Public transport in Christchurch
 | |
 The new Bus Interchange in August 2015 | |
| Locale | New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Service area | Christchurch |
| Service type | Bus services |
| Fuel type | Diesel, biodiesel, electric |
| Operator | Ritchies Transport Go Bus Christchurch Black Cat Ltd[1] |
| Website | metroinfo.co.nz metroinfo.org.nz (Redirects) |
Public transport in Christchurch, New Zealand, consists of bus services operated by two bus companies supported by a ferry, all jointly marketed as Metro.
Overview
Since deregulation of the urban bus market in 1991, the Canterbury Regional Council (now branded Environment Canterbury) has taken responsibility for the tendering, planning and administration of public transport in Christchurch. Over the course of that time, improvements and changes have shaped the predominantly bus based public transport system, including the introduction of services such as the Orbiter. Originally branded as CanRide, this was replaced in 2003 with the introduction of the Metro brand and the eventual Metrocard.
Ticketing and fares are, with some exceptions, standard across the city's network. The electronic Metrocard provides a discount off regular fares. Under 18s receive a discount, and senior citizens travel free on off-peak services (9:00am to 3:00pm and after 6:30pm weekdays, all day weekends and public holidays).
'Real-time' bus arrival times are displayed on electronic displays at bus stops, online and mobile (cellphone) WAP.
The February 2011 Christchurch earthquake resulted in significant changes to the Metro bus network with the two key changes. The first change was the removal and or reorganisation of many routes due to the closure of the central city, road damage along routes, or reduced patronage. The second change occurred in December 2012 with the shift of the bus network from a radial network to a hub and spoke model network and the Blue Line was introduced. This resulted in many services being localised to hubs with connecting core services into the Central City and Cross Town.
More changes were made in December 2014, with the introduction of the Purple Line, Yellow Line and Orange Line, and more suburb to suburb routes.
Operations
The local bus service is marketed as Metro and designed, specified, put out to tender and subsidised by Environment Canterbury. All bus operators are required to display the required external Metro branding to vehicles under contract to ECan.
Christchurch City Council provides roading infrastructure and street furniture such as signs and seats and regulates parking at bus stops, and is also owner of Red Bus Ltd through its holding company Christchurch City Holdings. The city council previously funded the zero-fare he Shuttle service which ended after the 2011 earthquake.
The Christchurch City Council also provides bus lanes which operational during peak commuting hours on some routes. The routes have been controversial with some business owners concerned at the loss of parking from outside their businesses during the lanes operational times, but the lanes have improved bus travel times, schedule adherence and have resulted in an increase in passenger numbers.
Vehicle safety standards are regulated by the NZ Transport Agency.
Bus interchange
2000–2011
The city council provided the previous central city bus exchange in November 2000, which was damaged and closed after the earthquake on 22 February 2011. The previous bus exchange in the city centre served as the principal bus interchange point and passenger hub for the Metro network. The Exchange had attracted interest from other worldwide city authorities investigating how to improve their bus services. Since the Bus Exchange opened in 2000, the number of people using the bus service had doubled.
2011–2015
With the closure of the central city, two separate temporary central city facilities on the outer fringes of the CBD were established; one in Bealey Avenue, and one in Hagley Avenue. On 25 October 2011, bus services shifted to the new Central Station between Lichfield and Tuam Streets (in the block between Colombo and Durham Streets), which served as a longer-term temporary city bus stop. The expectation was that Central Station was to be in use for "up to two years".[2]
2015 Bus interchange
Opening
The Christchurch Central Recovery Plan of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) was unveiled on 30 July 2012,[3] which had an indicative time-frame for a new Bus Interchange building to be open by June 2014.[4] Central Station was in use until 25 May 2015, when Christchurch's new $53 million Bus Interchange building opened,[5] with half of the 16 bays operational. On 20 August, the building was physically completed and further opened to the public, including bike parking and more seating. On Thursday 8 October, the remaining bays opened. Later retailers took spaces.[6]
