City loop bus - suggestion

[ozbob]

Suggestion received, thanks.

I would like to put forward a suggestion to extend the Free Loop Bus to service all the workers down the Roma Street end of town, ie have the route changed after City Hall to turn right down along George/Roma Street, and then turn left at Herschel street or continue further to the left-hand turn onto William Jolly and back along North Quay and then it will join back onto the same route currently.

There are so many office workers down this end of town that find it difficult and time consuming walking into the city. If this service was extended I could guarantee we would use it to go and meet for lunches, meetings as well as spend our hard earned dollars.   We are constantly having use taxis just to get to other parts of the city.  There is a lot of money in our pockets and I'm sure the retailers would appreciate seeing some of it. With all the new buildings, including the new Law Courts, Police and other Govt offices down this end of town it certainly would get a lot of use. 

[ozbob]

The precinct around the Roma St end of George St has certainly changed a lot recently.

[somebody]

I don't get it.  Roma St has a train/bus station.  Can't they use that?

Wouldn't this make the city loop buses even less useful as they would be even slower?

[ozbob]

Referring to the anti-clockwise loop down Ann St, only a minor variation and would make a lot more useful than now.  Time inconsequential on that service.  The anti-clockwise service when I see it around Ann/George is often empty ..

http://translink.com.au/resources/travel-information/network-information/timetables/091207-loop-brisbanecity.pdf

[Gazza]

It adds extra sets of traffic lights though.
I agree with Simon on this one.

[ozbob]

Have you ever caught the anti-clockwise loop?  LOL

A lot of changes at that end of town, suggested change would be handy for a lot of folks ..

[techblitz]

I don't get it.  Roma St has a train/bus station.  Can't they use that?

Wouldn't this make the city loop buses even less useful as they would be even slower?

they want the *FREE* loop to service the area they requested without having to pay for cabs/ buses/trains.How many people use it if it was diverted is another question.

[ozbob]

And why shouldn't folks at that end of town have easy access to the free looper?  In my experience the only time it carries reasonable pax numbers is from stop 94 Margaret to Central.  In fact in my QUT days I used to find it highly amusing that the bus on George (clockwise loop) was packed to the rafters and the bus down Margaret 1/4 full ...

The extra traffic light is inconsequential ... the variation would actually be very handy.

[Golliwog]

Whats the purpose of the free loop? Is it actually necessary to be free, or is it just to get people around the CBD? When did it start?

Whats stopping the 379, 380 and 381 being co-ordinated to give an even 10 minute frequency? They all service the area described, and connect to the main part of the city, except across to the Parliament area.

[#Metro]

Jump on CityCycle instead! It is more direct!
Fix up the stupid bike system...

[HappyTrainGuy]

Walk you fatties 

[somebody]

And why shouldn't folks at that end of town have easy access to the free looper?  In my experience the only time it carries reasonable pax numbers is from stop 94 Margaret to Central.  In fact in my QUT days I used to find it highly amusing that the bus on George (clockwise loop) was packed to the rafters and the bus down Margaret 1/4 full ...

The extra traffic light is inconsequential ... the variation would actually be very handy.

I can remember someone suggesting it become a one way loop.  If clockwise, it's tempting to remove it from Adelaide St and use Turbot/Edward as you would then properly serve Central which the current clockwise loop doesn't do that.

[ozbob]

Getting into Central from the anti-clockwise loop is easy.  It stops at the subway into Central on Ann Street, it is actually easier than the clockwise loop ...

[SurfRail]

It's a perfectly reasonable suggestion.  Perth has it's CAT buses and they work astonishingly hard, much harder than our pathetic loop service.

I think the current CBD loop is far from optimal.  Maybe making it one-directional would be a good improvement as it would bump the frequency up to a point where it is not relevant if you are going the "long way round".

I don't think tacking Roma Street onto the current one would work though.  I suspect you may need to create a separate service.

How about:

Red Loop - current anti-clockwise service
Green Loop - extend the current Spring Hill loop to QUT by running Edward/Alice/George/Elizabeth/Creek
Blue Loop - Roma St to Warner St in the Valley via Ann and Adelaide St (loopy bits on each end)

This puts all 3 services via Stop 141 and Stop 8 (ie right in front of Central at Ann/Edward).

The goal should mainly be creating a bit of capacity in the inner city network and ripping stops out of other routes so they only need to make say one or two stops on Elizabeth/Ann/Adelaide/George Sts

[somebody]

Getting into Central from the anti-clockwise loop is easy.  It stops at the subway into Central on Ann Street, it is actually easier than the clockwise loop ...

Oops, meant clockwise.

[ozbob]

 

[SurfRail]

Suggestion, also showing the CityHopper route (and assuming the inner city ferries are eventually given over to free fares too):

[somebody]

I disagree with the blue loop.  That mimics what is already a pretty well served area.

[ozbob]

Good coverage all over, could work well.  I think servicing the Roma St end is a good move.

[SurfRail]

I disagree with the blue loop.  That mimics what is already a pretty well served area.

Part of the idea is radically reducing the need for bus stop space by restricting the number of stops made by suburban buses in the CBD.  The blue route in particular would be about maintaining closer stop spacing to effectively make it part of the CBDs pedestrian grid and take that role off the existing services.  There might also be some scope to terminating less busy services on the CBD fringe and getting people onto this, or the remaining through-services.

Side effect will be to control fare bleed as well by getting people onto these routes instead of doing the lunch-time-early-free-trip rort as well.  (Would ideally be accompanied with a review into the fares so that entire exercise becomes unnecessary, so nobody will mourn its loss.)

I'm thinking things like 2 bus stops only, which for most services will involve a 50% cut in the number of stops required.

I think Perth takes it slightly too far with their free travel zone - the CAT bus element is probably all that is needed here.

[somebody]

I was wondering if that is where you were coming from.  Still it's hard to see that Ballow St and Warner St terminii would be removed as that would be a net reduction in layover space.

[Fattious]

+1 for having only one direction with double the frequency.

Service used to be every 10 minutes with clockface times, then about a year or two ago it changed to every 15 minutes without designated times which took the shine off it.