11 Sep 2014: Election 2015: More Buses More Often With Bus Reform

[ozbob]

Media release 11th September 2014



Election 2015: More Buses More Often With Bus Reform

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 calls for bipartisan support of bus reform and bus contracting.

The options are simple: fix up the bus and rail networks and be able to offer low fares and high quality services, or do nothing and announce the next 15% or 20% cost explosion. Voters in Albany Creek, Centenary Suburbs, Bulimba and Yeronga particularly want the problems fixed.

Albany Creek

Extra Albany Creek 359 services can be put on by running the bus into Enoggera Rail Station Interchange. Feeder-isation will allow 6 new inbound and new 6 outbound 359 services to be created at virtually zero cost. Topping this up with extra funding from $30 million in carbon tax abolition savings will permit doubling of bus frequency to Albany Creek, from hourly to half hourly. As patronage grows, this could be further increased to a BUZ service every 15 minutes, all day. Introducing a connection will speed up journeys because the waiting time component (up to 60 minutes wait) will be massively reduced.

Bulimba

Bulimba is grossly under-serviced compared to similar inner city suburbs. For example, Bulimba's 230 bus runs approximately 60 services per day. Compare this to West End BUZ 199 which runs approximately 200 services per day. West End residents are getting about three times more service, which explains why Bulimba residents suffer chronic car parking congestion issues.

A high frequency BulimbaGlider, a concept that BCC explicitly rejected, can be introduced by amalgamating the 230, 235, 231 and 236 in the area into a single high frequency BulimbaGlider. Using top-up funding from $30 million in carbon tax abolition savings would permit a high frequency bus connection to Morningside station. Starting this service at Roma Street and ending it at Morningside train station will solve the rail access problem at both ends.

Centenary Suburbs

Route 454 would be renumbered to BUZ 400 and altered to run via Yallambee Road. Using $30 million in carbon tax abolition savings, the service would be extended to Darra Rail Station opening frequent access to one stop express trains and Ipswich/Springfield services.

Yeronga

Yeronga is Brisbane's worst public transport black hole. Proposals to introduce high frequency bus services into Yeronga were rejected when BCC rejected the 2013 bus review. Again, using top up funding from the $30 million in carbon tax abolition savings, BUZ 196 can be extended via Yeronga Rail Station solving the rail access problem and also providing direct high frequency buses to the Brisbane CBD.

These changes will fill in the gaps in the bus network and set the stage for recasting the bus network.

RAIL Back on Track calls for all parties to affirm bipartisan support for bus contracting and wholesale bus reform. Only genuine reform of rail and bus networks, together with fare reform will guarantee abundant and low cost public transport for all.

References:

1. Map of proposed routes (conceptual) http://tiny.cc/BUZit

2. Current BCC Bus Network: Check Your Bus Map http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10897.0

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

4. Lobby Group Calls For Support on Bus Reforms, Published Queensland Times Newspaper, 06 September 2014 http://backontrack.org/docs/qt/qt_6sep14_p51.jpg

5. Comparison Service totals used in the comparison were calculated by adding the inbound and outbound trips together, and rounding. Given that 235 services attract high patronage despite their low frequency, we believe running high frequency service along Thynne Road is justified. High frequency trains service Morningside station as of January 2014.

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

[ozbob]

Discussion --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10665.msg146210#msg146210

[#Metro]

Ridiculous how there is a train station within earshot in all four cases. Many are within 1-2 km of the suburbs with the bus issues. What is needed is a con.nect.tion.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

11th September 2014

Bus Reform: What's 'The Prize' Lord Mayor?

Greetings,

It is now possible to observe the catastrophic effects of BCC's rejection of the 2013 TransLink Bus Review.

Passengers have made an exodus from Brisbane Transport. This is due to the massive 15% and 20% cost explosions. While Brisbane City Council does not set fares, it does set bus supplier costs, and obviously, higher supplier costs equals higher fares.

RAIL Back on Track is a strong supporter of genuine bus and rail reform and fare reform to reverse this catastrophe. In our opinion, the loss of passengers from the public transport network is a threat to bus staff job security. If nobody is catching buses, we predict the BCC's next steps will be another round of service cuts, and redundancies, even under public operation. Job security isn't guaranteed by government ownership, it is guaranteed by strong and growing patronage. If you lose customers, you eventually lose staff.

We agree with Cr Milton Dick when he says' "The Brisbane [City Council] bus review and changes to bus routes and timetabling has made it harder for commuters to catch public transport because there are fewer and less frequent services available throughout the city," he said.'

