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The Central Connector (formerly called Auckland Central Transit Corridor), is a bus rapid transit link (mooted as a potential future light rail route) between Britomart Transport Centre in the Auckland CBD, New Zealand, and the commercial suburb of Newmarket. It was expected to improve journey times by about 14 minutes for around 2,600 buses per week, about 65,000 passengers daily. Work began in April 2008 and is now finished.
In November 2007 John Banks, the Mayor of Auckland City, ordered a review of the project as part of his promised crackdown on rate increases. It was decided to go forward with the project, in part due to it being expected to cost Auckland City (according to late 2007 estimates) only NZ$8.5 million, with Land Transport New Zealand paying $20.5 million in addition to Auckland Regional Transport Authority's (ARTA) $13.7 million share. Banks' first Council, before its 2004 defeat by Dick Hubbard, had also first mooted the project to replace the tramway that was planned under Christine Fletcher's council but cancelled under Banks.
Characteristics
The route runs from Britomart via Symonds Street to Karangahape Road then over Grafton Bridge to Khyber Pass Road in Newmarket. It passes through Auckland University campus and past Auckland City Hospital and the Auckland Domain, all important public transport destinations.
The project closed Grafton Bridge to private vehicle traffic during the day, creating a bus lane 7am-7pm. This part of the project was reviewed after protests by Councillor Ken Baguely. However, part-funding for the project by ARTA was contingent on these operating hours, and Council eventually accepted that keeping the bus lane option was preferable.
Most of the streets en route received substantial overhauls, with, for example, relaid footpaths. Ten pedestrian crossings were to be improved and enlarged, especially around the university. The changes included the closure of Alfred Street, a side street off Symonds Street bisecting the university campus in that area, to all traffic except Link and City Circuit buses from the end of 2006, and new canopies over footpaths in the university areas.