Article: Bid for more buses

[ozbob]

From the North Lakes Times 26th May 2010 page 1

Bid for more buses

Bid for more buses

By KATIE DUNCAN

NORTH Lakes residents may soon have better bus services. Public transport coordinator TransLink has promised to review bus routes, which go nowhere near many parts of the suburb. Presently, residents in parts of Bridgehaven and Woodside have to walk about 1.5km to catch a bus to Petrie Railway Station. Moreton Bay Regional Council Division 4 councillor Julie Greer said she had received calls from residents in the Bridgehaven, Hilltop Green and Outlook estates wanting extended bus services.

"I've recently written to the State Minister for Transport and stated with more than 10,500 residents now calling the North Lakes area home that TransLink should be undertaking an immediate review of bus services in what has become one of the most cardependent regions in Australia," Cr Greer said.

"One of the improvements I've suggested is to extend the bus route westbound along Bounty Boulevard and to increase the frequency of services," she said.

A TransLink spokesman said the review of services incorporated the western part of North Lakes and busrail connections at Petrie rail station.

"TransLink is aware of the growing population of North Lakes and is currently reviewing services in this area to ensure customers' needs are met," the spokesman said.

Residents can play a part in securing new services by contacting TransLink directly to express their views on future public transport needs.

[#Metro]

NorthLakes exists! 

PS: Is North Lakes considered sprawl or non-sprawl? Is there a green/belt or wedge?

[longboi]

NorthLakes exists! 

PS: Is North Lakes considered sprawl or non-sprawl? Is there a green/belt or wedge?

Its sprawlsville central.

[Golliwog]

I thought the whole problem with buses and Northlakes was that they couldn't fit down most streets? Although of all the streets there, Bounty Blvd does appear to be one of the bus friendly ones, although I don't know how many walk/ride up passengers it would get. Most of the houses look like even when they may back onto the road, they have to go around the front and around the block.

[Jon Bryant]

...and this highlights a major design flaw in current outer suburbs.  They need to be turned inside out so that it is safe for people to wait for a bus on the main road.  Currently the bus stops are either adajent to a massive sound barrier or the bus has to wonder all over the place to get to the people

[Golliwog]

Not the current outer suburbs. Just the new ones. Keperra, Ferny Grove and Upper Kedron are outer suburbs, and its really only the newer parts of Upper Kedron that would pose issues with bus access. Still doesn't give us that good a bus service though. Apparently as we have a train line we don't really need buses . Nah, I get the logic though, there are definately more pressing bus frequency and routing issues.

Although, I do find fault with the way Translink is currently operating to upgrade service frequency across the network. The logic seems to be to try and make everyone as happy as they can. Sound government logic. What I would prefer (but I know would make some unhappy as it gives different areas better PT access) is if they took an area like say The Gap and Ashgrove, or the area bounded by the river and the Ipswich line to Wacol, (just examples, the easiest ones to picture that I could think of) and focus on improving the services and connections in that area. I know you would have people elsewhere complaining about how its their taxes that are giving benefit for a small area, but of course it would eventually go around everywhere (just like the Travel Smart campaign). I feel this sort of upgrade would get much better patronage, simply because while its only covering its selected area, its giving that area a brilliant service. And of course, once you manage to get one whole area having a large PT mode share, this would give the planners building new areas (ie: the next Northlakes - Greater Flagstone and those other two new satellite cities Bligh announced?) an example and a target to aim for. Plus proof that PT only accounting for 7-14% is utter crap. For example Inner Brisbane (West end, CBD, The Valley, maybe some of Bowen Hills? Whatever the Census people marked out as "inner Brisbane") has something like a 30-40% public and active transport mode share.

[#Metro]

Sunnybank and Sunnybank Hills also fall into that category. PT mode share (excluding walking and bicycles) is over 20%.
So its not as if the outer suburbs are beyond redemption.

[somebody]

Golliwog, what you are suggesting is exactly what they were doing with the BUZ routes.

[Golliwog]

True, but I was on a rant ( ) and those tend to just focus on the one route instead of the area as a whole.

[Jon Bryant]

There is a little more to it that.  We need to create neighbourhood centreS adjacent to the bus stops to allow mutiple purposes to a single trip and to improve saftey of stop after hours.  All part of good urban design.  This will also require the removal of car parking at local shops to encourage greater active transport.  Preferrably convert to a green it plaza.

[somebody]

Apparently as we have a train line we don't really need buses . Nah, I get the logic though, there are definately more pressing bus frequency and routing issues.

Not in Upper Kedron.  I actually think that is one of the more pressing bus fixes.  One possibility is extending the 390 along Upper Kedron Rd, but still keeping the Brookside shops service, although reduces the ability to extend it somewhere more logical such as along Camelia Av and Plucks Rd.

Honestly, it's really hard to see the logic in so much of what Translink are doing.

[stephenk]

Brisbane's urban planners and developers need to wake up, and start designing their sprawls with provision for public transport (such as the busways in Runcorn and Kent Thameside, UK, or at least roads that buses can easily navigate). Dedicated non-fragmented cycleways that actually go somewhere useful are also essential to new urban developments.

Translink need to provision public transport from day one, otherwise people moving into these sprawls have no option but to be car dependent from the day they move in. Yes, it might be throwing money away early on in the development, but in the long run it should be beneficial. Many places in the UK use midibuses (such as the Optare Solo) to service housing estates with reasonable frequency instead of using larger buses at a lower frequency.

Urban developments also need to be planned with housing within walking distance of small commercial hubs. We need to get out of the trend of having to drive to get a loaf of bread or the morning paper.

For those who can't use google  
Kent Thameside Fastrack http://www.go-fastrack.co.uk/what-is-fastrack.html
Optare Solo http://www.optare.com/op_solo.htm

[somebody]

But there are bigger fish to fry than worry too much about that.  How about fixing up the current haves and have nots in Brisbane's PT and getting a reasonable train frequency.  Although it's better than the never ending procession of new park and rides.

[#Metro]

Brisbane's urban planners and developers need to wake up, and start designing their sprawls with provision for public transport (such as the busways in Runcorn and Kent Thameside, UK, or at least roads that buses can easily navigate). Dedicated non-fragmented cycleways that actually go somewhere useful are also essential to new urban developments.

Agreed. But I thought they were all staffed by experts  

[mufreight]

Expert   ex - out of,  spurt - a drip under pressure, need we say more

[#Metro]

 

How does that saying go? Plumbers have the worst plumbing, etc. Tried to find it on the web.