First, thank you for your feedback on the proposed new bus services for Waiheke. We received 932 responses, many with detailed comments from those with local knowledge on how the proposals could be improved.

This email sets out the results of the consultation, the voting on the options we proposed. This is not an update on the proposals themselves, as final recommendations are still being worked on, within AT and with your Local Board and bus company. However, the feedback has largely given us clear directions on what our customers want in the new services.

Of the 927 individual responses (five others came from organisations), 73% are from residents on the island, 20% from those with a property on the island, but with their main residence elsewhere, and 5% from visitors. As to gender, 57% are female and 41% male.

The age-range of respondents was heavily weighted to older age groups, with some 79% aged 45+ (19% aged 45-54, 20% 55-64 and 40% aged over 65).
Fifty-four percent of respondents are employed and 35% retired.

On bus usage itself, 88% use the bus to catch the ferry, 48% use the bus around the island but 7% don’t use the bus at all. Some 95% of respondents catch the Matiatia ferry, and there is good usage of the SeaLink ferry as well: 25% as foot passengers and 39% take their car.

While it is difficult to give exact numbers on all aspects of the new service, there was clear support for several proposals:

• The direct service from Matiatia to Onetangi along the main arterial route
• Better ferry connections and less waiting time for buses departing Matiatia, with as close a leaving time as possible after the ferry arrives
• The Kennedy Point service, but also with requests for better connections with the Matiatia ferry, and for more services between sailings and into the evening. There were also a number of requests for Route C to go to Ostend and even Onetangi
• The Rocky Bay service to go directly to Matiatia and not via Palm Beach, with many requests for the bus to meet the last Matiatia ferry and some requests to restore the 30-minute service off-peak for this service.

Strong opposition to the removal of services from Wellington Rd (including a petition from residents) and from Waiheke Rd. We also received opposition to terminating Route A along the strand (see below) and requests for the restoration of the Seaview Rd service, which was discontinued in 2014.

We also asked for options on parts of two routes. We gave three options for terminating Route A, Matiatia to Onetangi, at its eastern end, as shown in the below image.

Three quarters (76%) of respondents chose an option:

• Option 1 = 40% (53% of those selecting an option)
• Option 2 = 21% (28% of those selecting an option)
• Option 3 = 15% (20% of those selecting an option)

The result, taking only those who selected an option, is that Option 1 is preferred over the other two options combined by 52.6% to 47.4%.

For Route D (Matiatia to Rocky Bay), we asked which route it should take through Ostend. 36% of respondents selected an option, with 64% choosing ‘Don’t know/Doesn’t affect me’. The results are:

• 26% (72% of those selecting an option) chose ‘Via Belgium St’
• 10% (28% of those selecting an option) chose ‘Via Wharf and Ostend Rd’.

Finally, we asked how much more likely respondents were to take the bus, if the new proposals were implemented. With 93% selecting an option (7% did not know), the responses are:

• Quite a lot more often: 16%
• Somewhat more often: 21%
• About the same: 36%
• Somewhat less often: 5%
• Much less often/Never: 16% - many of these responses are from those losing their local services under the proposals.

Both the Local Board and AT management have commented on the consultation. Waiheke Local Board Chairperson, Cath Handley, says, “The Board is very pleased with the response to the consultation. It shows that those who reside on the island, whether permanently or part-time, care about their public bus services. The Board is looking forward to seeing the revised routes and timetables and giving AT our feedback on them.”

Colin Homan, Group Manager, Transport Services Development, at Auckland Transport, is also pleased with the level of engagement from the community. “It’s great to see the large number of responses from locals, those with holiday homes on the island and visitors. We now look forward to working with the Waiheke Local Board and the local bus company on our final recommendations, which we aim to report on by November.”