The widespread public transport network across the region

Public transport in Auckland mainly consists of three modes: the bus, train and ferry. Services are provided under the “MAXX” brand by private transport providers, and coordinated by the Auckland Transport, which is a council controlled organization.

 

the MAXX train
image Cred: MAXX Auckland Regional Transport

The bus routes in Auckland cover five main areas which are the central, northern, eastern, southern and western suburbs. By looking at the map, which shows the central bus route, provided below, we will see that Auckland has got an incredibly comprehensive bus network, and the bus routes are mainly radical lines connecting the central Auckland with the surrounding suburbs. 

the Auckland Central bus route
map Cred: Auckland Transport Blog 

In terms of the train services, significant improvements have been made to the commuter rail services throughout the years. The map below shows the current and proposed Auckland Region rail networks:



Wider Auckland rail network
map Cred: Wikipedia

From the map, we can see that Britomart, as a transit center, connects the railway lines to the west, east and south. The proposed railway line will link to the northern part of the region, and with some interconnection between the existing western and southern line.

Commuting by ferry has been regarded as a feature of Auckland transport. Currently, the ferry connects mainly to Devonport, North Shore, and Rangitoto Island, Waiheke Island, Manukau City, and Great Barrier Island. The Map below shows the ferry routes.



Auckland Ferry Routes
Map Cred: Wikipedia

It has been indicated by the Auckland council to extend the current ferry service network in order to cope with the future growth.

Overall, by overview of the three predominant public transport network across the region, we have see that Auckland has a comprehensive transport network. Auckland CBD has become a transport hub and a transit center in the region. With respect to continuous growth and the rapid development of the city, the government needs to make sure any new transport projects to maximize its carry capacity to meet the demand of the public, and makes Auckland an example to other cities for it to be able to provide effective and efficient public transport services for all the commuters.

Reference:

Auckland Transport Blog, (Nov/ 9/2009) Analysing our bus network,

http://transportblog.co.nz/2009/11/09/analysing-our-bus-network/, (accessed: 19/May/2011).

Wkipedia, (12/May/2011) Public transport in Auckland,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_transport_in_Auckland, (accessed: 21/May/2011).