The Gap/Keperra bus routes re-done

[Golliwog]

I propose a few changes to The Gap routes:

• Keep the 385 as it is
• BUZ the 380
• Change the 380 to run via Payne Rd, Illowra St, Settlement Rd, The Great Wesern @ Keperra, Samford Rd, FG Station. It would keep its route as is between Payne Rd and the City, but with some stop rationalization

And the following to those in Keperra/Ferny Grove/Upper Kedron:

• Extend the 399 from it's current FG station terminus to Brookside via Samford Rd and the Great Western
• Extend the 390 from Brookside out along Samford Rd, Upper Kedron Rd, Cedar Creek Rd and terminate at Minnie St/Levitt Rd
• Possibly some changes to the 397/398/396 but I'm not familiar with these routes so I won't say anything about those

On top of these I propose the use of midi buses to run some short feeder runs through the streets further afield than those served by these routes. Ideally each run should be 5-10 minutes in length before it provides for a change to one of the trunk routes. There could still be a use for a peak route running via the current 380 route, and maybe to the city using a full size bus, the same for the 362. I haven't decided if it would be best to keep the 367 as a route in its own right, or change the route of the new 390 through  Upper Kedron and change the terminus so that it ends at FG station after running through UK. If it was to be kept as its own route, it would need some changes as UK has expanded since it was first implemented and the one way loop in the off-peak should be removed.

There are some details of this I haven't thought about but I'd like to put this out for comment by everyone.

[SurfRail]

I don't favour using anything less than 12.5 metre buses unless there are physical restrictions you cannot get around.  They are ultimately too inflexible in terms of dispatching and scheduling.  Minis and midis have proved to be a fairly comprehensive failure everywhere in SEQ except in the paratransit and on-demand role, and I don't want to see their return to regular services.

I do think simplification of route numbers is sensible - 380/381 could be revised to provide a single Waterworks Rd service terminating at the Waterworks PnR, with a local feeder covering The Gap area.  (I think you can employ similar principles for the 174/175, 184/185 to a certain extent by making one the 'main' service and converting the other into a frequent cross town route with interchanging.)

I don't have very strong opinions on anything in the Brookside area, I must admit.  More feeding of the rail at Mitchelton and Ferny Grove is needed (ie providing peak hour bus services commensurate with the increase in train frequencies in those periods - this only happens to a limited extent).

[Golliwog]

I do see the point with the problems with midis but still think in this case there could be some use for them. Many of the streets through The Gap and Keperra are quite tight. I've used the 362 through Keperra and while the Cobalt St/Mungarie St section works fine, the run through Keperra on the other side of Samford Rd is quite awkward with the bus often having to drive on the wrong side of the road to negotiate corners and get past parked cars. The use of midi buses would definatly improve this.

[#Metro]

I propose a few changes to The Gap routes:
Keep the 385 as it is
BUZ the 380
Change the 380 to run via Payne Rd, Illowra St, Settlement Rd, The Great Wesern @ Keperra, Samford Rd, FG Station. It would keep its route as is between Payne Rd and the City, but with some stop rationalization

I would just increase the frequency of the BUZ 385 from say every 15 minutes to every 10 minutes or 7.5 minutes. I would then run a local feeder service to an interchange and park and ride station in The Gap. I don't like the idea of two BUZ routes virtually doing the same route for 90% of the route length. If you BUZ the 380 then you have to pay for that bus to go all the way into the city and back out again, it has a different route number, different stop. Turn 380 into a feeder IMHO.

On top of these I propose the use of midi buses to run some short feeder runs through the streets further afield than those served by these routes. Ideally each run should be 5-10 minutes in length before it provides for a change to one of the trunk routes. There could still be a use for a peak route running via the current 380 route, and maybe to the city using a full size bus, the same for the 362. I haven't decided if it would be best to keep the 367 as a route in its own right, or change the route of the new 390 through  Upper Kedron and change the terminus so that it ends at FG station after running through UK. If it was to be kept as its own route, it would need some changes as UK has expanded since it was first implemented and the one way loop in the off-peak should be removed.

I think a park and ride is justified at locations such as this. Just drive to the 385 bus stop interchange at, say, the Gap Shopping Centre.
I know many people are anti-car, however anti-car is not necessarily pro-PT. Things are more complex than that. Cycling could also be improved and a local feeder bus system could run frequently and plug into the 385 BUZ.

Less routes, but higher frequency makes a simple legible network...

[Golliwog]

They're not 90% the same though.  The only common bit would be between Payne Rd at The Gap and Coopers Camp Rd at Bardon. The 380 stays on Waterworks Rd all the way in to the Normanby.

[Golliwog]

With The Gap buses, if midi buses were not going to be used, then the use of normal buses to run the Kaloma St/Hilder Rd/Petmar St section of the current 380 as just a short run, with the possibility of extension to the CBD in peak times. Similarly for the 381, and perhaps a few others through other sections of The Gap that are currently unserved by bus. A number of these would be short runs, hence the preference for a midi bus.

[somebody]

Doing this to the 380 means you still need to keep the 381.  I'm not sure why you'd push only some of the 381's route onto the 380.

I'm much more concerned about the service along Waterworks Rd east of Coopers Camp Rd which should be a BUZ corridor with only a few extra trips.  It is similar for Logan Rd.

[Golliwog]

Doing this to the 380 means you still need to keep the 381.  I'm not sure why you'd push only some of the 381's route onto the 380.

Because the duplication along Waterworks Rd isn't that necessary. This way you give Payne Rd a BUZ frequency without having to take the twisted route the 381 does, which is why I suggest replacing things like the 381 with midi buses serving a similar route as they should be able to negotiate some of the twistier bits much better than a full size bus, as well as giving the potential for some new routes serving area currently off limits to a full size bus.

[somebody]

Doing this to the 380 means you still need to keep the 381.  I'm not sure why you'd push only some of the 381's route onto the 380.

Because the duplication along Waterworks Rd isn't that necessary. This way you give Payne Rd a BUZ frequency without having to take the twisted route the 381 does, which is why I suggest replacing things like the 381 with midi buses serving a similar route as they should be able to negotiate some of the twistier bits much better than a full size bus, as well as giving the potential for some new routes serving area currently off limits to a full size bus.

Hmm.  I can see what you are thinking.  Avoiding the Grenoble St/Devonhill St bit of the 381.  But you are also removing the 380 from the shops and slowing it down.  I see a lot of opposition to that one.

[Golliwog]

Hmm.  I can see what you are thinking.  Avoiding the Grenoble St/Devonhill St bit of the 381.  But you are also removing the 380 from the shops and slowing it down.  I see a lot of opposition to that one.

Removing the direct connection to the shops, yes. There is however a pedestrian bridge and footpath through the Walton Bridge reserve that connects between Payne Rd and the back of the shops. It comes out near Paten Rd. It does however still serve the shops on the corner of Payne/Waterworks Rd.

Timewise, it would be longer, but I don't think by that much. IIRC the speed limit on Payne Rd is 50km/hr BUT the only set of traffic lights is at either end where you hit Waterworks Rd, so your travel times would be more reliable. No possibility of getting each and every red light.