Brisbane - bus network proposal

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

17th September 2016

Time for Brisbane bus action!

Good Morning,

More developments with the Quirk ' Metro ' viz.

Brisbanetimes --> Government agrees to contribute to 'unfeasible' Brisbane Metro planning

As proposed the Quirk ' Metro ' is unfeasible and a business case confined to the original proposal will show that.

However by seeking a wider input and looking at more rational solutions gains might well be made with a sensible proposal in the end.

However in the interim we have a major problem with a collapsing bus network.  (The whole premise of the proposed Quirk ' Metro ' actually confirms that, even if  the project as proposed is flawed).

We cannot do nothing.  Sorting out the immediate issues is straightforward.

1.  Convert Victoria Bridge to a ' green ' bridge*

2.  Commence network reform.  Deputy Mayor Adrian Schrinner has put forward some proposals which will allow to this occur**.  We support the Deputy Mayor with his proposal for a progressive network review. The State Government, BCC and TransLink need to urgently start this reform process.

Bus congestion is only going to worsen alarmingly with the bus changes that will occur with the Queens Wharf Brisbane project as even more buses are added to the chronic bus-jam on Victoria Bridge and CBD bus congestion.

Now is the hour!

Best wishes
Robert

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

*Brisbane: Convert Victoria Bridge to a ' green ' bridge
http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=12438.0

**BCC propose a progressive bus review & a public transport alliance model
http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=12433.0

[ozbob]

THIS THIS THIS!!! "Better bus service for your city is not the same as service micro-designed around your personal needs." -@humantransit

— Mike Boos (@mikeboos) October 7, 2016

[#Metro]

Is bus reform still on the radar? BCC let off a big bang a few months ago, but I haven't heard much at all since?

[ozbob]

Guess we have to wait till the meeting between Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe and Deputy Mayor Adrian Schrinner ..

Meanwhile ...

DON'T. MISS. THE. BUS.

[ozbob]

Any progress with the Public Transport Alliance proposal?
> https://t.co/081SPcDlqS@Schrinner @StirlHinchliffe #askingforafriend #qldpol pic.twitter.com/AP2K6G3mqS

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) October 7, 2016

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

24th October 2016

Now can we fix up the BCC bus network, please?

Greetings

The mass cancellation of train services has seriously damaged the Palaszczuk Government's standing in our opinion.

Passive non-management from successive Queensland Governments have cumulated in this epic failure.

When problems are sat on and left to fester, this is what happens.

Passive non-management is no longer an option.

Trains are not the only public transport service failing to meet on time standards.

Brisbane City Council's buses are also not meeting bus on time standards.

And the Queensland Government knows this.

The Queensland Government has known about this and other problems within Brisbane's bus network for years.

Yes, years!

In November 2014, RAIL Back on Track members became so frustrated with the lack of government inertia that they ran their own bus review and published it.

New Bus Network Proposal > http://tiny.cc/newnetwork

When is the Queensland Government going to move on Brisbane City Council's bus network problems?

Or does Brisbane's bus network have to collapse for action on that also?

The Brisbane City Council Bus contracts are up for renewal soon. A shorter two-year contract should be written, with an extension option to a full contract term length conditional on the successful delivery of full bus reform within the first two years.

The continued passive non-management of essential public transport services is setting the Palaszczuk Government up for a massive electoral defeat in our opinion.

Now can we fix up the BCC bus network, please?

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


Reference:

BCC propose a progressive bus review & a public transport alliance model
http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=12433.0

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

10th November 2016

Letter of Concern

Bus Network Reliability and Other Issues

Dear Transport Minister,

RAIL Back On Track members are concerned about Brisbane's bus network. Feedback from the public also confirms our concerns.

Brisbane's bus network has the following issues:

- Large amounts of bus service duplication (waste)

- Competition with rail, rather than complimenting rail (inefficiency)

- 'Black hole' areas with poor service. Bulimba, Centenary, Yeronga, Northwestern suburbs are examples. (ineffectiveness)

- Poor bus service from the inner northwestern suburbs (Mitchelton, Ashgrove, Bardon, West Toowong) to UQ St Lucia (Chancellors Place)

- Lack of all door boarding on high frequency bus services

- Lack of a comprehensive bus review

- Granting Brisbane City Council a full 5 year contract with no conditions. They should only be offered a 2 year contract with with 3-year extension contingent on full implementation of a comprehensive, independent bus network review.