Of course; Brisbane City Councillors were at the forefront of rejecting TransLink's 2013 plan for high frequency services to Yeronga, Centenary, Albany Creek and improvements to Bulimba. When BCC did their own review, it was even worse, putting on a grand total of ZERO new BUZ services. This is why we support public transport being removed from BCC's direct control.

BCC needs to take responsibility for its fair share of the drop in patronage.

The Lord Mayor at the time described BCC's defeat of bus reform as a 'win for passengers'. Passengers now hit with a combination of massive cost explosions and fewer services are now rightly asking 'what did we win, Lord Mayor?'

RAIL Back on Track calls for all parties to affirm bipartisan support for bus contracting and wholesale bus reform. Only genuine reform of rail and bus networks, together with fare reform will guarantee abundant and low cost public transport for all.

Best wishes
Robert

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

References:

Lobby Group Calls For Support on Bus Reforms, Published Queensland Times Newspaper, 06 September 2014 http://backontrack.org/docs/qt/qt_6sep14_p51.jpg

Current BCC Bus Network: Check Your Bus Map http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10897.0

Brisbane commuters abandon buses, choose cars instead http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/brisbane-commuters-abandon-buses-choose-cars-instead-20140911-10fqak.html

Media release 11th September 2014



Election 2015: More Buses More Often With Bus Reform

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 calls for bipartisan support of bus reform and bus contracting.

The options are simple: fix up the bus and rail networks and be able to offer low fares and high quality services, or do nothing and announce the next 15% or 20% cost explosion. Voters in Albany Creek, Centenary Suburbs, Bulimba and Yeronga particularly want the problems fixed.

Albany Creek

Extra Albany Creek 359 services can be put on by running the bus into Enoggera Rail Station Interchange. Feeder-isation will allow 6 new inbound and new 6 outbound 359 services to be created at virtually zero cost. Topping this up with extra funding from $30 million in carbon tax abolition savings will permit doubling of bus frequency to Albany Creek, from hourly to half hourly. As patronage grows, this could be further increased to a BUZ service every 15 minutes, all day. Introducing a connection will speed up journeys because the waiting time component (up to 60 minutes wait) will be massively reduced.

Bulimba

Bulimba is grossly under-serviced compared to similar inner city suburbs. For example, Bulimba's 230 bus runs approximately 60 services per day. Compare this to West End BUZ 199 which runs approximately 200 services per day. West End residents are getting about three times more service, which explains why Bulimba residents suffer chronic car parking congestion issues.

A high frequency BulimbaGlider, a concept that BCC explicitly rejected, can be introduced by amalgamating the 230, 235, 231 and 236 in the area into a single high frequency BulimbaGlider. Using top-up funding from $30 million in carbon tax abolition savings would permit a high frequency bus connection to Morningside station. Starting this service at Roma Street and ending it at Morningside train station will solve the rail access problem at both ends.

Centenary Suburbs

Route 454 would be renumbered to BUZ 400 and altered to run via Yallambee Road. Using $30 million in carbon tax abolition savings, the service would be extended to Darra Rail Station opening frequent access to one stop express trains and Ipswich/Springfield services.

Yeronga

Yeronga is Brisbane's worst public transport black hole. Proposals to introduce high frequency bus services into Yeronga were rejected when BCC rejected the 2013 bus review. Again, using top up funding from the $30 million in carbon tax abolition savings, BUZ 196 can be extended via Yeronga Rail Station solving the rail access problem and also providing direct high frequency buses to the Brisbane CBD.

These changes will fill in the gaps in the bus network and set the stage for recasting the bus network.

RAIL Back on Track calls for all parties to affirm bipartisan support for bus contracting and wholesale bus reform. Only genuine reform of rail and bus networks, together with fare reform will guarantee abundant and low cost public transport for all.

References:

1. Map of proposed routes (conceptual) http://tiny.cc/BUZit

2. Current BCC Bus Network: Check Your Bus Map http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10897.0

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

4. Lobby Group Calls For Support on Bus Reforms, Published Queensland Times Newspaper, 06 September 2014 http://backontrack.org/docs/qt/qt_6sep14_p51.jpg

5. Comparison Service totals used in the comparison were calculated by adding the inbound and outbound trips together, and rounding. Given that 235 services attract high patronage despite their low frequency, we believe running high frequency service along Thynne Road is justified. High frequency trains service Morningside station as of January 2014.

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