Public transport in Christchurch

The city council provided the previous central city bus exchange in November 2000, which was damaged and closed after the earthquake on 22 February 2011. The previous bus exchange in the city centre served as the principal bus interchange point and passenger hub for the Metro network. The Exchange had attracted interest from other worldwide city authorities investigating how to improve their bus services. Since the Bus Exchange opened in 2000, the number of people using the bus service had doubled.

With the closure of the central city, two separate temporary central city facilities on the outer fringes of the CBD were established; one in Bealey Avenue, and one in Hagley Avenue. On 25 October 2011, bus services shifted to the new Central Station between Lichfield and Tuam Streets (in the block between Colombo and Durham Streets), which served as a longer-term temporary city bus stop. The expectation was that Central Station was to be in use for "up to two years".[5]

The Christchurch Central Recovery Plan of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) was unveiled on 30 July 2012,[6] which had an indicative time-frame for a new Bus Interchange building to be open by June 2014.[7] Central Station was in use until 25 May 2015, when Christchurch's new $53 million Bus Interchange building opened,[8] with half of the 16 bays operational. On 20 August, the building was physically completed and further opened to the public, including bike parking and more seating. On Thursday 8 October, the remaining bays opened. Later retailers took spaces.[9]

Part of the hub and spoke model network is that many passengers need to interchange to other buses at suburban centres.[10] The four High Frequency services, which cross the city every 10 to 15 minutes, serve the Interchange,[11] but the Orbiter doesn't.[10] The Interchange also provides for the less frequent buses, longer distance coaches (on Lichfield St, except for Newmans to Queenstown),[12] taxis, cyclists and pedestrians.[11]

Architectus and Aurecon designed the interchange and Thiess and Southbase Construction built it.[11]

To save space a ‘reversing bus bay’ design of 16 bays[13] has a 7 m (23 ft) backing lane, separated from the 5 m (16 ft) wide circulation lane.[11]

The passenger hall has underfloor heating from a groundwater heat pump. Wind towers and louvres draw air into the hall and air curtains prevent fumes getting in.[13] Each bus route has an area within the interchange, buses being automatically directed to a stop in that area. Doors to the hall open once the bus stops and another door at the front allows cyclists to access bus bike racks. Although pedestrians aren't permitted in the bus manoeuvering area, bus speeds are restricted. Cycle racks for 100 bicycles[11] are on two levels and there are e-bike chargers.[14] There are also toilets, luggage lockers and an information counter. Tactile paving guides sight impaired passengers.[15] A large canopy and verandas provide shelter outside.[11]

The first bus lounge, which provides indoor waiting facilities, was planned for Riccarton Road. ECan requested it to be open in December 2014, but Christchurch city councillors found it difficult to make the required decisions. The opening was initially delayed to April 2015, and the city council then gave itself a new deadline of August 2015, and then said it would be open in November 2015.[16] It wasn't until 14 December 2015 that the Riccarton Road lounge, on the corner with Division Street, finally opened.[17]

• 
  The city's Bus Exchange on Lichfield Street, which operated from November 2000 to February 2011
• 
  Temporary bus stations were set up after the February 2011 earthquake at the edge of the city centre
• 
  The temporary Central Station in November 2011
• 
  View of the new Bus Interchange along Lichfield Street, opposite the former exchange

Sportworks double bicycle carrier mounted on a Redbus

Christchurch was the first place in New Zealand where bikes were carried on suburban buses. The trial started in November 2007 on the 35 route to Heathcote.[20] Bike racks on buses are provided on all suburban services.[21]

There are a variety of taxi operators active in Christchurch. Operations are regulated by the New Zealand Transport Agency.

Christchurch International Airport is served by buses and shuttle vans.

• Four bus routes are available from the airport bus stand located outside the International Arrivals Terminal;
  • 3 Airport or Sheffield Crescent to Sumner
  • 8 Port to Port (Airport to Lyttelton)
  • 29 City to Airport via Fendalton
  • 125 Redwood to Westlake
• Shuttle vans provided by several operators, including most taxi companies, provide door-to-door transport to and from the Airport.

A ferry connects the suburb of Lyttelton to Diamond Harbour, a settlement on the opposite side of Lyttelton Harbour. Ferries first began crossing Lyttelton Harbour in 1888. The ferry is operated by Black Cat Ltd. Connection provided with metro routes 8 and 155.

Christchurch Brill Tram No 178 on the heritage tramway

Christchurch Tramway Ltd operates a one-way tram circuit of the central city. This is mainly marketed as a tourist attraction, but is available to local commuters with an annual season ticket. Trams were originally introduced to Christchurch in 1905, ceased operating in 1954,[22] and returned to the newly built inner city loop in 1995, mainly as a tourist attraction.

Preliminary investigation into light rail options for Christchurch was made in 2009. Investigating options and protecting possible routes is an action point in the City Council's "A City for People Action Plan" (approved in 2010).

Commuter rail service was discontinued in the 1970s, while long distance rail travel (by KiwiRail) has been scaled back to just the Coastal Pacific and TranzAlpine services, which depart from the Christchurch Train Station in Addington.

In May 2014, an article on the website Stuff.co.nz stated that the Templeton Residents' Association had urged Christchurch City Council to consider the implementation of a local commuter rail network for the city.[23] In an article dated August 2014, it was subsequently confirmed that the city council were to discuss the possibility with the NZ Transport Agency.[24]