Boggo Road/Eastern Busway open day 2nd August 2009

[ozbob]

http://www.translink.com.au/event.php?id=48

Boggo Road/Eastern Busway open day  2nd August 2009

Passengers can travel to Brisbane City and connect with buses to Buranda busway station or trains to Park Road station.

Route 109 will stop at the new Dutton Park stop which is opening specifically for the open day.

The new Dutton Park stop is located at the east end of Eleanor Schonell Bridge, before the UQ Lakes stop.

You can enter the busway from the following locations:

   * Dutton Park (east end of Eleanor Schonell Bridge)
   * Princess Alexandra Hospital busway station, Ipswich Road, corner O'Keefe Street, Woolloongabba
   * Park Road station, Dutton Park ....

...     

The event is free and you can also travel free with TransLink to the event by cutting out the coupon in the Sunday Mail available Sunday 2 August 2009 ...

Image from http://download.translink.com.au/busways/busway_entry.pdf

[Otto]

I plan on being there .. Should be a nice walk through the tunnel !

[Jon Bryant]

I hope we can continue over the bridge to UQ as well.  Mind you I am taking twin girls and a 3 year boy.  I might not make it all the way.  Enjoy!!!!

[ButFli]

I hope we can continue over the bridge to UQ as well. 

You won't be able to walk on the roadway but the Eleanor Schonell Bridge has pedestrian/cycle paths on both sides.

[ozbob]

I plan to go along and have a bo-peep too!  

[ozbob]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Schonell_Bridge,_Brisbane

The Eleanor Schonell Bridge, also known as the Green Bridge, is a 390-metre (1,280 ft)-long cable-stayed bridge which crosses the Brisbane River between Dutton Park and the University of Queensland's St Lucia campus. Its deck is 185 metres long, 20 metres wide and about 18 metres above the river's surface. The bridge was opened on December 17, 2006, and is the first bridge in Australia exclusively designed for buses, cyclists and pedestrians, as well as the first public transport bridge built in Australia since the early 1900s.

[ozbob]

Some background at Wikipedia --> Boggo Road Busway

[ozbob]

Boggo Road Busway Tunnel, Brisbane

Australasian Tunnelling Society -->  here!

Some photographs as tunnelling proceeded.

[ButFli]

I can't wait to ride on this new busway!

I might make a detour via UQ on my way to work on Monday!

[ozbob]

Roadheader in action --> http://www.thiess.com/Projects/BoggoRoadBusway/index.htm

[STB]

Will be there tomorrow between 10am and 11:30am to check it out and walk the busway .

Think I'll do my detour to try out the new Boggo Road Busway tomorrow after work, and try the new part of the Northern Busway next weekend.

EDIT: I think I mean, Monday after work.

[ozbob]

Some photographs.

Start off at Park Road through the tunnel to the river, back through to tunnel along to the PA bus station.  
















Gold Coast services stopping at Park Road off peak as from today






















Emergency tunnel/exit.  Has positive pressure to help keep clear if needed.





















Photographs R Dow 2nd August 2009

[ozbob]

Joint Statement:

Premier and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Anna Bligh

Minister for Transport
The Honourable Rachel Nolan
02/08/2009

More than half a billion dollars worth of busway to open for business

Premier Anna Bligh and Transport Minister Rachel Nolan have opened the first two east-west sections of Brisbane's rapidly expanding busway network to the public at a community day attended by thousands of Queenslanders.

Ms Bligh said the $366 million worth of new infrastructure, comprising the Boggo Road Busway and Stage One of the Eastern Busway, will take up to 450 buses off the road every day and up to 10,000 passengers will use the busway daily.

"These two projects combined now link the Eleanor Schonell Bridge to the South East Busway at Buranda station and provide yet another vital link in our Busway network," said Ms Bligh.

Stage one of the $198 million Northern Busway will open at the same time as the Boggo Road and Eastern Busway projects meaning more than half a billion dollars worth of congestion-busting infrastructure will be delivered simultaneously.

"This infrastructure is ahead of schedule and bang on budget," said Premier Anna Bligh.

"This Boggo Road Busway and Stage One of the Eastern Busway add 2.1 km to our expanding network.

"Combined with the 1.2 km of Northern Busway, these projects brings the total length of Busways in Brisbane to 24km."

