Subscribe to RSSK Rd Bus Shelters New Look
The 40 year old bus shelters on Auckland’s Karangahape Road are about to be replaced with new structures set to become a new landmark.
K’Road is one of the main roads on the walking route to Eden Park and the work has been timed to be completed in time for Rugby World Cup 2011.
The existing bus shelters on the motorway overbridge were built in 1970 with an expected life of 25 years.
Ongoing maintenance costs mean it is more fiscally prudent to replace rather than repair the bus shelters. They will soon be demolished to make way for a new-look design.
The new design, by Opus Architecture, will optimise views and ensure that the new shelters are easier to clean and maintain.
Work will include:
- demolition and removal of existing shelters, followed by installation of temporary safety barriers
- construction of new safety screens and a new canopy along the length of bridge
- construction of new bus shelter areas
- installation of seating and improved lighting
- laying of new footpath surface.
The project is expected to be completed by early August.
15 Comments
Sounds good, though I actually hope they will retain the “enclosed” nature of the bridge. With better glazing, obviously, but except for the rundown feel, I always liked the structure. Like a skybridge, but a whole street wide.
They’re only doing the Northern side the Southern side will remain the same, it’s a very small-budget upgrade so don’t expect anything major, however, anything to make waiting for a bus or walking through there less of grotty experience is good in my view.
AKT- @rtc not true
well i hope they keep people dry. My one out west i have to stand on the seat to keep dry so much for new designs they look pretty but when it comes to keeping you dry it sucks
only Northern side???? If that’s true - it will look terrible - cheap and tacky
From my observation Southern side is much busier
another badly thought out RWC spend.
I like it, but it still looks pretty easy to get wet!
The challenge of balancing visual & functional (ie the ability to have shelter from the rain etc) is yet to be found with current crop of Shelters … especially if Adshell is involved.
while Adshell continues to be the leading provider they will be advertising hoardings which masquerade as bus shelters… cynical maybe but its my experience
Just one side? I don’t believe that. The renditions show both sides, and I’ll take that as good enough until evidence otherwise.
Okay I stand corrected, the images now show both sides. The original plan when this was frst propopsed a year or so ago only included one side, it appears they’ve now expanded this to both sides which is great.
Ingolfson - I agree about that “skybridge” feeling. As a child, on rare drives up the motorway from South Auckland, I’d always watch out for the bridge that looked nothing like the other bridges. My siblings and I thought the whole thing was a glassed-in tunnel in the sky. It was a revelation (and a disappointment) to drive along K’Rd and realise the shelters didn’t actually go all the way across!
What’s not apparent from the renderings is whether through-pedestrians (as opposed to those waiting for a bus, I mean) are visually encouraged to walk through the shelters, or funnelled behind them.
If the former, then presumably there will not be advertising “ends” on the shelters, as that would block the line of smoothest foot traffic.
And if the latter, how much elbow room is there for people to pass each other? Is the back wall of the shelter continuous, thus creating a weirdly narrow alleyway along the outer edge of the bridge? Or is that a default bike lane?
The pictures are pretty but I’d appreciate more detail.
@rtc you should be more careful before spreading such rumours as fact here..
Auckland Transport insist also it is news to them that those Kingsland shelters are being rolled out to all stations.
As the keeper of the money they should know.
Original plan was only to do one side prior to the RWC and the other side simply cleaned, then upgraded later.
“A contribution of $300,000 from the Rugby World Cup 2011 support projects budget is proposed to be allocated to stage one of a potential three-stage project of urgent renewals works to be undertaken by the Transport Assets group. The renewals works are required to bring the Karangahape Road over-bridge up to a safe and sustainable standard (attachment A).
The contribution of $300,000 will complement the Transport Asset group’s renewals budget provision, enabling the replacement of the existing structures on the northern side of the over-bridge, including the bus shelters, with structures that have a higher design quality and create a more fitting gateway to the CBD.
The northern side of the over-bridge is a key component of the Rugby World Cup 2011 CBD to Eden Park walking route. Stage one will ensure this work is completed in time for Rugby World Cup 2011. Stage one will also ensure the southern side of the bridge is cleaned and tidied in preparation for stage two.
