Cultural Centre platform 3 proposal

[somebody]

Having West End bound, and the 202 leaving the Cultural Centre platform 2 for using the general traffic lane on the Victoria Bridge, combined with a stop here and sending the 4xx express via Grey St seems to remove basically all outbound congestion.  The main limitation I can see is trips like RBH->West End now require a platform change at the Cultural Centre, but I think the overall benefits are strongly in favour of implementing this.  It would also require a bit of paint at Adelaide St/North Quay to require the cars from Adelaide St to enter the left lane on North Quay.

[SurfRail]

Having West End bound, and the 202 leaving the Cultural Centre platform 2 for using the general traffic lane on the Victoria Bridge, combined with a stop here and sending the 4xx express via Grey St seems to remove basically all outbound congestion.  The main limitation I can see is trips like RBH->West End now require a platform change at the Cultural Centre, but I think the overall benefits are strongly in favour of implementing this.  It would also require a bit of paint at Adelaide St/North Quay to require the cars from Adelaide St to enter the left lane on North Quay.

I think another measure - possibly in conjunction with this - is to have all terminating services use the general lanes on the bridge and instead of going as far as that third stop, turning left and terminating in the forecourt area (ie 300 series routes).  You would also install a roundabout or "donut" facility in the area just under the bridge to allow buses to reverse and pick up opposite where they drop off, then turn right onto the bridge.  Would require a slight change to the traffic island so it is not just left in / left out (but presumably keep that rule for anything except buses).

[somebody]

Interesting suggestion.  It does incur the downside of not having a same platform interchange without the upside of reducing congestion at the Melbourne St portal and removing a phase from the traffic light cycle at Melbourne/Merivale Sts.  I should have included those advantages in the OP.

[#Metro]

You would also install a roundabout or "donut" facility in the area

Donuts! Yum!!

[ozbob]

Media release 9 April 2012

SEQ: Regular bus jams outbound are wholly avoidable

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 calls for the regular bus-jams in the evening peak to be resolved.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Currently, buses bound for West End prevent buses from accessing South Bank for a significant portion of the traffic light cycle.  This causes traffic to bank up and buses to be unable to access the Cultural Centre platform."

"This would not apply if West End bound buses, and the 202 bus did not traverse Cultural Centre platform two.  That would also remove a phase from the traffic light cycle at Merivale St and Melbourne St.  Almost everyone would have a net win from this change (1).

"Similarly, outbound rocket services go out with low loadings for reasons  we have detailed recently but basically because of poor city stop locations (2).

"These problems also occur outbound in the morning peak and intermittently through the day."

"There is little excuse for allowing these problems to continue almost every work day. Bus passengers are becoming frustrated with the constant bus-jam and delays."

References:

1.  Cultural Centre platform 3 proposal http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7286.0

2. End the 'radical experiment' of divided city bus stop locations http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=8073.0

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Media release 8 August 2012

SEQ: Melbourne St bus portal enhancement will save money by reducing 'bus-jams'

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 calls for money to be saved by resolving the regular bus-jams in the peaks.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Buses bound for West End prevent buses from accessing South Bank for a significant portion of the traffic light cycle.  This causes traffic to bank up and buses to be unable to access the Cultural Centre platform.  This would not apply if West End bound, and the 202, did not traverse Cultural Centre platform 2.  That would also remove a phase from the traffic light cycle at Merivale St and Melbourne St.  Almost everyone would have a net win from this change (1)."

"Similarly, outbound rocket services go out with low loadings for reasons detailed recently (2), but basically, poor city stop locations.  These problems also occur outbound in the morning peak and intermittently through the day.  There is little excuse for allowing these problems to continue almost every work day."

"The suggested improvements would make the buses faster all day saving numerous hours of bus and bus drivers' time, not to mention making public transport more attractive."

"Passenger focus or blurred rhetoric?"

References:

1. http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7286.0

2. http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=8073.0

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[somebody]

This video clearly shows the issues with the buses not being able to pull out due to the queue of buses back from the lights.  Taken Friday 5th October 2012 at around 17:45

http://youtu.be/NI78HLqoJHM

[ozbob]

Media release 8th October 2012

SEQ: Time for some action on the Melbourne St Busway portal bottleneck

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 calls for the State Government to commit to action to resolve the regular bus jams.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Currently, buses bound for West End prevent buses from accessing South Bank for a significant portion of the traffic light cycle.  This causes a bank up backing across Grey St and preventing buses from leaving the platform at the Cultural Centre (1)."

"This would not apply if West End bound buses, and the 202 bus did not traverse Cultural Centre platform two.  That would also remove a phase from the traffic light cycle at Merivale St and Melbourne St.  Almost everyone would have a net win from this change (2)."

"Similarly, outbound rocket services go out with low loadings for reasons we have detailed recently, basically because of poor city stop locations (3)."

"These problems also occur outbound in the morning peak and intermittently through the day."

"There is little excuse for allowing these problems to continue almost every work day. Bus passengers are becoming frustrated with the constant bus-jam and delays."

References:

1. http://youtu.be/NI78HLqoJHM From Friday 5th October 2012 around 17:45

2. Cultural Centre platform 3 proposal http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7286.0

3. End the 'radical experiment' of divided city bus stop locations http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=8073.0

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[Jonno]

Is an option here to remove the right hand turn from Melbourne Street into Grey Street inbound and sink 2 lanes for busway under Mel Street.  It would mean West End routes would be in general traffic Is that a big enough issue?

[somebody]

Is an option here to remove the right hand turn from Melbourne Street into Grey Street inbound and sink 2 lanes for busway under Mel Street.  It would mean West End routes would be in general traffic Is that a big enough issue?

I don't think there's enough room between Grey St and the Cultural Centre station to sink the busway lanes.

[Jonno]

Is an option here to remove the right hand turn from Melbourne Street into Grey Street inbound and sink 2 lanes for busway under Mel Street.  It would mean West End routes would be in general traffic Is that a big enough issue?

I don't think there's enough room between Grey St and the Cultural Centre station to sink the busway lanes.

I was thinking the lanes sink between Grey Street and Busway portal?

[somebody]

The general traffic lanes near Grey St?  Probably possible.  I've heard there was a plan to do that at one point, although I doubt it would be very cheap.

[SurfRail]

I suspect the best thing to do with what is now in place is to sink the intersection and approaching lanes and leave the busway on the surface.

Lower Melbourne Street and Grey Streets so there is a below ground level intersection that the busway passes over.  For pedestrian pathways:

- Close off the footpath on the southern side of Melbourne St between Grey and Merivale Sts (so no at-grade crossings of the portal)
- Keep the existing pedestrian crossing over Grey Street in the form of a footbridge over the sunken intersection - put one on both sides of the busway to allow for access from South Brisbane station and from the West End
- Close off the north-south crossing of Melbourne St on the western side

You would design it so buses could continue to turn right onto Grey St coming from the city, which would involve a single set of signals which only activates when a bus needs to make that turn.  The turning lane would remain on the surface and join with the lane rising from the below-ground intersection.  Likewise, the left turn into the busway from Grey St would be retained.

The only at-grade interaction with the busway under this arrangement would be between buses turning onto Grey St from the Cultural Centre, or entering the Cultural Centre from Grey Street, and pedestrians passing across those turns.

The coach layover may need to be relocated off Grey Street or cut back, because you would only be able to turn onto the busway from there.

I suspect this would work with a Platform 3 set-up as well, as long as there is enough room between the end of the Victoria Bridge and the point where Melbourne St needs to dive to meet the new intersection.

This may need a diagram.