Funding hole threatens busway 'super stations'

A massive shortfall in funds threatens a project to build a string of super stations to encourage bus use on the North Shore.

City council officials want urgent talks with transport funding agencies to try to correct what Mayor George Wood says is a funding gap of real concern.

Increased costs of the five-station plan have forced the council to find an extra $7.73 million and bump up this year's budget for the Northern Busway Project to $24 million.

The total cost of the stations has risen to $85.04 million instead of the $74 million quoted in the city's draft annual plan.

Mr Wood said the stations at Albany and Constellation Drive would open at the end of the year but council also wanted to start site works for stations at Sunnynook, Westlake Girls High and Akoranga.

At this stage, Westlake station was in doubt.

Mr Wood said the shortfall was one of many obstacles the council had had to overcome with the project since 1997.

Infrastructure Auckland (IA) granted the council $40 million towards the stations.

But in the time since IA was dissolved and its successor set up, said Mr Wood, the council had struck inertia in getting an acknowledgement by either the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) or the Auckland Regional Council that the grant needed adjusting.

He said it was unfair that North Shore should pick up more than a half share given the help made available for other cities' transport infrastructure.

The council did not want to take out a loan which would be paid from rates.

Mr Wood said the council was upset that the ARTA draft plan for the next five years provided only $36 million for capital spending on the region's bus and ferry networks.

On the other hand, the region's railway commuter lines were to get $1.036 billion.

The thinking behind this disparity was curious to North Shore residents who could use only buses and ferries, he said.

Regionally, most passengers were carried on buses and ferries and they gave a higher level of public benefit than buying new railway rolling stock.

Mr Wood also challenged the subsidy for rail at $12 a passenger, compared with $1.45 a passenger for both bus and ferry.

ARTA chief executive Alan Thompson said the budget allowed for changes in subsidies for North Shore buses.

"We are increasing frequency of services on the North Shore and once the busway is operating we will increase it by more."

Improvements included new peak express services at a frequency of 15 to 20 minutes instead of 30 minutes and an increase for internal North Shore services from 850 trips a weekday to 1050 trips.

There would be an initial Northern Busway spine service linking Massey University, Albany and Constellation stations and the Auckland CBD.

A subsidised ferry service would start for Beach Haven and more peak trips at Bayswater.

Mr Thompson said the spending planned for rail was what it would take to bring the system up to the standards of cities such as Adelaide and Brisbane.

The $12-a-passenger subsidy for rail would come down as patronage increased.