RAIL - Back On Track Forum

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1591798367591759875

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Courier-Mail misses bus on schools & Brisbane Metro

14th November 2022

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers has welcomed the opening of the Brisbane City Council Bus Network review (1).  Changes to a bus network need careful informed management.  Knee jerk political reactions are basically the reason why the 2013 bus network reform process for Brisbane led to poor outcomes, and Brisbane bus passengers have been suffering since.  We now have the chance for proper bus network reform. Let's grasp this opportunity for improvements with both hands and an informed media, and allow BCC and Translink deliver the frequent, connected, integrated network that delivers much better outcomes for all.

We note in recent media concerns raised by some impacted schools about proposed route changes and realignments (2). However, Brisbane Metro Line 2 (RBWH-UQ Lakes) will serve all of the schools mentioned. The new Brisbane Metro bus service will be far more frequent and direct than the low-frequency coverage routes proposed for change.

For example:

* Somerville House is within walking distance of South Bank train and busway stations (400 m). As such, it will have have access to Brisbane Metro Lines 1 & 2 when it opens.

* St Laurence's College is within walking distance of Mater Hill busway station (~ 400 m). As such, it will have have access to Brisbane Metro Lines 1 & 2 when it opens.

* Dutton Park State Primary School is adjacent to Park Road Railway station and Boggo Road busway station (~ 300 m). It has access to a safe pedestrian walkway that connects both these stations. It will also have access to Cross River Rail and Brisbane Metro Line 2 when they open.

* Brisbane South State Secondary College has direct access to BUZ 196 and 192 (~ 180 m), and will have have access to Brisbane Metro Line 2 from the busway stop inside Dutton Park Parklands (~ 260 m). The crossings are traffic-light controlled.

Generally, schools generate public transport demand that is limited to a narrow window before school starts and after school finishes. As such, school demand alone cannot support a bus route that operates well outside of bell times, or when schools are closed (e.g. evening and weekends). All of the schools mentioned will be within walking distance of Brisbane Metro Line 2 when it opens.

Where appropriate, RAIL Back On Track favours dedicated school buses during before and after school times. It may also be appropriate to review the pedestrian walkability and safety, for example, bus stops could be moved closer to school grounds, traffic lights added, or crossings repositioned.

There is ample opportunity for feedback on Brisbane's New Bus network.  This can be done by visiting https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-and-transport/public-transport/brisbanes-new-bus-network and submitting prior to the deadline of midnight 14th December 2022.

Best wishes,
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track https://backontrack.org

Reference:

1. Brisbane's New Bus Network
https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-and-transport/public-transport/brisbanes-new-bus-network

2. Council to cut buses connecting four schools once Metro arrives
https://www.couriermail.com.au/queensland-education/schools-hub/council-to-cut-buses-connecting-four-schools-once-metro-arrives/news-story/bf446319145d5f0c9031db97fe3b66a3

Just FYI, Metro 2 isn't going to be stopping at Dutton Park Place.

Plus its super close to Boggo Road anyway, I think most students will use that to avoid the hill.

Quote from: Gazza on November 14, 2022, 10:37:54 AMPlus its super close to Boggo Road anyway, I think most students will use that to avoid the hill.

Got off the bus at Boggo Road station the other day, can confirm BSSSC students were using that station, saw a bunch of them there

I have just completed the bus review survey

These are the main points that I raised

309 (renumbered from Route 393), 310, 325, 334, 335, 346, 353, 360, 361, 364,
370, 375 (Stafford to City), 379 (Stafford/Grange to City) should go down Mary or Charlotte to interchange with CRR at Albert street then loop back via Adelaide street to interchange with Metro at King George Sq. Thus not terminating at Post office square as this serves no real purpose and will blow out travel times for people.

I agree with the Gold Glider route and the proposal to be extended to the airport.

I don't agree with Metro buses going to the airport they need to focus on Chermside and Carindale/Sleeman centre. The Gold Glider will be an adequate service to the airport in the near term with ramped up train services until 0100. (Frequency 20 mins or better)
If they are going to run electric buses on the Gold Glider route? Electrical fast charging can be installed at both Skygate and the Airport terminals. Overhead method the best as Metro services are going to use this method. Regular smaller articulated buses require interim charging, so it just makes sense to stay with one proven system.

I agree with route 26 and this should going via the Storey Bridge and Brookes Street stopping on St Pauls terrace to service the density in the Valley and the the Valley Station. This service should run 7 days.

Route 60 should run later on a Sunday when there is a Public holiday on a Monday as well as some other HF services.

Consultation on Brisbane's New Bus Network has now closed.