Services
Part of the hub and spoke model network is that many passengers need to interchange to other buses at suburban centres.[7] The 4 Metro Line services, which cross the city every 10 to 15 minutes, serve the Interchange,[8] but the Orbiter doesn't.[7] The Interchange also provides for the less frequent buses, longer distance coaches (on Lichfield St, except for Newmans to Queenstown),[9] taxis, cyclists and pedestrians.[8]
Design
Architectus and Aurecon designed the interchange and Thiess and Southbase Construction built it.[8]
To save space a ‘reversing bus bay’ design of 16 bays[10] has a 7 m (23 ft) backing lane, separated from the 5 m (16 ft) wide circulation lane.[8]
The passenger hall has underfloor heating from a groundwater heat pump. Wind towers and louvres draw air into the hall and air curtains prevent fumes getting in.[10] Each bus route has an area within the interchange, buses being automatically directed to a stop in that area. Doors to the hall open once the bus stops and another door at the front allows cyclists to access bus bike racks. Although pedestrians aren't permitted in the bus manoeuvering area, bus speeds are restricted. Cycle racks for 100 bicycles[8] are on two levels and there are e-bike chargers.[11] There are also toilets, luggage lockers and an information counter. Tactile paving guides sight impaired passengers.[12] A large canopy and verandas provide shelter outside.[8]
Riccarton Road lounge
The first bus lounge, which provides indoor waiting facilities, was planned for Riccarton Road. ECan requested it to be open in December 2014, but Christchurch city councillors found it difficult to make the required decisions. The opening was initially delayed to April 2015, and the city council then gave itself a new deadline of August 2015, and then said it would be open in November 2015.[13] It wasn't until 14 December 2015 that the Riccarton Road lounge, on the corner with Division Street, finally opened.[14]
-
The city's Bus Exchange on Lichfield Street, which operated from November 2000 to February 2011 -
Temporary bus stations were set up after the February 2011 earthquake at the edge of the city centre -
The temporary Central Station in November 2011 -
View of the new Bus Interchange along Lichfield Street, opposite the former exchange
Bus services
On 8 December 2014, a new bus network was launched offering three types of bus services. Five colour-coded frequent bus routes (the Metro Lines) run through Christchurch's major road corridors, connecting people to popular destinations. In September, 2020 it was announced that the colour-coded line branding will be discontinued, with lines reverting to their routes number. The Blue Line group became routes 1 and 1x on 28 September, the rest will change over in November 2020.[15]
City Connectors (buses with two numbers, not including route 97) allow people to travel from outer suburbs and satellite towns direct to the city.[16]
Suburban Links (buses with three numbers and also route 97) allow people to travel between inner suburbs, while avoiding the central city. People wanting to go to the Bus Interchange would need to transfer onto another bus at transfer points, located throughout the city.[16]
The following services are operated under the Metro brand:
Metro Lines
| # | Route Name | Start | Major destinations | End | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Or | Orbiter | Eastgate Mall | St Martins Shops, Princess Margaret Hospital, Barrington Mall, Riccarton Mall, Canterbury University, Northlands Mall, The Palms Mall | Eastgate Mall | ||
| 1 | Rangiora -
Cashmere |
Princess Margaret Hospital
or Cashmere |
Sydenham Shops, Bus Interchange, Bealey Ave, Northlands Mall | Belfast or
Rangiora via Kaiapoi |
||
| 1x | Rangiora - City
Express |
Ara Institute | Bus Interchange, Bealey Ave, Northlands Mall, Belfast, Kaiapoi | Rangiora | Weekdays only | |
| 3 | Airport/Sheffield
Crescent - Sumner |
Airport or Sheffield Crescent | Avonhead Mall, Canterbury University, Riccarton Mall, Chch Hospital, Bus Interchange, Ara Institute, Ferrymead Shops | Sumner | ||
| 5 | Rolleston/New Brighton | The Hub Hornby or
Rolleston via Templeton |
Church Corner, Riccarton Mall, Chch Hospital, Bus Interchange, Fitzgerald Ave, Eastgate Mall | New Brighton | ||
| 5x | Rolleston/New Brighton | Rolleston | Templeton, Hornby Hub, Church Corner, Riccarton Mall, Chch Hospital, Bus Interchange | Ara Institute | Weekdays only | |
| 7 | Halswell/Queenspark | Halswell | Addington, Chch Hospital, Bus Interchange, The Palms Mall, Burwood Hospital | Queenspark |
City Connector services
