Discussion on improving active transport options for access to/from PT stations

[ozbob]

To start this thread Chris Cox from Space for Cycling has kindly supplied these comments - discussion points:

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One of the keys to activating public transport's potential is to minimise the need for people to use their cars to get to a public transport service. Active transport - cycling, walking and wheeled devices - are an ideal complement to a successful, efficient public transport network.

While people are reluctant to walk more than about 500 metres to reach public transport, a 3km bicycle journey can be comfortably managed in 15 minutes - not dissimilar to a car trip for the same journey. E-bikes and e-scooters extend that radius to at least 5km.

There are 4 keys to enticing people to use active travel to reach and utilise public transport:

1. Ensure secure, safe, free parking for bicycles/scooters at stations
2. Provide safe, direct, connected, and prioritised routes to stations in a 3-5km radius
3. Enable people to take their bike/scooter onto public transport
4. Provide shared micro mobility - bicycle, e-bikes, e-scooters - at stations for the "last mile" journey

Parking Needs

- Compounds with numerous bike racks are ideal
- Swipe card access - ideally integrated with public transport ticketing
- Free to register and instantaneously accessed
- Positioned as close to the station/platform as possible, both sides of the line when it comes to rail

Routes to stations

- Separated/protected paths on main roads
- Slow street designs on local streets
- Crossings to prioritise cycling, scooters and walking (minimal wait)
- 3-5km radius in all directions, connecting residential areas, local schools, shops, childcare centres etc to enable "trip chaining" (ie, drop kids to school/child care by bike, then go to the station, and back).

Bikes on trains
- Remove policies that prohibit bikes on trains, with caveats around full/capacity trains and safety provisions
- Enables those who work some distance from the destination station to have transport with them to make the final leg

Shared mobility

- Provision of shared bikes, e-bikes or e-scooters at stations enables people to use those to get to work or home as the last leg of their journey

[SurfRail]

I can't accept widening the ability for people to take bikes on trains.  Trains in peak hour are packed and bikes are an impediment to passenger turnover - one that is completely distinct from  delays created due to PWDs or others whose mobility is intrinsically limited and who the system actually needs to accommodate.

You can already take a bike on a train other than in the peak flow.

[ozbob]

Tend to agree about bicycles on trains. 

Presently:

https://www.queenslandrail.com.au/Customers/Pages/Bicycles.aspx

Travelling with your bike
You are permitted to travel on Citytrain services with your bike at all times during weekends and public holidays.

Bicycles are permitted on weekdays at all times, excluding the following peak times due to safety, customer service, cleanliness and capacity issues:

Between 7:00am - 9:30am towards the CBD
Between 3:00pm - 6:30pm outwards from the CBD.
To avoid travelling during these peak times, all customers with bicycles must complete their morning journey by 7:00am toward the CBD and complete their afternoon journey from the CBD by 3:00pm. Passengers with bicycles are permitted to travel in the following opposite direction avoiding the specified peak times above.

During peak hours, bicycles will not be permitted to pass through the CBD (Fortitude Valley, Central and Roma Street stations).

Passengers with fold-up bicycles are permitted to travel at anytime as long as they are contained in a carry bag and are within the following dimensions, 90cm x 70cm x 36cm.

Please note: If you are found travelling with a bicycle during peak times, you may be asked to leave the train until an appropriate service is available.

This is very reasonable considering the load issues at peak.  I think better facilities at stations that lack secure bicycle parking would help a bit.

Another ' idea ' I had a few years ago was to designate a carriage a bicycle carriage (eg. last car) and allow travel at any time, but only in the ' bicycle carriage '.  But I don't think there is the room at peak to do that.

[brissypete]

If a carriage was designed to accommodate bicycles it would possibly be doable. Current designs just make it problematic if the train is even a bit busy.

Bikes are not uncommon in peak hour despite the rules and just 1 bike can greatly restrict the flow, people congregating in the vestibules doesn't help either.

Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk

[James]

Better bike parking facilities at train stations would be the most important one - hopefully something which allows more casual use. I think 'trip chaining' by bike may be a bit ambitious, I think dropping children off at childcare by bike will be a quantum leap for much of Brisbane. Even getting the single-occupant drivers out would go a long way to easing Park n Ride capacity issues.

I look at Indooroopilly as a great example. Soon to be located near a key bikeway on the cycle network, with the potential for people to cycle from the west to Indooroopilly. The station has about three lockable bike boxes which just look like storage equipment boxes.

It would be a great location to roll out some localised suburban CityCycles, if BCC was interested in trialling that. While Lime is good, there is an issue with the random availability of them, particularly further away from the CBD.

[ozbob]

Designated bicycle carriage for interest ...

"What's striking about riding a bicycle isn't that it solves a particular problem, but that it's part of the solution to several."
—J. Harry Wray pic.twitter.com/5dptiQqu1Z

— Taras Grescoe (@grescoe) August 20, 2019

[Golliwog]

Better bike parking facilities at train stations would be the most important one - hopefully something which allows more casual use. I think 'trip chaining' by bike may be a bit ambitious, I think dropping children off at childcare by bike will be a quantum leap for much of Brisbane. Even getting the single-occupant drivers out would go a long way to easing Park n Ride capacity issues.

I look at Indooroopilly as a great example. Soon to be located near a key bikeway on the cycle network, with the potential for people to cycle from the west to Indooroopilly. The station has about three lockable bike boxes which just look like storage equipment boxes.

It would be a great location to roll out some localised suburban CityCycles, if BCC was interested in trialling that. While Lime is good, there is an issue with the random availability of them, particularly further away from the CBD.

If you're trying to encourage cycling for commuting, would you need to look at some end of trip facilities? I know I wouldn't want to jump on a train if I'm all sweaty from riding to the station. Perhaps look to partner with a nearby gym to use their shower facilities if available?

[#Metro]

I think electric scooters would be very good for this

[James]

If you're trying to encourage cycling for commuting, would you need to look at some end of trip facilities? I know I wouldn't want to jump on a train if I'm all sweaty from riding to the station. Perhaps look to partner with a nearby gym to use their shower facilities if available?

Cycling would be for the purpose of fixing the 'last mile problem' - where people are ~2km from their station and only have infrequent bus as an option. Nothing that would work up a sweat (or work up a sweat any more than a comparable walk). I frequently have this problem, where my local bus runs below BUZ standard in peak, but there are BUZes and train lines 1-2km away. I have used Lime, but the (relatively) high cost and lack of availability/time saved has put me off. A gap filler like this would be perfect for me.

I can't really see a localised CityCycle scheme or casual bike box permit being something used by long-distance bike commuters or anybody requiring end-of-trip facilities.

[verbatim9]

If you're trying to encourage cycling for commuting, would you need to look at some end of trip facilities? I know I wouldn't want to jump on a train if I'm all sweaty from riding to the station. Perhaps look to partner with a nearby gym to use their shower facilities if available?

Cycling would be for the purpose of fixing the 'last mile problem' - where people are ~2km from their station and only have infrequent bus as an option. Nothing that would work up a sweat (or work up a sweat any more than a comparable walk). I frequently have this problem, where my local bus runs below BUZ standard in peak, but there are BUZes and train lines 1-2km away. I have used Lime, but the (relatively) high cost and lack of availability/time saved has put me off. A gap filler like this would be perfect for me.

I can't really see a localised CityCycle scheme or casual bike box permit being something used by long-distance bike commuters or anybody requiring end-of-trip facilities.

Cycling's is good for that. I tend to do just that to save time and avoid buses when I just want to travel on the train.  Its reduces the overall duration of the trip.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/roadcc/status/1186987892763217920