30 Mar 2013: Bus Review: Will Brisbane City Council repeat TransLink's ...

[ozbob]

Media release 30th March 2013



Bus Review: Will Brisbane City Council repeat TransLink's consultation mistakes?

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 calls for neighbourhood planning style forums and workshops across Brisbane.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"There are a number of fundamental problems with Brisbane's broken bus network. We have covered these extensively as have others such as the Brizcommuter Blog and Alan Davies of The Urbanist (1, 2). The current Brisbane bus system is financially, operationally and politically unsustainable."

"We hope that Brisbane City Council does not repeat the same mistakes as TransLink has and do yet another internet feedback form as essentially the only means of consultation (3)."

"BCC has in the past run such community forums for neighbourhood planning and the RiverCity Blueprint (4)."

In line with BCC's Community Engagement Policy, we believe a number of community planning teams made of local residents and expertise where possible, should be set up across Brisbane, at the following suggested locations:

Albany Creek
Bulimba
Carindale
CBD & Surrounds
Chermside
Inala/Richlands
Mitchelton
Garden City
Mt Ommaney
Sunnybank
Toowong
Toombul
The Gap
Wynnum
Yeronga

Our main concerns are, and continue to be:

* Increasing operator costs and direct service network style which is putting upward pressure on fares and family budgets

* Brisbane having some of the highest fares in the world - $4.80 to travel from one end of Adelaide Street to the other.

* A disconnection between the bus network and the rail network.

* Entire suburbs without decent, frequent public transport options - Bulimba, Centenary Suburbs, The Northwest, Yeronga, Wynnum Road, for example.

* Massive complexity within the bus network making it difficult to understand.

* Difficulty getting around the city without going through the CBD due to Great Circle Line's low frequency and loop configuration.

* $400 per ratepayer household per year comes out of rates to prop up the bus system before anyone has even caught it.

"Direct service networks are the highest cost, least efficient type of bus network for larger cities. These costs mean less abundant, frequent and useful transport for many Brisbane suburbs (5, 6)."

References:

1. Brisbane City Council's "not broken" bus network
http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/brisbane-city-council.html

2. Is the Qld government missing the bus?
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/2013/03/25/is-the-qld-government-missing-the-bus/

3. BCC Bus Review
http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-transport/public-transport/buses/index.htm

4. Brisbane City Council Community Engagement Policy
http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/prdc/groups/corpwebcontent/documents/documents/038565.pdf

5. Bus boom causes council staff crunch
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/bus-boom-causes-council-staff-crunch-20100914-15atl.html

6. "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

Contact:

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

[ozbob]

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