RAIL - Back On Track Forum

CAMCOS lives, Nautilus dead.

Nautilus
Nautilus is a public transport corridor study on the northern part
of the Sunshine Coast, investigating options for public transport
corridors to provide efficient infrastructure to link Noosa, Nambour
and Maroochydore.

References removed from TMR website.

^

https://web.archive.org/web/20090704070945/http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/Home/Projects_and_initiatives/Projects/Nautilus/

4 July 2009

Nautilus: Connecting Noosa, Nambour and Maroochydore

The Nautilus Study is exploring long-term public transport options for the northern part of the Sunshine Coast from 2026 onwards.
This study will enable the Queensland Government to plan ahead and be ready with the most efficient and sustainable solutions to meet the Sunshine Coast's public transport needs in the future.

Queensland Transport is working closely with the Sunshine Coast Regional Council, other state government agencies, industry and the community on the Nautilus Study.

Why are we doing the Nautilus Study?

The South East Queensland Regional Plan 2005-26 forecasts the population on the Sunshine Coast to increase significantly from its current levels of about 275 000 people to 424 000 people by 2026.

This projected growth of more than 150 000 people will generate traffic demand of more than 500 000 trips every day.

Alternatives to private vehicles will be required in order to meet this traffic demand while maintaining the environment and lifestyle of the Sunshine Coast. Public transport will need to play a greater role along with effective cycling and walking networks.

The Nautilus Study is a key transport planning project that will uncover the sustainable transport solutions needed on the Sunshine Coast.

The long-term benefits of the Nautilus Study could include:

reduced traffic congestion
reduced travel times
improved transport safety
better access to places, utilities and services in the region
improved transport choices
job creation and economic growth on the Sunshine Coast.
Queensland Government is building a better future for south east Queensland by planning for the future infrastructure needs of Australia's fastest growing urban region.

What has been happening?

The Queensland Government invested $A6 million into the Nautilus Study over four years as part of South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program 2005-26. This study comprises three phases and is due to report to Queensland Government with recommendations in 2009.  ...

Nautalis Newsletter 2007 >

https://web.archive.org/web/20090915110856/http://transport.qld.gov.au/resources/file/eb7342090fce466/nautilus_newsletter.pdf

Have saved a copy of it here > https://backontrack.org/docs/nautilus/nautilus_newsletter.pdf  PDF 0.6 MB

This appears to be the only newsletter produced.

Happy to help out hey lurkers?

Project Nautilus was sunk hey? 



Bit like the sinking of the Japanese destroyer Yamakaze on 25 June 1942 approximately 110 km southeast of Yokosuku, Japan, as photographed through the periscope of the U.S. Navy submarine USS Nautilus (SS-168).

Gold 

Quote from: ozbob on December 07, 2021, 07:01:01 AM
Project Nautilus was sunk hey? 



Bit like the sinking of the Japanese destroyer Yamakaze on 25 June 1942 approximately 110 km southeast of Yokosuku, Japan, as photographed through the periscope of the U.S. Navy submarine USS Nautilus (SS-168).

Operation Bathysphere.
Raise the Nautilus.

Ha!   It is a very odd name for a project " Nautilus ".

Apart from the various marine vessels to have the name, there is the  genus (Nautilus) of cephalopod molluscs of the South Pacific and Indian oceans with a spiral chambered shell that is pearly on the inside ( https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nautilus ).

Nautilus was also the fictional submarine belonging to Captain Nemo featured in Jules Verne's novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870) and The Mysterious Island (1874). Verne named the Nautilus after Robert Fulton's real-life submarine Nautilus (1800). For the design of the Nautilus Verne was inspired by the French Navy submarine Plongeur, a model of which he had seen at the 1867 Exposition Universelle, three years before writing his novel.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nautilus_(fictional_submarine)

So, I am not sure if the intent was to name the project ' Nautilus ' on the basis it was a work of fiction?  Perhaps it was ...   

We know that a company called Bitzios Consulting undertook the Nautilus Stage 2b Public Transport Study. https://www.bitziosconsulting.com.au

Just a mention - not the study proper.

"The Nautilus Study is a key transport planning project that will uncover the sustainable transport solutions needed on the Sunshine Coast."




No wonder it got torpedoed..

https://twitter.com/Jeffrey_Addison/status/1490898705377296384

^

We know that someone called Kim Thomas, now the Managing Director of Integrate Pty Ltd (Intelligent Transport Solutions), in 2007-08 "project-managed the public transport network scoping study, which looked at public transport requirements of the northern Sunshine Coast region for 2026 to 2051. She managed multidisciplinary team including interstate teams and sub consultants."

https://au.linkedin.com/in/kimthomasintegrate

Pity the study has 'disappeared'.

