Article: Brisbane buses get $1.6m turning circle

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Brisbane buses get $1.6m turning circle


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Brisbane buses get $1.6m turning circle
TONY MOORE
March 10, 2010 - 5:31AM

Brisbane City Council has spent $1.6 million on a West End property so buses on its new CityGlider high frequency service could turn around at the end of their route.

The council will also spend $2.3 million on a new terminal for CityGlider services, along with roadworks that would allow the buses to turn.

The $3.9 million project was expected to be completed early next year.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said last night the purchase of the house, on the corner of Orleigh Street and Hoogley Road, meant no fig trees would need to be removed from the popular Orleigh Park.

Cr Newman announced the decision in the Council Chambers last night and said council would also investigate ways for other routes, like the 199, to use the turn-around instead of local streets.

He said the turn-around facility could take 816 buses out of West End streets each week by 2011 and meant that Orleigh Park's heritage-listed fig trees would remain untouched.

Council had originally planned for the CityGlider service to follow the same route as the 199 and turn around using a combination of Morry, Ryan and Hoogley Streets.

The route was then moved to Gray Road after a successful petition from Ryan Street residents.

The CityGlider bus service, which was expected to be up and running in coming months, would continue to use a combination of these streets until the turn-around was completed.

The decision was welcomed by local Woolloongabba Ward councillor Helen Abrahams, a part of the Labor council opposition.

"The local residents were not sidetracked by the spurious argument but the roundabout means the removal of fig trees in Orleigh Park," Cr Abrahams said.

"This decision means that West End terminus of the CityGlider will be of similar design to the New Farm terminus and so it should," she said.

"I know the residents of Morry and Hoogley Streets and Gray Road will be delighted by this outcome."

Once operational, the CityGlider would run between West End and Newstead every five minutes during peak hour and every 10-15 minutes outside of peak hours.