Brisbane Bus Rapid Transit Metro extensions - discussion etc.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Two options being considered for future Brisbane Metro link to airport

Two options are being examined to extend the $1.4 billion Brisbane Metro rapid bus network to the airport ahead of the 2032 Olympics.

The first option is to use the Airport Link tunnel from the Brisbane Metro station at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital at Herston directly to the airport.

A business case is now under way into the second option: extending the gold CityGlider bus route between the Gabba and Hamilton Northshore, the future Olympic athletes' village, to the airport.

"This is something we have pitched to the state government," Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said.

"That can run from the Hamilton Northshore precinct and can be extended into the airport precinct and to the Olympic venues in the Gabba as well." ...

[ozbob]

I think Chermside and Carindale are more important than the Airport.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

Extend Brisbane Bus Rapid Transit Metro to Chermside and Carindale to Fix Traffic Woes

9th December 2022

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) supports Brisbane City Council's in principle suggestion of extending the Brisbane Bus Rapid Transit Metro (BBRT Metro) to Chermside and Carindale.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has mentioned that BBRT Metro network should be expanded to Chermside and Carindale. We agree. Extending BBRT Metro beyond RBWH along Gympie Road to Chermside will increase overall transport capacity of Gympie Road.

The BBRT Metro can be rolled out quickly and more cheaply than the alternatives.

The BBRT Metro bi-articulated buses are capable of moving high passenger volumes quickly, even off the busways. There are many locations world wide where bi-articulated buses do street running.  At a 2-minute service frequency, or 30 vehicles per hour, about 4500 passengers/direction/hour can be achieved.

The additional net increase capacity offered by the BBRT Metro is similar to adding a new general traffic lane on Gympie Road or Old Cleveland Road in each direction.

We do have some concerns around delay and reliability. We think wherever possible, the BBRT Metro buses when running off the busways should be in prioritised lanes, either exclusive bus lanes or T3 or T2 lanes at minimum. We also think that works are required at Chermside to accommodate the vehicles. Aspley should also be investigated as a potential BBRT Metro terminus as well.

Another key question is where suitable land is available for a Northside BBRT Metro depot. Many Northside locations are flood-prone.

Brisbane City Council should also investigate the viability of extending the BBRT Metro west to Indooroopilly Shopping Centre or Mt Ommaney. Doing so would greatly simplify the Western Brisbane bus network, and would also justify the return of exclusive bus lanes to Coronation Drive.

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


References:

BBRT Metro Theoretical Capacity Calculation
30 buses/hr x 150 passengers/bus = 4500 passengers/hour/direction

Net Capacity Increase
4500 passengers/h/direction (total BBRT Metro capacity at a bus every 2 min)
minus 2160 passengers/h/direction (loss to motorists from installation of an exclusive lane)
equals a net gain of +2340 passengers/h/direction (a net gain in people moving capacity for the road overall)

'Absolute nightmare': Lord Mayor wants action on Gympie Road congestion
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/absolute-nightmare-lord-mayor-wants-action-on-gympie-road-congestion-20220906-p5bfsf.html

Calls to extend Brisbane Metro network to airport | 7NEWS

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1601932276064919553

[#Metro]

Third option which can be combined with others is route extension of 369 across the city through Toombul to Brisbane Airport.

[SurfRail]

The 369 dumps you at Eagle Junction, not sure we need to be doubling up with the railway.

15 minute Airport line headway all day and resolve the prohibitively expensive ticketing should be the priority.  Access to the airport from other parts of Brisbane should be emphasised over anything that duplicates the railway (for instance I would have no issue with the 590 running to the terminals and with there being another service from Chermside in lieu of the GCL).

[verbatim9]

The Gold Glider to the airport precinct just makes sense. It can provide a service for those living in Hamilton Breakfast Creek / Newstead and Woolloongabba, as well as the City and Valley precinct. This service will be ideal for workers that commute each day to the airport precinct as well.

I suspect that Skygate will become a major interchange in the future with the completion of Skygate station.

An electric shuttle should also run from Skygate to the cruise terminal every 20 mins on cruise days which is everyday now. Apparently there will be two ships docked there at anyone time in the next couple of years, as well as Portside reopening for smaller ships. The Gold Glider will do well, as a result.

[verbatim9]

I also reckon they should concentrate on providing BRT (Metro) services to Carindale Chermside and Indooroopilly via UQ rather than the airport. This is because the airport can be serviced by the Gold Glider between 0430 and 0100 Mon-Thu and 24 hours Friday and Saturday nights. The trains should also be extended to run from 0430-Midnight 7 days to and from the airport.

[#Metro]

Image - Route 369 Extension to Brisbane Airport providing 15-minute service between Toombul-DFO in overlap with a 590-type service from the Southside. Passengers from Chermside catch a new BUZ service to Toombul, where they then transfer to the extended Route 369 into Brisbane Airport. Background is a new bus network proposal, not the current BCC bus network

The 369 dumps you at Eagle Junction, not sure we need to be doubling up with the railway.

15 minute Airport line headway all day and resolve the prohibitively expensive ticketing should be the priority.  Access to the airport from other parts of Brisbane should be emphasised over anything that duplicates the railway (for instance I would have no issue with the 590 running to the terminals and with there being another service from Chermside in lieu of the GCL).

Route 369 extension would collect interchanging passengers from the bus interchange at Toombul. So it will need to go on to Brisbane Airport from there.

Also, an extended Route 369 BNE Airport service will attract transferring passengers from BUZ, and other bus routes across the Northside that intersect or cross the path of Route 369. It provides cross town access. To avoid double transferring for these interchanging passengers, the extended Route 369 should run across the Northside and then directly into Brisbane Airport.

[verbatim9]

I have no problem with the 369 being extended to Skygate as well. The should install rapid charging infrastructure at Skygate as well, especially for regular electric articulated buses as these need periodical charging to keep going throughout the day.