- Lack of progress on RAIL Back on Track's New Bus Network Proposal --> http://tiny.cc/newnetwork

A particular concern is how the network will cope with road closures associated with Queens Wharf construction? The Cultural Centre busway is already over capacity. We fear that sending hundreds of additional bus services via Cultural Centre will cause a general meltdown as it is a critical choke point.

What are the arrangements for that?

RAIL Back on Track also does not understand the logic behind blocking the Victoria Bridge's conversion to a green bridge. Out of the Go Between Bridge, William Jolly Bridge, and Victoria Bridge, the Victoria Bridge is the least used by cars.

Minister, what will you do to address each of our points of concern raised above?

Yours sincerely,
Robert

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

References:

We Support Victoria Green Bridge Conversion! --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=12370.msg179495#msg179495

[ozbob]

Some jurisdictions have the balls to get on with it ...  BrisBANE ?  < cluster-fuk sadly ...

Congratulations, @METROHouston! Honored to have helped with the design, but your courageous staff and Board did it. https://t.co/S82yNbPGot

— Jarrett Walker (@humantransit) December 8, 2016

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

13th February 2017

Glenn Butcher MP - Assistant Minister for BCC Bus Reform?

Greetings,

Can we please now fix up the Brisbane Bus Network? RAIL Back on Track has lobbied for over four years to get it fixed. Brisbane's bus network is based on sending almost every bus through the Brisbane CBD. It is why a number of bus 'black hole' areas such as Bulimba, Centenary, The North West, and from the Ashgrove area to UQ St Lucia, exist.  Brisbane City Council has always resisted proper bus network reform and integration because they claim people do not want to transfer but now want everyone to transfer onto a pipe dream ' Metro '.

Payments to Brisbane City Council to run the bus network have increased year on year without corresponding increases in service frequency. The last BUZ upgrade was a number of years ago now.

We want to see the Brisbane bus network cleaned up please. This year. We have shown how to do it here http://tiny.cc/newnetwork

As the seat for the New Assistant Transport and Infrastructure Glenn Butcher MP is not located in Brisbane, we believe he would be objective and even handed in his approach to reforming the Brisbane Bus Network.

Does the Queensland Government want another Queensland Rail scale debacle on its hands down the track with the bus network? Here is the chance to stop it now.

Best wishes
Robert

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

[ozbob]

Latest: &#39; Glenn Butcher MP - Assistant Minister for BCC Bus Reform? &#39;
> https://t.co/uLqgTQZ2g3#qldpol@jackietrad pic.twitter.com/XmOYDLNadp

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) February 12, 2017

[ozbob]

Driving&#39;s up across US, transit ridership down—except in cities w/ new frequent bus networks. (#Seattle #Houston)https://t.co/KK7tt9UEa7 pic.twitter.com/tAunue0bSj

— Taras Grescoe (@grescoe) February 27, 2017

@Robert_Dow good to see. We&#38;#39;re looking forward to kicking-off the first of our localised bus network reviews in the Centenary suburbs.

— Adrian Schrinner (@Schrinner) February 27, 2017

[#Metro]

@Robert_Dow good to see. We're looking forward to kicking-off the first of our localised bus network reviews in the Centenary suburbs.

New Bus Network Proposal to be implemented?? 

[Cazza]

Just something I noticed on the bus today:

I caught the 555 from the Cultural Centre to Garden City at around 11:15 (leaving CC). On a side note, it was quite well patronised with about 25-30 people from CC to Griffith Uni. But at Griffith Uni, about 15 people got on and got off at Garden City (they were definitely not uni students). This got me thinking. So, I'm assuming (please say otherwise) that they got either route 130/40 from somewhere along Mains Rd to Griffith then changed there for another bus to Garden City. I am also assuming that this is (at the moment) the best way to get from Sunnybank Hills etc. to Garden City as there is no frequent direct route. Also, it would be a great help for school kids living along the Mains Rd corridor to get to Garden City Interchange to transfer onto other services.

So, with the new bus network, could you look at adding a new route- Route 145- Browns Plains SC to Garden City Interchange via Beaudesert, Mains and Kessels Rds. This way, there is now a frequent, direct link between Browns Plains SC, Sunnybank Hills and Sunnybank SC. I know this will just add to the traffic chaos of Mains/Kessels Rds but it would be highly beneficial to these areas. Frequencies could run at around 10-15 mins during peaks/ 20-30 mins during the weekday and 30 mins on weekends (may need to be reduced to 20mins on weekends if high patronage is experienced as it runs passed 5 major shopping centres.