Sunshine Valley Gazette 14th December 2022 page 20

Northern Sunshine Coast Transport Strategy 'buried'



 

It would appear that the Palaszczuk Government has undertaken an undersea exploration to discover the wreckage of The Nautilus Study and have begun to re-assemble it. It now has a more pragmatic name. No longer the Nautilus Study, but now the (wait for it):

THE NORTHERN SUNSHINE COAST PUBLIC TRANSPORT STRATEGY

https://www.yoursay-projects.tmr.qld.gov.au/northern-sunshine-coast-public-transport-strategy/northern-sunshine-coast-public-transport-strategy-interactive-map

Just in time for the state election and probably a media release saying (something like) ...

"The Palaszczuk Government has heard the voices of the people of Noosa/Northern Sunshine Coast and will work with them to devise a Northern Sunshine Coast Public Transport Strategy that will guide the development of a revolutionary public transport network for the region in the decades to come.

"This is a dynamic and growing part of SEQ and the Palaszczuk Government wants to play its part in making things happen ....."

You get the drift. Nothing for residents if someone other than the ALP candidate wins the seats of Nicklin and Noosa. Standby for a photo shoot of Mark Bailey and candidate holding a copy of the report. But will it be worth more than the paper it is written on?

Nautilus has been torpedoing every attempt to get decent rail on the Sunshine Coast (checks notes ) since 2006!

Thanks to Jeff Addison for his advocacy to revive Nautilus. It made no sense having a Southern Sunshine Coast Public Transport Strategy without a 'northern mate'. The two are interconnected.

Northern Sunshine Coast Public Transport Strategy

Have your say

> https://www.yoursay-projects.tmr.qld.gov.au/northern-sunshine-coast-public-transport-strategy

Facebook ...

Submission by Noosa Council to the Draft 2023 Update of
the SEQ Regional Plan

https://civicclerkau.blob.core.windows.net/stream/NOOSA/90047c8b25.pdf

Edited extract relevant to public transport etc.

QuoteThe ring of SEQ councils surrounding Brisbane struggle with burgeoning growth and are trapped in a cycle of desiring public transport improvements, yet have on offer from the state government inadequate road upgrades that only exacerbate congestion and degrade liveability.  The SEQ Councils have been invited to respond formally to the revised South-East Queensland Regional Plan. Noosa Council is grappling with population growth and increased tourist visitation, which now favours daytrippers following the Covid lockdowns, when people could not travel interstate or overseas.

Noosa Council did not mince words in its response to the State Government, especially relating to public transport. Here is an edited version of what the council told the State Government:

There is little to suggest improvement for the current public transport system for Noosa

Shire residents or workers.  There are unaddressed gaps and oversights related to transportation at the northern end of the Sunshine Coast and towards Gympie Region. Many Gympie LGA residents commute into the SEQ Region daily and at this stage have little alternative to private vehicle use.

Likewise, many of Noosa's workers living on below average wage reside in the hinterland where there is insufficient public transport from Cooroy, Pomona, Cooran and Kin Kin into the main employment centres of Tewantin, Noosaville and Noosa Heads.

The existing road network in Noosa, built on 2-lane roads and roundabouts, is already strained during holiday periods, with the Hastings Street precinct experiencing over 4 hours of heavy congestion per day. An increase in both resident and visitor numbers will increase congestion and impact local amenity, businesses and reputation.Noosa will not be able to cater for all the anticipated vehicle traffic without significant modal shift.

Public Transport (Bus)

The frequent bus link between Tewantin and Noosa Heads, which then heads south to the Sunshine Coast Airport and Maroochydore City Centre, is appreciated, However, it fails to acknowledge the only Major Regional Activity Centre for Noosa Shire, which is Eenie Creek Road, Noosaville -- nowhere near this transport corridor.  Council's planning instruments have indicated a transit hub and interchange at this location since the 1990s. Identification of this transit hub at Noosa's Major Activity Centre (Noosa Civic Centre) is required as well as State funding and investment to realise this significant and crucial network infrastructure.

For Noosa Shire residents who need to commute southward for employment, education, or healthcare facilities, [the road network is] constrained in terms of speed and efficiency. Likewise for workers commuting in from outside the Shire.

The absence of high-frequency public transport connections between the coastal urban corner of Noosa Shire and the north coast rail line needs to be addresses in the Regional Plan and associated infrastructure plan. It is essential to address this gap in the public transport network, considering the significant number of residents, workers and visitors who rely on these routes.

