This is something I’m finding a little frustrating this month.

Because I’m working as a contractor, I’m sometimes at sites all day, sometimes called out, sometimes working from home, sometimes getting supplies, or like today, sometimes attending presentations or seminars, so I’m using a lot of off-peak services to random destinations. I’m trying to use Auckland’s buses and trains as urban transit.

And it’s the transfers between buses that pass close to home (233, 241, 243, 008) and would connect me to the rail RTN that are proving a big letdown.

I’m near Owairaka Ave. From there there’s route 008 that is a quick connection to Avondale, except it seems to almost always arrive at the station just after the train leaves.

In the peak, half the Owairaka+Sandringham Rd buses express past Kingsland and refuse to stop, and off-peak there’s only two minutes between the scheduled times of the 233 and the train to town.

I’ve had to draw up my own mini-timetable for services between home and the rail line, showing when and where the transfers work and don’t.

The other serious barrier to this kind of integration is ticketing. If it weren’t for my rather expensive Discovery Monthly, I’d have to pay extra for each transfer in the form of a new ticket.

Tonight I’m attending a seminar entitled Why is Public Transport in Auckland so Bad and What Could Fix It? – details here. I’m looking forward to it and hope it will cover this in some detail.

The displays showed planned upgrade works to local streets and to services such as power and water, as well as the further upgrade work to Kingsland Station. I had a good chat with James from Opus.

Besides its special events and World Cup duties, Kingsland has a lot of potential as an interchange station, which is what I’m trying to use it as.

It has two main barriers to being effective in this role: Lack of integrated ticketing, and no requirement for express buses to stop there at this stage. Both could be solved quite quickly and cheaply.

Besides Kingsland Station, another item that was of interest was KiwiRail’s (not Ontrack’s?) information on electrification. I’ve scanned the flyer here: Electrifying Auckland’s Rail Network.

Interesting information was the order in which the lines will be electrified. Assuming that electric trains are available when the lines are complete (either EMUs or, more likely, electric loco hauled sets), then the first line to see regular electrics may well be the Onehunga branch, in addition to Eden Park specials.

I was also told that this will be the first section to get the long-awaited and much needed signalling upgrade (there were two signal failures today, one in this section at Newmarket)

And I was told at the evening that rumor is that at least a paper integrated ticket will be in place in time for the Rugby World Cup, so long as Transport Minister Stephen Joyce does not manage to repeal the Public Transport Management Act. If he does that then it will be much harder to get one ready in time for the World Cup.

The PTMA gives the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) and its supercity successor power to require operators to accept integrated tickets, such as on the North Shore with its Northern Pass. If this Act is repealed, they will lose that power.

If I’m going to successfully get around like this next month, I’m going to have to get freshened up on how it works, what the ‘arterials’ are, and figure out a few tricks along the way.

It looks to be pretty complicated.

For a start, despite a few recent changes (and many future talked about ones), bus and rail still operates pretty much separately. There are few obvious integration points, so those doing more complex trips have to ‘make up their own’ – they must figure out where the present useful crossover points happen to be by coincidence.

Fortunately the Monthly Discovery pass I’ll have for November will mean it will be easier for me to transfer than it is for most people. There is no such thing as an integrated “A” zone pass for the Auckland City area, for example. The otherwise excellent Northern Pass is regionally limited to North Shore trips, with a slight rail extension. A shame really, as the Northern Pass model (based, I believe, on Melbourne’s excellent Metlink fare structure, if not their tickets) would have made a really good interim integrated ticket for Auckland, while we wait for the smartcard system (which is another story).

My local ‘entry point’ on to the rail network is Kingsland station. Kingsland consists of bus stops on Sandringham and New North Roads, with a pretty good station inbetween.

However studying the timetables for the train and connecting Sandringham Rd services reveals that connections are rather poor, and require advance planning.

Sandringham Rd services during the peak consist of many express services that pass, but do not stop at, Kingsland. This could be so easily fixed by recognising the station as a “local interchange” and having all bus services that pass the station, stop there.

This would allow passengers to switch modes here so train commuters can switch to the bus to better access Symonds St, including the university, and allow bus commuters easier access to Newmarket and the lower CBD by way of Britomart.

Instead, I’ve had to collate the existing schedules to draw up my own ‘timetable’ showing optimal connection points for each bus. I will keep that in my wallet.

For other interchanges (or not), I’ll work them out as the need arises to go to different parts of the city.

I’ll be using a combination of the MAXX regional guides and timetables, along with their online journey palnner. I’ve learnt not to rely on the journey planner alone, as sometimes it suggests some way-too-tight connections and not-so-nice walks.

As November 1 draws nearer, I’m often comparing how each day goes and how I would have done the same without a car. What will I miss? What won’t I miss?

I’ll miss the obvious flexibility of being able to jump in the car anytime, but I won’t miss this:

Queued for the ramp signals, SH16 to SH1 northbound link, 4:30pm Thursday October 15.
After the signals it was also stop-start traffic until the Bridge.

I’m wondering how I’m going to adjust to loss of flexibility of being able to jump in the car to get parts, return faulty items to suppliers and to hop between jobs. I think I’ll just have to plan trips better and further in advance. This will probably help with efficiency, allocating set days of the week to do ‘courier’ work with the hire car instead of making more trips transporting less equipment around per trip.Hopefully it’ll get me into good planning habits too.