Improved bus services roll out on eastern Hamilton routes

Improved bus services will be rolling out on Hamilton’s eastern routes this weekend.

The changes include an amendment to the 10 Hillcrest bus route following a petition from a small group of Hamilton East residents earlier this month.

Last Thursday, about 20 residents attended a meeting at the council during which they voted in favour of the 10 Hillcrest route being adjusted to serve stops on Brookfield and Macfarlane streets throughout the day and on weekends.

The new route will come into force from Saturday 27 January, and is among a range of changes to the following bus services: All Rototuna and Flagstaff bus services, 5 Chartwell, 11 Fairfield, 17 Hamilton East Uni. The 14 Claudelands has timetable changes only, the route remains the same.

Hamilton public transport committee chair and regional councillor Russ Rimmington said, “The public transport team has worked closely with Hamilton East residents to come up with a solution to meet their day-to-day needs. The new route will be rolled out with the others at the end of the month.

“All the changes now being implemented on Hamilton’s eastern routes were signalled in 2015 as part of a comprehensive network review. They aim to make buses available to more areas of the city, as well as improving services to growth areas like Rototuna where the council undertook extensive consultation of the community last year,” Cr Rimmington said.

The changes will increase the use of transport hubs, such as Chartwell, to improve transfers between buses, and see the number of buses that run seven days a week increase, as well as make some routes more direct by moving to main roads where buses can be run more often.

“The buses will be new, or recently refurbished, and we’re also working to get free wi-fi on board all Hamilton buses soon too,” he said.

However, the changes mean that some local roads may no longer be served by buses.

For more information on the route and timetable changes please visit busit.co.nz, call 0800 205 305 or speak to the team at the BUSIT counter inside the Transport Centre in Bryce Street.

Here is the detailed route information.

4 FLAGSTAFF CHANGES
• Buses will travel further north, and provide better connections to Rototuna High Schools
• This route will be extended to travel from Rototuna Shopping Centre through to town every trip, via Borman Road, Cumberland Drive, Magellan Drive, Discovery Drive, Endeavour Avenue, River Road, Glen Lynne Avenue, Chartwell, Bankwood Road, Heaphy Terrace and across Boundary Road into town. Once the Kimbrae Drive extension opens, buses will travel through to Rototuna High Schools.
• This route, although similar to the current 4 Flagstaff service, will no longer serve the part of River Road outside Alandale (see RC Rototuna Circular or Orbiter), Clarkin Road, River Road/Fairfield Bridge/northern end of Victoria Street area. Alternative bus routes are available in these areas.
• At peak times some buses will travel directly from Flagstaff to town via River Road, and not travel via Chartwell.

4N FLAGSTAFF NORTH CHANGES
• Two services will now run through to the schools, morning and afternoon, Monday to Friday during school terms. One bus will travel via Discovery and Thomas roads, the other will travel via Borman Road.
• Bus service from the Flagstaff North area will continue throughout the day as part of the extended 4 Flagstaff service and the new RC Rototuna Circular services.

5 CHARTWELL CHANGES
• The bus route will change, extending to Huntington Drive every trip.
• The northern end of Bankwood Road will no longer be served. Alternative stops are a short walk away.
• 5 Chartwell will become a key route, operating seven days a week, and public holidays.
• The service frequency will change to an hourly service (instead of the current half hourly service Monday to Friday).

10 HILLCREST CHANGES
• The service will become a key route, operating seven days a week and public holidays.
• The route will be extended to the Hayes Paddock area (Jellicoe Drive) to take over part of the 17 Hamilton East Uni route, including parts of Macfarlane and Brookfield streets during the day and on weekends.
• The route will also now travel along Anglesea Street within the CBD, rather than Collingwood and Victoria Streets in order to improve journey times.

11 FAIRFIELD CHANGES
• The route will now extend to Chartwell every trip via Clarkin and Bankwood roads.

16 ROTOTUNA CHANGES
• This route will combine the current RDW Rototuna Direct West and current 16 Rototuna service. It will no longer serve Edenpark Drive, the north end of Hukanui Road near Countdown St James, Belmont Street, Tongariro Street and Clarkin Road. There are other bus services travelling on, or near these roads.
• There is also a new trip incorporated in this route at school times, providing a connection between Huntington Drive and Kimbrae Drive (when the road fully opens) for travel between this area and Rototuna High Schools.

RC ROTOTUNA CIRCULAR
• This is a new route that will run seven days a week, linking Flagstaff, Borman Road, Kimbrae Drive (for Rototuna High Schools – when the road is fully open), Rototuna Shopping Centre, the St James area and Chartwell. Limited trips in the morning and afternoon peak times will travel through to town and back. For service to town at other times, please transfer onto other buses at the Rototuna Shopping Centre or Chartwell for easy connections.
• Buses will run in both directions.
• This route incorporates parts of the current 16 Rototuna, RDE Rototuna Direct East and RDW Rototuna Direct West services.

17 HAMILTON EAST UNI CHANGES
• This service will change to be a Monday to Friday service only. Weekend and public holiday service will be available on the nearby 2 Silverdale, 10 Hillcrest, 13 University, 29 Hamilton Gardens and Orbiter buses.
• This service will run in peak times only (before 9am and after 2.30pm). In off peak times the Orbiter (which has increased services to the university every 15 minutes) and the 13 University will be able to be used.
• The route will also change to travel directly along Macfarlane Street, and will no longer serve Jellicoe Drive. This area will instead be served by the 10 Hillcrest bus.

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