14 Jul 2012: SEQ: Need for speed on Brisbane buses

[ozbob]

Media release 14th July 2012

SEQ: Need for speed on Brisbane buses

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 called for an an integrated package of measures to speed up buses in Brisbane.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Speeding up buses and separating buses from general traffic congestion actually saves money and increases revenue collected by TransLink because passengers value speed and reliability. Every minute that a bus is delayed in traffic congestion because single occupant vehicles are prioritised, is passenger fare revenue lost and taxpayer subsidy money wasted on more fuel, more greenhouse gas emissions, more money on extra labour and extra buses that could all be avoided. In fact, such delays should be costed as a hidden subsidy to motorists."

RAIL Back On Track calls for a package consisting of:

1. Painted lines at all busway stations (Cultural Centre already has this) to stop buses getting in the way of each other, causing delays. This can be done overnight, very cheaply.

2. Transit lanes, even if only during peak times, on major arterial roads. The absence of a transit lane on the new northern busway is a major disappointment as full buses jump off the busway and then plunge straight into grinding congestion on Gympie Road. Total waste of time, fuel, labour and funds. Coronation 'congestion' drive, Sir Fred Schonell Drive, Ipswich Road along with other Brisbane arterial roads are obvious ones.

3. Space out bus stops - extremely close bus stop spacing means that buses are constantly stopping absolutely everywhere all the time while cars whiz by. BUZ 199, 196 and Sandgate road amongst others fall into this category. Proper, wider stop spacing increases speed which both reduces operating cost and increases passenger numbers.

4. All door boarding should be introduced on the BUZ network and at busway stations. Using all doors will cut boarding times and speed up services. More transit officers on buses will also assist.

5. Traffic light priority for BUZ services. You can prioritise cars or you can prioritise buses but by definition, you can't prioritise both. Save money and give buses priority!

"Giving buses priority means people will use them as first choice, not last choice.

"Fixing public transport does not necessarily need to cost billions of dollars, require endless mountains of studies and feasibility investigations, or decades of waiting for 'big ticket' infrastructure to fix. Cheap, practical and obvious solutions can be implemented NOW."

References:

1. 2 Jul 2012: SEQ: Cut expensive fiesta of concrete - use bus lanes! http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=8679.0

2. San franciso: all-door boarding on buses! http://www.humantransit.org/2012/07/in-san-francisco-passengers-will-be-able-to-board-through-any-door-of-any-city-bus-as-they-have-long-been-able-to-do-on-ligh.html

Contact:

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

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

21st February 2013

Bus priority needed ...

Greetings,

Noticed this tweet.

Twitter

patrick kennedy ‏@WalkableDFW

Bus service becomes inefficient to point of infeasibility when it is forced to adapt to car-dependent transpo network and land use patterns

Great insight there.   Road congestion is worsening in Brisbane.  Clearly the lack of bus priority does not encourage people onto public transport, does it?

A standard full bus removes 50 cars off the road, a full train can take more than 600 cars off the road ( http://translink.com.au/about-translink/what-we-do/benefits-of-public-transport ).

Why is Brisbane such a transport backwater?

Best wishes
Robert

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

Media release 14th July 2012 re-released 21st February 2013

SEQ: Need for speed on Brisbane buses

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 called for an an integrated package of measures to speed up buses in Brisbane.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Speeding up buses and separating buses from general traffic congestion actually saves money and increases revenue collected by TransLink because passengers value speed and reliability. Every minute that a bus is delayed in traffic congestion because single occupant vehicles are prioritised, is passenger fare revenue lost and taxpayer subsidy money wasted on more fuel, more greenhouse gas emissions, more money on extra labour and extra buses that could all be avoided. In fact, such delays should be costed as a hidden subsidy to motorists."

RAIL Back On Track calls for a package consisting of:

1. Painted lines at all busway stations (Cultural Centre already has this) to stop buses getting in the way of each other, causing delays. This can be done overnight, very cheaply.

2. Transit lanes, even if only during peak times, on major arterial roads. The absence of a transit lane on the new northern busway is a major disappointment as full buses jump off the busway and then plunge straight into grinding congestion on Gympie Road. Total waste of time, fuel, labour and funds. Coronation 'congestion' drive, Sir Fred Schonell Drive, Ipswich Road along with other Brisbane arterial roads are obvious ones.

3. Space out bus stops - extremely close bus stop spacing means that buses are constantly stopping absolutely everywhere all the time while cars whiz by. BUZ 199, 196 and Sandgate road amongst others fall into this category. Proper, wider stop spacing increases speed which both reduces operating cost and increases passenger numbers.

4. All door boarding should be introduced on the BUZ network and at busway stations. Using all doors will cut boarding times and speed up services. More transit officers on buses will also assist.

5. Traffic light priority for BUZ services. You can prioritise cars or you can prioritise buses but by definition, you can't prioritise both. Save money and give buses priority!

"Giving buses priority means people will use them as first choice, not last choice.

"Fixing public transport does not necessarily need to cost billions of dollars, require endless mountains of studies and feasibility investigations, or decades of waiting for 'big ticket' infrastructure to fix. Cheap, practical and obvious solutions can be implemented NOW."