This is just a concept that I think would work, please leave your feedback/recommendations to improve this proposal and I hope it gets added to the new network (some extra research on travel in these areas may be necessary).

[#Metro]

P142 Browns Plains Bullet (Peak Hour Only) does the route but does not stop at Garden City (maybe it could?).

[Cazza]

P142 Browns Plains Bullet (Peak Hour Only) does the route but does not stop at Garden City (maybe it could?).

That would be a great idea (was wondering that too when I first saw the stopping pattern). But with this route, I was more trying to target the Beaudesert Rd/Mains Rd catchment. The only reason why I had it start at Browns Plains SC was because it would have been impractical making it terminate on Beaudesert Rd near Illaweena St.

[SurfRail]

1. Abolish the Great Circle Line and replace with multiple high-frequency cross-town services in lieu.

2. Sink some funds into improving outer suburban interchanges at places like Sunnybank Plaza.

Transferring from a 130/140 to a decent frequency service to Garden City at Sunnybank would seem to be the best fix to me.

[James]

P142 Browns Plains Bullet (Peak Hour Only) does the route but does not stop at Garden City (maybe it could?).

The P142 is pretty much a route for City commuters to travel from the Park 'n' Ride(s) out that way into the CBD, as if they were driving their car. Not particularly suited to serving a shopping centre. The 136 already does this in peak hour.

With respect to the current arrangement - once you factor in the transfer penalty for getting off the 130/140 and on to the GCL, even if the GCL ran every 15 minutes, it would still be faster to travel via Griffith Uni. As is, on travel time alone from Sunnybank Plaza, it takes roughly the same amount of in-vehicle time going via Griffith than via the 598.

A new route would be a "nice to have" type of arrangement.

[#Metro]

Maybe one of the first things BCC can fix is the Great Circle Line.

Come on BCC - if they get that right, then it can be a symbol and catalyst for the rest of the network.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

22nd April 2017

Comment: Reform bus network to fix Brisbane Explorer Tourist Bus gap

Greetings.

RAIL Back on Track is aware that the Brisbane Explorer Tourist bus has ceased operation. This service operated within the Brisbane CBD and also out to Mt Coot-tha. It's a bit disappointing that the bus is gone, but we understand that businesses come and go. There was always going to be a lot of competition from the free CBD loop bus and CityCycles.

With the bus gone, it is worth highlighting Brisbane's real unsung tourist strength - the Brisbane CityCat. Brisbane's CityCat is just marvellous and incredible value for the tourist. CityCats link up Portside Wharf, Bulimba's Oxford Street restaurants, New Farm Park, the Brisbane Powerhouse Arts Theatre, South Bank, Milton's restaurants, West End, and The University of Queensland.

It is very scenic on the CityCat, so we don't think the bus removal will have too much of an impact. But there is one change we would suggest as CityCats don't travel everywhere - altering the 471 Mount Coot-tha bus service. The 471 bus service is low frequency, coming only once an hour. It is a very limited bus service.

Ironically, passengers in suburbs such as St Lucia and Toowong have poor access to Mt Coot-tha. St Lucia residents, for example, first need to catch a bus to Toowong, get off, catch the 599/598 Great Circle Line bus, then perform a second interchange inside the Botanical Gardens. This can take around 45+ minutes or longer to do. A car or taxi from Toowong station can complete the same journey in just 10 minutes.

One suggestion, and we have it as part of our New Bus Network Proposal, is to extend the 471 from Mount Coot-tha to Toowong railway station. Plenty of buses and trains stop at Toowong station, so connections will be greatly improved this way. There are such few 471 Mt Coo-tha bus services that the costs of doing this would be absolutely minimal.

Brisbane's bus network is far beyond its expiry date. It's not just the Mt Coot-tha bus service that needs fixing, the entire Brisbane bus network needs a good spring clean. Tourists can get around better when our bus network becomes simpler, has fewer but more frequent bus routes, and offers better bus connections.

Right now, tourists need to bring their car or hire one if they want to get up to Mt Coo-that in good time. As you can imagine, parking is very limited at the summit.

Best wishes,
Robert

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

References:

Route 471 Mt Coot-tha bus
https://translink.com.au/sites/default/files/assets/timetables/161212-471.pdf

RBOT New Bus Network Proposal
http://tiny.cc/newnetwork

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

8th July 2017

Comment: Designed-To-Fail Bus Route Trials A Cause for Concern

Greetings,

RAIL Back on Track calls for a mandatory public feedback process for all TransLink/Brisbane City Council new bus route trials.
This must be done before route introduction. If it's already failing, it's too late for the feedback to make an impact and the
money is already gone.

