Below is correspondence the PRGI received regarding the new Waimakariri Bus Routes.
Kia ora Members A lot has happened since our last email update about the Waimakariri service review changes in December last year. I hope you have been able to settle back into some normality following the challenges of COVID-19. You may recall that in our last update we said we planned to implement the route changes confirmed during last year’s consultation in April-May. However, the COVID-19 situation meant that we needed to keep the current routes that everyone was familiar with in place for longer. Thank you for your patience as we worked through this. I’m happy to be able to confirm that from Monday 28 September, the confirmed route changes will be implemented. As a reminder, these changes include:
Blue Line: The Blue Line will travel via Williams Street and Lineside Road. In Rangiora, the route will now use West Belt and Kinsgbury Avenue to access King Street rather than Enverton Drive. The Blue Line will continue to use the existing terminus on Ashley Street in Rangiora. The service will continue to operate at its current frequencies.
95 Pegasus – City: This service will travel via Silverstream to Pegasus, operating half-hourly at peak times on weekdays and hourly at all other times. The route includes one trip on weekday mornings and afternoons, diverting to Kaiapoi High School so students can continue to access the school. There will be one trip in the morning from Waikuku, and two back in the afternoon/evening.
97 Rangiora – Pegasus: This new service will travel hourly between 7.30am-6.30pm on weekdays, 8.30am-6.30pm on Saturdays and 9.30am-6.30pm on Sundays.
See more information and background on our consultation website. What next? We are continuing our planning for implementing these changes, finalising the updated timetables and maps. These will be shared with you a couple of weeks prior to the changes coming into effect. What about the new, direct commuter services? Along with Waimakariri District Council, we are continuing planning and preparation for these new services and the opening of the new Park & Ride locations. The start date is dependent on the opening of the Christchurch Northern Corridor, scheduled for late 2020. We will send another update once a start date for the new services has been confirmed. See more information and background on our consultation website. If you have any questions, please email metro@ecan.govt.nz, or call Metroinfo on 03 366 88 55.