Manukau bus station

Manukau bus station is a bus station in Auckland, New Zealand, located in Manukau City Centre. The station is an important transport hub for South Auckland, serving as an interchange between bus and train services through connections to the adjacent Manukau Train Station. It is also one of the newest transit stations on the AT Metro network - having opened in 2018 - and is prominent for its unique design which has received architectural accolades.

Manukau bus station
Bus Station
The sawtooth bus bays and reversing area of the station. The Manukau Institute of Technology can be seen in the background, below which is the connecting train station
General information
Location	12 Putney Way, Manukau City Centre, Auckland New Zealand Auckland New Zealand
Coordinates	36°59′36.94″S 174°52′43.44″E
Owned by	Auckland Transport
Operated by	AT Metro, InterCity
Bus routes	33, 35, 36, 313, 325, 352, 353, 355, 361, 362, 365, 366, 368, 369, Airport Link
Bus stands	23
Connections	Manukau railway station
Construction
Platform levels	1
Parking	No
Bicycle facilities	Yes; at adjacent train station
Accessible	Yes
Architect	Beca Architects, Cox Architecture
Other information
Fare zone	Northern Manukau/Southern Manukau (overlap)
History
Opened	April 7, 2018; 6 years ago (2018-04-07)
Location

History

The station was first proposed in 2015 as part of the implementation of the new bus network for South Auckland, forming a transport hub with the adjacent Manukau railway station. This was to make it easier for bus passengers to transfer to train services as an alternative to long bus trips into the central city. It was also intended to provide better connections between bus services and serve as a "gateway" to South Auckland and Auckland Airport. At the time, it was expected to cost $26 million with a completion date in late 2017.^[1][2] Construction began on 12 February 2016 with the construction jointly funded by the New Zealand Transport Agency and Auckland Council.^[3]

The station was officially opened on 7 April 2018 in a ceremony attended by Auckland Mayor Phil Goff and Transport Minister Phil Twyford.^[4] The project cost $50 million in total for both the land and construction costs (individually $37 million).^[5]

Structure and facilities

Bus facilities

The station has 21 sawtooth bays (similar in design to bus stations in the New Zealand cities of Hamilton and Christchurch as well as in the Hamburg Central Bus Station in Germany) for buses with another two bus stops parallel to the station, on nearby Davies Avenue, which are intended for extra capacity.^[6] Auckland Transport justified the sawtooth design as necessary for maximising the use of space to accommodate up to 15 different bus routes at the station.^[2] This is due to the station being a terminus for many routes, which typically require layover time between services. The sawtooth design means that additional layover facilities are not required, with the buses waiting in the bays while transitioning between services. Buses reverse out of the sawtooth bays when departing the station in a reversing area that is segregated from the entry and exit lanes as well as passenger areas.^[6]

Bicycle facilities

Bicycle parking facilities were not included in the initial design of the station but are being considered for future addition. AT noted that there are already existing parking facilities in adjacent areas (including at the train station) that are underutilized, therefore there isn't a high level of necessity for parking facilities directly in the station building.^[6]

Retail

There are five food retailers integrated into the station: Jamaica Blue,^[7] Tank Juice,^[8] U Sushi, Breaktime Convenience, and PoppaRich Express.^[9]

Architecture

Awards

Year	Organisation	Award	Result
2018	New Zealand Institute of Architects - Auckland Awards	Public and Institutional Spaces/Built Environments - over $10 million	Won	[10][11][12]
2018	World Architecture Festival	Transport	Nominated	[13][11][12]

Services

AT Metro

Platform		Route	Destinations
Main station bays	6	36	Papatoetoe Station, Māngere Town Centre, Onehunga Transport Centre
	8	AIR (Airport Link)	Puhinui, Airport
	9	313	Papatoetoe, Māngere Town Centre
	10	325	Chapel Downs, Bairds Road, Ōtara, Ōtāhuhu Station, Māngere Town Centre
	11	School services
	12	35	Chapel Road, Ormiston, Botany Town Centre
	13	355	Ormiston, Mission Heights, Middlefield Drive, Kilkenny Drive, Botany Town Centre
	14	353	Preston Road, Harris Road, Botany Town Centre
	15	352	East Tamaki, Highbrook, Panmure
	16	366	Everglade Drive, The Gardens, Manurewa Interchange
	17	362	Great South Road, Manurewa Interchange, Weymouth
	18	365	Manurewa Interchange, Randwick Park, Papakura Station
Parallel stops	A	33	Great South Road, Hunters Corner, Ōtāhuhu Station
		361	Tui Road, Ōtara MIT
	B	33	Great South Road, Manurewa Interchange, Papakura Station
		361	Browns Road, Clendon Park, Mahia Road, Manurewa Interchange
		[14]

Intercity

The station is served by Intercity bus services on platforms 1-7.^[15]