Roads such as Eumundi Noosa Road and Cooroy Tewantin Road should be identified as high-speed public transport corridors to connect the bus to the train networks and be prioritised to accommodate the high volume of daily traffic and increase active transport between the hinterland towns and coastal urban areas. Bus services to Pomona and Cooran need improving as well, especially if these villages are intended to grow.

Public Transport (Rail)

It is disappointing that committed rail improvements appear to go no further north than Beerwah.  It is recommended that these must extend to Nambour in the short-medium term (noting planning has been occurring for many years). Despite the existence of the rail between Nambour and Gympi, it is not practical for commuters given the extremely limited northbound and southbound services.

Rail duplication for the Sunshine Coast has been discussed for over 10 years. However, in the interim creation of more train passing bays might allow better shared use of the single track and greater frequency of rail services.

The provision of a new north-bound rail platform at Cooroy railway station, rather than the shared north-south platform would cater for higher frequency trains in both directions and should incorporate the upgrade of the existing pedestrian rail overpass to meet current design and safety standards. State investment and recognition of an upgrade to the Cooroy Transit Centre and interchange is also required.

It is very clear from this assessment that improved passenger rail services are needed between Nambour and Gympie North, connected at Cooroy with a bus/rail interchange (now being planned by Noosa Council) and a realigned bus network that better serves Noosa Civic. Noosa Shire's principal shopping and business activity centre has a woeful bus connection.

QuoteLikewise, many of Noosa's workers living on below average wage reside in the hinterland where there is insufficient public transport from Cooroy, Pomona, Cooran and Kin Kin into the main employment centres of Tewantin, Noosaville and Noosa Heads.

Of course, Noosa needs better PT, but at the same time the council needs to grow up a bit and have more low income worker housing in Noosa rather than making people commute from Kin Kin!

QuoteThere is little to suggest improvement for the current public transport system for Noosa.

This is the problem with having 12 regional councils in SEQ all trying to take Priority No.1 for funding, for essentially 1/12 of the funding pie (or a weighted version of it).

It's not really a sustainable or responsive funding model. It leads to long holdups for PT delivery and 'cost-neutral' funding freezes, unlike for co-funding roads.

Yes the pie needs to get bigger, and that can happen if both States and LGAs both contribute to make it so. Otherwise, it's a zero-sum game, one councils gain is another's loss.

In the end I expect the QLD Government to move to a co-funding model. If an LGA wants more service, they put in an application with some LGA funding attached as well.

The precise details could be worked out by negotiation, for example smaller councils contributing less. For councils like Scenic Rim or Somerset the expected co-contribution tier may well be zero.

There is already an unofficial co-funding custom in place already for large infrastructure projects, and a formal one for BCC bus operations. It would be relatively simple to extend this expectation and framework to all SEQ councils.

Make the pie bigger by spending more on public transport and less on roads.

QuoteRail duplication for the Sunshine Coast has been discussed for over 10 years. However, in the interim creation of more train passing bays might allow better shared use of the single track and greater frequency of rail services.

Rail line should probably go further, based on a Perth DOT model (bus feeders & P&R) to create enough patronage to support rail stations without relying on walk-up north of Maroochydore. It would be extra money, but you would also not need so many closely spaced stops north of Maroochydore. This strategy seems to work for Mandurah, WA (pop. ~ 100,000).

Asking Noosa visitors to travel to Cooroy (20 km away) and then do a transfer to a train that might only have 1 or 2 services per day is not a viable value proposition.

QuoteThe ring of SEQ councils surrounding Brisbane struggle with burgeoning growth and are trapped in a cycle of desiring public transport improvements, yet have on offer from the state government inadequate road upgrades that only exacerbate congestion and degrade liveability.

Unfortunately, even when very good infrastructure is built (e.g. Kippa-Ring Line), the infrastructure utilisation is very poor - 30 minute train service during most part of the day. I suspect that the poor frequency bus feeders have a role to play, and if councils were contributing to boosting bus service, they could potentially transfer some funding they currently spend on roads now to supporting bus feeders to train stations.

It wouldn't even need to be all of it, funding could be directed at a handful of very frequent, rapid routes key for the region. That way you could get leverage by working smarter, not harder...

I might have a look at this one a little later... might be space for a Regional Rapid Bus service ex Nambour and Maroochydore.

QuoteAsking Noosa visitors to travel to Cooroy (20 km away) and then do a transfer to a train that might only have 1 or 2 services per day is not a viable value proposition.

The plan is to have a much improved train frequency.