The Premier said the new sections of busway would cut almost 10 minutes off travel time and cut out seven sets of traffic lights for buses.

"But combined with the entire network they also mean that passengers who are now using roads to get to Queensland University could cut up to 40 minutes off their journey time if they switch to public transport," she said.

"For example someone driving from Eight Mile Plains to the university in peak hour would face a journey of more than an hour but using the busway network they can now do the trip in 22 minutes flat without even changing buses."

The latest link in the network means that passengers will now be able to travel from University of Queensland at St Lucia to Buranda, then link up with the South East Busway into the city and then out to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital at Windsor.

"So for tens of thousands of regular public transport users this means traffic jams will become a distant memory," said the Premier.

"We want as many people as possible to switch to public transport. For that to happen we know we need to provide a world-class service.

"We've already seen patronage grow by almost 50 per cent in the past five years across southeast Queensland as the busway network has expanded to meet this challenge. Our record $18.2 billion capital building program means services and infrastructure will only continue to improve."

The Boggo Road Busway includes a 640m-long underground section, making it the longest busway tunnel in Australia.

"The tunnel passes just six metres under the heritage-listed Boggo Road Gaol and the workers did a wonderful job completing the job without any damage to this important building," said Ms Bligh.

The busway includes a new station at Princess Alexandra Hospital and the new Boggo Road busway station located adjacent to the Park Road rail station.

"There is also a 920-metre shared cycleway that provides cyclists and pedestrians better access to the South East Freeway Bikeway as well as the Eleanor Schonell Bridge and University of Queensland," said the Premier.

Ms Bligh said Queensland's record $18.2 billion capital building program meansthe Busway network would continue to expand.

"Construction will start within weeks on the next section of the Eastern Busway, which will connect the Buranda busway station to new busway stations at Stones Corner and Langlands Park in Coorparoo," she said.

"This new 1.05km stage 2 of the Eastern Busway, from Buranda to Main Avenue, is expected to create up to 2839 jobs and that is incredibly important during these difficult economic times."

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said the Eastern Busway was connecting one of the largest traffic generators in South East Queensland ?- the University of Queensland.

"Approximately 33,000 students and staff access the University of Queensland," Ms Nolan said.

"The Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH), is the second-largest hospital in the state and has almost 12,000 patients, visitors and staff travelling to and from the hospital each day.

"This new busway offers a link from the South East Busway to a three-storey station at PAH, with a covered pedestrian link direct to the central reception area of the hospital.

"These connections are an integral part of the Queensland Government's long-term plan to meet the transport needs of South East Queensland, by providing more frequent and reliable bus services and active transport options to better connect people and places."

Ms Nolan said the Boggo Road busway station had a walkway to the forthcoming Boggo Road Urban Village (under construction) and the Park Road railway station.

"This means commuters can change modes of transport and catch a train to the city, the Brisbane Airport, Gold Coast, Beenleigh or Cleveland," she said.

Ms Bligh and Ms Nolan said they thanked the local residents and the community for their patience and understanding during construction.

==============================================================

[ozbob]

Media Release 1st August 2009

SEQ: New busways a welcome addition!

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has congratulated the construction alliances, the Queensland Government and TransLink on the commencement of services on the new Northern Busway and the Boggo Road Busway from this Monday (3rd August).

Robert Dow, spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track said:

"A number of our members joined the public for the walk through on the new section of the Northern Busway last weekend.  The bus station at RBWH is very impressive and will be a major improvement in facilitating access to public transport and the busway will allow some reduction in commute times.  To maximum the value of the considerable expenditure by Queensland taxpayers however, the route 66 bus needs to be extended to RBWH bus station.  This will assist in the overloading that occurs on peak times particularly between the Herston medical precinct and CBD.  Another approach would be to combine the route 109 with the route 66 and in so doing provide a seamless integrated service between the major medical precincts in Brisbane namely Herston, Mater and PA hospitals, and also UQ and QUT Kelvin Grove (1).  This would also ease the congestion between Herston and CBD on the buses."