I will leave here this gem from Human Transit ...

https://twitter.com/humantransit/status/1603407712326672384

There is, I think, one interesting reply:

https://twitter.com/Jamesinclair/status/1603436914467799041

Some people I know are also pro-free-PT for the same theory-of-change reasoning.

^ 

Brisbane is generally overserviced by bus, other regions are under-serviced.

Lack of different mode integration runs deep in brisBANE, very deep ... 

Facebook ...

Here we go ...   

https://twitter.com/CrJaredCassidy/status/1605335809443627008

Ugh - just politicising the issue.  I've said it so many times, but I'll say it again BCC needs to but out of primary public transport planning.

If you have a twitter account - you know what to do!! 

Quote from: joninbrisbane on December 21, 2022, 10:04:57 AMUgh - just politicising the issue.  I've said it so many times, but I'll say it again BCC needs to but out of primary public transport planning.

Indeed.  It is just politics before proper public transport.  Sad, looking like a repeat of 2013 of sorts.

Well, we will let go when the time is right.

Bob may be worth replying to this tweet with the RBOT account saying that we meet regularly with Translink, TMT, QR and BCC and broadly we agree with the network changes and the concept of upgraded BRT on the busway.
And that we cannot mount a campaign of "opposition for oppositions sake" every time the network changes.
There will probably be even further changes when CRR opens.

Quote from: Gazza on December 21, 2022, 11:35:47 AMBob may be worth replying to this tweet with the RBOT account saying that we meet regularly with Translink, TMT, QR and BCC and broadly we agree with the network changes and the concept of upgraded BRT on the busway.
And that we cannot mount a campaign of "opposition for oppositions sake" every time the network changes.
There will probably be even further changes when CRR opens.

 

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1605381938079940608

Well done BCC on the new bus network consultation. 

If there is something BCC does very well, it is community consultation.

Full network map, side by side comparison. Very good.

Not even 1% of the controversy that engulfed the 2013 Review.

 

They might present well but their consultation process consists of here it is and thanks for your feedback but we are not changing anything!!

Quote from: #Metro on December 21, 2022, 13:54:33 PMWell done BCC on the new bus network consultation. 

If there is something BCC does very well, it is community consultation.

Full network map, side by side comparison. Very good.

Not even 1% of the controversy that engulfed the 2013 Review.

 

Yo! This consultation is a joint effort by BCC/Translink (although projected as BCC),
as is Brisbane's New Bus Network.

Translink staff have been embedded with BCC Transport staff for a few years now working on this.

Thanks all for putting in your feedback/submissions. 

I know in some cases it was a lot of committed, selfless constructive effort, well done!

Memo:

To all Politicians and those so aspiring to be

'White ant' this bus review and we will 'white ant' your political aspirations.

All is fair in love and war

Take care now       

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/03/more-buses-in-underprivileged-areas-better-bang-for-buck-than-new-transport-projects-australian-research-finds?CMP=share_btn_tw

No surprises there. Ballpark estimate that a bus costs $100 per service hour (drivers are what, $30/hour or so starting rate and labour is about half the cost?).

For a roughly hour long route, basic BUZ level of service (4 buses per hour per direction) takes, oh, 8 buses to run (maybe 10?), times an 18 hour day, equals $14,400 to $18,000 per day or about $5.3 to $6.6 million each year.

That's before you factor in any fare revenue, which admittedly isn't that high. Even the lowest-patronage BUZ can probably do 750k boardings each year. Call it $2/boarding on average to account for transfers and concessions, so $1.5 million (and note that a more well used service might need higher frequency again).

For comparison the Northern Transitway is a $50 million ish investment, so it's a roughly equivalent cost of running a BUZ for 10 years.

Although a big part of that cost is the insane charges that service relocation works cost. Reenforcing the shoulders to carry traffic isn't expensive when Telstra, bcc, seq water and Energex all pipe in with their hand in the wallet. From what I've heard Telstra relocation works are one of the biggest cost problems.

Brisbanetimes --> UQ bus ban puts 'giant handbrake' on city's public transport, experts say

QuoteThe University of Queensland's decades-long ban on buses travelling through the St Lucia campus is a "gigantic handbrake" on public transport efficiency in modern Brisbane, two transport experts say.

Public transport expert Professor Matthew Burke from Griffith University's Cities Research Institute said UQ's "through campus" bus ban should be revoked immediately.

"When we are trying to create a public transport network for Brisbane, we have a gigantic handbrake on that right in the middle of the inner-suburbs," Professor Burke said. ...

Our Transport Minister is just so absent when it comes to public transport planning and operations it's embarrassing ... or is that negligent?

