Help me plan Brisbane Metro Feeder buses

[timh]

Got a pamphlet from the local councilor today (MacGregor ward), asking for resident input where they'd like to see Feeder buses for UMG and EMP stations once Brisbane Metro kicks off. I know many don't like BCC planning bus routes without integrated input from Translink but hey, here's our opportunity to say that right?

To quote the pamphlet:

"By building Brisbane Metro, we will release more than one hundred buses during the peak hour to service hour suburbs. I believe the best way to utilise these buses is to turn them into feeder services connecting our Brisbane Metro Stations with local destinations. Where do you want to see more bus stops and where do you want them to travel to?"

I am no engineer (not the transport kind anyway), and am not good with this stuff. I have some ideas I'll contribute, but I've seen plenty of posts on here from you guys who seem much better at doing this stuff than I am, so today I seek your help

If any of you have any great ideas for new feeder services (I think EMP needs it pretty desperately) please help me out! Route maps are good (pamphlet includes a map template of the ward).

Annoyingly MacGregor ward does not include Rochedale which is where the feeder buses really need to go for EMP IMO, but we can include it anyways.

I'll collate the results and send to the councilor if you guys are interested, for what it's worth.

[ozbob]

^ thanks for sharing this Tim.  It is a good sign that there is an appreciation that there will be changes to a trunk and feeder system for many bus routes.  It is good they are starting now to condition the community to change.

Others know more than I re the local feeder suggestions but give them time and I am sure some suggestions will be forthcoming.

Key points are span and frequency that makes it useful.  7 day a week services.

There also needs some emphasis on cross suburban routes as well. 

[Gazza]

The HF frequecny routes planned for the SE corridor were basically spot on under the 2013 bus review. Implement those, then go from there.

[timh]

Thanks Bob . Hopefully some others can contribute!

I agree with your sentiment that frequency is the most important. There are already plenty of routes that feed to both GC and EMP, but many of them (especially EMP) have atrocious frequency so people would never consider them as feeders.

Gazza: I don't have those routes sorry :/ where can I find those?

That being said, here's my ideas for feeders. Many are just minor route adjustments and increased frequency to existing routes. I invented 2 routes myself. See below:

Route 161
https://imgur.com/mQyJaCz

Terminate at Garden City. Increase to 20min frequency in AM and PM Peak. Hourly off peak?

Route 155
https://imgur.com/DwUubYS

Terminate at Griffith station. Increase to 15min frequency in AM and PM peak. 30 minute off peak (currently hourly)

Route 153
https://imgur.com/VGjSF0h

Terminate at EMP Station. Maintain existing peak frequency but extend peak services, and extend operating hours into the off peak with hourly off peak services.

Route 186
https://imgur.com/bJOZjb9

Terminate at Griffith in the north and extend terminus to GC interchange in the south. Increase peak services to 9am in the AM peak. Extend operating hours into the off peak with hourly off peak services.

Route 180/P179
https://imgur.com/FUkUmj2

Terminate at Greenslopes Busway station. It seems unnecessary to run it further than that once Metro services start, however if it's got enough patronage as is may as well keep it running (I don't know the route patronage well enough, it seems like it might be a BUZ)

Route 178
https://imgur.com/wwxm3pm

Terminate at the stop underneath HPW station and find somewhere near by to turn around. Increase to 15min frequency 6am-9am and 3:30pm-6:30pm. Hourly off peak.

Route 171
https://imgur.com/YVFvuEf

Terminate at the stop underneath HPW station and find somewhere nearby to turn around. Increase to 15min frequency 6am-9am and 3:30pm-6:30pm. Hourly off peak.