| # | Route Name | Start | Major destinations | End | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Bryndwr - Hunstbury | Sheffield Crescent | Sir William Pickering Dr, Rossall St/Leinster Road, Park Tce, Bus Interchange, Moorhouse Ave, Waltham, St Martins | Huntsbury | |
| 28 | Northwood - Lyttelton | Northwood | Casebrook, Northlands Mall, Cranford Street, Edgeware, Bus Interchange, Sydenham Shops, Opawa, Heathcote, | Lyttelton Wharf or Rapaki | 2 all-stop trips per day to and from Rapaki (weekdays). |
| 28x | Rapaki - City Express | Manchester Street
Super Stop |
Bus Interchange, Lyttelton, Lyttelton Wharf | Rapaki | 1 express trip per day (weekdays). |
| 29 | Airport - City via Fendalton | Bus Interchange | Fendalton | Airport | |
| 44 | Dallington -
Westmorland via City |
Dallington | The Palms Mall, Shirley, Warrington St Shops, Bus Interchange, Sydenham Shops, Barrington Mall, | Westmorland | |
| 60 | Hillmorton - Southshore | Wigram | Aidanfield, Hillmorton, Barrington Mall, Chch Hospital, Bus Interchange, The Palms Mall, Travis Rd, New Brighton | Southshore | |
| 80 | Lincoln - Parklands | Lincoln University | Lincoln Town, Prebbleton, Riccarton Mall, Chch Hospital, Bus Interchange, Eastgate Mall | Parklands | |
| 80x | Lincoln - City Express | Lincoln University | Lincoln Town, Prebbleton, Chch Hospital, Bus Interchange | Ara Institute of Canterbury | Weekdays only. Express route. No set route. |
| 85 | Rolleston - City (non-stop) | Rolleston | Rolleston, Chch Hospital, Bus Interchange, Ara Institute | Ara Institute of Canterbury | Weekdays only. Express route. No set route. |
| 86 | Darfield - City | Darfield | Darfield, Kirwee, West Melton, Westfield Riccarton, Bus Interchange, Manchester Street Superstop | Manchester Street Superstop | Weekdays only. Express route. |
| 87 | Southbridge - City | Southbridge | Southbridge, Leeston, Doyleston, Irwell, Springston, The Hub Hornby, Westfield Riccarton, Bus Interchange, Manchester Street Superstop | Manchester Street Superstop | Trial Service. Weekdays only. Express route. |
| 91 | Rangiora - City Direct | Northern Park and Ride
(River Rd) |
Central Park and Ride (White St), Southern Park and Ride (South Belt), Bus Interchange | Christchurch Hospital | Express route. No set route. Weekdays only.
(Starts January, 2021) |
| 92 | Kaiapoi - City Direct | Kaiapoi Central Park and Ride | Kaiapoi Southern Park and Ride, Bus Interchange | Christchurch Hospital | Express route. No set route. Weekdays only.
(Starts January, 2021) |
| 95 | Pegasus - City | Pegasus | Woodend, Kaiapoi, Belfast, Northlands, Bealey Ave, Bus Interchange | Ara Institute of Canterbury | |
| 95x | Pegasus and Waikuku
- City Express |
Pegasus or
Waikuku Beach |
Woodend, Kaiapoi, Belfast, Northlands, Bealey Ave, Bus Interchange | Ara Institute of Canterbury | 1 trip from Waikuku to City, 2 return trips.
Weekdays only. |
Suburban Link services
| # | Route Name | Start | Major destinations | End | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97 | Rangiora - Pegasus | Rangiora | Woodend | Pegasus | Only double digit numbered suburban link route. |
| 100 | Wigram - The Palms | Halswell | Wigram, Church Corner, Canterbury University, Riccarton Mall, Merivale Mall | The Palms Mall | |
| 107 | Styx Mill - Northlands | Northwood Supa Centa | Northwood, Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, Styx Mill, Veitches Road | Northlands Mall | |
| 120 | Burnside - Spreydon | Sheffield Crescent | Burnside, Canterbury University, Riccarton Mall, Addington, Spreydon | Barrington Mall | |
| 125 | Redwood - Westlake | Redwood | Northlands Mall, Bishopdale Mall, Airport, Avonhead Mall, Hornby Hub, Westlake | Halswell | |
| 130 | Hei Hei - Avonhead | Hornby Hub | Heihei, Church Corner, Riccarton Mall, Canterbury University, Avonhead Mall | Burnside High School | |
| 135 | The Palms - New Brighton | The Palms | The Palms, Prestons, Burwood Hospital, QE II Taiora, New Brighton | New Brighton | No sunday service. |
| 140 | Russley - Mt Pleasant | Hornby Hub | Russley, Church Corner, Westfield Riccarton, Moorhouse Ave, Eastgate Mall, Ferrymead Shops | Mt Pleasant | |
| 155 | Lyttelton - Eastgate (Shopper Service) | Lyttelton Wharf | Lyttelton Wharf, Ferrymead, Tannery, Eastgate Mall | Eastgate Mall | 3 weekday trips only. |
| 820 | Burnham - Lincoln | Burnham | Izone Business Park, Rolleston, Springston, Lincoln University | Lincoln |
Bikes on buses
Christchurch was the first place in New Zealand where bikes were carried on suburban buses. The trial started in November 2007 on the 35 route to Heathcote.[17] Bike racks on buses are provided on all suburban services.[18]
Other transport services
Taxis
There are a variety of taxi operators active in Christchurch. Operations are regulated by the New Zealand Transport Agency.