Too much finger pointing, Twitter fights and freeway announcements.

Opposition also stuck in the 1970's!

The Greens and Matt Burke light years ahead! 

UQ doesn't want to be a traffic arterial and I don't blame them.

Any through routes should dive from UQ Lakes under the campus and pop out at Chancellors place. They should not use internal roads.

Brisbanetimes --> UQ's cross-campus bus ban at odds with its master plan

QuoteThe University of Queensland will not respond to criticism that it is a "gigantic handbrake" on public transport in Brisbane by not allowing buses to travel through its St Lucia campus.

And it will also not say if – or when – it will lift the ban on cross-campus buses to Indooroopilly or Toowong from Brisbane's south side.

Yet the university's 2017 master plan states: "A connection running from Dutton Park, across the Eleanor Schonell Bridge and on to Indooroopilly and Toowong will greatly enhance the level and quality of public transport services to and within the St Lucia campus."

In March 2017, then-UQ vice-chancellor Peter Hoj also said a proposal in the university's master plan for an underground campus bus station could reduce traffic by 20 per cent. ...

At least the wheels are in motion in terms of investigating solutions of extending the busway from UQ to Indooroopilly.

This will provide so many benefits for the Public Transport user but cutting the time of crosstown trips by half. In addition it can also provide faster connections and trip times when travelling south via Boggo Road.

Furthermore it can add  much needed capacity for the schools in the area, addressing concerns of increased traffic in the area during school terms.

They really need to get this done prior to the Olympics.

^^If the Government wants PT modal share to increase, I think this peace of infrastructure is the key.

You may get 30-40% modal share once its commissioned.

They could address improving Active transport links at the same time.

Council has released the outcomes from their initial engagement with the community regarding stage 1 of the bus review and the future  implementation process.

It can be found here

It's incredible that a report on bus network redesign avoided mentioning rail or trains for almost its entirety. Only one or two incredibly brief mentions.

Quote from: verbatim9 on June 06, 2023, 17:58:46 PMCouncil has released the outcomes from their initial engagement with the community regarding stage 1 of the bus review and the future  implementation process.

It can be found here

I am sure it will say they are doing everything JUST RIGHT!!

Or as the rest of the world calls it Worst Practice!!

https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-and-transport/public-transport/brisbanes-new-bus-network

Brisbane's New Bus Network Update

Community consultation

To help create the best network possible, Council invited community feedback through a two-phase engagement program.

Phase 1: Initial city-wide online survey to seek early feedback on current travel preferences and experiences (July-October 2022).

Phase 2: Community consultation where we invited you to have your say on the proposed network changes (October-December 2022).

Thank you to everyone who joined the conversation and provided valuable feedback. Following consultation, Council reviewed and summarised all feedback. This has informed a community consultation report, which outlines the consultation process, key feedback themes, online survey results and next steps for the network.

Your feedback will now be considered as part of reshaping the bus network. Once the network has been finalised, we will submit the network to Translink for approval and communicate the network outcomes later this year.

Community consultation report

Read through the community consultation report to learn more about how you had your say on Brisbane's New Bus Network and next steps.

Download the:

Community consultation report (PDF - 2Mb)

Community consultation report (Word - 3Mb).

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Have a read and............ weep

https://x.com/humantransit/status/1724078847799525844?s=46&t=EDszjTErsxTIqAna7yuP-w

QuoteMiami: The Better Bus Network Is Here!

Posted on November 9, 2023 in General, Miami, Network Redesign

A slice of Miami-Dade's Better Bus Network.

https://www.miamidade.gov/transit/library/bbn/better-bus-system-map.pdf

On November 13, the greater Miami area will see the biggest transformation in where you can go on public transit since Metrorail opened almost 40 years ago.  Not a new rail line, but a huge redesign of the bus network that will make it useful to more people for more trips, all over the County.  A complete map of the new network is here.

Miami-Dade County's buses run in patterns that have often been the same for decades, even as the county has grown and many new destinations have appeared.  It's hard to change bus service, because even the most inefficient bus route has people who depend on it and will object to any changes.  So, to redesign a bus network, we have to show big benefits that make the change worth the trouble, and that's what this redesign does.

The plan is the result of a planning project that begin in 2019.  In an unusual partnership, Transit Alliance Miami funded much of the work and hired us (Jarrett Walker + Associates) to lead the planning process in partnership with the County. We led a public conversation around key trade-offs, by sharing contrasting network design concepts that showed the consequences of different possible goals.  Based on the response to that process, we developed a Draft Plan in early 2020.  We were then rudely interrupted by Covid-19.

