Tirohanga & Harbourview - views sought for public route and bus stops

This consultation closed on 10 April 2023.

Tirohanga and Harbourview residents are being asked to provide feedback on Metlink’s proposal to formalise and improve bus stops in the area.

Of the affected stops, all nine would be upgraded while two would be moved to safer, more accessible locations which offer greater coverage for the areas’ residents.

The stops are currently designated as ‘hail and ride’ stops, meaning drivers have to deem where it’s safe to pick up passengers, often in areas where accessibility for passengers can be limited.

A formal stop provides a permanent stopping location for buses and allows footpath modifications to be made for step free access onto the bus. Shelters at specific stops will also be considered.

Served only by school buses currently, updating the stops would also allow Metlink to introduce a higher frequency public service to Queensgate and Melling Station later in 2023.

Despite the ongoing driver shortage, Metlink is confident that in the coming months, driver numbers will be sufficiently bolstered to support the introduction of a new route without impacting the network.

A new route in the area was called for by residents and Tirohanga’s Rudolf Steiner School in Metlink’s 2019 network review and would connect locals and school students to north and south bound trains and buses from Melling Station and Queensgate Mall.

Metlink will present residents’ feedback to Hutt City Council, who will then consider the approval. If approved, road markings will be started in June. The bus route, to be named ‘149’, would come into effect later this year.

The changes will involve removal of some on-street carparks to ensure entry and exit tapers are safe for bus movements.

Metlink are proposing bus stop improvements in Tirohanga and Harbourview. These improvements will make the bus stops safer and more accessible, and accommodate a new public bus service.

Metlink will engage with the local community around Tirohanga and Harbourview to gather helpful insights and perspectives on the bus stop improvements we are proposing. This consultation will run from 27 March until 10 April, after which we will present our findings to Hutt City Council.

Residents and affected users can provide feedback on this proposal as follows:

Via the Metlink website consultation form
By email, to info@metlink.org.nz
On a physical form that will be mailed to residents

Through network monitoring and correspondence with Raphael House Rudolf Steiner School, Metlink has identified the need for a new bus service in the Tirohanga and Harbourview region.

Metlink has designed a new public bus service, Route 149. This service will be implemented later this year, and will provide frequent weekday services to schools and the wider community in Tirohanga and Harbourview.

Route 149 will provide school runs on weekday mornings and afternoons, and provide regular public services throughout the rest of the day. It will connect Tirohanga and Harbourview residents to destinations such as Melling Station and Queensgate Shopping Centre.

Metlink needs to improve the bus stops currently in the Tirohanga and Harbourview area in order to accommodate the new bus service. The stops also need to be changed from an informal ‘hail and ride’ format to established bus stops, which are safer and more accessible for passengers.

Please refer to the maps in the appendix for additional information.

The following bus stops will remain, with the addition of bus box markings and access tapers:

Two new bus stops will be added, improving access to the route, and route coverage:

One new stop outside 65 Viewmont Drive
One new stop outside 70 Tirohanga Road

Two bus stops will be removed, improving route design and the spacing between stops:

Harbour View Tirohanga map — Map of Harbourview Tirohanga bus stops (not including Lower Hutt CBD stops)