Overhaul the 599/598 Great Circle Line

[#Metro]

Just a poll for the below post.


Time to fix suburb-suburb and cross town transport.
http://download.translink.com.au/timetables/071001_598,599.pdf

This bus has so many problems: poor frequency, timetable is very difficult to remember and inconvenient stops, but it has so much potential in improving suburb-suburb transport.

Suggested:

    * Livery: New bright orange all bus wrap just like the CityLoop, Spring Hill loop or the CityGlider
    * Frequency: Increase the frequency to every 15 minutes off peak, possibly a trial of every 10 minutes on selected sections or during peak hour/school hour
    * Timetabling: Timetabling looks random apart from 2 services per hour. Clock face timetable is essential.
    * Timetabling: Synchronize with a rail station or service. A good candidate is Indooroopilly station
    * Routing:
Alter stops to integrate with major stops and connections, make transfers easy. An example is Chermside.- put the bus into the interchange rather than leave it out of the interchange and across a road.
    * Numbering: The numbering should be easy to remember. Route 1 (clockwise) and Route 2 (anticlockwise) are proposed.

[Golliwog]

Some of you're points are more important than others. I don't see the point in new livery, the buses are fine as they are. And why do they need to change from 598/599 to 1/2? As for synchronising with a rail station or service, yes this is important, but seeing as the route circles the whole of Brisbane, I see it as a better idea to instead either have the buses at a slightly odd frequency so as each bus is in-synch with a different rail station, or to jsut average the wait times to meet up with trains. Its a bit unfair to have to tell those on the northside that the route won't link up with the trains for them, just because of some arbitrary decision to synch with the Ipswich line. As for frequency, I don't know if 15 minutes is quite justified. Perhaps 20mins instead. Clockface timetable is rather important though (yes that conflicts with what I said before I know, but oh well)

[#Metro]

Some of you're points are more important than others. I don't see the point in new livery, the buses are fine as they are. And why do they need to change from 598/599 to 1/2? As for synchronising with a rail station or service, yes this is important, but seeing as the route circles the whole of Brisbane, I see it as a better idea to instead either have the buses at a slightly odd frequency so as each bus is in-synch with a different rail station, or to jsut average the wait times to meet up with trains. Its a bit unfair to have to tell those on the northside that the route won't link up with the trains for them, just because of some arbitrary decision to synch with the Ipswich line. As for frequency, I don't know if 15 minutes is quite justified. Perhaps 20mins instead. Clockface timetable is rather important though (yes that conflicts with what I said before I know, but oh well)

Good points.
Legibility and marketability are important. Special services stand out from the others and advertise the route. That's why the Spring Hill Loop, Free Loop Bus, CitySights, CityGlider have different livery. Why should the GCL be any different?

The same idea for the renumbering. Numbering is loosely based on location 1XX for south, 2XX for east, 3XX for north and 4XX for west. But for GCL this does not apply. And 5XX is for logan area buses. Same idea behind BUZ with 111, 333, 444, 555. It's easy to remember.

Despite 2 services per hour, the times look randomish. If the service is going to have relatively low frequency, the timetable had better be easy to remember and reliable. Clock-face does this.

As for unfairness, which station is fairer? Indooroopilly is suggested as it has trains every 15 minutes to match with the 15 minute suggested bus frequency and is the busiest station of the ones visited, and it connects with buses to UQ.  

[#Metro]

Also no Sunday services!
Isn't this against the basic service standards? Basic standard has 1 bus per 60 minutes on a sunday/public holiday.
GCL has no services in the timetable.

The file is no longer on the TL website, but a copy of it is in the Google Cache
http://download.translink.com.au/networkplan/chapter2.pdf

[somebody]

I'm undecided on this one.  I would agree that the timetable needs fixing, it should be consistent.  A reliable 15 minute frequency until 8pm and a clockface timetable would surely help patronage, and may also improve load factors.

