A better way to commute for Waimakariri residents

Waimakariri District Council will ensure Park & Ride facilities are available in both Kaiapoi and Rangiora by the time the direct commuter buses would begin. Park & Ride facilities provide free parking spaces that allow drivers to connect with carpools and buses for the rest of their journey.

Park & Ride facilities would initially be provided in north, central and south Rangiora, as well as in central and south Kaiapoi (see the map for proposed locations). The aim is to utilise and improve existing facilities in the short-term, but it is possible that new sites could be required in the future as demand increases, and as growing centres in other parts of the district, such as Woodend and Pegasus, develop further.

The following facilities would be provided at Park & Ride locations in the short-term:

• Firm, well-draining surfaces
• Bus shelters
• Lockable bike stands
• Clear signage
• Mobility parking

Over time, we will look to further develop these areas with sealed surfaces, security measures, and electronic signage showing bus estimated time of arrival, timetables and expected journey times.

Both the interim and the longer-term Park & Ride facilities have been budgeted for, so there would be no further impact on your Waimakariri District rates for these facilities.

We are considering running between 3-4 trips from Rangiora and the same from Kaiapoi, travelling direct from the Park & Ride facilities to the central city on weekday mornings, with at least the same number of trips back to each Park & Ride location in the afternoons. The Rangiora and Kaiapoi buses would be separate – meaning that Rangiora passengers would not travel via Kaiapoi like the Blue Line service does.

The Park & Ride locations will be open to residents outside of the Rangiora and Kaiapoi townships who would like to use the direct bus service. For example, if you live in the Pegasus and Woodend areas, or somewhere along or near Tram Road, you could park your vehicle at one of the Kaiapoi Park & Ride locations and take the direct bus service to central Christchurch.

The route to the city taken by these services would be flexible – the drivers would take the quickest way available, depending on traffic at the time.

These services would be dedicated for Park & Ride users – this means you can use them if you are parking your car there, but also if you choose to walk, cycle, or be dropped off at the facility. The bus would pick up passengers at the Park & Ride locations and travel directly to the central city. No other bus stops within Rangiora or Kaiapoi, or elsewhere along the route, would be serviced. The same applies for the journey home – services would leave the central city from dedicated stops, and travel directly to the Park & Ride facilities, not stopping anywhere else along the way.

Central city drop-off and pick-up locations

Once the bus arrives at the city, the first drop-off points would be south of Kilmore Street. There would be a maximum of three drop-off and pick-up points in the central city. We’d like to know which of the proposed stop options you’d like to get off the bus in the morning and back on at the end of the day. The stops will be in the same location for drop-offs and pickups.

Returning early?

The Park & Ride locations in Rangiora and Kaiapoi would also be serviced by Metro buses so that Park & Ride users are able to get back or near to their vehicles at times outside of the direct commuter bus operating hours if needed. Passengers who prefer to take the Metro services can use the Park & Ride facilities as well.

Public transport in Canterbury is managed by Environment Canterbury and is funded with a combination of central government grants, fares from users and Environment Canterbury targeted local rates.

Central government grants: Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has already approved a grant to cover its portion of the funding required to operate the proposed direct commuter bus services.

Fares from users: Fares for the proposed new service would be the same as Metro fares for the existing Blue Line and 95 services.

Targeted local public transport rates: New services would require additional Waimakariri urban and rural targeted public transport rates (beyond what is currently rated for), applied by Environment Canterbury, to cover the local rates share of the funding. This is necessary as the current targeted rates for public transport are fully allocated to the existing Metro services.

To find out what rate you currently pay, see your latest rates bill or head to waimakariri.govt.nz.

Service and funding options

We have suggested two different options for the direct bus service, which would require different levels of funding from rates.

Option 1:

Four trips from both Rangiora and Kaiapoi into central Christchurch in the morning, and five back in the afternoon. This is the level of service we believe is needed for it to be successful by offering enough different travel time options to make it attractive for as many people as possible.

Option 2:

Three trips from both Rangiora and Kaiapoi into Christchurch in the morning, and three back in the afternoon. This is the minimum number of trips we believe should be considered, as anything lower would be unlikely to be successful.