Cranford Street bus lanes to be implemented
Christchurch City Council Newsline: 11th May 2026
Work to implement the peak-hour bus lanes on Cranford Street will start on Monday 18th May.
Contractor Fulton Hogan will install bus lane cameras, signage and lane markings, along with safety improvements at the Cranford Street / Westminster Street intersection and the English Park signalised crossing.
It’s expected to take approximately six weeks and be completed by the end of June. Two lanes of traffic will be maintained on Cranford Street for the duration of the project and buses will be in the same lane as general traffic.
Although the bus lanes have been in place since 2021, this work will make the layout permanent and enable enforcement while the lane is in operation.
The peak-hour lane will operate on the southbound side during the morning peak (7am to 9am) and on the northbound side in the evening peak (4pm to 6pm), on weekdays.
Outside of these times the lanes will revert to on-street parking, with more space for cyclists.
“Bus lanes are designed to make journey times shorter and more reliable at busy times,” says Christchurch City Council Transport Planning and Delivery Manager Jacob Bradbury.
“These changes will help keep the route clear and reduce travel time for bus users during peak hours.
“We’ll also be installing high-friction, coloured road surfacing at the English Park pedestrian crossing and all four approaches to the Westminster/Cranford Street intersection, to improve road safety.
“This surfacing helps alert drivers and remind them of the need to slow down and watch for pedestrians and cyclists.”
Once the cameras are operational, a two-week education period will apply during which warning notices will be issued to non-compliant vehicles - those parked in the bus lane during peak hours or driving in the bus lane for more than 50 metres during peak hours.
“We want to ensure the transport network is operating as it is designed to do,” says Mr Bradbury.
“Taking public transport is a positive choice. The more people are on the bus; the fewer cars are on the road.”
Peak hour bus lanes on Cranford Street between Innes Road and Berwick Street began operating as a trial in 2021, to support mode shift and help mitigate the impacts of increased traffic from the Christchurch Northern Corridor. They were approved by the Council in December 2024.