South East Busway extension

[Set in train]

Compare completion dates:

http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Projects/Name/G/Gateway-Upgrade-South-GUS-projects.aspx

http://budget.qld.gov.au/regional-budget-statements/2012-13/brisbane-2012-13.pdf

Was supposed to be completed mid-2014, now mid-2015.

No word if associated road project of on ramp lengthening has been delayed. Clearing has begun, contractors are on site at a preliminary level.

This is a piddling extension as it is, underneath the Gateway Mwy onramp over to School Rd Rochedale, just after Priestdale Rd.

[colinw]

Vegetation clearing has started, and it looked like a site inspection (and possibly some surveying works) were in progress this morning.

This extension will be useful for getting the 555, etc., past the Gateway / South East Freeway merge carpark.

[nathandavid88]

    The 555s won't even use this extension. Most of the citybound Clarks routes won't see any benefit or change from this at all. Pretty well the only services that will make use of this is the hourly 576 and it's 577 peak service. That's the only service that will get any real benefit out of this extension.

It's a building block for the eventual Busway extension down to Springwood and associated Rochedale station, but until then it's not really a connection that will have any real use.

[SurfRail]

The only reason it's being done is because they can minimise disruption by doing it now as part of the Gateway works. 

Same reason the University Hospital LRT station shell is already there, because the hospital is being built at the moment as well.

You would need to get it all the way to Springwood to see any use from it.

[Set in train]

   The 555s won't even use this extension. Most of the citybound Clarks routes won't see any benefit or change from this at all. Pretty well the only services that will make use of this is the hourly 576 and it's 577 peak service. That's the only service that will get any real benefit out of this extension.

That's correct, routes 576 through 579 could benefit if the bus stop on School Rd, north of Priestdale Rd is relocated around the corner into Priestdale Rd west of School Rd.

The Redland bus services would also benefit of not having to do the u-turn after pick up Eight Mile Plains station, they could proceed to Priestdale Rd, left into School Rd and right into normal route without having to worry about bumping through the carpark.

Surfrail is right, it's a project that needs to be done with ramp lengthening.

Busway to Springwood ultimately is needed, but considering the original plan of bus + transit lanes (5 lanes total each way) from Eight Mile Plains to Loganholme was postponed in 2001, it will sadly be a cold day in hell before this necessary piece of infrastructure is constructed.

A further $35M is spent on a small amount of new surface to create a fourth general traffic lane from Fitzgerald Av onramp to Chatswood Rd offramp instead of bus on/off ramps at Paradise Rd for the park/ride and bus stops there at Daisy Hill/Slacks Creek. Instead the temporary park/ride at Loganlea Rd exists.

[achiruel]

   The 555s won't even use this extension. Most of the citybound Clarks routes won't see any benefit or change from this at all. Pretty well the only services that will make use of this is the hourly 576 and it's 577 peak service. That's the only service that will get any real benefit out of this extension.

Why won't the 555's use it?

I would've thought (during peak at least) it would be quicker to exit at School Rd & continue along local streets to Springwood rather than negotiate the M1 carpark?

[nathandavid88]

In a major congested peak hour perhaps it might be quicker, but outside of that a detour along School Road -> Rochedale Road -> Underwood Road would be a LOT slower I'm certain. Lower speed limits, 4 odd sets of traffic lights at major intersections and a longer overall travel distance. It would be major backwards step. And it would involve putting an extra 8 buses per hour (even more if the other peak services followed suit) running along what are suburban main roads unnecessarily, which I don't think is ever really a good idea.

[achiruel]

Alternatively, why couldn't a temporary on-ramp from Rochedale back on to the M1 be installed?

AIUI, it's going to be quite some time before the Springwood section is built, so they may as well get some use from the Rochedale section.

[SurfRail]

Alternatively, why couldn't a temporary on-ramp from Rochedale back on to the M1 be installed?

AIUI, it's going to be quite some time before the Springwood section is built, so they may as well get some use from the Rochedale section.

That seemed to be reasonable, however if that connection were to come off School Road (which would appear to be the most likely spot), it might not be best from a traffic flow perspective.  It would probably be a pain in the neck to monitor to keep it for buses only as well.

[nathandavid88]

If it were to come off School Road, I wouldn't see there being any benefit over the current situation where buses exit directly from 8MP. It might actually be worse, because a bus-only onramp would come in and merge over the top of the merge from the gateway, where at present buses get on before and can try to get into the inside lanes to (attempt to) avoid the chaos that is the merge.

A further $35M is spent on a small amount of new surface to create a fourth general traffic lane from Fitzgerald Av onramp to Chatswood Rd offramp instead of bus on/off ramps at Paradise Rd for the park/ride and bus stops there at Daisy Hill/Slacks Creek. Instead the temporary park/ride at Loganlea Rd exists.

Seeing the construction of the park and ride at Loganlea on a daily basis, I have to say that it definitely looks pretty permanent to me. I still believe that its purpose is less to provide a park and ride service directly to the city, but more to be a bit of a local hub for services which already act as feeders to, primarily, Loganlea Station and the Hyperdome. The 560 already provides a very good service and connection to both train services at Loganlea and to the 555 service (among the others) at the Hyperdome. It could also provide a starting point for more (better) connections to areas like Logan Central/Woodridge and Kingston.  I don't see it becoming irrelevant when the SE Busway eventually meets the Hyperdome, but rather act in concert with it (kind of like the upper part of the Garden City Interchange). 

[ozbob]

South East Busway extension

>>  http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/name/s/south-east-busway-extension.aspx