Airport transport
Christchurch International Airport is served by buses and shuttle vans.
- Three bus routes are available from the airport bus stand located outside the International Arrivals Terminal;
- the Purple Line (via Avonhead & City to Sumner)
- the number 29 bus (via Fendalton to City)
- the 125 Redwood via Papanui or West lake via Hornby
- Shuttle vans provided by several operators, including most taxi companies, provide door-to-door transport to and from the Airport.
Diamond Harbour ferry
A ferry connects the suburb of Lyttelton to Diamond Harbour, a settlement on the opposite side of Lyttelton Harbour. Ferries first began crossing Lyttelton Harbour in 1888. The ferry is operated by Black Cat Ltd. Connection provided with metro routes 28 and 155.
Christchurch Tramway
Christchurch Tramway Ltd operates a one-way tram circuit of the central city. This is mainly marketed as a tourist attraction, but is available to local commuters with an annual season ticket. Trams were originally introduced to Christchurch in 1905, ceased operating in 1954,[19] and returned to the newly built inner city loop in 1995, mainly as a tourist attraction.
Preliminary investigation into light rail options for Christchurch was made in 2009. Investigating options and protecting possible routes is an action point in the City Council's "A City for People Action Plan" (approved in 2010).[citation needed]
Heavy rail
Commuter rail service was discontinued in the 1970s, while long distance rail travel (by KiwiRail) has been scaled back to just the Coastal Pacific and TranzAlpine services, which depart from the Christchurch Train Station in Addington.
In May 2014, an article on the website Stuff.co.nz stated that the Templeton Residents' Association had urged Christchurch City Council to consider the implementation of a local commuter rail network for the city.[20] In an article dated August 2014, it was subsequently confirmed that the city council were to discuss the possibility with the NZ Transport Agency.[21]
References
- ^ "About Metro". Metroinfo. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
- ^ Mathewson, Nicole (17 October 2011). "Temporary Hub Will 'Restore Vibrancy' to City". The Press. p. A3. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
- ^ Cairns, Lois (30 July 2012). "Rebuild Plan for Christchurch Unveiled". The Press. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
- ^ Christchurch Central Recovery Plan. Christchurch: Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority. 30 July 2012. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-478-39718-5.
- ^ Meier, Cecile (25 May 2015). "Christchurch Bus Interchange Opens". The Press. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
- ^ "Your New Bus Interchange". Metro. Archived from the original on 25 September 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ^ a b "Metro Bus Services Review May 2014". Metro. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f "Bus Interchange: Frequently Asked Questions". Metro. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ^ "Christchurch – Bus Timetable // Search Bus Fares From Christchurch". www.intercity.co.nz. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ^ a b "Christchurch Bus Interchange / Architectus". ArchDaily. 16 July 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ^ "Inside the New Bus Interchange Whats in it for Cycling". Cycling Christchurch. Archived from the original on 2 October 2015.
- ^ "Bus Interchange". Metro. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ^ "Bus Lounge Date Missed Fourth Time". The Press. 4 December 2015. p. A4. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
- ^ "Riccarton Rd Bus Lounge Now Open". The Press. 15 December 2015. p. A5. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- ^ Hayward, Michael (9 September 2020). "The Big Teal Reveal: New Colour, Branding for Canterbury's Bus Network". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Metro Network" (PDF). Metro. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
- ^ "Bike-Carrying Racks on More Bus Routes from November". Christchurch: Environment Canterbury. 29 January 2009. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
- ^ "Bikes on Buses". Metro. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
- ^ Douglass, Malcolm (2006). A Wheel on Each Corner: The History of the IPENZ Transportation Group 1956–2006. IPENZ Transportation Group. p. 12.
- ^ Cairns, Lois (21 May 2015). "Christchurch City Council Urged to Look at Commuter Rail". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
- ^ Cairns, Lois (14 August 2015). "Council Keen to Investigate Commuter Rail for Northern Christchurch". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
External links
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