14 Aug 2015: SEQ Moreton Bay: Miss the Bus, Miss the Train

[ozbob]

Media release 14th August 2015



SEQ Moreton Bay: Miss the Bus, Miss the Train

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 is deeply concerned about the lack of public consultation or advice about what the Moreton Bay region's public transport network will look like when the Moreton Bay Rail Link is opened in 2016.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Recent rail extensions to Varsity Lakes, Richlands and Springfield Central have all involved poor outcomes for bus – train interchange, with limited or no upgrades to bus services.  In some cases bus network changes occurred several months out of phase with the train service changes, and in the case of Springfield Central it has been nearly 2 years and there has been no attention to the inadequacies of the local routes like the 522."

"Even the opening of the Gold Coast light rail project was plagued with problems which have still not been resolved, including several 'connecting' bus routes like the 743 not even operating after 5pm and leaving entire suburbs unconnected to the wider system."

"Over $1bn is being spent on MBRL, yet we don't know how often the trains will run, what the stopping pattern will be, where connecting bus routes will go, how frequently they will run and how late at night they will run?  This is absurd."

"The Moreton Bay bus network is currently one of the most woefully under-serviced regions in SEQ, with many services not running after sunset and many not running on weekends or on Sundays and public holidays.  Even trunk routes like the 680 are critically under-serviced compared to other outer parts of the system in Logan and Ipswich."

"TransLink and Queensland Rail's recent form gives us little comfort that the same issues which arose during the last 3 rail extensions and the light rail opening will be dealt with adequately here.  The public needs to know what is proposed and there needs to be genuine consultation about timetables and route planning well before the first trains start carrying passengers.  Ignoring the problem until the last minute, as usual, is utterly unacceptable."

"RAIL Back On Track calls on TransLink and Queensland Rail to immediately commence a public consultation program to set out proposed timetable and route changes for both bus and train services so the public can be consulted appropriately.  The changes should only be finalised for implementation after it has properly engaged with the public and not simply 'managed expectations'."

"RAIL Back On Track also calls on TransLink and Treasury to ensure that the bus network is designed to grow local patronage and encourage bus-rail interchange, and not just pay lip service to these goals. A top-down approach to route planning intended to ration the existing resources will result in further failure."

Contact:

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

[ozbob]

Discussion --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7.msg159839#msg159839

[Stillwater]

A good media release.   

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

15th August 2015

Re: SEQ Moreton Bay: Miss the Bus, Miss the Train

Good Morning,

Our State Government claims they are a ' consultative Government ' ...

Well here is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate that and proper public transport network development.

Too hard?

Best wishes
Robert

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

Media release 14th August 2015



SEQ Moreton Bay: Miss the Bus, Miss the Train

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 is deeply concerned about the lack of public consultation or advice about what the Moreton Bay region's public transport network will look like when the Moreton Bay Rail Link is opened in 2016.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Recent rail extensions to Varsity Lakes, Richlands and Springfield Central have all involved poor outcomes for bus – train interchange, with limited or no upgrades to bus services.  In some cases bus network changes occurred several months out of phase with the train service changes, and in the case of Springfield Central it has been nearly 2 years and there has been no attention to the inadequacies of the local routes like the 522."

"Even the opening of the Gold Coast light rail project was plagued with problems which have still not been resolved, including several 'connecting' bus routes like the 743 not even operating after 5pm and leaving entire suburbs unconnected to the wider system."

"Over $1bn is being spent on MBRL, yet we don't know how often the trains will run, what the stopping pattern will be, where connecting bus routes will go, how frequently they will run and how late at night they will run?  This is absurd."

"The Moreton Bay bus network is currently one of the most woefully under-serviced regions in SEQ, with many services not running after sunset and many not running on weekends or on Sundays and public holidays.  Even trunk routes like the 680 are critically under-serviced compared to other outer parts of the system in Logan and Ipswich."

"TransLink and Queensland Rail's recent form gives us little comfort that the same issues which arose during the last 3 rail extensions and the light rail opening will be dealt with adequately here.  The public needs to know what is proposed and there needs to be genuine consultation about timetables and route planning well before the first trains start carrying passengers.  Ignoring the problem until the last minute, as usual, is utterly unacceptable."