The Karangahape Road over-bridge was not included in the recent streetscape upgrades as it falls just outside the CBD area. Given its age and condition, the over- bridge is reaching the end of its useful life and is looking neglected and shabby.
The over-bridge was constructed in the 1970s, and consists of a solid roof cantilevered from a concrete nib wall with glass inserts allowing views to the north and south.
Without the $300,000 contribution from the Rugby World Cup 2011 support projects budget, the Transport Assets group only has sufficient funding through existing renewals budgets to renew the structure with a like for like replacement, which is outdated and does not enhance the city’s urban culture.
Consequential opex and deprecation
The Transport Division makes provision for consequential opex and depreciation through their roading transportation asset management plan over a 10-year period. The costs of consequential opex at 0.8% and depreciation are confirmed to be budgeted through the roading transportation asset management plan.
Assumptions
• Resource consent is not required as the renewals works are a permitted activity on the road space but a building consent is required.
• As this is a capital project over $200,000, it is subject to review and approval by the urban design review team. The final design may change through this process.
Risks
• There is limited budget and contingency available for the overall project. This presents a low risk to the CBD to Eden Park walking route planning as all the required funding for stage one of the project has been identified and will be completed well before the Rugby World Cup 2011.”
Original plan was for only one side to be done before the RWC, the rest as part of a possible phase 2.
“A contribution of $300,000 from the Rugby World Cup 2011 support projects budget is proposed to be allocated to stage one of a potential three-stage project of urgent renewals works to be undertaken by the Transport Assets group. The renewals works are required to bring the Karangahape Road over-bridge up to a safe and sustainable standard (attachment A).
The contribution of $300,000 will complement the Transport Asset group’s renewals budget provision, enabling the replacement of the existing structures on the northern side of the over-bridge, including the bus shelters, with structures that have a higher design quality and create a more fitting gateway to the CBD.
The northern side of the over-bridge is a key component of the Rugby World Cup 2011 CBD to Eden Park walking route. Stage one will ensure this work is completed in time for Rugby World Cup 2011. Stage one will also ensure the southern side of the bridge is cleaned and tidied in preparation for stage two.
The Karangahape Road over-bridge was not included in the recent streetscape upgrades as it falls just outside the CBD area. Given its age and condition, the over- bridge is reaching the end of its useful life and is looking neglected and shabby.
The over-bridge was constructed in the 1970s, and consists of a solid roof cantilevered from a concrete nib wall with glass inserts allowing views to the north and south.
Without the $300,000 contribution from the Rugby World Cup 2011 support projects budget, the Transport Assets group only has sufficient funding through existing renewals budgets to renew the structure with a like for like replacement, which is outdated and does not enhance the city’s urban culture.
Consequential opex and deprecation
The Transport Division makes provision for consequential opex and depreciation through their roading transportation asset management plan over a 10-year period. The costs of consequential opex at 0.8% and depreciation are confirmed to be budgeted through the roading transportation asset management plan.
Assumptions
• Resource consent is not required as the renewals works are a permitted activity on the road space but a building consent is required.
• As this is a capital project over $200,000, it is subject to review and approval by the urban design review team. The final design may change through this process.
Risks
• There is limited budget and contingency available for the overall project. This presents a low risk to the CBD to Eden Park walking route planning as all the required funding for stage one of the project has been identified and will be completed well before the Rugby World Cup 2011.”
@rtc The original plan was covered on AKT at the time but we don’t have the old council anymore. Now these projects have been passed to Auckland Transport they have been given fresh eyes and priorities changed and improvements made AT is doing a great job making better sense of some of these plans.
You try standing on the bridge during a cold windy winter’s night.
The current design turns the bridge into a kind of wind tunnel. Are there anything that shields the bus stops like the advertising boards you see on bus shelters?
Johans, in the renders, there’s these triangular, brownish panes that look like they will shelter you a bit if you hug the wall. Not so nice, but as with the Kingsland shelter seating, in an area like this there’s always a tradeoff between shelter and not blocking “through” pedestrians…
Not too sure about the narrow walking strip between the shelters and the bridge edge - probably a good thing (though certainly not for bikes!). Bit worried that the outer edges of the bridge may be too low to deter suicide jumpers. Used to be a big, big problem at Grafton Bridge, until they put up the curved screens - these look like people could easily climb over.