RAIL - Back On Track Forum

So this was a bit of an experiment.....How could you apply a high frequency grid to the Northside of Brisbane.

Not claiming it's perfect, and 'coverage' routes aren't shown, but i've tried to keep it as clean as possible. People will often have to change to reach final destinations, and the grid offers plenty of places to do this. It attempts to acknowledge the rail network by having buses terminate at train stations. Chermside and Brookside would become major interchange points, especially for 'coverage routes'. Importantly, routes run direct down main roads, keeping speeds as high as possible.

Don't really care how it is numbered, though the yellow represents the GCL replacements spoken about. Pink circles are 800m catchments around rail stations, and orange is the catchment of the buses.

Network


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Network with bus catchments.


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Network 'nude'.


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Obviously interchanging to reach a final destination would be novel for Brisbane, but I think an intensive campaign with the slogan "It's time to CHANGE", advertising the benefits of the grid would work.

For making interchange easy at each major intersection, I had this as an idea....
-Stops would be on the far side of each intersection.
-There would therefore be an eastbound, westbound, northbound and southbound stop, based upon the general direction of the road.
-Each of the four stops would have a tall (6m?) high stripy pole, either red, yellow, blue and green, corresponding to the four directions above. This would be consistent at all stops.
-Importantly, each pole would have a 4 line LED display, much like the existing ones. Of course, LEDs come in red, yellow, blue and green, and each line would simply say the number of minutes till the next (high frequency) bus departs in each of the directions.

Naturally, this whole concept hinges on a high frequency rail network (Preferably hitting 6tph in the future). Once the Trouts Rd line gets built then that is going to change things up a bit too.

Feedback feedback feedback!

The interchanges should be consolidated as much as possible to minimise the need for multiple transfers within a few kilometres, while still keeping an efficient grid.  Focus on selected interchanges rather than assuming every rail station could and should be an effective place to change.  For instance:

- Definitely not in favour of forced interchange at Albion.  If you want to terminate that service somewhere, it should be Eagle Junction and/or Toombul.  At the northern end, terminate at Sandgate.

- Don't like the Deagon to Bald Hills route.  This could just be a direct cross-country link to Sandgate also.

- The one from Albany Creek to Virginia could extend to Banyo/ACU.

- The one terminating at Nudgee golf club could be extended to Boondall, and to Strathpine at the other end.

- I believe there is still need for a Sandgate Road to City service, which could terminate at Sandgate Station.  North of there could be a local service, and the 315 would not need to be high frequency.

- Enoggera to McDowall should continue to Aspley via the 350 route – looks like this may have been intended anyway?

- Presume the 300 or something like it still exists?

These are niggling points, the concept is good.

QuoteFocus on selected interchanges rather than assuming every rail station could and should be an effective place to change.

At the time, I was thinking that whilst forming a grid, towards the ends when it is nearing a rail station, it becomes like a rail feeder.

Quote- Definitely not in favour of forced interchange at Albion.  If you want to terminate that service somewhere, it should be Eagle Junction and/or Toombul.  At the northern end, terminate at Sandgate.

Will do. At the time I was thinking since Albion was in for urban renewal and TOD it would be a worthwhile place, but yeah, EJ is fine....More interchange opportunities too I suppose.

Quote- Don't like the Deagon to Bald Hills route.  This could just be a direct cross-country link to Sandgate also.

Anyone can feel free to redo the bit around Bracken Ridge. I was thinking this is the point where the network becomes focused on funnelling into the rail network, though the blue route acts as both a feeder to the station, and as a link to Chermside and the Northern Busway. Anybody needing to go inbound from Chermside changes.

Quote- I believe there is still need for a Sandgate Road to City service, which could terminate at Sandgate Station.  North of there could be a local service, and the 315 would not need to be high frequency.

Can i terminate  at Toombul? Seems like its duplicating the rail network too much.

Quote- Presume the 300 or something like it still exists?

Sorry, yeah it would. Had forgotten to tackle the 'Doomben line area' anway...You know in any old European city that would be a great little metro line. I did sneakily extend it to Hamilton Northshore

Quote- Enoggera to McDowall should continue to Aspley via the 350 route – looks like this may have been intended anyway?

