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.