RAIL Back on Track has concerns about the way bus route trials are being conducted. The sudden introduction of the P332 UQ Lakes to Zillmere Rocket Bus is one example. It shocked our members with its blatant disregard for good network design and lack of consultation.

We want all trial bus routes and their timetables published on the TransLink website, just as they would appear when introduced.
A written motivation statement justifying the route(s) introduction and a classification as 'patronage' or 'coverage' is also needed.
The feedback process should be placed prominently on the TransLink website for no less than three weeks.

Bus routes, broadly speaking, fall into two categories:

1. Bus services designed to maximise patronage (e.g. 66 UQ Lakes, BUZ routes, CityGliders, Peak expresses)
2. Bus services designed to maximise area coverage (e.g. 198 hail and ride, 362 Brookside, etc)

Crucially, 'coverage' routes are explicitly designed NOT to carry many passengers.

In other words, if a new bus service is:

- designed to have low patronage
- is introduced and then goes on to achieve low patronage
- and then is removed because of having low patronage

then the service really has been designed to fail from day one.

If you want high patronage in a bus trial, don't introduce services designed to attract low patronage.

The recently cancelled Route 238 Cannon Hill bus trial is an example. With five services per direction, one way running, and a full journey to the CBD that took around 40 minutes all up, of course passengers shunned it.

We believe the new route 304 at Hamilton will suffer the same fate, for similar reasons.

Hamilton Portside's development forms a giant cul-de-sac. This geometry forces buses to end there rather than connect multiple major destinations. At just ca. 2.7 km long, the 304 bus route does not have sufficient length nor frequency to attract decent patronage.

We commend Brisbane City Council and TransLink for working to introduce feeder bus services. However, if they continue to deploy the 'coverage' style of bus service they will only attract the predictably low patronage that they have designed for.

How to design bus routes for high patronage is discussed here:



Examples of the kind of bus route trials that Brisbane City Council and TransLink should be conducting are:

- Trialling a 400 CentenaryGlider service from Darra Station to the Brisbane CBD via the Centenary suburbs

- Amalgamating the 230 Bulimba and 235 Balmoral services into a single 230 BulimbaGlider

- Trialling a new Mitchelton - UQ St Lucia 'CityConnector' cross-town bus route via Metroad 5

- Extending Route 369 from Mitchelton to Ferny Grove Train Station, and possibly further into
the controversial Cedar Woods development.

- Trialling a new 902 CityConnector service running every 15 minutes between Garden City and Toombul.
Essentially a timetable re-arrangement and amalgamation of 590 and 599/598 services, such as service
would be cost-neutral to create.

These ideas and more are all contained within our New Bus Network Proposal for Brisbane http://tiny.cc/newnetwork
that RAIL Back on Track released in November 2014.

Let's see some better design and results with our hard earned taxpayer and ratepayer money please.

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

References:

Ridership or Coverage? The Challenge of Service Allocation
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.5822%2F978-1-61091-174-0_10

"If your city or region is big enough to have transit at all, it's big enough to have debates about how to
apportion service among different communities. Every transit system serves areas where ridership is high and
other areas where it's lower. Should higher ridership lead to better service? If not, how should a transit
system divide up its resources among the communities it serves? To answer this unavoidable question, you have
to think about why you're running public transit at all."

Route 238 trial to end
https://translink.com.au/service-updates/131121

"Route 238 Cannon Hill to Morningside will not operate after Friday 23 June 2017.

The trial of 238 was jointly funded by the Queensland Government and Transport for Brisbane.
We continually monitor demand across our network and work with our delivery partners to introduce and
trial new services. We engaged the community in October 2016 to better understand why this service wasn't
being well used. Feedback indicated that customers felt route 238 was not as fast as other services and
transferring to a train or ferry to get to the city, was unpopular."

Route 304 - new trial bus service for Northshore Hamilton
https://translink.com.au/service-updates/132101

"Starting today, Monday 26 June 2017, TransLink has introduced a new trial bus service, route 304 to Northshore Hamilton.
The bus service will operate between Doomben train station and Northshore Riverside Park including Hamilton Reach,
Puma Energy Australia, Portside Wharf and The Hamilton developments.