Since 2020, the County has worked to finish the plan and as published a revised plan, with 30% more service, in 2021. Unfortunately, the transit industry was hit by the labor shortages of the post-Covid era, and the plan had to be reworked to manage with a smaller workforce than previously imagined. Even with the changes, the final plan now being implemented still delivers great results for huge swaths of the county, its residents, workers, and visitors.

With the new design, a frequent grid will cover large parts of the county with huge benefits. The simplest measure of that improvement is how many people or jobs are near service. The chart below shows the change in residents or jobs near service by the frequency of service at midday on weekdays. The number of residents who live near frequent transit will increase from 380,000 (14 of the County's residents%) to 814,000 (30%) during weekday service. The new network will bring frequent service near almost 60% of households without cars; that's 20,000 additional households without cars near more frequent service. And jobs near frequent service will increase from 29% to 43% on weekdays.



A key measure of a network's usefulness is the access it provides, or how much stuff you can reach in a reasonable travel time. The animated map below shows an example of this change from Little Haiti.



In pink is the area you can reach in the Existing Network in 45 minutes. In blue is the area you can reach with the Better Bus Network. The blue area is larger, but more importantly it has a lot more stuff in it: 30% more jobs and 60% more residents. So if you lived near this place, you would effectively be 30% more free. And if you owned a business here, you'd now have access to 60% more customers, or 60% more workers.

We can measure this exact thing over and over again across the whole county and when we summarize the results we find that the average resident will be able to get to 28% more jobs (or other useful destinations) in 45 minutes. The benefit is even greater for lower-income residents and people of color.  That means more people, when they look up a trip they might make, will find that the travel time is reasonable.  For more on why we use this measure, see here.



The other big improvement in this new network is a major increase in frequency of service on weekends. Across the country, we've worked on network plans that have increased service on evenings and weekends and they've often shown huge ridership gains. People value flexibility and spontaneity. Everyone wants the ability to get home outside of the traditional 8-to-5 workday. Critically, though, people working in retail or restaurant jobs often need to work on weekends. A route that runs infrequently on the weekends is missing the peak time for people in these industries, and there are many, many people in these industries in Miami-Dade.

Implementing Big Change

Our team has been working closely with Miami-Dade staff to assist with a range of implementation needs. How does a huge change like this happen overnight? Months, sometimes years, of planning leads up to a big day like this.  These efforts included:

• Work by staff across County government to help people find out about the change, and can learn about it easily.
• Briefings of elected officials including partners in the city governments.
• An analysis of compliance with Title VI, the US Civil Rights law that ensures racial equity in transit planning.
• Siting of new bus stops and removing old stops.
• Writing new schedules for customers and bus operators.
• A big effort by operations and safety teams working on testing turns, reviewing stop locations, working with operators to learn new routes, and much more.

Finally, an infusion of temporary staff near the change date, to be out on the street helping people find their way.

It takes an enormous team effort and County staff have worked hard for a long-time to make this day happen. Transit Alliance has continued to partner with the county to help with communicating the network changes to the public and we've been please to assist in that process. Our team has contributed in a few key ways:

• new system map with routes color-coded by frequency. These maps will start showing up in shelters around the county soon.
• An interactive trip comparison tool to help folks find out how they can make their trips on the new network.
• Developing bus stop signage to inform riders at each stop about which routes are changing.

We're excited to see how people respond to this new network and we hope it helps set the stage for many transit improvements to come as the County implements its long-term SMART plan.

^ Yes, it makes you sad, doesn't it?

It does sound like their plan is backed by increased funding though. It's pretty easy to sell a "new network" when you're actually increasing service. Contrast to Brisbane, reforming the BCC bus network is overdue and necessary but it's still rearranging the deck chairs.

Also they're coming off a much worse base - I'm sure it's fantastic news for Miami but 38% of residents within a half mile of a high frequency bus is really not a good service level. I don't have a graph handy but I'm pretty sure we do a lot better than that.

Now finalised:

FYI

Interactive map tool: https://caportal.com.au/bcc/brisbane-metro

BNBN Guide: https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2024-10/20241028-Brisbanes-New-Bus-Network-guide.pdf

Website: https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-and-transport/public-transport/brisbanes-new-bus-network

Bus Network Guide: https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2024-10/20241028-Brisbanes-New-Bus-Network-guide.pdf

Can anyone verify that the 301, 306, 322, 330, and 385 will no longer go to and terminate at The Cultural Centre, but at the Queen Street Busway Station?

Other than on page 25, there is no direct references to these routes, and they are not part of the southside.

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