References:

1. 2 Jul 2012: SEQ: Cut expensive fiesta of concrete - use bus lanes! http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=8679.0

2. San franciso: all-door boarding on buses! http://www.humantransit.org/2012/07/in-san-francisco-passengers-will-be-able-to-board-through-any-door-of-any-city-bus-as-they-have-long-been-able-to-do-on-ligh.html

Contact:

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

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

2nd March 2013

Re: Bus priority needed ...

Greetings,

Collapse of the bus network last evening.  A sign of things to come ....

Brisbanetimes reporter Katherine Feeney  tweeted:

Twitter

Katherine Feeney ‏@katherinefeeney

That's got to be the longest Indro-city commute ever. 1hr 42mins. Shocking! #bnetraffic

TransLink were advising:

Twitter

TransLink SEQ TransLink SEQ ‏@TransLinkSEQ

Brisbane CBD bus delays up to 60 mins due to heavy traffic conditions. Please allow extra time for your travel this evening.

Putting back bus lanes on Coronation Drive for a start would help.   Allow TransLink to sort out the public transport network free from political self interest from Brisbane City Council would also be a good move.

Transport failure has arrived in Brisbane, fast becoming a very unliveable city ...

Best wishes
Robert

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

Sent to all outlets:

21st February 2013

Bus priority needed ...

Greetings,

Noticed this tweet.

Twitter

patrick kennedy ‏@WalkableDFW

Bus service becomes inefficient to point of infeasibility when it is forced to adapt to car-dependent transpo network and land use patterns

Great insight there.   Road congestion is worsening in Brisbane.  Clearly the lack of bus priority does not encourage people onto public transport, does it?

A standard full bus removes 50 cars off the road, a full train can take more than 600 cars off the road ( http://translink.com.au/about-translink/what-we-do/benefits-of-public-transport ).

Why is Brisbane such a transport backwater?

Best wishes
Robert

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

Media release 14th July 2012 re-released 21st February 2013

SEQ: Need for speed on Brisbane buses

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 called for an an integrated package of measures to speed up buses in Brisbane.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Speeding up buses and separating buses from general traffic congestion actually saves money and increases revenue collected by TransLink because passengers value speed and reliability. Every minute that a bus is delayed in traffic congestion because single occupant vehicles are prioritised, is passenger fare revenue lost and taxpayer subsidy money wasted on more fuel, more greenhouse gas emissions, more money on extra labour and extra buses that could all be avoided. In fact, such delays should be costed as a hidden subsidy to motorists."

RAIL Back On Track calls for a package consisting of:

1. Painted lines at all busway stations (Cultural Centre already has this) to stop buses getting in the way of each other, causing delays. This can be done overnight, very cheaply.

2. Transit lanes, even if only during peak times, on major arterial roads. The absence of a transit lane on the new northern busway is a major disappointment as full buses jump off the busway and then plunge straight into grinding congestion on Gympie Road. Total waste of time, fuel, labour and funds. Coronation 'congestion' drive, Sir Fred Schonell Drive, Ipswich Road along with other Brisbane arterial roads are obvious ones.

3. Space out bus stops - extremely close bus stop spacing means that buses are constantly stopping absolutely everywhere all the time while cars whiz by. BUZ 199, 196 and Sandgate road amongst others fall into this category. Proper, wider stop spacing increases speed which both reduces operating cost and increases passenger numbers.

4. All door boarding should be introduced on the BUZ network and at busway stations. Using all doors will cut boarding times and speed up services. More transit officers on buses will also assist.

5. Traffic light priority for BUZ services. You can prioritise cars or you can prioritise buses but by definition, you can't prioritise both. Save money and give buses priority!

"Giving buses priority means people will use them as first choice, not last choice.

"Fixing public transport does not necessarily need to cost billions of dollars, require endless mountains of studies and feasibility investigations, or decades of waiting for 'big ticket' infrastructure to fix. Cheap, practical and obvious solutions can be implemented NOW."

References:

1. 2 Jul 2012: SEQ: Cut expensive fiesta of concrete - use bus lanes! http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=8679.0

2. San franciso: all-door boarding on buses! http://www.humantransit.org/2012/07/in-san-francisco-passengers-will-be-able-to-board-through-any-door-of-any-city-bus-as-they-have-long-been-able-to-do-on-ligh.html

Contact:

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

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

5th March 2013

SEQ Transport failure has arrived, early ....

Greetings,

BNE airport in chaos.  Roads worsening in SEQ, major bus meltdowns now routine.  For a number of years we pointed out that the reported on time performance statistics reported for bus in the TransLink Tracker were nonsense.  Where are the recent figures?  Have the authorities simply stopped publishing them because of the fact of the significant deterioration in the bus network in terms of reliability.

The rail system continues to improve peak performance but major issues still occurring.  For example land slip at Taringa over the weekend, fortunately not peak time.  Major disruption on the Caboolture line again last afternoon/evening.  Where are the sector 2 timetable changes? Now years late ....

Transport in SEQ is heading to massive failure.  Might be time for a crisis committee to be convened to sort out real priorities?

Best wishes
Robert

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

[#Metro]

Any chance we can have the bus review report released please?