9 April, 2026

Morning-peak clearway targets Belmont snarl-ups

Draft plan includes new bus stops and lane rejig

Key changes in Auckland Transport’s draft Belmont plan… 1. Northbound clearway at morning peak to create longer lane merge. 2. Separate lanes at Bayswater Ave. 3. Left-turn slip lane from Williamson Ave removed. 4. Bus stop relocated and space converted to parking. 5. New 814 bus stop created, along with short left-turn lane. 6. New 805 bus stop. 7. Pedestrian crossing straightened; exit from service road made left-turn-only. 8. Lane-merge formalised.

Measures aimed at easing Lake Rd traffic congestion around the Belmont shops include a proposed two-hour clearway during the morning peak.
Businesses on the west side of Lake Rd between Bayswater Ave and Egremont St face having around a dozen streetside parking spaces removed from use between 7am and 9am on weekdays, to accommodate 100m of northbound clearway.
Other proposals in a draft plan include moving a busy bus stop on the other side of Lake Rd from the slip road to sit directly beside the main thoroughfare.
Auckland Transport (AT) initially suggested the clearway on the western side of Lake Rd apply from 8am to 9am.

But when it outlined eight proposed measures to the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board last week, board members backed a longer restriction. Other than a dairy and a laundromat, most of the businesses are not open before 9am.
The aim of the clearway is to prevent northbound traffic back-ups caused by the reduction to one northbound lane so close to the intersection.
A clearway will give vehicles more time to merge from two lanes to one beyond the School Rd turn-off.
Longer term, clearways at evening or weekend peaks may also be considered.
AT says it will consult with businesses mid-year and then proceed to detailed design. Traffic lights will also be reassessed.
Six car parks are tagged for permanent removal from the car park on the slip road on the eastern side of Lake Rd and on Williamson Ave to accommodate relocated bus stops for the 814 and 805 routes.
Members questioned AT staff on losing parks, but generally accepted the rationale for relocating the 814 stop to beside Lake Rd. This takes buses off the slip road and allows removal of the slip lane left from Williamson Ave onto Lake Rd, which is favoured as a safety measure.
Changes for turning and straight through lanes from Bayswater Ave and Williamson Ave are also proposed (see map) to ease confusion and improve flow.

The board asked AT to add several extra P60 spaces on Williamson Ave for shoppers, given several parks on the southern side of the road will be lost with the creation of a new 805 bus stop.
It is proposed that the 805, which runs between Devonport and Belmont, will go further north to loop through Westwell Rd or Winscombe St, then Seacliffe Ave and Williamson Ave before its return journey. It currently loops through School Rd and the slip road.
The changes are part of a “quick wins” plan for Lake Rd pushed by the previous local board, seeking lower-cost ways of making improvements on the congested corridor.
Money tagged for more extensive engineering work depends on longer-term transport budgets, with delivery far from guaranteed.
“Quick win” changes have already been implemented near Hauraki Corner, by extending the two northbound Lake Rd lanes to start back near Onepoto Rd.
Member Gavin Busch was pleased AT had adopted many suggestions. Member Garth Ellingham asked if a T2/bus lane south might not be possible, to encourage public transport and car-pooling, but the idea was ruled out by senior transport engineer Doris Wong. “For a bus lane we would need to look at the entire corridor,” she said. “But we don’t have the space.”