Waimakariri Bus Service Review

Blue Line

Since the Blue Line route changed in 2017, we’ve heard from the community that there is a preference to change back to the way the route used to travel. Based on this, we’re proposing the following changes:

• The route would change to travel via Lineside Road and Smith Street between Kaiapoi and Rangiora (the route it previously took until 2017).

• The route would cover more of Rangiora, travelling differently along Ashley Street and River Road, and also expanded to Kingsbury Avenue and West Belt.

• The frequency of Blue Line trips during morning and afternoon peak hours may be adjusted to better reflect current usage.

What these changes would mean:

• Kaiapoi’s town centre would be reconnected with Rangiora.

• Those living in newly developed areas in north-west Rangiora would have access to the service.

• Silverstream would no longer be serviced by the Blue Line, however, we are proposing a change to the 95 Pegasus-City route that would provide access for Silverstream residents to travel to the city during peak travel times. The proposed new Link services would also link Silverstream to Kaiapoi, Woodend, Rangiora and Pegasus.

95 Pegasus-City

We are proposing a reduction in the operating hours of the 95, based upon current usage levels. This would allow us to reallocate some vehicles and funding to operate two new ‘Link’ routes, connecting local towns.

• The 95 would continue to travel between Pegasus and the city during peak hours, with trips departing from Pegasus for the city between about 6.30-8am, and trips departing from the city back to Pegasus between about 2.30-6pm.

• The route would be modified to travel through Sovereign Palms in Kaiapoi, using Lees Road, Bayliss Drive and Sovereign Boulevard, and the rest of Kaiapoi using Williams Street and Fuller Street, before travelling onto the Silverstream.

What these changes would mean:

• Waikuku (both the residents near State Highway 1 and those near the beach), would no longer be serviced by the 95. We understand that this change would impact some existing passengers, however the number of people taking the 95 from Waikuku is unsustainably low – fewer than ten boardings per day across all trips.Because of the low level of usage, we can no longer justify continuing a service there and are proposing that the resources are utilised elsewhere to offer better services to more people.

• The Silverstream community would have access to the 95 to travel to and from the city during peak hours.

• At off peak times and during weekends, passengers could use the Pegasus-Silverstream Link and connect with the Blue Line in Kaiapoi to continue to the central city.

The express trips on the Blue Line and the 95 haven’t provided any significant time saving benefits. We are proposing to change these to either stop at all stops or to stop at a selection of key stops. We’d like to know what you think about these options, and where you would want to stop.

New Link services

During the Regional Public Transport Plan consultation, we heard that communities within Waimakariri would like to be connected to each other by public transport throughout the day.

We are proposing two new routes, the Rangiora-Silverstream Link and the Pegasus-Silverstream Link.

The Rangiora-Silverstream Link would connect Rangiora, Woodend, Kaiapoi and Silverstream. You may recall that there was a similar service previously that ended in 2012. A lot has changed within these townships since then and it is timely to have a service to connect the key activity centres within the district.

• It would provide new coverage for eastern and western areas of Rangiora and for Sovereign Palms in Kaiapoi.

• It would connect Silverstream with Kaiapoi’s town centre, something not currently possible by bus. Its timetable would work with the Pegasus-Silverstream Link to provide a 30-minute frequency on this section of the route.

• It would operate hourly between about 8am and 8pm, seven days a week.

• The route would be designed so that, in the future, it could be extended to cover more of Rangiora and Woodend as the population in these areas grows, for example, the Ravenswood development in Woodend.

• At off peak times, it would be timetabled to work in with the 95 and the Blue Line to provide a connection for those wishing to travel to the central city.

The Pegasus-Silverstream Link would connect Pegasus, Woodend, Kaiapoi and Silverstream.

• It would operate hourly between about 8:30am and 8.30pm, seven days a week.

• It would complement the 95 by running at times when the 95 does not.

• It would connect with the Blue Line in Kaiapoi to provide connection for those wishing to travelto the central city.

• It would connect Silverstream with Kaiapoi’s town centre, something not currently possible by bus. Its timetable would work with the Rangiora-Silverstream Link to provide a 30-minute frequency on this section of the route.

To implement these new Link services, we would need to modify the schedules and routes of the Blue Line and the 95, as outlined earlier.

We’d like to know what you think – would providing the Link buses give you better transport options than keeping the current services as they are now?

Rangiora

• The Blue Line would travel between Rangiora and Kaiapoi via Lineside Road instead of via Silverstream.

• More of Rangiora would be be covered by the Blue Line by extending it to travel along Ashley Street, Kingsbury Avenue, West Belt and River Road.

• Rangiora would be connected with Woodend, Kaiapoi and Silverstream by the new Rangiora-Silverstream Link.

Kaiapoi

• The Blue Line would travel via Smith Street instead of Ohoka Road.

• The 95 would travel to the city during the morning peak hours (about 6.30-8am), and back from the city during the afternoon peak hours (about 2.30-6pm).

• Kaiapoi would be connected with Silverstream, Woodend and Pegasus by the new Pegasus-Silverstream Link.

• Kaiapoi would be connected with Silverstream, Woodend and Rangiora by the new Rangiora-Silverstream Link.

• Silverstream would no longer be covered by the Blue Line, however changes to the the 95 Pegasus-City route, and the proposed new Link services would provide access to Silverstream.

• The 95 and the proposed new Link services would travel into Sovereign Palms.

• At off-peak times and during weekends, the proposed Link services would connect passengers to the Blue Line in Kaiapoi’s town centre to travel to the city.

Woodend

• The 95 would travel through Woodend to the city during the morning peak hours (about 6.30-8am), and back from the city during the afternoon peak hours (about 2.30-6pm).

• Woodend would be connected with Pegasus, Kaiapoi and Silverstream by the new Pegasus-Silverstream Link.

• Woodend would be connected with Rangiora, Kaiapoi and Silverstream by the Rangiora-Silverstream Link.

• To travel to the city outside of peak hours and during weekends, Woodend residents could travel on the proposed link services to Kaiapoi’s town centre, and transfer to the Blue Line.

Pegasus

• The 95 would travel from Pegasus to the city during the morning peak hours (about 6.30-8am), and back from the city during the afternoon peak hours (about 2.30-6pm).

• Pegasus would be connected to Woodend, Kaiapoi and Silverstream by the proposed Pegasus-Silverstream Link.

• To travel to the city outside of peak hours and during weekends, Pegasus residents could travel on the proposed Pegasus-Silverstream Link service to Kaiapoi’s town centre, and transfer to the Blue Line.

Waikuku

• Waikuku would no longer be serviced by the 95 Pegasus-City service. We understand that this change would impact some existing passengers, however the number of people taking the 95 from Waikuku is unsustainably low – fewer than ten boardings per day across all trips.

• Because of the low level of usage, we can no longer justify a continuation of the service and are proposing that the resources are utilised elsewhere to offer better services to more people.