"We look forward to the walk through on the Boggo Road busway this Sunday the 2nd August.  We note however only three bus routes will be using the new busway from Monday the 3rd August.  These bus routes are routes 139, 169 and 209 (2).  Surely it would make sense to also run route 109 on the new busway?  Also some other routes could also use sections of the new busway, for example routes 105, 108, 107, 112, 116, 113.  Why build massive infrastructure if it is not going to be utilised to the maximum?"

"Congestion costs!  It is time that all modes of public transport were properly resourced to further encourage citizens to make the change.  The new busways are a very welcome incremental improvement to the public transport network.  Let's use them to the maximum!"

References:

1.  29 July 2009: SEQ: Where's our Buz? http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2538.0

2.  TransLink Service Update http://www.translink.com.au/servicechange.php?id=55

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[O_128]

well i have 2 things on the matter.

1. can park road at least get the nice new signage seeing as it isnt getting a name change. unlike buranda which got a brand new modern busway station yet no upgrades to the station.

2. something needs to be done about he section of road from  south bankt to cultural center there is big bus congestion here in the morning

[ozbob]

First rate project, still ongoing with the next stage.  Park Road station has been tarted up a bit as well  .  I guess they didn't want it looking lack lustre against platforms 5 and 6 (bus platforms).  Anyone know why platform 4 is not used at Park Road?

Enjoyed the walk through, and the free travel ...  

There was an interesting assortment of trains running through Park Road as well, the SMUs IMUs work trains and the some DELs.  Even managed to get a photograph of steam at platform 3 Roma St on the way home.


AC16 221A on Steam Train Sunday tour platform 3 Roma St



Photograph R Dow 2nd August 2009

[Emmie]

Meanwhile - I just checked the Translink site and came up with the following:

Current alerts:
TransLink has been advised that the Eastern Busway will not begin scheduled services tomorrow as previously advertised. Routes 139, 169 and 209 will continue to use their existing routes and timetables until further notice

No explanation of why. 

[ozbob]

Thanks Emmie.  I was hoping it was not going to be delayed.  Heard on the walk that there was problems, something to do with a water pipeline I think (needs confirmation).



Boggo Road/Eastern Busway service changes - effective 3 August 2009

TransLink has been advised the Boggo Road/Eastern Busway will not be ready for scheduled services on Monday 3 August as originally advertised.

Routes 139, 169 and 209 will continue to use their existing routes and timetables until further notice.

http://www.translink.com.au/servicechange.php?id=55

[STB]

Was a great day, walked the busway several times...

Yeah, TransLink people said to me that a water pipe had burst and that services should start next week.

I believe it's due to the tight radius of the curve which causes a large gap between the train and the platform as it moves around that curve, also would cause an excessive step height between train and platform.

[ozbob]

Thanks STB for the info and comments re platform 4. 

[ButFli]

Re: Platform 4

Surely it isn't the tight radius alone. Just going from Google Earth the curve seems to be the same for platform 3 yet it is still safe for use?

[O_128]

Re: Platform 4

Surely it isn't the tight radius alone. Just going from Google Earth the curve seems to be the same for platform 3 yet it is still safe for use?

does translink not have surveyors and etc

[STB]

O_128, Park Road was rebuilt way back in 2001, well before TransLink was around.

[Jon Bryant]

Walked from end to end, over the bridge and then ran into some friends halfway through the tunnel. 

Agree that it would have been nice if the rail platforms, bridges, etc. had been given a face lift and a uniform look and feel given to the whole interchange.  I know it is not really required but it would have given travellers a feeling that the 2 systems do work together.

It does seem crazy for such a limited number of routes to be using the new busway but it is alwsy the frequency that matters.   It is a pitty the busway does not continue through or under UQ and connect either back to the City or to Indooroopilly...and beyond.  Any new services is going to make the bottleneck in the City worse and this needs to be fixed. Written about that else where.

Hope the busway is in use quickly and those travelling to UQ or the PA hospital fill buses day in and day out.

[stephenk]

Due to work commitments I was unable to visit the busway today. So thanks Ozbob for posting all those photos.

[ButFli]

Hope the busway is in use quickly and those travelling to UQ or the PA hospital fill buses day in and day out.

The routes to UQ are already filled day in, day out. I don't think the new busway is going to do anything to reduce patronage.

