Central Connector, Auckland

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Grafton Bridge, which will in the future serve as the main public transport connection between the Auckland CBD and Newmarket, as well as many eastern/southeastern suburbs.

The Central Connector (formerly called Auckland Central Transit Corridor), is a bus rapid transit link (later on to potentially include light rail)^[1] to run between the Britomart Transport Centre in the Auckland CBD, New Zealand, and the commercial-centre suburb of Newmarket. The associated bus priority measures are to improve journey times by about 14 minutes between Britomart and Newmarket for around to 2,600 buses per week and about 65,000 commuters daily.^[2]^[3] Work is expected to start in April 2008, and be finished in early 2010,^[3] with the cost estimated at NZ$ 46 million (NZ$ 29.6 million for the main contract, awarded to Fulton Hogan).^[4]^[5]

After John Banks was elected as Mayor of Auckland City, in November 2007 he ordered a review of the project (which it eventually passed) as part of his promised crackdown on rate increases. This was in big part due to the project being expected to cost Auckland City (according to late 2007 estimates) only NZ $8.5 million, with Land Transport New Zealand paying $20.5 million in addition to ARC regional funding of $13.7 million. Banks' first Council, before its 2004 defeat by Dick Hubbard, was also the originator of the project.^[6]^[4]

[edit] Characteristics

The route (external link, Auckland City Council) will go from Britomart via Symonds Street to Karangahape Road and then over Grafton Bridge to the Khyber Pass Road in Newmarket. On its way, it passes through the Auckland University campus areas and by the Auckland City Hospital and the Auckland Domain, all important public transport destinations.

The project would close Grafton Bridge to private vehicle traffic during the day, as the bridge becomes reserved for public transport (becoming a bus lane during 7am-7pm). This part of the project is being reviewed after some protests of users. In the process of the works, most of the streets of the route will also receive substantial overhauls, with for example, relaid footpaths and better cycling provisions (on the bus lanes where possible, on shared footpaths where not). Ten pedestrian crossings will also be improved and enlarged, especially around the university. The changes will also include the closure of Alfred Street (a side street of Symonds Street on the corridor route, currently bisecting the university campus in that area), to all traffic except Link and City Circuit buses from the end of 2006,^[7] as well as add new canopies over footpaths in the University areas.^[5]^[4]^[3]