7 July 2010: SEQ: Frequency: The silver bullet to world class public transport

[ozbob]

Media Release 7 July 2010

SEQ:  Frequency: The silver bullet to world class public transport for Brisbane

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 has welcomed the latest 'BUZ-ification' of route 412 to St Lucia and The University of Queensland.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Upgrading the frequency is the single fastest way to get more cars off the road and large increases in people catching public transport."

"The latest upgrades to route 412 are therefore very welcome. The BUZ concept, where services are put on a "no-compromise" timetable of every 15 minutes in the off peak and every 10 minutes or better in the peak, will immediately boost convenience for so many people and support public transport use at all times of the day. Indeed, a review of the BUZ concept showed spectacular patronage increases of over 100% following frequency upgrades, even on weekends and off-peak times; the highest recorded being an increase of almost 300% on weeknights for route 199. [1]"

"People WILL catch public transport if it is high frequency and reliable. The opposite is also true if these two things are not satisfactory."

"Re-introduction of bus priority lanes and bus priority measures on Coronation drive should therefore be considered (2), along with BUZ-ification of route 100 Inala and 599/598 Great Circle line."

"Of course, the real challenge is to apply the BUZ concept to South East Queensland's under-utilised railway network. One can only imagine the huge increases in patronage if a no-compromise, trains-every-15-minutes-all-day style timetable were to be adopted."

"TransLink and Brisbane Transport are therefore to be thanked for this latest, very welcome bus upgrade."

References:

1. http://www.thredbo.itls.usyd.edu.au/downloads/thredbo10_papers/thredbo10-themeA-Warren.pdf

2. 4 Jul 2010: SEQ: Bus priority needed - more bus lanes and traffic light priority http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4045.0

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Discussion thread --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4023.msg29358#msg29358

[Jon Bryant]

We also need to keep reminding everyone that all these roads that are being built will NEVER REDUCE CONGESTION and that the only cities to reduce congestion began investing in public and active transport as their number 1 transport priority more than 40 years ago.

[Golliwog]

What I'd really like to see is the journalists who report on all the new road infrastructure actually ask questions about what it is their writing. Sure they give a few different view points, but I have never once seen one questions the "Facts" given about these things such as how many minutes they will save of your trip or that they do actually reduce congestion long term (short term of course they do, but never long term) which is what they should actually be planning for. IIRC, Newmann actually implied this phenomenon in one of the lastest articles about the Go Between bridge where he stated that he believed it would take a few months for the bridge to reach its traffic forecasts.

[Jon Bryant]

Agree totally.  And when this growth occurs it is seen as a good thing and just allowing for population growth when in is infact car usage growth that has nothing to do with the former at all.  Might draft up a press release tonight for comments.

[frereOP]

The only way a true "BUZificatioan" of the rail network is possible (TUZification) is if rail services operate an end-to-end on a dedicated line basis.  This is what true subway/metro systems do with train frequencies of 2 - 6 mins (eg Tokyo subway, London Underground, Singapore MRT, Paris Metro and Berlin U-bahn).  Where an overground service attempts to emulate a subway it will fail because it is integrated into the rest of the rail. This means services are still subject to timetabling issues, and failure of services on other lines invariably propagate throughout the entire network.  Therefore projects like the Cross River Rail project will always be a compromise.  Although it serves a purpose there are better options.

"Rail Back on Track" should be promoting earlier development of BCC's proposed underground rail network which is totally track independent of, but integrated with, QR QueenslandRail rail infrastructure and timetables (compare this to the London Overground/Underground or Berlin's S-Bahn/U-Bahn etc).  Interchange stations are needed (with QR, rail and bus) but the BCC system is proposed as an end-to-end system in true subway style.  2026 is just too far away.

[#Metro]

"Rail Back on Track" should be promoting earlier development of BCC's proposed underground rail network which is totally track independent of, but integrated with, QR QueenslandRail rail infrastructure and timetables (compare this to the London Overground/Underground or Berlin's S-Bahn/U-Bahn etc).  Interchange stations are needed (with QR, rail and bus) but the BCC system is proposed as an end-to-end system in true subway style.  2026 is just too far away.

I also agree, but trams on streets (Stadbahn) are also worth looking at.
I know that there are many dissenters to this separate metro. I am not one of them.

[ozbob]

It is a matter of priorities.  First a reasonable train frequency.  Next Cross River Rail.  Then  possibly a metro.  Metro is not going to happen for a quite a while.  We must concentrate on the immediate priorities.  We have previously supported the metro concept.