[Jon Bryant]

Uping the frequency on this route and similar cross-city route is key to delivering the Translink Network Plan.   

[#Metro]

I was surprised when I read the "Network Plan" (not a plan, more like the executive summary for one) had diagrams with
the spider web saying something along the lines of "we will make it easier to go from A to B without going into the CBD."

A complete overhaul, nothing less, no-compromises, of 599/598 into a reinvigorated route 1 and route 2 would do exactly this.

[somebody]

Uping the frequency on this route and similar cross-city route is key to delivering the Translink Network Plan.   

Definitely.

To be honest, I have completely lost faith in Translink.  Just because they put out a glossy brochure, I don't really believe they have any commitment to actually do what they are saying they will do.

[#Metro]

That's why RailBOT is here. New Services Tally is monitoring the situation with new buses/trains/ferries.
Everyone and anyone can read the conversations.

[somebody]

Uping the frequency on this route and similar cross-city route is key to delivering the Translink Network Plan.   

Actually, I would suggest that this is a topic worthy of a media release, and I would say that it needs to extend operating hours, run on Sundays and have a 15 minute clockface frequency.

It's not the only one in the Translink Network plan.

[#Metro]

 
Now in planning.
Lets work on your 66 + 109 thing first though.

[AnonymouslyBad]

I think frequency is by far the biggest issue here. I say BUZ it. Yes, it's a dramatic increase, but I think it might be surprising how much of a difference it makes. The current service level is pretty poor.

[#Metro]

Welcome to the forum!

[somebody]

One more thing, if it is a milk run, it shouldn't have limited stops.  They need to decide what sort of route it is.

[#Metro]

Connections with the BUZ network could be shown in the maps much better.
A lot of low frequency routes are shown, it is unlikely that many people would transfer to these on a weekend or at most times given the poor frequency (GoCard data should reveal this).

A 2-zone flat fare could be introduced, and the route sped up to BRT standards like SmartBus / CityGlider etc with stops 600-800 meters apart (not sure what the current spacing is like).

[#Metro]

Took a trip on the GCL, not intentionally either, a decent load, people asking the driver "where does this bus go".
Not surprising since the buses can have CARINDALE or TOOMBUL or other destinations on the desto.

I have also used the GCL from Indooroopilly to get to Toowong (it happened first bus that showed up) and people going to Toowong let it go past, and catch the next bus, even though the same stops and route are used as for all buses going from Indooroopilly and Toowong. This means one thing: There is a legibility problem on the GCL. People don't know where it is going when they look at the destination sign. There are maps at some stops, but there needs to be more done, a solution might be to tweak the desto to allow scrolling through a number of destinations, rather than just show one. The other possibility is CityGlider style bus wraps.

On this occasion I caught the GCL to Brookside. I actually wanted to go to an address on Stafford Road, and I had no idea about what direct bus went there, but the GCL bus stopped me at Brookside and 30 seconds later the 358 cross-town bus pulls up right behind it, I jump on and I get to my destination on Stafford Rd.

The trip did not take long at all. And there was no direct bus to where I wanted to go, and if there was I didn't have the time or means to look it up. The inconvenience to transfer- well at 30 seconds, there wasn't any inconvenience.

Unfortunately, both these services are not frequent, so later in the evening I found myself walking along a very long length of Stafford Rd to get the BUZ 345.

Fixing up these cross-towns and orbitals is really important. They allow people to go to the suburb next door without having to go into the CBD and back out again. They are very useful for shorter trips to the local shops or rail station too. If cars can turn off the main road into a cross-town arterial, then it seems only logical that the PT network allow such trips also, through a transfer.

[somebody]

Ok, it's not that I think that cross town is unimportant, but there are still a number of issues with the radial network which also need to be sorted.

[#Metro]

I agree that radial services need improving as well. Specifically: BUZ 450/Centenary BUZ, BUZ 100, BUZ 196, BUZ 375, BUZ 180, BUZ 325 and a Northside BUZ.

