30 March 2011: SEQ: Please fix bus-rail integration

[ozbob]

Greetings,

I have moved residence from Darra - 15 minute train frequency around the clock, to Goodna - on the edge of a public transport dark hole.
A few kilometres down the track but into a failed service paradigm.  I like challenges!
On the local level, the good citizens of Goodna, as do Ipswich generally deserve our support!

On a wider note, as recent events have clearly demonstrated, a failure to be proactive now with public transport will indeed be costly; socially, economically and politically.

In line with this sentiment, latest media release below.  Time to move out of mediocrity and into sustainability and integration.

Best wishes
Robert

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Media release 30 March 2011

SEQ: Please fix bus-rail integration

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 has highlighted cases of integration issues on the TransLink network.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Best practice guidelines for connections (also known as transfers or interchange) suggest two main criteria for evaluating connections (1,2,3):

1. That the connecting service is ideally not more than 10 metres away;

2. That the service is frequent if the connection is untimed ('random transfer'), or if infrequent, is explicitly timed to meet the connecting service."

"Our view is that a connection isn't satisfactory if it does not meet these distance and connecting frequency tests for integration."

"Fairfield Station is listed in the rail timetable as having 'connections' to Brisbane Transport bus routes 105, 107, 108, 196, 197(4). Fairfield station does not even have a bus stop or a bus bay! Routes 196 and 197 terminate on the wrong side of a shopping centre that is at least 600 metres walk away to this hidden and unsigned location. Route 108 runs only two buses daily, making it unsuitable for interchange. Route 107 actively avoids the train station by turning off Ashby street and heading towards the CBD, instead of proceeding 500m to the train station. Walking distance is approximately 40 times the ideal and connecting to infrequent services means that all 'connections' at this station fail the integration tests."

"Coopers Plains station has 'connections' to Brisbane Transport bus routes 122, 123, 124. There is no map at Coopers Plains to see where these buses depart from or what the local streets look like. The buses are at least 600 metres walk away and do not pull into the station. Instead of a bus-rail interchange at Coopers Plains, there is a car park. Walking distance is 60 times the ideal and connecting to infrequent services means that all connections at this station fail the integration tests."

"Indooroopilly station is set to receive high frequency 'metro style' train services with trains every 4 minutes towards the CBD in the am peak, with the trip taking just 15 minutes. Buses instead take Coronation Drive and sit in delays of up to half an hour or more just to avoid the connection. Suggestions have been made that people should walk from Indooroopilly Bus station to Indooroopilly train station. Such a walking distance is 50 times the optimal value for interchange purposes."

"The problem is clear: Walking distances are far in excess of the best practice guidelines for interchange, many bus stops are not optimally placed for connections, there is minimal or no useful information or local maps at rail stations, the connecting service frequency is too low or has such few daily services that it is unsuitable for interchange and many services are located far out of the field of vision of disembarking rail passengers. Many rail stations don't have basic infrastructure like bus stop poles, bus bays or turnarounds for these connections."

"All day frequent routes should be shown in bold as rail timetables present infrequent routes and frequent routes together as if they were the same kind of service when they are not. We suggest a station-by-station review of the quality of bus-rail integration on the TransLink network so that problem spots can be identified and fixed."

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

References:

1. Network Planning for more effective public transport in New Zealand Cities Dr John Stone, Dr Paul Mees, Dr Muhammad Imran http://www.wctr2010.info/WCTR_General/documents/01114.pdf

Convenient transfers: easy transferring requires attention to timetables and physical facilities. 'Random' transfers are possible when all lines serving an interchange point operate frequently, generally every 10 minutes (6 departures per hour) or better. 'Timed' transfers are needed when services are less frequent, and the timetables for connecting lines must be coordinated (Mees 2010, chapter 8; Nielsen 2005).

2. Public transport network planning: a guide to best practice in NZ cities March 2010, Dr John Stone, Dr Paul Mees, Dr Muhammad Imran, Dr Gustav Nielsen http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/research/reports/396/docs/396.pdf

"Ensure that walking distances between services in interchanges are very short: preferably no more than 10 metres."

3. Connections vs Complexity http://www.humantransit.org/2010/11/connections-vs-complexity.html

"But there's another important reason to plan for connections rather than direct service, one that should be important to anyone who wants transit to be broadly relevant to urban life: Unless you welcome and encourage connections, your network will become very, very complex."

4. Beenleigh Line Timetable
http://translink.com.au/resources/travel-information/services-and-timetables/timetables/090223_beenleigh.pdf

[ozbob]

Bus rail integration  general discussion --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?board=49.0

[ozbob]

Feedback received, thanks John.

Hi Folks.

Some of the bus routes radiating from Caboolture station are quite infrequent, probably classed as rural services, in paper ticket days one could usually catch the connecting bus by running from the train or sitting in the car opposite the exit, but now with the queue at the go card machine, the only hope of making the bus is to catch the train half an hour earlier - IS THIS PROGRESS? For those not familiar with Caboolture, the bus interchange backs on to the platform boundary fence.

John Rigby

[Stillwater]

I worry about safety at Caboolture, which has a very narrow platform in the vicinity of the station building.  It is very busy at peak periods.  Surprisingly, there are other times of the day when the platform is crowded with people and their luggage -- people who have caught the suburban train to Caboolture to board the inter-regional train, and there is a terminating train arriving on Platform 1, or a Nambour-bound train pulls in.  There is also an interesting mix of passengers - schoolkids, mums with small children etc. also oldies travelling to and from Bribie Island. 

Fortunately, is not Caboolture one of the stations to be rebuilt?  It would be nice to see some plans.