More reliable bus connections
Public transport use is growing, especially on busy routes. To keep services moving efficiently, Metlink and Wellington City Council need to modify bus stops along the eastern bus corridor from the central city to Miramar, so they function as high‑capacity stops. This allows more than one bus to pull in fully at stops and provides better accessibility so people can hop on and hop off quickly and safely whilst at the same time keeping the roadway clear.
The Eastern Bus Corridor, and the stops along it, are part of popular and well frequented services like Metlink's Route 2 bus, as well as other buses such as the peak hour express services. Almost every bus service using all or part of this route will benefit from these improvements.
Fixing current issues and planning for passenger growth
Current passenger demand for travelling by bus on the Eastern Bus Corridor creates difficulties at bus stops as there are more buses than the current infrastructure can handle. The bus stops are not long enough for more than one bus. This means buses are queueing or stopping in the middle of the road and sometimes leaving passengers behind.
These issues cause safety concerns for passengers and general traffic, reduce the efficiency of service, and result in a reduced level of service for passengers.
Passenger growth on Route 2 (the largest bus service on the Eastern Bus Corridor with 3.4 million annual passenger trips on the full route from Karori to Miramar/Seatoun in the 2024/2025 financial year) is continuing to increase and to meet demand Metlink needs to operate more buses and/or longer buses. Some intersections need changes to enable the use of longer articulated buses (the preferred solution for providing more bus and passenger capacity).
Project at a glance
The Eastern Bus Corridor project proposed improvements are part of a bus corridor that runs from the central city to Miramar. The Eastern Bus Corridor is Metlink’s busiest and most frequent route, carrying a high number of passengers every day. Route 2 is the main service that uses this corridor and links Karori in the west to Miramar in the east via the central city. Other bus routes using this corridor include the 4, 14, 18, 24, 30x, 31x, 35, 36, 38x, AX, and school services.
Changes were proposed in Hataitai, Kilbirnie, Miramar and Mt Victoria. To accommodate more frequent or longer buses, changes will include:
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making some stops longer
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removing or consolidating some stops to improve bus stop spacing and reduce journey times
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bus shelter changes
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kerb and line marking changes at some intersections so they can be safely used by longer buses.
The changes will make some bus stops more accessible. Buses will be able to lower to kerb height if needed, and drivers will be able to extend the ramp for wheelchair users.
Public consultation on the Eastern Bus Corridor improvements was undertaken in May-June 2026. Overall, 64% of respondents supported or strongly supported the proposed changes, with feedback showing strong support for improving bus reliability and capacity alongside concerns about some individual bus stop removals and relocations.
On 2 September, WCC Councillors approved the majority of the recommended improvements to the Eastern Bus Corridor. They also agreed to defer decisions on 11 bus stops in Hataitai, Kilbirnie, and Miramar to gather further public feedback. Consultation is now open on the 11 revised bus stop proposals that were deferred for further public feedback.
October 2026 alternative proposals
Following the decision to defer 11 bus stop changes for further public feedback, consultation is now open on the alternative proposals.
The alternative proposals include:
Hataitai
- Kupe Street stops 6220 and 7220: Bus stops to be removed
- Moxham Avenue (at Goa Street) stops 6219 and 7219: Bus stops to remain in current location and extended to accommodate longer or additional buses
- Moxham Avenue stops (near Raupo Street) 6218 and 7218: Bus stops to be relocated to the corner of Moxham Ave/Tapiri St and extended to accommodate longer or additional buses
Kilbirnie
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Rongotai Road (near Ross Street) stop 7027: Bus stop to remain in current location and extended to accommodate longer or additional buses
Miramar
- Park Road (at Brussels Street) stops 7235 and 6235: Bus stops to remain in current location and extended to accommodate longer or additional buses
- Park Road (near Byron Street) stops 7234 and 6234: Bus stops to be removed
One coordinated consultation for these alternative proposals is now open. The consultation will focus only on the 11 deferred bus stop changes, not the wider Eastern Bus Corridor improvements that have already been approved.
See details on the alternative proposals for more information.
Kōrero mai Have your say
Consultation is now open on 11 alternative bus stop proposals. If you have explored the alternative proposals and want to share your feedback, our online form takes 3-5 minutes to complete and requires no registration. You can share your thoughts on the proposals, add detailed comments, and upload relevant documents or photos.
If you need help with making a submission, please email us at citydesignprojects@wcc.govt.nz.
Wellington City Council, as the city’s road controlling authority, and Metlink (Greater Wellington), as the public transport authority, are working together to improve bus infrastructure along the eastern corridor from the central city to Miramar.
As part of our early engagement, we worked closely with groups in the community and stakeholders to hear their views and refine the proposed designs.
These groups included:
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Residents’ associations
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Business groups (BIDs)
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Local businesses along the route
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Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre
View plans, maps and traffic resolution
Get the all the detail in our supporting documents, including design drawings, maps and the traffic resolution.