6 Dec 2010: SEQ: Light Rail and Bus Rapid Transit the way forward

[ozbob]

Media release 6 December 2010

SEQ: Light Rail and Bus Rapid Transit the way forward

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 welcomes the announcement that the CityGlider service has surpassed the 1 million passenger mark.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Previously there was extremely poor public transport patronage down Montague Road West End, hardly anyone would make a journey down that road on public transport. The increase from effectively zero to over one million passenger journeys confirms our long-held views that the thing holding back public transport patronage in Brisbane is not a lack of density, but simply a lack of supply of convenient, all-day, frequent public transport."

"Given the rapid increase in patronage over such a short period of time, RAIL Back on Track believes that moves towards the introduction of Light Rail Transit(LRT) in the West End-CBD-New Farm corridor must begin. In peak hour, bus services such as the 199 BUZ are heavily loaded, particularly on Brunswick street, New Farm with services every 5 minutes or less."

"Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide have all constructed LRT systems since Brisbane's last serious LRT proposal was floated, and now the Gold Coast is getting it. Light Rail is a superb people mover with great scope for increased capacity (1). In its own lane an LRT vehicle carrying 352 people every 2 minutes would give an ability to move over 10 000 people in one direction on surface streets in one hour, and more if a larger vehicles are used."

"The roll out of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) must of course also continue. RAIL Back on Track has suggests 'BUZ-ification' of key routes, which includes those carrying 1 million or more passengers currently.  For example,

- a BUZ 450 to the Western Suburbs of Jindalee, Middle Park, Riverhills and Darra
- a BUZ 100 to Inala and beyond via Ipswich Road
- a BUZ 196 New Farm to Fairfield Gardens with possible extension to Yeronga
- frequency and extended service hours on the Great Circle Line."

Reference:

1. Siemens Avenio
http://transportation.siemens.com/en/data/pdf/ts_internet/ts_tr/avenio_a19100-v520-b452-x-7600.pdf

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Bus discussion forum area --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?board=34.0

[somebody]

Technically, only Sydney has re-instated LRT and that on existing tracks.  MEL & ADL just never got rid of their systems.

[#Metro]

Disagree. Melbourne, by and large does not have LRT. It has a tram (streetcar) system. However, the St Kilda line qualifies as LRT.
Adelaide's is probably LRT as it did have private running reserve, however this has been significantly extended and updated.

[#Metro]

This is how to distinguish between streetcar and LRT--> http://www.humantransit.org/2010/03/streetcars-vs-light-rail-is-there-a-difference.html

IMHO if you want really good LRT, you want LRT in class A right of way (absolutely exclusive alignment, total separation from cars), but there are actually very few examples of this and it is pricey.

[ozbob]

As a lad I often caught the VR trains to St Kilda on the 5'3".  It is now a standard gauge light rail, on the former VR ROW

Here is a vid of a tram passing through Middle Park (on the St Kilda line) last August  when I was down there.  Melbourne is a tram system essentially but parts of it do qualify as light rail, eg. the St Kilda Branch.

Tram passing through Middle Park station at speed 5th August 2010

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

13th December 2010

Greetings,

Moving forward with the times a forum area for Light Rail has been set up, see -->  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?board=62.0

The Gold Coast Light Rail will demonstrate the superb utility of a modern, safe, high capacity sustainable mass transit system.

Brisbane needs to start actively planning and implementing light rail on high capacity inner suburban routes today.  The busway system is already approaching capacity.

Chronic bus congestion, chaos, over loading and no shows is now a regular feature of the bus system.  Buses are not the ideal line transport solution, light and heavy rail is.

Cultural Centre around 5pm



Photograph R Dow 6th December 2010

The 88 bus to be introduced today is just adding to the bus congestion particularly on the western leg as it is on Coronation Drive in part.  There are many better options for the bus than the route 88 (see --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4920.0 )

Much work needs to be done with the heavy rail network as well, viz., Cross River Rail, triplication Petrie to Lawnton, Moreton Bay Rail Link, Springfield with stations at Ellen Grove and Springfield Lakes, duplication of Beerburrum to Landsborough, with further passing loops north of Landsborough.  Proper train stabling needs to be established at Yandina to allow Nambour station to be upgraded with additional platforms, and train stabling at Wulkaraka.

It is clearly time that transport planners actually started to engage with the community and reality.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

==================

Media release 6 December 2010

SEQ: Light Rail and Bus Rapid Transit the way forward

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 welcomes the announcement that the CityGlider service has surpassed the 1 million passenger mark.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Previously there was extremely poor public transport patronage down Montague Road West End, hardly anyone would make a journey down that road on public transport. The increase from effectively zero to over one million passenger journeys confirms our long-held views that the thing holding back public transport patronage in Brisbane is not a lack of density, but simply a lack of supply of convenient, all-day, frequent public transport."

"Given the rapid increase in patronage over such a short period of time, RAIL Back on Track believes that moves towards the introduction of Light Rail Transit(LRT) in the West End-CBD-New Farm corridor must begin. In peak hour, bus services such as the 199 BUZ are heavily loaded, particularly on Brunswick street, New Farm with services every 5 minutes or less."

"Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide have all constructed LRT systems since Brisbane's last serious LRT proposal was floated, and now the Gold Coast is getting it. Light Rail is a superb people mover with great scope for increased capacity (1). In its own lane an LRT vehicle carrying 352 people every 2 minutes would give an ability to move over 10 000 people in one direction on surface streets in one hour, and more if a larger vehicles are used."

"The roll out of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) must of course also continue. RAIL Back on Track has suggests 'BUZ-ification' of key routes, which includes those carrying 1 million or more passengers currently.  For example,

- a BUZ 450 to the Western Suburbs of Jindalee, Middle Park, Riverhills and Darra
- a BUZ 100 to Inala and beyond via Ipswich Road
- a BUZ 196 New Farm to Fairfield Gardens with possible extension to Yeronga
- frequency and extended service hours on the Great Circle Line."

Reference:

1. Siemens Avenio
http://transportation.siemens.com/en/data/pdf/ts_internet/ts_tr/avenio_a19100-v520-b452-x-7600.pdf

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Light Rail forum area --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?board=62.0