"RAIL Back On Track calls on TransLink and Queensland Rail to immediately commence a public consultation program to set out proposed timetable and route changes for both bus and train services so the public can be consulted appropriately.  The changes should only be finalised for implementation after it has properly engaged with the public and not simply 'managed expectations'."

"RAIL Back On Track also calls on TransLink and Treasury to ensure that the bus network is designed to grow local patronage and encourage bus-rail interchange, and not just pay lip service to these goals. A top-down approach to route planning intended to ration the existing resources will result in further failure."

Contact:

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

[SurfRail]

Too hard?

Evidently yes.  Whispers out of a certain northern region operator today have indicated to me that virtually nothing will be done except to redirect services into the new stations.  You want to catch a bus after 4pm on a Saturday?  Stiff sh%t.

f%cking dills.  I give up.  We are at an abject low point in public transport policy.  Despite several failures, no lessons are learned and nothing ever changes.

What is it going to take for the policy wonks to grow the balls necessary to do what needs to be done?

[#Metro]

$1.8 BN for 2 trains per hour. 

Really should be a case for supplement funding from local gov't in that area for buses. The justification - increased property values the rail corridor has created. Should be based proportionate to land values, and be balloted if required.

[#Metro]

MBRC does have a PT document https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/uploadedFiles/moretonbay/development/planning/Draft-Public-Transport-Strategy.pdf

Not sure if much will come of it.

[James]

Where else but Queensland?

[Stillwater]

MBRC PT document states the bleeding obvious.  Examples:

The public transport network is a system for moving people between places.
The public transport network is comprised of rail and bus networks.
The Moreton Bay Region's bus services operate within the existing road network.
Council connects the infrastructure and services to the people.
Public transport is a choice for some, but a necessity for people without access to a car.
Over a third of residents in the Moreton Bay Region do not have access to a private car.
Public transport moves more people efficiently and economically.

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Commuters say they will shun the billion dollar Moreton Bay Rail Link if buses don't connect with trains

ATTENTION has turned from the Moreton Bay Rail construction to commuters calling on TransLink to make sure they get the timetable right.

Commuters already driving to a train station, or driving the entire way to work, say they will not use the Moreton Bay Rail — connecting Petrie to the Redcliffe Peninsula through North Lakes — if the buses do not match up with train times.

Public transport advocacy group Rail Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow said he had concerns about how the Moreton Bay Rail Link would link with existing and potential bus services in the area.

He called on TransLink to hold consultations to ensure commuters had their say.

"We don't know how often the trains will run, what the stopping pattern will be, where connecting bus routes will go, how frequently they will run and how late at night they will run," Mr Dow said.

TransLink would not answer questions about if it would seek community input.

TransLink said it was too far out to comment, with the rail expected to open midway through 2016, but Mr Dow said the time to start planning was now.

"Rail Back On Track calls on TransLink and Queensland Rail to immediately commence a public consultation program to set out proposed timetable and route changes for both bus and train services so the public can be consulted appropriately," he said.

The changes should only be finalised for implementation after it has properly engaged with the public and not simply managed expectations."

Mango Hill resident Nikki Daniels already catches a bus and train to get to work.

"There is only one 681 bus in the morning and evening to get to and from work — the only bus that takes me ­towards Maryvale Rd, Mango Hill," she said.

She currently catches an express train from Petrie. If something similar is not offered from one of the two Mango Hill stations, or a connecting train, she will continue to use Petrie station.

"It would be great to have the buses linked with the new Mango Hill and North Lakes train stations when they are open," she said.

Kippa-Ring resident Jamey Jennings said she would use the train to go shopping or to the new cinemas at Westfield North Lakes but a shuttle bus connecting the station to the shopping centre was needed.

A Transport and Main Roads spokesman said TransLink was "undertaking a review of the existing bus network to provide bus connections to the new rail stations".

He did not give a timeline for when passengers would be made aware.