The new trial route will give you:

100 weekly services, Monday to Friday between 6am and 7pm
Buses every 30 minutes during peak hours and every 60 minutes off-peak
Access the whole public transport network by catching the 304 to Doomben station and
jumping on a train or to the Northshore Hamilton Ferry Terminal to catch the CityCat ferry."

Route 304 Journey Length Calculation

Walking: 2.7 km x 60 min / 4 km = 40.5 minutes
Bus: (0.5 x 30 min wait) + (15 min bus travel time) = 30 minutes (average trip, frequency taken into account)
Bus: (1 x 30 min wait) + (15 min bus travel time) = 45 minutes (maximum journey time)

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/883456037457506304

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Schrinner/status/887505431026782208

[ozbob]

https://vimeo.com/240382367

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

17th November 2017

Bus Network Reform: A High Impact, Low-Cost Success Solution

Greetings,

RAIL Back on Track welcomes Labor's policy announcement for Northern and Eastern transit ways (1). This is informed by previous consideration of the transit ways by the former LNP Government (2). The transit ways have been evaluated in 2013 by Infrastructure Australia (IA) and have been shown to stack up very well.  Much more cost effective than busways for extensions. In time the bi-articulated buses of the Brisbane Metro would be able to further reach distant suburbs by transit way running.

Improving the existing bus network generally is a low cost, high impact initiative. Bus reform is "low hanging fruit" and we are surprised that neither of the major parties have taken full advantage of it.

Greens candidate for Chatsworth Dave Nelson is right on the money: "By streamlining duplicate or redundant routes and reorganising the bus network, we can provide frequent, reliable services in more areas without losing any existing corridors."

Three years ago RAIL Back on Track prepared a New Bus Network Proposal > http://tiny.cc/newnetwork. While other cities spend millions on expensive consultant fees, here we present our proposal, for FREE, on a silver platter. Just take it!

In our proposal, we reorganise the entire Brisbane bus network. As the total distance travelled on the network is similar to that of the existing network, we believe that it will be cost-neutral overall. Major highlights include a frequent BulimbaGlider service, formed from existing routes, a CentenaryGlider service, also formed from existing routes, and new bus services to The University of Queensland St Lucia Campus from Mitchelton, Ashgrove, and Bardon.

We urge the major parties not to miss the bus on a high impact, low-cost opportunity to promise multiple frequent bus routes in all electorates around Brisbane.

Best wishes,
Robert

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

References

1. ALP promises bus Transitway to fight gridlock
http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/southeast/alp-promises-bus-transitway-to-fight-gridlock/news-story/b7052f8fb340320aec50690b7f380dca

2. IA: QLD Brisbane Transit Ways June 2013 http://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/policy-publications/publications/QLD-Brisbane-Transit-Ways.aspx

Sent to all outlets:

16th November 2017

Northern and Eastern Transit Ways - Brisbane

Greetings,

Labor has announced that they will commit $75 Million for the Northern and Eastern Transit Ways.  This is good policy and follows on from previous policy put forward by the Newman LNP Government.     Infrastructure Australia assessed ' QLD Brisbane Transit Ways ' June 2013 [ see  http://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/policy-publications/publications/QLD-Brisbane-Transit-Ways.aspx ].

From page 2 of the assessment: [ http://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/policy-publications/publications/files/QLD_Brisbane_TransitWays_Brief.pdf ]

BCR appraisal conclusion
Preliminary BCRs have been provided indicating a BCR of 1.6 for the Eastern TransitWay (7 percent
discount rate, $2011) and 1.8 for the Northern TransitWay (6 percent discount rate, $2012).
These BCRs are higher than the original Eastern Busway proposal, following modifications suggested
by Infrastructure Australia. The capital cost of the Eastern Busways proposal was $685 million
compared to the Eastern TransitWay of $75 million.
Note that the capital costs included in the benefit cost analysis are different to those presented in the
submission. We also note that the submission indicated that the travel times would be the same for
car users on Old Cleveland Road before and after the Eastern TransitWay at 31 minutes, yet these
types of road users receive around half of the benefits in the benefit-cost analysis.
The cost benefit analysis provided so far is insufficient to be able to verify the robustness of these
results. However, the results suggest that the project is likely to lead to net benefits, which is in line
with results provided for the higher cost Eastern Busway proposal.

The bi-articulated buses proposed for the Brisbane Metro would be able run on these transit ways, so this offers good network expansion opportunities as the Brisbane Metro is developed.  Transit ways are of a much lower cost than busway extensions and deliver much the same benefits.