Noosa Regional Rapid Coach Concept

Basic Approach
- Similar to V/Line Coaches in Victoria, but more frequent
- Give the bus rail-like characteristics, place it directly into the Sunshine Motorway to reach high speed
- Minimal stops, like a train would have
- 15 minute frequency
- 50-60 minutes to Noosa Beach

Maybe ~ 80 services per day could be tried, 40 each way, at 15 min intervals during the day. Possibly more if there are peaks in demand.

Potential Stops

- Maroochydore Sunshine Coast Plaza (00:00)
- Sunshine Coast Airport (00:15) (Important to collect interstate Airport travellers bound for Noosa)
- Peregian Springs Drive (00:30) (Zip in, u-turn, zip out)
- Noosaville Civic Shopping Mall (00:40)
- Noosa Junction (00:50)
- Noosa Beach (00:60)

Times are approximate. - Ideally, the service should support the transport of wheelchair users and potentially luggage items such as surfboards (to be determined). See V/Line accessible coaches here. If TMR finally builds a rail station at Maroochydore, this service would plug straight into it.

Funding could be sought from Noosa and Sunshine Coast council in addition to Translink for a trial with a contracted coach operator during the trial period (e.g. SkyBus). Estimated time to plan and deliver ~ 12-18 months, could be launched in peak holiday season.





Image By Thomas Hobley - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=106623282

Why?

Noosa is just running out of parking to accommodate everyone.

Quote from: Noosa Transport StrategyTo date Noosa Council has trialled temporary Park-and-Ride services during peak times such as Christmas and Easter by utilising sports grounds and ovals.

Quote from: Tourism Noosa Visitor StatisticsThe Noosa region attracted 2 million visitors in 2022, including domestic overnight visitors and day-trippers, for a record $1.7B.

Quote from: Noosa Transport StrategyResidents, employees and visitors alike are becoming increasingly frustrated with traffic congestion and parking difficulties in Noosa's hotspots during peak holiday periods, on weekends and also during major events. In 2016, approximately 58% of visitors to Noosa were day-trip visitors with the vast majority arriving by car.

I suppose rather than funding PT, Noosa Council et al. could just fund a large multi-storey car park from their roads budget and charge a fee. I don't think they want to be doing that though.

QuoteConsultants Parsons Brinkerhoff (2016) recommended that Noosa Council consider managing the supply of car parking rather than continuing the philosophy of supplying free parking in response to demand. 

Management controls include:
• Control by time (e.g. short term vs. long term)
• Control by price (free vs. paid)
• Control by type (e.g. resident vs. non-resident).

They note that it is important to resist the pressure to increase capacity for more cars and more car parking. It is neither affordable nor practical to attempt to cater for all traffic during our busiest periods.

Tourism Noosa Visitor Statistics 2022
https://www.visitnoosa.com.au/images/Statistics/TOURISM-NOOSA-VISITOR-STATISTICS-YE-Dec-2022.pdf

Noosa Transport Strategy 2017 – 2027
https://www.noosa.qld.gov.au/downloads/file/1124/noosa-transport-strategy-2017-2027

So why not run more 620 services past where people actually live?

A regional rapid coach service would be designed under a Rapid Transit model. Think like a Perth Mandurah line train, but in bus form. This means far fewer stops. It could also incorporate elements of P&R and bus feeders, for example at Maroochydore, Noosaville, and Noosa Junction.

Routes with a similar service design include the 535 Springfield-Richlands Rocket bus (a temporary Springfield Line pre-rail service RBOT successfully lobbied for), and the Melbourne Aiport Skybus. (Regional Rapid Coaches would have standard TL fares)

IMO Rapid Transit route designs are suitable for when the context is low density and/or long distances. After all, the route covers ~ 45 km to get to Noosa from Maroochydore.

In contrast, Route 620 is an all-stops coverage service running on roads much slower than the motorway. Route 620 has almost 50 stops between Maroochydore and Noosa. A rapid bus service would just have six. Route 620 also misses the SC Airport and Noosaville. That said, it runs half-hourly already and I have no objection to it (or other SC bus routes) being upgraded as well.

 

Check out the comments on this interactive map. People are talking about shuttle trains on the NCL, more frequent and coordinated buses and active transport solutions around Noosa and Tewantin.

https://www.yoursay-projects.tmr.qld.gov.au/northern-sunshine-coast-public-transport-strategy/northern-sunshine-coast-public-transport-strategy-interactive-map

Quote from: SurfRail on November 05, 2023, 20:47:27 PMSo why not run more 620 services past where people actually live?

Agreed, but I think it needs to be more than just the 620. 628 & 629 need improved frequency as well. Hourly is not adequate.

More trains north of Nambour (even if only to Cooroy) and connections to Eumundi/Cooroy would be a worthwhile improvement too, IMO.