We’re implementing the peak hour bus lanes on Cranford Street between Berwick Street and Innes Road, to make the journey times shorter and more reliable.
Work is scheduled to take place from Monday 18 May 2026, and is expected to take six weeks to complete. Read the start works notice(external link).
We’ll be installing bus lane cameras, signage and lane marking, and making pedestrian safety improvements at the Cranford Street / Westminster Street intersection and the English Park signalised crossing.
The peak-hour bus lane will operate on the southbound side in the morning peak, 7am to 9am, and on the northbound side in the evening peak, 4pm to 6pm, on weekdays. The lanes will revert to on-street parking, with more space for cyclists, outside of these times.
Once the cameras are operational, there will be a two-week education period, during which warning notices will be issued for vehicles parked in an operating bus lane during peak hours and vehicles driving in a bus lane for more than 50 metres during peak hours.
Read our Newsline story for more information(external link).
- We know road works can be frustrating, so we’ll be working hard to get out of your way as soon as possible.
- Two lanes of traffic will be maintained during the works, and buses will be in the same lane as general traffic.
- We’ll need to remove some on-street parking while we’re working. This will be reinstated as soon as possible.
- In November 2026, some overnight work will be needed to install the high-friction surfacing at the Cranford Street/Westminster Street intersection and the English Park signalised crossing. This work has been deferred until later this year due to unsuitable winter temperatures. We’ll be in touch with residents and businesses closer to the time.
- The Christchurch Northern Corridor (CNC) opened in 2020 to provide improved public transport options, safe walking and cycling routes, faster journey times, and reduced congestion from North Canterbury to Christchurch City.
- As expected, the CNC introduced a range of downstream effects, including increased traffic on Cranford Street and throughout the St Albans area. To prepare for this, in 2018, we began early investigations into how we could improve efficiency on Cranford Street as part of the Downstream Effects Management Plan (DEMP).
- We trialled peak-hour bus lanes on Cranford Street between Berwick Street and Innes Road from 2021. These were permanently approved by the Council on 4 December 2024, following a decision recommendation by the Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board.
- While the bus lanes have been in place since 2021, they have not been enforced. The construction works outlined above will formally implement the peak hour bus lanes and provide for enforcement via cameras.