We don't care if the ALP or the LNP do these transit ways.  Just do it, who ever is in Government please.

Best wishes,
Robert

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

[verbatim9]

https://vimeo.com/240382367

Great video makes alot of sense something that Translink needs to investigate further and implement all 3 recommendations.

1. Bus stop balancing

2. All door boarding

3. Off board fare payment via mobile  - (Next Generation Ticketing)? Adelaide Metro currently trialing this!

[Cazza]

Check out the bus queue at around 4:45 mins. Judging by the sun, it does not look to be in peak hour either.

"The bus network is running perfectly fine" they say...

"We don't need to change a thing" they say...

With the Brisbane Metro and Trunk and Feeder services, the SE Busway queue will be gone. *poof*

Just like magic

[ozbob]

Queensland Times 20th November 2017 page 15

Don't miss the bus with our travel plan

RAIL Back on Track welcomes Labor's policy announcement for Northern and Eastern transit ways.

This is informed by previous consideration of the transit ways by the former LNP government.

The transit ways were evaluated in 2013 by Infrastructure Australia (IA) and have been shown to stack up very well. They are much more cost effective than busways for extensions. In time, the bi-articulated buses of the Brisbane Metro would be able to further reach distant suburbs by transit way running.

Improving the existing bus network generally is a low-cost, high-impact initiative. Bus reform is "low-hanging fruit" and we are surprised that neither of the major parties have taken full advantage of it.

Greens candidate for Chatsworth Dave Nelson is right on the money: "By streamlining duplicate or redundant routes and reorganising the bus network, we can provide frequent, reliable services in more areas without losing any existing corridors."

Three years ago, Rail Back on Track prepared a New Bus Network proposal.

In our proposal, we reorganised the Brisbane bus network. As the total distance travelled on the network is similar to that of the existing network, we believe that it will be cost-neutral overall. Major highlights include a frequent BulimbaGlider service, formed from existing routes, a CentenaryGlider service, also formed from existing routes, and new bus services to The University of Queensland St Lucia Campus from Mitchelton, Ashgrove, and Bardon.

We urge the major parties not to miss the bus on a high impact, low-cost opportunity to promise multiple frequent bus routes in all electorates around Brisbane. — ROBERT DOW Rail Back on Track

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/932474717922922496

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/StreetsblogUSA/status/988484232728252417

[techblitz]

http://www.epetitions.brisbane.qld.gov.au/petition/view/pid/538

Residents draw to the attention of Council their support for a full review of bus services in the Jamboree Ward so that Council can provide this review to TransLink for implementation.

Your petitioners therefore request Council to undertake a review of bus services in the Jamboree Ward with particular focus on better connectivity to local train stations and access to the Sumner Park Industrial Estate from Wacol Train Station. And that this review is provided to TransLink for their consideration and implementation.

[#Metro]

Principal petitioner is Matthew Bourke (Blue Team)?

Huh? Blue Team at BCC have had FOREVER to re-organise bus services, ESPECIALLY in the 'Black Hole" area that is the Centenary Suburbs.

Too little too late?

[techblitz]

the timing is decent given that the centenary is supposedly receiving a bus review first out of all other regions.

[James]

This is probably the beginning of the 'narrative' for bus network reform. Local councillor launches petition, gains a few thousand signatures, has a license to reform the network as required and is guaranteed at least a modicum of support. Remember that time when in 2013, someone in Riverhills went around advocating for people to save the 454? Let's hope that doesn't happen this time!

I do worry about this idea of putting a bus through the industrial estate towards Wacol. A frequent BUZ along Sumner Road would be much better than a bus which runs through an Industrial Park for 1km, then along roads with nothing along them aside from mental health hospitals & jails for 5km. What a bus route that would be!

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

26th April 2018

Re: Petition - Supporting a review of bus services in the Jamboree Ward

Greetings,

RAIL Back On Track recognises a petition by residents of the Jamboree Ward to review and
restructure bus services in their area.

Petition title: Supporting a review of bus services in the Jamboree Ward
http://www.epetitions.brisbane.qld.gov.au/petition/view/pid/538

Unfortunately, many areas of Brisbane - Northwestern suburbs, Bulimba, Yeronga,
and the Centenary suburbs - are public transport 'black hole' areas. Over the years,
residents of the Centenary suburbs especially, have complained about the poor frequency
bus services in their area.

This is not simply a case of "not enough money". It is a case of spreading funds too
thinly over too many weak services. There are more than ten bus routes in that area,
but none of them are decent.

