Ministerial Statement: Extra bus services for northern region

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport
The Honourable Rachel Nolan
24/09/2010

Extra bus services for northern region

There will be an additional 6,500 new bus seats each week for Redcliffe, North Lakes and Mango Hill passengers from Monday October 18.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said the Bligh Government's new $1 million bus package would help get more people out of their cars and onto public transport.

"Seven new routes and enhanced services on six routes will add 143 new bus services per week to this important part of the network," Ms Nolan said.

"The services will take almost 6000 cars off roads around Redcliffe, North Lakes, Mango Hill and Petrie each week and see buses operate in areas of North Lakes and Kallangur for the first time.

"This package will deliver increased services, more direct routes, improved on-time running and better bus-rail connections during peak times.

Ms Nolan said the package would service a region experiencing rapid residential and commercial growth.

"The new services allow us to meet the travel needs of customers in the northern region who take about 2.3 million trips on Hornibrook buses and more than 5 million trips on trains on the Caboolture line each year," Ms Nolan said.

Key highlights include:

   * Four new, low-floor air-conditioned buses, funded by the State Government
   * 143 new bus services per week, providing more than 6,500 new seats

·Almost 6,000 cars off roads around Redcliffe, North Lakes, Mango Hill and Petrie

   * Buses in areas of North Lakes and Kallangur for the first time
   * More direct routes to Petrie train station, particularly for commuters during peak times
   * Seven new routes and six enhanced routes.

Service changes:

Modified Route 680 (Redcliffe-Chermside via North Lakes Shopping Centre and Petrie train station) - will run from Redcliffe to Chermside only. Passengers travelling to the Brisbane CBD can transfer to a route 333 bus, which runs every 10-15 minutes from Chermside Shopping Centre. The one-seat journey between Redcliffe and Brisbane CBD will remain on route 315.

Removed Route 681 (Mango Hill to Strathpine via Petrie station) - this route has been removed and replaced with amended route 682, new route 683, new route 684 and new route 686. Breaking this route down into a number of different services allows TransLink to provide more effective, reliable and easier to understand services to the residents of Mango Hill, North Lakes and Kallangur.

Modified Route 682 (Old Mango Hill-Petrie train station via North Lakes Shopping Centre) -

will run six days a week (Monday-Saturday) from Old Mango Hill to Petrie train station via North Lakes Shopping Centre. Residents on the eastern part of Freshwater Creek Road and Kinsellas Road East will have an hourly Monday-Saturday bus service, after having no service previously.

New Route 683 (Kallangur-Petrie train station) - a weekday peak-only connection between Kallangur and Petrie train station.

New Route 684 (Kallangur-North Lakes Shopping Centre) - between Kallangur and North Lakes Shopping Centre will run six days a week (Monday to Saturday) off-peak.

New Route 686 (Kallangur-Petrie train station) - will run six days a week (Monday to Saturday) providing a more direct route from Marsden Road, French's Forest to Petrie train station.

New Route 687 (North Lakes-Petrie train station) - is designed for commuters. It is a new peak-only direct service between North Lakes and Petrie train station.

New Route 688 and 689 (North Lakes Loop) - will run clockwise and anti-clockwise respectively seven days-a-week through residential areas along Endeavour and Bounty Boulevard in North Lakes to the shopping centre and return. Much of this route is in areas that have not previously had a bus service.

Modified Route 690 (Redcliffe-Sandgate) and Route 695 (Sandgate-Rothwell) - timetables will be updated to achieve better connections at Sandgate train station.

Simplified Route 693 (Kippa Ring-Redcliffe Jetty clockwise) and new Route 694 (Kippa Ring-Redcliffe Jetty anti-clockwise) - these routeswill run clockwise and anti-clockwise respectively and both will have services on Saturday for the first time.

Modified Routes 696 and 697 (Redcliffe-Peninsula Fair) - timetables will be adjusted to cater for increased traffic congestion along the route.

There have been some minor changes to routes and route numbers and TransLink recommends regular bus users visit www.translink.com.au or call 13 12 30 to familiarise themselves with the latest timetable changes.

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[somebody]

Pretty sensible to chop off the CBD extension of the 680.  Just use Petrie station if you are heading the CBD.

[#Metro]

So why can't the 315 feed Sandgate station, terminate there and be turned back to do another run?
If you look at the timetable, the bus is running parellel with the train line, and its not like the Shorncliffe line will catastrophically overload if buses feed it. IIRC the peak hour service is one train every 20 minutes.

http://download.translink.com.au/timetables/081110_310,N310,315.pdf

[somebody]

So why can't the 315 feed Sandgate station, terminate there and be turned back to do another run?
If you look at the timetable, the bus is running parellel with the train line, and its not like the Shorncliffe line will catastrophically overload if buses feed it. IIRC the peak hour service is one train every 20 minutes.

http://download.translink.com.au/timetables/081110_310,N310,315.pdf

There are the 690 & 695 bus routes which do precisely that.  I suppose they do serve different roads on the Redcliffe peninsular.  I'd wonder if Deagon or North Boondall would be better though

[STB]

Route 315 still does need to head along towards the city (services a separate market) and as Somebody pointed out there are already feeders coming in from Redcliffe to Sandgate station.  Route 310 could possibly be logically truncated out at Sandgate as long as the 315 had equal frequency between the current setup of the two routes complimenting each other between Sandgate and the City.

[Golliwog]

Great news! Kind of dissapointing though that these services won't be running on Sundays. At all.