network.
People living in the northwest currently have limited public transport options, and while the WX1 is a popular bus service, many rely heavily on their car:
- Over 60% of people living in the northwest commute out of the area.
- More travel to work by car than in any other region in Auckland.
If better public transport options aren’t provided, congestion and journey times will get worse.
Providing more transport choices
Everyone deserves to have access to fast and reliable public transport choices.
But we know that not everyone has the same access to transport.
The Northwest is an area that’s long lacked viable public transport options. This has resulted in people relying on their cars which causes increased congestion. Or for many people, the lack of public transport choice has stopped them from accessing essential services and participating in everyday activities.
Providing faster and more reliable public transport choices will transform the daily lives of many people in the northwest for generations to come, and help provide for a more vibrant and better-connected community.
We’re listening to you
We’ve heard from many people in the northwest that you want to see improved transport choices. The investment case took into consideration what we heard in:
- hui with iwi partners, Auckland Transport and Auckland Council
- the 2020 consultation on the short-term Northwestern Bus Improvements consultation which included questions on long-term rapid transit
- the 2023 consultation on long-term rapid public transit options along State Highway 16 (SH16)
Read the full summary of engagement December 2023 [PDF, 1.9 MB] - Auckland Transport’s 2021 – 2031 Regional Land Transport Plan
- other consultations like Waitematā Harbour Connections.
Waitematā Harbour Connections
More about the community engagement
Interim improvements have been delivered
Auckland Transport (AT) launched a new flagship bus route in November 2023, the Western Express (WX1), alongside a range of other improvements to bus routes in the area. The WX1 provides buses between Westgate, Lincoln Road, Te Atatū and the city centre in both directions every ten minutes, from 7am to 7pm, seven days a week.
This service was enabled by the Northwestern Bus Improvements (NWBI) team, a joint Auckland Transport (AT) and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency project and made possible with funding in part from Crown Infrastructure Partners. The project delivered new bus stops at Westgate, and at the Te Atatū and Lincoln Road motorway interchanges, plus new and extended bus shoulder lanes on the Northwestern Motorway (SH16).
