Auckland, New Zealand, is considering adding light rail lines to replace some of its most heavily used bus lines. Many of these new light rail lines, if built, would echo Auckland's former tram system.
Auckland was served by a network of traditional tram or streetcar routes until the mid-20th Century. The original tram network had 72 kilometres (45 mi) of track.
Steve Hawkins, Auckland Transport's Chief Engineer, said that the bus routes on Symonds Street and Fanshawe Street require as many as 150 buses each. The Light Rail study is considering replacing the bus routes on Dominion Road, Manukau Road, Mt Eden Road, Symonds Street and Queen St with light rail routes. All of those bus routes replaced routes on Auckland's 20th Century Tram network.
Auckland Mayor Len Brown pointed out that the city's ten-year plan did not include funding for building new light rail routes.
Stuff.co.nz quoted Auckland Transport officials who described how the study was considering the option of building light rail routes, with a dedicated right of way, and the option of building routes where rail vehicles shared the road with other vehicles, as with a traditional streetcar system. Officials projected that the maximum passenger capacity of a true light rail line would be 18,000 passengers per hour, while the maximum capacity of a system where vehicles shared the road with other vehicles would max out at 12,000 passengers per hour. They said 2,500 passengers per hour was the practical maximum for a bus route.