A spokesman for Queensland Rail said "customer travel data and load modelling" would be used to design the timetable to maximise efficiency.

[ozbob]

Discussion --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7.msg160759#msg160759

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

5th September 2015

Moreton Bay Rail Line: $1 billion dollars?

Greetings,

We are concerned about service quality on the nearly completed Moreton Bay Rail line and associated network changes/improvements.
While we welcome infrastructure, as we all know it is the services, not the infrastructure that actually moves the passengers.

Here are some basic questions TransLink and the Queensland Government need to answer:

1. How frequent will trains be all day?
2. Will Moreton Bay Rail Link trains stop all stations or run express?
3. When will the first trains and last trains be on the line?
4. Which buses will connect to what stations, and how often, and will they be properly coordinated with rail services?
5. Is there going to be any community public consultation about connecting bus services, given that bus service planning and changes often take around 12 months to complete?

There is a clear need for a new rail network proposal focusing on service upgrades, and a mass overhaul of the failing bus network, particularly bus/rail connections and the overall Brisbane bus network.

We also have some concerns with the increasing number of bus no-shows, or cancelled services.  When a frequent service is cancelled it is not that much of an issue, but when an infrequent service is cancelled, for example a one-hourly bus service this is very serious.  It can mean a wait of up to two hours for the bus and leads to missed connections, which compounds into a very lengthy journey time.

Enough of the spin and 'world-class' rhetoric.  It is time for action.

Best wishes,

Robert

Contact:

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

Reference:

Couriermail Quest --> Commuters say they will shun the billion dollar Moreton Bay Rail Link if buses don't connect with trains
http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/moreton/commuters-say-they-will-shun-the-billion-dollar-moreton-bay-rail-link-if-buses-dont-connect-with-trains/story-fni9r1i7-1227511035232

[ozbob]

Discussion --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7.msg160804#msg160804

[ozbob]

Media release 21st October 2015



SEQ Moreton Bay Rail: Miss the Bus, Miss the Train

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 is deeply concerned about the lack of public consultation or advice about what the Moreton Bay region's public transport network will look like when the Moreton Bay Rail Link is opened in 2016.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Recent rail extensions to Varsity Lakes, Richlands and Springfield Central have all involved poor outcomes for bus – train interchange, with limited or no upgrades to bus services.  In some cases bus network changes occurred several months out of phase with the train service changes, and in the case of Springfield Central it has been nearly 2 years and there has been no attention to the inadequacies of the local routes like the 522."

"Even the opening of the Gold Coast light rail project was plagued with problems which have still not been resolved, including several 'connecting' bus routes like the 743 not even operating after 5pm and leaving entire suburbs unconnected to the wider system."

"Over $1bn is being spent on MBRL, yet we don't know how often the trains will run, what the stopping pattern will be, where connecting bus routes will go, how frequently they will run and how late at night they will run?  This is absurd."

"The Moreton Bay bus network is currently one of the most woefully under-serviced regions in SEQ, with many services not running after sunset and many not running on weekends or on Sundays and public holidays.  Even trunk routes like the 680 are critically under-serviced compared to other outer parts of the system in Logan and Ipswich."

"TransLink and Queensland Rail's recent form gives us little comfort that the same issues which arose during the last 3 rail extensions and the light rail opening will be dealt with adequately here.  The public needs to know what is proposed and there needs to be genuine consultation about timetables and route planning well before the first trains start carrying passengers.  Ignoring the problem until the last minute, as usual, is utterly unacceptable."

"RAIL Back On Track calls on TransLink and Queensland Rail to immediately commence a public consultation program to set out proposed timetable and route changes for both bus and train services so the public can be consulted appropriately.  The changes should only be finalised for implementation after it has properly engaged with the public and not simply 'managed expectations'."

"RAIL Back On Track also calls on TransLink and Treasury to ensure that the bus network is designed to grow local patronage and encourage bus-rail interchange, and not just pay lip service to these goals. A top-down approach to route planning intended to ration the existing resources will result in further failure."

Contact:

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

[ozbob]

Discussion --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7.msg163000#msg163000