Have your say on northern region bus routes

[Golliwog]

http://translink.com.au/travel-information/service-updates/bulletin/1312169753

Building on the feedback we received in June, TransLink is currently reviewing the services we offer in the northern region, specifically:

    671 (Strathpine to Joyner)
    672 (Joyner to Strathpine)
    673 (Lawnton to Westfield Strathpine)
    674 (Strathpine)
    675 (Petrie station to Murrumba Downs)
    676 (Petrie station to Murrumba Downs).

We are looking for your suggestions, feedback and ideas on issues such as:

    route design
    span of hours
    frequency of services.

To give us your thoughts, come along to one of TransLink's community workshop sessions at the following locations:

    Saturday 6 August (1pm to 3pm) - Lawnton Community Centre, corner Ellis Street and Todds Road, Lawnton
    Tuesday 9 August (5.30pm to 7.30pm) - Calala Drive Community Hall, Calala Drive, Strathpine
    Thursday 11 August (5.30pm to 7.30pm) - John Oxley Reserve Community Centre, Ogg Road, Murrumba Downs
    Saturday 13 August (9am to 11am) - Kallangur Community Hall, 1480 Anzac Avenue, Kallangur.

[SurfRail]

How about

• services that run after 3:00pm;
• services that aren't just elaborate one way loops calling in at every side street;
• decent feeder services at Bray Park, Lawnton and Petrie;
• considering how these services interact with other services in the area such as the 327, 338, 680 and the other Hornibrook feeders at Petrie;

I'm really sick of them doing this one operator at a time in hodge-podge fashion, creating an absolute kludge of it each time.  Don't they understand that this is a network, not a series of little fiefdoms?

Frankly, for an operator as community-minded and professional as Thompsons, it is surprising that they have what must be the worst route network in South East Queensland.

[Golliwog]

Depending how they do it though, they can then modify those routes that it connects with when they get to doing the main region those routes serve, and if they need to change these routes to make a connection work then it just becomes shifting the timetables by a few minutes/whatever. This exercise is more about thrashing out where the routes should actually go, how often and till what time.

[somebody]

http://translink.com.au/travel-information/service-updates/bulletin/1316744526

2 options presented following consultation:  Option 1 is a revamp, Option 2 is one new route + a handful of additional frequencies.

[SurfRail]

Option 1 looks promising, and appears to allow considerably better frequency all round.

I really wish they would get their consultation process consistent though.  PDF maps like the last round of Redlands consultation would be nice.

[Golliwog]

Option 1 looks promising, and appears to allow considerably better frequency all round.

I really wish they would get their consultation process consistent though.  PDF maps like the last round of Redlands consultation would be nice.

I kind of like the google maps thing though. It lets you zoom in better. I assume less strain on TL servers too as it would be borne by Google's servers? I don't live out that way, so don't know the routes, but it looks promising. Can't wait till they do consultation for the bus changes to go with the FG line upgrade.

[somebody]

Can't wait till they do consultation for the bus changes to go with the FG line upgrade.

Are there changes planned?  Haven't heard that before.

[STB]

And just you wait as the population goes for the option two, which has less change and less impact on them, but isn't really the best choice for them.  Personally I prefer option one (although I'd probably would've had less routes than what they have planned).

[somebody]

And just you wait as the population goes for the option two, which has less change and less impact on them, but isn't really the best choice for them.  Personally I prefer option one (although I'd probably would've had less routes than what they have planned).

Option 1 may be better than option 2, but I still surprised how circuitous the routes in option 1 really are.

[Gazza]

Agreed, the circitous nature gives a whole new meaning to the term "coverage route".

[Golliwog]

Can't wait till they do consultation for the bus changes to go with the FG line upgrade.

Are there changes planned?  Haven't heard that before.

Translink staff at the consultation sessions agreed that the opening of the new station would be a good time to make changes to the routes etc. Weren't sure what scale it would be on though as the opening isn't for some time and it would also be subject to funding.

[SurfRail]

Agreed, the circitous nature gives a whole new meaning to the term "coverage route".

I think its mainly arse-covering.  It's not that hard to design fairly direct routes even where the roads aren't nice and straight - the objective here appears to be that no bus stops will be closed, while at the same time improving frequency.  Easier to achieve both aims if the services take the best route to the major hubs and provide reasonable opportunities for interchange (eg Bray Park, Petrie). 

The really interesting development is that TransLink is apparently not going to fund new non-low floor buses, even for school work, and here in particular the Thompson's school network is largely being folded into the general route service network.