1 Dec 2010: Queensland: Public Transport 101 - Be on the Way!

[ozbob]

Media release 1 December 2010

Queensland: Public Transport 101 - Be on the Way!

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters wishes to highlight how important road layouts and forward planning is to efficient and legible public transport.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"There are many examples in South East Queensland of developments or suburbs which have anti-public transport features and designs that will never ever allow fast or efficient services to peoples homes. In the words of professional public transport consultant Jarret Walker (1):

'Public transit's usefulness is determined by land use planning more than by transit planning. Once you've arranged your major land use nodes to form a squiggle, you've pretty much prohibited efficient public transit.'

"Public transport must be direct and fast. Nobody wants to catch a bus which wastes their time excessively looping around suburban back streets or the extreme discomfort of riding through a veritable obstacle course of traffic calming devices and multiple speed humps and bumps along the route.

"Every public transport user is also a pedestrian or cyclist because that is how people must get to their local stop or station. Therefore permeability to cyclists and people on foot is also essential, but is not enough on its own. There is little purpose in making a highly walkable or cycle-able development which restricts and imprisons its bus routes from access through multiple dead end roads.

"Overseas best-practice, even in small towns, integrates bus lanes and simple, low cost exclusive busways into the urban fabric which feed to the local rail or bus stations.(2) This idea of physical "pre-integration" of public transport into developments from day one would do wonders for patronage and '15 minute neighbourhoods' as population and development continues to boom in South East Queensland.

"Answering questions like "how will a bus get to these people quickly and comfortably?" and "how can people walk or cycle directly to their local stop?" and "where can I park my bike?" is absolutely essential before so much as a shovel hits the ground. Once the roads are in, the future success or failure of public transport in that area becomes virtually set in concrete.

"Bus priority must be properly re-established in Brisbane. Be on the Way!"

References:

1. Be on the Way! http://www.humantransit.org/be-on-the-way/

2. Richard Lenthall on the busways of Almere, Netherlands http://www.humantransit.org/2010/10/guest-post-richard-lenthall-on-the-busways-of-aimere-netherlands.html

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Discussion thread on bus priority --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4037.0

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

1 December 2010

Greetings,

Bus priority must be reinstated, particularly west.

Media Release 4 July 2010
 
SEQ:  Bus priority needed - more bus lanes and traffic light priority

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has called for action to give buses priority on the congested road network.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"The massive investment in buses needs to be complemented by giving increased priority on the road network. Increasingly buses are being caught up in the traffic mire around Brisbane and suburbs (1)."

"Buses caught up in traffic leads to inefficiencies and is not an inducement for people to use public transport. Each bus takes 40 cars off the road, uses relatively less fuel, produces less pollution and is 10 times safer than a passenger car.  It is this greater efficiency that makes economic and environmental sense to give buses priority over cars."

"Bus lanes are needed on all major thoroughfares. Some possible locations are Story Bridge, Captain Cook Bridge and Riverside Expressway, Mains Road, Ipswich Road, Beaudesert Road, Logan Road, Clevland Road, Wynnum Road, Sandgate Road, Centenary Highway and Ipswich and Southern M1 Motorway, Kelvin Grove road extended north, Old Northern Road, South Pine Road, Maundrell Terrace, Moggill Road and Coronation Drive."

"Bus priority traffic lights on major roads are needed particularly at busiest intersections. For example the Ipswich Rd, Stanley St, Main St and Woolloongabba busway portal intersection should really have one, as should Jurgens St and Stanley St. Another "portal entry" bus lane can help too. Lots of buses queue up there in the mornings."

"Bus priority must be the road priority!"

Reference:

1. http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2695.msg27561#msg27561

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

Media release 1 December 2010

Queensland: Public Transport 101 - Be on the Way!

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters wishes to highlight how important road layouts and forward planning is to efficient and legible public transport.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"There are many examples in South East Queensland of developments or suburbs which have anti-public transport features and designs that will never ever allow fast or efficient services to peoples homes. In the words of professional public transport consultant Jarret Walker (1):

'Public transit's usefulness is determined by land use planning more than by transit planning. Once you've arranged your major land use nodes to form a squiggle, you've pretty much prohibited efficient public transit.'

"Public transport must be direct and fast. Nobody wants to catch a bus which wastes their time excessively looping around suburban back streets or the extreme discomfort of riding through a veritable obstacle course of traffic calming devices and multiple speed humps and bumps along the route.

"Every public transport user is also a pedestrian or cyclist because that is how people must get to their local stop or station. Therefore permeability to cyclists and people on foot is also essential, but is not enough on its own. There is little purpose in making a highly walkable or cycle-able development which restricts and imprisons its bus routes from access through multiple dead end roads.

"Overseas best-practice, even in small towns, integrates bus lanes and simple, low cost exclusive busways into the urban fabric which feed to the local rail or bus stations.(2) This idea of physical "pre-integration" of public transport into developments from day one would do wonders for patronage and '15 minute neighbourhoods' as population and development continues to boom in South East Queensland.

"Answering questions like "how will a bus get to these people quickly and comfortably?" and "how can people walk or cycle directly to their local stop?" and "where can I park my bike?" is absolutely essential before so much as a shovel hits the ground. Once the roads are in, the future success or failure of public transport in that area becomes virtually set in concrete.

"Bus priority must be properly re-established in Brisbane. Be on the Way!"

References:

1. Be on the Way! http://www.humantransit.org/be-on-the-way/

2. Richard Lenthall on the busways of Almere, Netherlands http://www.humantransit.org/2010/10/guest-post-richard-lenthall-on-the-busways-of-aimere-netherlands.html

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org