I was unsure. It seemed like the Beckket Rd stretch was low density, so I thought it might be served by other means.

The whole Everton Park section I'm a little unhappy with. We've spoken about a GCL shattering.....
But I think it would be much more legible for the GCL replacement to, from McDowall Vilage, to run directly down Metroad 5, and not serve Brookside.
As I've said before, it seems the GCL/its replacements are 'symbolic'. Under this model you've got a heap of cross town routes anyway.

Those on this GCL replacement wanting to access Brookside would change and use the olive green (Michelton to Toombul) route.

Quote from: SurfRail on November 12, 2011, 08:31:46 AM
- Enoggera to McDowall should continue to Aspley via the 350 route – looks like this may have been intended anyway?

I'm not a fan of the Aspley connection of the 350.  It's doubling back, and removes the opportunity to go somewhere more useful, like the other direction on Albany Creek Rd, perhaps to Brendale/Warner.

Quote from: Gazza on November 12, 2011, 09:27:45 AM
But I think it would be much more legible for the GCL replacement to, from McDowall Vilage, to run directly down Metroad 5, and not serve Brookside.

Not serve Brookside?  Why miss a trip generator?

Quote from: Gazza on November 11, 2011, 23:53:18 PM
Feedback feedback feedback!

Your maps are purrrdy!

Did you use google earth? Do you have a free version... I'd love larger size base maps, but I don't know how to do it?!

QuoteDid you use google earth? Do you have a free version... I'd love larger size base maps, but I don't know how to do it?!

The way I did it was by running the web version of google maps, hitting the "PrtScn" key, copying across into Corel Draw, and cropping. Repeat this process about 12 times, progressivley moving the google map view to capture all of the northside, then stitching the images together to make a big map. I then desaturated the image and turned up the contrast a bit to get a crisp greyscale background map.
Then it was just vector lines over the top for the routes.

QuoteNot serve Brookside?  Why miss a trip generator?

Another option could be to terminate the GCL replacement at Ennogera, after serving Brookside, and make the Lilac route have a clean run of Metroad 5 from Eatons hill to UQ....I would rather just have one continuous route along that road, as I have done  on the other north south routes.

Looks a lot like
http://urbanist.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83454714d69e20133f348e9b3970b-popup


http://www.humantransit.org/2010/08/toronto-a-new-frequent-network-plan.html

toronto: a new frequent network plan, human transit, frequent network. Jarret Walker.

Interesting discussion, good work Gazza, et al. 

I like. I don't think theres that much of an issue with not bunching the routes together at a rail station for interchange. If the frequency is high enoug hit would be needless duplication, and if the route could 'naturally' end at one station then it shouldn't be forced across to another.

My only complaint is you don't go far enough west to cover the end of the FG line!

Re going further west... Routes in that area would all naturally terminate at Michelton/Brookside, or ferny grove.

Quote from: Gazza on November 12, 2011, 19:40:10 PM

QuoteDid you use google earth? Do you have a free version... I'd love larger size base maps, but I don't know how to do it?!

The way I did it was by running the web version of google maps, hitting the "PrtScn" key, copying across into Corel Draw, and cropping. Repeat this process about 12 times, progressivley moving the google map view to capture all of the northside, then stitching the images together to make a big map. I then desaturated the image and turned up the contrast a bit to get a crisp greyscale background map.
Then it was just vector lines over the top for the routes.

Ahh ok I've done something similar in the past, thought you might have found an automated way to do it

STB, can I get a professionals opinion in this? Changes?

What chance would there be of something like this being adopted?

Quote from: Gazza on November 15, 2011, 21:11:11 PM
STB, can I get a professionals opinion in this? Changes?

What chance would there be of something like this being adopted?

Gazza, I will get back to you on this in the near future.  I should mention that I'm starting to get quite busy as I'm working on two television shows, with another being given the green light after I pitched it to them, hence I've now taken a Producer role - due to start production in the new year.  On top of that, I'm looking for further work in the industry.  On the plus side I have made contact and have become mates with someone famous!   I also have deadlines for some writing projects coming up.  Don't worry I'll bookmark this thread and take a solid look as things ease off a bit early next month .