18 Feb 2013: Brisbane: Bulimba, Centenary and Northwest suburbs miss out ...

[ozbob]

Media release 18th February 2013

Brisbane: Bulimba, Centenary and Northwest suburbs miss out as BCC WasteGlider begins



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 has highlighted the introduction of the $9 million dollar Maroon CityGlider.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Our objection to the Maroon CityGlider is that it does not serve any people who do not have access to frequent bus services already. It directs expensive, high frequency service to people who already have it and also light industrial and car sales yards along Logan Road. It will not reduce car congestion as it will simply result in a transfer of passengers from existing TransLink services."

"While Brisbane's Lord Mayor is on record as stating that 'We will always put the people of this city first', it has become increasingly clear that the suburbs of Bulimba, Centenary and the Northwest aren't being put first.

"In 2009, the residents of Bulimba raised public transport issues with Brisbane City Council's neighbourhood planning team, including the frequency of all bus services needing improvement and that cars were eroding the vibrancy of Oxford Street. In response to calls for a BulimbaGlider, BCC's response was indifference - their area was 'well served' and calls for a BulimbaGlider were rejected.

"Residents of the Northwest have also run petitions for more services. And in 2010 residents of the Centenary suburbs gathered 400 signatures in a petition for better bus services. Many western suburbs commuters are still awaiting delivery of the daily 2000 fantasy express buses down Legacy way promised by the BCC."

"More concerningly, it appears that Brisbane City Council now wants to block moves to remove waste, complexity, and low frequency legacy routing from its bus network. These pivotal reforms from the bus network review will result in a better quality network of services using recycled funds that would see more frequent, simpler, legible bus services and bus upgrades in suburbs that don't currently have decent, frequent services."

"We call on TransLink to report and carefully review the Maroon Glider route after 12 months, and after this time, consider routing the southern section from Wooloongabba down Oxford Street and into Bulimba to form a BulimbaGlider. In particular the number of new passengers versus passengers that have simply transferred from existing TransLink services should be carefully scrutinised."


Read more:

Calls for BulimbaGlider rejected
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/calls-for-bulimba-glider-rejected-20120201-
1qtbt.html

SEQ: Scrap Maroon CityGlider 'Waste on Wheels'
http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=8428.0

Hundreds sign for more sustainable transport
http://www.thesatellite.com.au/news/hundreds-sign-for-more-sustainable-transport/575554/

SEQ: Northwest Bus Petition - Bad service equals bad patronage - you don't say!
http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=8915.0

San francisco: sometimes cuts are an improvement
http://www.humantransit.org/2009/11/san-francisco-cuts-for-effectiveness.html

"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

Reveal bus services changes, transport minister told
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/reveal-bus-services-changes-transport-minister-told-20130212-2ebc9.html

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Discussion thread --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7575.msg119905#msg119905

[ozbob]

4BC News followed up on this release, thanks for the interest!