11 Mar 2011: SEQ: 'Ring Road on rubber tyres' needs a frequency boost ...

[ozbob]

Media release 11 March 2011

SEQ: 'Ring Road on rubber tyres' needs a frequency boost and Sunday services

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 calls for 'BUZification' of the 'ring road on rubber tyres', the Great Circle Line bus to integrate the main railway and BUZ lines in Brisbane.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Radial and frequent cross-town bus services are now in operation in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.

"TransPerth's 99/98 Circle route bus carries 100,000 passengers every week, or about 5 million passengers annually. It is a high-frequency BUZ-like service that operates every 15 minutes during weekdays and ever 30 minutes. (1)

"Melbourne's SmartBus routes consists of not one but FIVE orbital 'ring road' like bus routes with priority treatments such as bus lanes and signal priority (2,3). Again an attractive transit 'product' is offered, with high frequency service, strategic connections, and a decent scope of hours. For example, the last full-route 903 Smartbus leaves Altona Railway Station at 9pm, arriving at Mordialloc at midnight on a weekday. These SmartBus services are extremely popular in Melbourne, and people use them to get down to their local shops, or their local railway or to interchange to other services."

"Sydney is adding a number high frequency cross town metrobus services (M54, M41, M60, M90, M91, M92 to name a few). These buses operate a high frequency services 7 days a week with 10 minute service frequencies during peak,every 15 minutes during weekdays, and every 20 minutes on the evenings and weekends (4)."

"The 2010 TransLink network plan, page 8, has a diagram showing orbital bus route as part of a cross town integrated network. In our view, it is impossible for TransLink to deliver the 2010 TransLink network plan without significant improvements to the Great Circle Bus Line (effectively 'BUZification') (5)."

"Passenger feedback to both to RAIL Back on Track and also to ABC 612 Brisbane talk back radio confirms our view that these orbital bus services are being used for short trips to interchange and transfer to other BUZ and rail lines, and link up shopping centres and other activity centres.

"It also confirms our view that the Great Circle Line bus has a legibility problem - the signs often show different destinations (Toombul, Chermside, Garden City etc) and it is hard to distinguish which bus is the anticlockwise and which one is the clockwise one (perhaps the name of a colour in the destination sign would help) (6)."

"Service improvements could be phased in incrementally over a period of time with a view to a full-blown BUZ or CityGlider-like service, as for other orbital bus routes as in Melbourne and Sydney for example."

"Orbital and cross-town routes are important as it simply isn't practical or financially possible to run a direct bus from everywhere to everywhere (7).Transfer and interchange with a legible orbital service should be used."

"Not everybody wants to go to the CBD. The continued calls and construction of more orbital ring road motorways (ICB, Legacy Way, Clem 7, AirportLink), and the success of the 'ring road on rubber tyres' in other Australian cities such as Perth, Sydney and Melbourne prove that there is demand for this type of travel and that people are very willing to transfer provided they get a frequent service and a decent scope of hours."

"At the moment the poor frequency of the 'transit product' on offer in greater Brisbane means that car is the only real option for this type of travel. Time to bring the Great Circle Line bus into the real world, with 7 day operation and improved service frequency (8).

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

References:

1. TransPerth CircleRoute - routes 98 and 99
http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/UsingTransperth/Highfrequencybusservices/tabid/143/Default.aspx

2. SmartBus, Department of Transport, Melbourne
http://tinyurl.com/4m8972w

SmartBus routes consists of 5 cross-town high frequency bus routes

Route 900 from Rowville to Caulfield along Wellington Road.
Route 901 from Frankston to Melbourne Airport, via Dandenong, Ringwood, Blackburn, Greensborough, Epping and Broadmeadows.
Route 902 from Chelsea to Airport West, via Springvale, Glen Waverley, Nunawading, Eltham, Greensborough and Broadmeadows.
Route 903 from Mordialloc to Altona, via Oakleigh, Box Hill, Heidelberg, Coburg, Essendon and Sunshine...
And Route 703 from Blackburn to Clayton along Blackburn Road.

