A new Northern bus network for a growing community

[ozbob]

http://translink.com.au/travel-information/service-updates/bulletin/1323393047

A new Northern bus network for a growing community

A simple and more direct network that gets you where you need to go faster.

Over the past few months, TransLink has been working with the community to improve the local bus network in the Northern Region, specifically around the suburbs of Strathpine, Bray Park, Lawnton, Warner, Joyner, Petrie, Kallangur, Murrumba Downs and Griffin. With new residential estates in Warner, Griffin and Murrumba Downs and developing industrial precincts in Brendale and Lawnton, the region has experienced a great deal of growth in the past few years and we now have the opportunity to grow our services to better meet the travel needs of the local community.

On Monday 27 February 2012, TransLink will be rolling out a new bus network across the region through our delivery partner, Thompson Bus Services. This new network will be a significant improvement on the existing network, with more direct connections to key destinations, new services in growing areas of the community and greater connectivity between the Northern suburbs. We have worked with the community to create a new network that is easier to use and understand. A network that the community has helped design and reflects what the region needs from its local public transport system.

More --> http://translink.com.au/travel-information/service-updates/bulletin/1323393047

[SurfRail]

Better than what I expected.  Still very circuitous and the Hornibrook 680 trunk route is still very infrequent (and from my contacts there gets quite hammered all the time), but definitely an improvement. 

[ozbob]

Timetables now available --> http://translink.com.au/travel-information/service-updates/bulletin/1323393047

[SurfRail]

They plot these timetables very strangely.  If I live in Griffin Heights, I should only need to look at a single table for the buses from my suburb, not one that just ends when the North Lakes route stops running and the Petrie route kicks in.  Very confusing to follow.  At least the BT and Gold Coast ones generally avoid this set-up.

[DayboroStation]

A new trial route 669 has been added (Lawnton to Westfield Strathpine), but only after Translink received much criticism from local residents on the lack of direct routes to Westfield Strathpine. This is only a trial until June 2012.
This once again highlights Translink's poor planning and consultation process.
For some reason, Warner Shopping Centre has suddenly become the mecca for all of the buses around the Strathpine/Bray Park/Lawnton area. What happened to Westfield Strathpine?
Yes, Warner is a fast-growing suburb, and any improvements to public transport for that area are welcome. However, it would appear that the only beneficiaries of the new timetable will be residents living around Warner Shopping Centre (or those who will drive and park at the shopping centre), and who travel to connect a city-bound train during peak time. If anything, they are spoilt for choice, with several travel options meeting at various train stations. Just don't try to come home early, or just miss your bus, as you will be waiting a long time, as most routes are 1 hour frequency at the best.
On looking through Translink's Community Consultation Report, major decisions have been made based on feedback from less than 100 people. This is a concern in itself.
From what I can see, the new suite of timetable changes is another missed opportunity by Translink, and residents living around the Strathpine/Bray Park/Lawnton areas will find it difficult to justify using a service that is infrequent, and will just take too long to get from A to B.
It also appears that Translink's spin doctors are at work again. In response to one of the frequently asked questions ''Does this network mean more frequent services?" Response from Translink: "...there's a significant increase in the overall frequency of services on the network..." I don't think this is the type of frequency customers were asking about. "Frequency" means frequency on one route, not the "overall network".
Perhaps Translink should go back to basics, and take a more common sense approach when planning new and changing existing services. While they are at it, they should also look at other areas that do not currently have any public transport services, such as Dayboro.

[STB]

I personally think, at least on paper, the new network up there isn't really that bad.  In all fairness, the old network was a series of loops that went to nowhere, at least now it goes to an activity centre which is using good planning principals.   Warner Village, no matter what you think of the shopping centre, is still an activity centre and it makes sense to have bus routes service the catchment of the shopping centre to then service the shopping centre itself, as an alternative to Strathpine.

In regards to Dayboro, I think there may be some legal issues in regards to the contract area that TransLink can service - same sort of issues around the Karalee, but it may be worthwhile to check that out.  There may also be some population density issues too, ie: with having a bus service the population density needs to be at a certain level to reassure that the bus service will meet the minimum patronage requirements to sustain a service.  That's a semi-educational guess.

[DayboroStation]

I personally think, at least on paper, the new network up there isn't really that bad.  In all fairness, the old network was a series of loops that went to nowhere, at least now it goes to an activity centre which is using good planning principals.   Warner Village, no matter what you think of the shopping centre, is still an activity centre and it makes sense to have bus routes service the catchment of the shopping centre to then service the shopping centre itself, as an alternative to Strathpine.