Route 554
https://imgur.com/ia987Qe

Separate into two routes. Terminate the northern route at GC in the north and Kuraby Rail in the south. Everything south of Kuraby rail becomes a separate feeder route. Increase to 20 min frequency in the AM and PM peak. Hourly off peak

Route 261
https://imgur.com/LMHpK9W

Potential for excellent EMP feeder for Gardner road estates. Terminate at EMP using the ring road around the carpark. Increase the currently ABYSMAL frequency to at least 20min 6am-9am and 3:30pm-6:30pm. Hourly off peak (currently no services off peak at all)

Route 299
https://imgur.com/5a1czDb

This one is bizarre. Terminate at GC in the north. It services the Gardner road estates, Priestdale road McMansions and the BTP (BTP needs good service!!!!) but in this super weird loop. Someone help me here on how to fix the route. Maybe just ditch the stuff east of EMP (already served by other routes). Increase to 20min frequency in AM and PM peaks and hourly off peak

Idea for new route: Runcorn Station to EMP Station (feeds both stations)
https://imgur.com/zHUTj1a

I don't know about this one but I think Gaskell street and Daw road could both do with more services, especially serving their nearby stations. 152 does not service EMP and gets stuck in gross Logan road peak traffic between the Glen Hotel and GC. This new route would feed into EMP station to avoid that. Customers can then change to Metro service. In the west I ran it all the way along Daw road to Runcorn station as the 152 doesn't go all the way along Daw road so this would allow people living on Daw road to feed into Runcorn station much quicker.

20min peak frequency, hourly off peak?

Idea for new route: Altandi Station-GC via EMP (better cross suburb connections)
https://imgur.com/pU1x5Hi

McCullough street/Padstow road has sh%t service right now. This would be a decent feeder that connects to a bunch of potentially good spots (GC, EMP station, BTP, new Padstow road townhouses (which have a very new indented bus bay that is currently stranded with no services), Sunnybank shops, Altandi Station). I'm not 100% on this one but let me know what you think.

20min peak frequency, 30 min off peak?

[Paul B]

Do feeders have to be both inbound and outbound? surely some suburbs would suit a one-directional feeder that runs higher frequency than a both-inbound/outbound route?

[timh]

Do feeders have to be both inbound and outbound? surely some suburbs would suit a one-directional feeder that runs higher frequency than a both-inbound/outbound route?

I guess that you could make some of the GC-terminating feeders inbound only, in that they terminate at GC then turn into other services, coz yeah a bus that feeds to GC in the AM doesn't have a huge amount of purpose going outbound again, but you gotta get the bus to the start of the route somehow.... :/ Hence why I'm hoping others can help me out here! 

[Gazza]

Basically, the routes were

-HF 175
-One along Newham and Cavendish Rd
-The last one was a modified version of the 180, where it would turn down nursery road instead to provide even coverage.

[timh]

Basically, the routes were

-HF 175
-One along Newham and Cavendish Rd
-The last one was a modified version of the 180, where it would turn down nursery road instead to provide even coverage.

Those are great starters but we need a lot more local feeders than that, especially for EMP....

[Gazza]

Of course. I was thinking you'd basically lay that down as the base network, then design around connections with garden city and 8mp.

[timh]

Of course. I was thinking you'd basically lay that down as the base network, then design around connections with garden city and 8mp.

Makes sense yeah. Ok so based on that notion, what do you think of the ideas I have above? I feel out of my depth so any input is appreciated if you've got the time

[Andrew]

That being said, here's my ideas for feeders. Many are just minor route adjustments and increased frequency to existing routes. I invented 2 routes myself. See below:

Route 161
https://imgur.com/mQyJaCz

Terminate at Garden City. Increase to 20min frequency in AM and PM Peak. Hourly off peak?

Route 180/P179
https://imgur.com/FUkUmj2

Terminate at Greenslopes Busway station. It seems unnecessary to run it further than that once Metro services start, however if it's got enough patronage as is may as well keep it running (I don't know the route patronage well enough, it seems like it might be a BUZ)

161 could even go to 15 mins and use similar resources that it currently does.

P179/180 gets very good patronage levels in the peak.  There have been anecdotes of 180's leaving QSBS with a full standing load.

Some good ideas in there but I will have to have a better look to give more detailed feedback.