Active transport like bikes and public transport make a great combo. Buses, trains, and ferries carry large numbers of people to and from common destinations, often supported by dedicated, speedy networks. Meanwhile bikes are perfect for flexibility, an ideal solution for the first and last mile.
Currently in the Auckland region, we can take bikes, including e-bikes, on trains and ferries – but not, as a rule, buses.
Auckland Transport wants to see that change for its Rapid Transit Network. The Rapid Transit Network today covers:
- The northern and eastern busways, including the Northern Express.
- The southern, eastern, and western lines of the rail network.
- The Western Express and Airport Link buses.
Of course, it’s not a simple problem to solve. The outcome needs to be good for all bus users. Safety and speed have been big considerations as Auckland Transport have run a trial of allowing bikes inside buses on the NX1 route.
The trial started as a closed trial testing bike rack options. The preferred rack was installed in a third of NX1 buses for an open trial. In other words, anyone is welcome to take their bike onto one of the bike-enabled buses. This phase kicked off in July 2025 and will run for one year.
Does Bike Auckland support the Bikes in Buses trial?
The short answer is yes.
The NX1 is a great route to trial as it provides people with a way to cross the Harbour Bridge with their bike. The harbour crossing is a critical gap in the Auckland cycling network which Bike Auckland campaigns on over at liberatethelane.nz.
While we’d prefer to cycle across the bridge, at Bike Auckland we believe multi-modal journeys with bikes should be a serious option for people to get around our region. Multi-modal journeys need to become much more accessible for people.
While the Bikes in Buses trial isn’t perfect as a solution, we believe a lot of people benefit from being able to take their bike on the Rapid Transit Network buses. This is a step in the right direction, and we encourage people to give it a try.
How is the Bikes in Buses trial going?
After four months of the Bikes in Buses open trial Auckland Transport have provided an update on how things are progressing:
- About 50 bicycles a day are using the bike racks inside buses.
- There is no negative impact on dwell time of the bike buses being recorded. Dwell time is the length of time buses wait at the stops for people to get on and off.
- Albany and Lower Albert Street are the most popular stops for boarding with a bike.
- AT has had significant feedback from both cyclists using, or wanting to use the bike racks in buses, and from existing NX1 passengers.
- The feedback from people using the bike racks has enabled us to make adjustments to the hardware when needed, and has alerted us to service issues that need attention.
Many people have shared feedback that they find the bike bus service useful. Those who aren’t close to ferries find it a great alternative for crossing the Harbour Bridge with a bike.
The challenge with planning your bike bus journey
The most common feedback request is for timetabling of the bike-enabled buses, so that people can better plan their bike and bus journeys. People get frustrated when they are waiting for a bike bus, and it either takes a long time to arrive, or the not-in-service bike buses drive past passengers on their way to the depot.
Auckland Transport have investigated a number of potential solutions, but it’s not an easy fix.
The NX1 service operates dynamically and frequently, so specific buses cannot reliably be tied to fixed times. The fleet is managed in real time to accommodate refuelling, maintenance, driver shift changes, and other operational needs. Only 15 of the 45+ buses in the fleet have bike racks. Scheduling these specific buses at set times could disrupt or impact the efficiency of the service for other NX1 passengers who use it regularly.
AT’s interim solution is to publish as much information as possible to give people some detail on the frequency of bike-enabled buses that we expect.
Auckland Transport now shares typical frequencies of bike buses
While they can’t 100% guarantee when bike buses will arrive at a particular station, they can let people know the typical number of bike buses expected to be in service per hour. For example, there should be 3 bike buses per hour at peak times from Albany into the city and vice versa, but frequencies may be lower to the Hibiscus Coast and at other times.
The most up-to-date information about these typical frequencies is on Auckland Transport’s site.
At times the frequency is better, at times it’s worse. The table on AT’s site can give you a general indication of what to expect so you can decide whether the bike bus is the right mode for your journey.
Using the AT mobile app – be aware of limitations
The AT Mobile app’s journey planner, and the public information displays at bus stops rely on timetabled services information, not specific vehicle numbers. That is why the bike bus information will only show in the ‘live departures’ section of the app, which can track a specific bus once it has started its trip. We recognise that this limitation means that passengers waiting at the first stop of a trip will not see this information until the bus is at their stop.
Weekends are a great time to take your bike on the NX1
The bike bus service on the weekends and holidays is more regular and AT hopes people will ride out and enjoy the northern beaches this summer. Check out AT’s new cycle maps for the North Shore , Upper North Shore and Hibiscus Coast for ideas.
Next steps for Bikes in Buses
The open trial of 15 bike racks in NX1 buses will continue until June 2026. Trial findings will be published in mid-2026. AT will make decisions on the next steps for bikes in buses in Auckland by late 2026.
We encourage cyclists to give it a go, and please share your feedback with Auckland Transport via the link on their Bikes in Buses trial page.