In regards to Dayboro, I think there may be some legal issues in regards to the contract area that TransLink can service - same sort of issues around the Karalee, but it may be worthwhile to check that out.  There may also be some population density issues too, ie: with having a bus service the population density needs to be at a certain level to reassure that the bus service will meet the minimum patronage requirements to sustain a service.  That's a semi-educational guess.

RE: Warner vs Strathpine - The problem was that residents who could normally catch a direct bus to Strathpine had to change and connect with another bus at Warner. Traditionally, Strathpine has for many years been the main commercial centre for the Pine Rivers area, so it appears odd that the focus has now moved to Warner. Let's see how the trial service goes for now, let's hope the locals who wanted it will support it, otherwise it will probably be axed come 1 July.

RE: Dayboro - I should clarify that Brisbane Bus Lines provides a token bus service. I believe there are 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon from Dayboro to Petrie Station. There are 2 services from Petrie to Dayboro in the afternoon. These services are not integrated with the Translink Go Card system (despite the Translink signs on display in Dayboro). There is an additional charge to use this service. I have travelled behind the service on occasions, and it is nearly always empty. I'm wondering who is subsidising this service, as the bus company wouldn't be doing it if they weren't making money from it. It is true to a point that we need a solid population base to sustain a service, but I'm sure patronage would improve if there was a more frequent, and Translink integrated service.

[SurfRail]

It's pretty clear to me that the network was designed around not taking buses out of people's streets, so in that sense it is a pretty lame effort.  But, it is still better than what was there previously (amazing as that sounds).

Seriously, somebody needs to school these people to draw a straight line between 2 major centres and match it as closely as possible to the main roads.  All this ducking and weaving must make passengers seasick.

[#Metro]

I've had a look and think they've done a decent job. Proof in the pudding- let it settle and see how it goes.

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail Quest click here!

Murrumba Downs residents say bus service changes are "shambles''

Murrumba Downs residents say bus service changes are "shambles''

    by: Jamie-Leigh Carter, Northern Times
    From: Quest Newspapers
    February 24, 2012 2:36PM

Planned changes to Murrumba Downs bus services have been branded a "shambles'' just days before the new timetables kick in.

From Monday, the fast-growing suburb will no longer have a direct bus service to Westfield North Lakes.

It is a move that resident Philip Curbishley described as "a similar shambles'' to the one around Bray Park and Lawnton.

State Member for Kallangur Mary-Anne O'Neill said she sent a letter on February 15 to Transport Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk asking for her to "intervene in this urgent matter''.

The buses servicing the area are the 675, a workers' bus from Murrumba Downs to Petrie Railway Station, and the 676, a shoppers' bus servicing Petrie, Murrumba Downs, Griffin and North Lakes.

"TransLink, in its infinite wisdom, is changing the 676 to a Petrie to Murrumba Downs shops and return, no longer a direct run to North Lakes,'' Mr Curbishley said.

In its place is the 679 from North Lakes to Griffin, leaving Murrumba Downs residents struggling to get to the major shopping centre.

"The only way to get from Murrumba Downs to North Lakes is to get the 676 to Anzac Avenue, cross two roads and get the Hornibrook 680 to North Lakes,'' Mr Curbishley said.

A TransLink spokesman said there were still options for local residents to get to Westfield.

"Customers travelling from Murrumba Downs to North Lakes can easily transfer from route 676 to route 680 (Chermside to Redcliffe), route 682 (Petrie station to North Lakes) or route 684 (North Lakes Shopping Centre to Kallangur loop) at sheltered bus stops near Kallangur Fair Shopping Centre on Anzac Avenue,'' he said.

Allan Taylor admitted as a resident he did not use the bus very often but felt the changes ignored the people in Murrumba Downs to improve services in Griffin.
"I'm not normally a person who takes up a cause but there are a lot of people who need the bus service and can no longer use it to get to the shopping centre,'' he said.

The 677 (Petrie Station to Westfield) and 679 (Griffin to Westfield) do not enter Murrumba Downs or link to a Murrumba Downs bus.

Mr Curbishley and Mr Taylor both suggested Translink revise the 676 and 679 services so they overlap and make connecting services.

[SurfRail]

I've had a look and think they've done a decent job. Proof in the pudding- let it settle and see how it goes.

Agree.  I earnestly think they will struggle though.  Thompsons only has 13 low floor buses, and they are now operating 11 bus routes (albeit some are only peak hour or have a very limited span).  Surprising that new vehicles have not been delivered to support this.