Frequency must be consolidated into a small number of bus routes for service quality to improve.

RAIL Back On Track calls on the Minister for Transport Mark Bailey, and chair of the Public and Active
Transport Committee, Deputy Mayor Adrian Schrinner, to sit down together and announce a bus review.

We have been calling for a comprehensive bus review for five years now. Brisbane City Council
and the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TransLink) should consider our New Bus Network
Proposal http://tiny.cc/newnetwork for implementation.

We propose that bus services in the Centenary suburbs be amalgamated into a high-frequency CentenaryGlider or BUZ 400
coming at least every 15 minutes from 7 am - 7 pm, 7 days. Funding could come from restructuring the existing bus services.

The benefit of this route is that it feeds into Darra Station, a major interchange for workers in the Ipswich and Springfield CBDs.

RAIL Back On Track encourages all those with an interest to go to the petition website and support the petition.

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

References:

RAIL Back on Track New Bus Network Proposal
http://tiny.cc/newnetwork

More of Brisbane City Council's "not broken" bus network
http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/more-of-brisbane-city-councils-not.html

Public and Active Transport Committee
https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/about-council/governance-strategy/committees-meetings-minutes/council-committees/public-active-transport-committee

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/989172497646927872

https://twitter.com/Schrinner/status/989278795805769728

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/BusVicTweets/status/991507977352941568

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Opinion: Buses are the answer after years of inaction on southeast transport

WITHIN two decades, another 1.5 million people will call southeast Queensland home. These types of population projections are nothing new for one of Australia's fastest-growing regions.

Yet time and again, governments have been caught short in their attempts to match infrastructure and services with demand.

Hospitals, electricity, water and, of course, transport have all been the subject of rushed solutions because political inertia caused a crisis.

In each case, governments were warned.

However political attention is innately drawn towards populist causes that should not necessarily be priorities.

The growth coming the southeast's way is the same challenge, but on a different scale.

It is expected that the biggest population increases will be in the satellite cities of Logan, Ipswich and Moreton Bay, while inner Brisbane, from the city centre to inner suburbs, will remain the epicentre of employment.

That means there's an epic crunch coming for the morning and afternoon commutes.

The challenge will be to provide mass public transport systems that are efficient and inexpensive so people actually start using them.

The Queensland Government has rightly fixed its attention on the $5.4 billion Cross River Rail project.

While the 10.2km rail route has its detractors because of price and predicted patronage, over the long term it is a no-brainer.

Cross River Rail will provide an additional link over the river, allowing system-wide increases to services to meet future demand.

However a public transport system is only effective when people live close to high-frequency services.

And our current rail network is largely cross-shaped with few spur lines, which Cross River Rail will not address.

What's needed are the spokes in between – public transport routes that service satellite cities and suburbs that are nowhere near a railway station.

This is not a news flash to transport planners.

Brisbane's dedicated busway system was envisaged to fulfil this precise purpose.

However, the problem is, what's been built is but a shadow of the original vision.

And next to nothing has been done in the past decade to plan, price and, most importantly, figure out a way to pay to complete it.

The original network proposed in the mid-1990s went from Aspley in the north to Capalaba in the east, Logan Hyperdome to the south and a future western route.

The network mirrored and extended Brisbane's old tram network, which was ripped up in the late 1960s.

While part of the southern stretch of the busway has been built (and been an outstanding success), construction of the eastern and northern sections stopped in the inner city years ago.

In 2006, then transport minister Paul Lucas was promising 15-minute travel time savings for city-bound Capalaba residents when that government was gung-ho about the Eastern Busway.

"One thing is for certain," Lucas insisted at the time, "a do-nothing approach is not an option."

However, that's precisely the approach that has been taken since.

This goes some way towards explaining why public transport patronage has flatlined.

Integrated ticketing, new buses and trains, and in recent times the Government's much-hyped "fairer fares" haven't helped.

In fact, the share of commuters taking public transport to work in southeast Queensland is actually less now than it was in the 1980s.

This can be attributed to the population spreading further out into satellite cities and suburbs where services are scant.

It's difficult to convince government to expand into these areas, not just because of the upfront price of infrastructure but because ticket prices currently cover less than a third of service costs.

At the same time, it's difficult to convince commuters to take public transport when fewer than one in four lives within 400 metres of a high-frequency stop and taking the car remains quicker.

However most of the southeast's predicted growth hot spots are where the spread has already begun to occur and where the busways were envisaged to be.

