POLL: PM peak rockets. Adelaide St or QSBS?

[somebody]

I've posted before that the PM peak rockets leaving from Adelaide St have numerous empty seats.  The question then becomes: should something be done about it?  I think yes.

Moving the O/B PM peak rocket services to QSBS would also reduce traffic congestion at the QSBS portal, as numerous services could use the left turn lane rather than nearly every bus needing to go towards the Cultural Centre, and also reduce congestion on North Quay-William St.  The problem is that there isn't enough capacity in QSBS for all the full time routes combined with their rockets.  My suggestion is kicking the full time routes out onto Adelaide St during the PM peak.  This would achieve the passenger experience that people want, even if it isn't highly obvious or simple.  It means that there is only one stop desired to go to at any time.  Routes I would be thinking of:
200 leaving A3 for 201/207
120 leaving A4 for 119
130 leaving A6 for P129/131/P137 - perhaps some rationalisation or re-jigging
140 leaving A7 for P141/P142
150 leaving A8 for 156 including rationalisation to one Warrigal Rd rocket
160 leaving A9 to allow re-jigging
180 leaving C2 (could be C1) for 179/181

P133/P162/160 probably to go to KGSBS in the PM to be with the 111.

I think the marketing people wouldn't like to have to spin such a thing.

Having the full time services use Adelaide St in the PM peak means there going to QSBS to reach South Bank isn't an option any more (a positive).

Also move A6 services to A7, A7 to A8 and A8 to A9 to allow two stops for 130 corridor rockets.

[O_128]

I wouldnt mind seeing the P231 and P236 moving somwhere else, i can never find them.

[SurfRail]

Rockets serve different markets in the whitecollar part of the CBD, so no. 

Either get rid of rockets altogether and make them walk, or leave as is I think.

Some services should be using the Captain Cook Bridge full time, which could enable some of those rockets to be canned.

[somebody]

I wouldnt mind seeing the P231 and P236 moving somwhere else, i can never find them.

I agree.  There should be nothing stopping these from using Adelaide St given that they run counter to the congested direction, rather than the present Ann St/Elizabeth St combo.

[somebody]

Either get rid of rockets altogether and make them walk

[SurfRail]

Either get rid of rockets altogether and make them walk

To the QSBS! 

[somebody]

Now I follow.  That market is really served by the city precincts routes, of which there is a distinct shortage, and the 136 is not a good effort.

There is a need for rockets from the centre of town to use the Captain Cook Bridge though.

[Golliwog]

...what about funnelling onto P88? Cut the rockets to just run shuttles to and from the busway.

[somebody]

...what about funnelling onto P88? Cut the rockets to just run shuttles to and from the busway.

Not attractive to pax, and doesn't really have any reason to do it that way.

[Golliwog]

If you made the 88 an uber frequent route there could be. How many individual rocket buses run during peak hour?

[somebody]

But all that would do is cause inconvenience for negligible (if any) operational benefit.

There are numerous rockets in peak.
114, 118, 119, 121, 129, 131, 133, 136, 137, 141, 142, 151, 153, 156, 157, 162, 171, 176, 179, 181, 189.  More if you add the 2xx series.

[Golliwog]

But if they all just had 1 main route they could catch, they would have a much more frequent service from the city, and once they get to the last busway station before the old route would have left then have the choice of the now shortened route, or the non rocket version of their route (if it exists) which should have emptied out some people by then.

[SurfRail]

I think the starting point is rationalising the number of routes.  Mains Road (129/130/131/133/136/137), Warrigal Road (150/155/156/157), the busway (77/88/111/160/183/555/others), Centenary area (453/454/455/456/457/458/459/460/461) etc could all do with some drastic simplification.

Permanently sending some services via the Captain Cook Bridge and installing bus lanes there could eliminate a number of peak hour pairings where the South Bank / CC Bridge divide is the only effective point of difference (eg 179/180, 170/171).  Buranda needs to be encouraged to function as an interchange, which means stopping all services there for people who want to transfer to UQ or South Bank.

A better CBD distributor system than 4 loop buses running only every 15 min would help.  You notice when visiting Perth that they don't have suburban buses running along virtually every street in the CBD, but the CAT buses have very good penetration and are well patronised.

[somebody]

I think the starting point is rationalising the number of routes.  Mains Road (129/130/131/133/136/137), Warrigal Road (150/155/156/157), the busway (77/88/111/160/183/555/others), Centenary area (453/454/455/456/457/458/459/460/461) etc could all do with some drastic simplification.

Permanently sending some services via the Captain Cook Bridge and installing bus lanes there could eliminate a number of peak hour pairings where the South Bank / CC Bridge divide is the only effective point of difference (eg 179/180, 170/171).  Buranda needs to be encouraged to function as an interchange, which means stopping all services there for people who want to transfer to UQ or South Bank.

I agree with this, but stopping 130/135/140/150 at Buranda cannot be accepted in peak, and I think there would some reluctance in having this variable.

You left out Gowan Rd (one of my favourites) with the 150/151/153.

I've posted quite a bit on the Centenary area before, so won't repeat.

[dwb]

I think the starting point is rationalising the number of routes.  Mains Road (129/130/131/133/136/137), Warrigal Road (150/155/156/157), the busway (77/88/111/160/183/555/others), Centenary area (453/454/455/456/457/458/459/460/461) etc could all do with some drastic simplification.

Permanently sending some services via the Captain Cook Bridge and installing bus lanes there could eliminate a number of peak hour pairings where the South Bank / CC Bridge divide is the only effective point of difference (eg 179/180, 170/171).  Buranda needs to be encouraged to function as an interchange, which means stopping all services there for people who want to transfer to UQ or South Bank.

A better CBD distributor system than 4 loop buses running only every 15 min would help.  You notice when visiting Perth that they don't have suburban buses running along virtually every street in the CBD, but the CAT buses have very good penetration and are well patronised.

FInally someone has said it!!! And when I say someone I don't mean Simon I completely agree cheap and cheerful but I don't think the pollies would see it that way... funnelling you'd be doing!

[SurfRail]

I agree with this, but stopping 130/135/140/150 at Buranda cannot be accepted in peak, and I think there would some reluctance in having this variable.

If they were traversing the Captain Cook Bridge, I expect that this would not be a problem in terms of travel time with 3 stops being changed for one and a more direct route – although platform capacity might be an issue.  Buranda has never seemed exceptionally busy when I have visited it in peak, although the UQ task will no doubt be steadily increasing.

It would have to be a full-time move, not only in peak, in order to make the timetable understandable.

You left out Gowan Rd (one of my favourites) with the 150/151/153.

Indeed.  Plenty of others I can think of off-hand as well – didn't even mention the most egregious examples except in part (Coro Dr and Milton Rd).

[somebody]

Buranda has never seemed exceptionally busy when I have visited it in peak, although the UQ task will no doubt be steadily increasing.

I've seen it busy enough that buses were having to wait to access the platform/traverse the station at around 6pm.  This will presumably become the norm once the Eastern Busway opens.