3. First Orbital SmartBus attracts thousands of new daily passengers
http://www.busvic.asn.au/database/files/BusSolutions2.pdf

4. Sydney Metrobus
http://www.sydneybuses.info/metrobus/metrobus.htm

5. TransLink Network Plan 2010
http://www.translink.com.au/about-translink/reporting-and-publications/translink-network-plan

6. Transport Minister answers your questions
10 March 2011 , 9:11 AM Breakfast with Spencer Howson, 612 ABC
http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2011/03/transport-minister-answers-your-questions.html?site=brisbane&program=612_breakfast

7. "Transferring" can be good for you, and good for your city
http://www.humantransit.org/2009/04/why-transferring-is-good-for-you-and-good-for-your-city.html

8. http://translink.com.au/resources/travel-information/services-and-timetables/timetables/101213_598,599.pdf

[ozbob]

Bus forum area --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?board=34.0

[ozbob]

Earlier release ..

Media release 25 February 2011

SEQ: 15 minute frequency for the Great Circle Bus Line would serve The Prince Charles Hospital

RAIL: Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters applauds that the former Transport Minister saw the need for an improved service to Prince Charles Hospital (1).

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"While sending the the Northern Busway through the hospital is an option, it is a long way off and not certain.  It also can be argued that such an alignment would be likely to be slower than an alignment along Gympie Rd.  The other issue is an alleged higher number of resumptions to go via The Prince Charles Hospital (2,3)."

"A poll of RAIL Back on Track members had an inconclusive result (4), but re-routing options on the city side of the routes weren't widely favoured.  The small number of seats promised also allows little room to add services.  Therefore RAIL Back on Track suggests that the Great Circle Bus Line should be given a 15 minute frequency through shopping hours (including Sundays) and shortly afterwards, with trips until the late evening.  This would provide a service to 4000 staff and 30 000 monthly visitors, to use the Minister's own figures.  It should not be necessary to wait a large number of years before a reasonable public transport service is provided."

"Improved service on the Great Circle Bus Line also allows for a number of other destinations not well served by other services, including Stuartholme Rd, Sherwood Rd, Wardell St and it is also the only public transport service over the Gateway Bridge.  It has also been suggested that it could also serve the Airport DFO now that access is improved.  Improving the Great Circle Line is also a requirement to implement the TransLink Network Plan (5)."

"There is also the alternative of a 325 BUZ, probably with updated stop locations around The Prince Charles Hospital, but maximum utility for the public would be gained by improving the Great Circle Bus Line."

References:

1.   http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/EPetitions_QLD/responses/1529-10.pdf

2.   http://www.couriermail.com.au/property/northern-busway-extension-leaves-homes-in-limbo/story-e6frequ6-1225927547240

3.   http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4474.0

4.   http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=5150.0

5.   http://www.translink.com.au/resources/about-translink/reporting-and-publications/network-plan-2010.pdf page 8

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[ozbob]

And an even earlier release ...

Media Release 13 September 2010

SEQ:  Call for the Great Circle Bus to do a great weekend!

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has called for a new weekend timetable for the route 598/599 Great Circle Bus (1).

"Increasing car congestion at weekends is partly because of poor public transport options for public transport at weekends."

"The Great Circle bus route links up a number of Sunday journey locations such as shopping centres and hospitals. Many people are not able to drive or afford motor vehicles."

"The 598/599 bus doesn't run on Sundays, and has a limited timetable for Saturdays. The frequency on the weekends needs to be one that makes it an attractive option for travel.  No less than an hour should be the minimum, with 30 minute frequency at some of the busier times to coincide with shopping hours."

"Time all transport authorities grasped the moment and started to implement public transport that is functional."

Reference:

1. http://download.translink.com.au/timetables/071001_598,599.pdf

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org