So the question needs to be asked, what work is under way now to ensure these networks are built in the near future?

The State Government, at least, seems aware that the Northern and Eastern busways should be the next big things.

It promised $75 million on so-called "transitways" during November's state election, which would run from where the busways currently stop, from Kedron to Chermside in the north, and Stones Corner to Carindale in the east.

However, transitway is really just a tarted-up name for a bus lane. They're simply a stopgap solution for where dedicated busways should be present.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk is commandeering the existing network for his Brisbane Metro proposal, which is really just big bendy buses and a solution to the congested Culture Centre stop.

But, like Cross River Rail, this plan just improves rather than expands the existing network.

Redland Mayor Karen Williams is leading the charge for the Eastern Busway.

Given 60 per cent of Redland residents travel elsewhere for work, Cr Williams is on the right track.

But what's needed is a region-wide approach to planning and building the remaining busway network, as well as analysis of private funding and operating models to ascertain whether this could fast-track construction.

We've already spent over two decades talking about dedicated busways while resting on the laurels of what has already been built.

A plan is needed to progress the network before population growth grinds congestion to a stop.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/1002214353376980992

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/1002225666450866177

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

20th June 2018

Total Bus Network Overhaul Required for Brisbane

Greetings,

RAIL Back on Track welcomes Brisbanetimes's publication of Brisbane's most and least patronised bus routes, and thank Deputy Mayor Cr. Schrinner for making them available. We are pleased that route 66 is now Brisbane's most patronised bus route. Now carrying in excess of three million passenger trips annually, the current route 66 is one of our own proposals to amalgamate two former TransLink routes to provide a seamless journey through the Brisbane CBD.

RAIL Back on Track fully supports a comprehensive review of the Brisbane City Council bus network; we have been calling for reform to the bus network for years. The problem in Brisbane is that we have not had an explicit conversation about what proportion of service should be dedicated to low patronage, low revenue, social service bus coverage, and what proportion of service should be allocated to high frequency, high patronage, high revenue bus services offered by the high frequency BUZ network and CityGliders.

Brisbane City Council needs to explicitly pose that question to the public. It needs to make it explicitly clear that there is an unavoidable trade off between social coverage and high patronage. Where you dedicate more resources to one you will have less resources for the other. It is not a question that can be solved by academic experts, traffic engineers, or urban planners because it is not a technical question. Where the balance should be set is a question that only Brisbane's residents can answer and that is why they should be asked.

Currently, the majority of the Brisbane's buses are low frequency services that drive around providing service that barely exists during the daytime for patronage that frankly barely exists either. People shun services that come only once or twice an hour because waiting at a bus stop for that long is a poor value proposition for them.

Meanwhile, we have entire suburbs that lack frequent service. Major problem areas are access to the University of Queensland from the inner northwestern suburbs such as Mitchelton, The Gap, Ashgrove, Bardon. We have 'black hole' service coverage in Yeronga, Bulimba, and the entire Centenary suburbs. These are not low-density areas on the city fringe - these are suburban areas that could generate decent patronage if only we didn't choose to spend resources on wasteful service duplication along corridors such as Coronation Drive and Old Cleveland Road.

Research we conducted some years ago suggests that people want around 70 - 80% of resources dedicated to high frequency services. We also found that people were willing to give up peak hour only express and rocket bus services if it meant that all day high-frequency BUZ service could be supplied to their suburb.

The people of Yeronga, Bulimba, and the Centenary suburbs have been wanting frequent BUZ and CityGlider services to their suburb for some time now. Brisbane City Council should review the bus network so that it can be in a position to give it to them.

Best wishes,
Robert

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

References:

Proposition: Merge 66+109 and adopt CityGlider style operation
https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3756.0

SEQ: Where's our Buz? (Details our proposal to combine routes 66 + 109)
http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2538.msg12418#msg12418

RAIL Back on Track historical bus reform research

New Bus Network Survey Findings (2015)
http://backontrack.org/docs/busreform/2015RBOTBusReformSurvey.pdf

Survey Submissions (Current Brisbane City Council Bus Network, 2015)
http://backontrack.org/docs/busreform/BusReformFeedbackBCC.pdf

Survey Submissions (RAIL Back on Track New Bus Network Proposal, 2015)
http://backontrack.org/docs/busrefor/RBOT_Feedback_Part2.pdf

Brisbane's most and least popular bus routes
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/brisbane-s-most-and-least-popular-bus-routes-20180618-p4zm61.html

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/1009211594952224768