But the GCL is key here- because if it is BUZzed, it will tie together the existing rail and bus routes, and finally make inroads into the local and "around town" market that is dominated by car mode share. It is impossible to deliver the TransLink network plan without BUZification of the GCL, or something close to it.

None of the radial routes have the ability to tie the existing BUZ and rail backbones together. Waiting for TL to BUZ the other radial routes would only delay the introduction of something that is badly needed and an important improvement in delivering the TL network plan.

[ozbob]

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

[#Metro]

I'm starting to think the Great Circle line could be shattered into quarters.
Instead of having one GCL, there could be a few Great Circle Line routes with a pre-set, standard route.

They would all be Great Circle Line buses, but they would have different numbers, just like BUZ isn't one route but a bundle of different routes.
It could be similar to Sydney's metro bus services or Melbourne's SmartBus http://tinyurl.com/4m8972w.
Routing would be simplified and the sign on the bus would not change. Bus stops could be painted TransLink orange.
All buses would have clock-face timetable. I think it would be more legible and reliable this way as well. Some routes are a re-branding of existing routes.

GCL 01 Garden City to Toombul via Carindale, Gateway Bridge and Toombul Shopping Centre
GCL 02 Garden City to Inala via Sunnybank Hills and Mains Road
GCL 03 Garden City to Indooroopilly Kessels, Beaudesert and, Sherwood Road
GCL 04 Inala to Indooroopilly Shopping Centre and Rail Station via Blunder and Oxley Roads
GCL 05 Toowong to Brookside via Metroad 5 and Mitchelton Rail station (chop out Mt Cootha)
GCL 06 The Gap- Great Western Super Centre- Mitchelton Rail to Toombul via Stafford Road (Basically the 358)
GCL 07 Chermside via Mitchelton Rail, Brookside Shopping Centre, Webster Road, Prince Charles Hospital and Chermside Shops
GCL 08 Chermside to DFO Airport via Toombul and Hamilton Rd, Sandgate Rd and Arterial (there is already a bus that does this, so re-brand).

These routes could be upgraded to BUZ levels in stages as funding becomes available and parts of the old GCL are withdrawn.

[longboi]

I'm sure I suggested that idea months ago 

For the record I'm a big fan. City services have improved drastically in the past 6 years so now its time to begin addressing suburban/cross-town/whatever travel.

[#Metro]

Oh really? I must not have been paying attention.
Thanks for your comments.

I can just see all these orange bus stop blades for the GCL BUZ services.

[longboi]

Orange kerbing and shelters wouldn't go astray either. Really it would be our version of smartbus, although there needs to be measures in place so it actually acts as an alternative to interchanging in the City.

[#Metro]

I'd like to see the GCL between Carindale and Garden City abolished and the funds spent on increased frequency on the route 590.
TransLink seem to have a rule along the lines of "you can only add services, not remove them" and unfortunately this is the perfect
recipe for an very bushy network and lots of deadwood.

[somebody]

I'd like to see the GCL between Carindale and Garden City abolished and the funds spent on increased frequency on the route 590.
TransLink seem to have a rule along the lines of "you can only add services, not remove them" and unfortunately this is the perfect
recipe for an very bushy network and lots of deadwood.

I cringe that the 590 avoids Murrarie train station, or any other train station on the Cleveland line.

[#Metro]

I cringe that the 590 avoids Murrarie train station, or any other train station on the Cleveland line.

How many people do this transfer?

[somebody]

I cringe that the 590 avoids Murrarie train station, or any other train station on the Cleveland line.

How many people do this transfer?

Not sure.  How many use the 590's alternate Metroplex stops?

[#Metro]

Not sure.  How many use the 590's alternate Metroplex stops?

I'm not sure myself but it is a decent office park. When I took it was on a Saturday.

The location of the Cleveland Line train stations is not good either.