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Fire inspection delays Eastern Busway opening

Fire inspection delays Eastern Busway opening
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Ursula Heger and Rosemary Odgers

August 03, 2009 12:00am

THE opening of Brisbane's much-vaunted Eastern Busway has been delayed by up to a week after it failed to pass a fire safety inspection.

The embarrassing setback for the State Government was revealed only hours after an all-star walk-through of the busway by Premier Anna Bligh and Transport Minister Rachel Nolan.

The first stage of the $465.8 million busway was to be fully operational from today, but final checks found a water pipe connected to the fire safety system had ruptured.

The pipe was repaired, but experts later recommended additional support brackets be installed around the pipe, forcing the Government to delay services from using the busway.

The system is designed to spray water on vehicles in the tunnel if fire sensors are activated.

Ms Nolan yesterday did not specify a new opening date, but a spokesman said it could be up to a week away.

"Testing of the utilities over the last couple of days indicated that additional support brackets on a water pipe were required and this work is under way," Ms Nolan said.

"Once this work is complete, final QFRS certificates can be issued and buses will start travelling on the busway."

Three bus routes, the 139, 169 and 209, which run from Brisbane to Carindale, Sunnybank to the University of Queensland, will all use old routes, bus stops and timetables until the safety checks are finalised.

Two routes, the 109 from Brisbane to Dutton Park and 192 from Brisbane to West End, will begin using an unaffected part of the busway.

A TransLink spokesman said staff would be at the busway to direct commuters to their old bus stops.

Once opened, the new busway - which includes a 640m tunnel under Boggo Road jail - will link the existing South East Busway to the University of Queensland over the Eleanor Schonell Bridge.

Ms Bligh said the busway would encourage more people to switch over to public transport.

She said the latest link would mean that passengers could travel from UQ at St Lucia to Buranda, link up with the South East Busway into the city and then travel out to Windsor on the Northern Busway.

"This will also take buses off both Ipswich Rd and Coronation Drive at peak hour," Ms Bligh said.

The Northern Busway, between the Royal Children's Hospital and Windsor, will be open on schedule from today.

[ozbob]

Latest ...

http://www.translink.com.au/servicechange.php?id=55

Boggo Road/Eastern Busway service changes - effective 3 August 2009

TransLink has been advised the Eastern Busway will be ready for scheduled services on Monday 3 August 2009 following an inspection and approval of the deluge system.

Routes 139, 169 and 209 will be diverted onto the new Eastern Busway from the South East Busway to service the PA Hospital and Boggo Road busway stations before continuing to UQ Lakes. View the timetable for routes 139, 169 and 209, effective 3 August 2009.

 

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Eastern Busway given all-clear after hose hiccup

Eastern Busway given all-clear after hose hiccup
Tony Moore
August 3, 2009 - 11:53AM

Brisbane's $366 million Eastern Busway has been given the all clear by safety inspectors after a problem with fire hosing forced some last-minute repairs overnight.

The busway, from St Lucia to Buranda, was officially opened yesterday and buses have been using the new thoroughfare since this morning.

New brackets to hold up a fire hose that ran from a fire safety system were installed last night, Queensland Transport said.

Originally a fire hose perished and was replaced, but fire safety experts at the time recommended extra brackets be included to help support the hose.

Queensland Fire and Rescue Services gave the "all clear" to the operators at 9pm last night.

"All areas of concern have now met the necessary requirements," a QFRS spokeswoman said this morning.

"Approvals were given to the developers at 9pm last night."

All bus routes have been operating, including the the 139, 169 and 209 routes, which run from Carindale and from Sunnybank to the University of Queensland.

The first stage of the Eastern Busway project is planned to take 450 buses off Ipswich, Annerley and Fairfield roads each day and tipped to take 10,000 passengers each day.

It includes a 640-metre underground tunnel which runs beneath the old Boggo Road Prison, which is now being restored as a specialist science centre.

It means that commuters can travel from University of Queensland at St Lucia to Buranda, then link up with the South East Busway into the city and then out to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital at Windsor.

The busway includes a new station at Princess Alexandra Hospital and the new Boggo Road busway station next to the Park Road rail station.

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport
The Honourable Rachel Nolan
03/08/2009

Engineer efforts ensure early morning busway start

A huge effort by government and engineers and contractors was rewarded this morning when the $366 million Eastern Busway opened on time this morning.

The Busway linking Buranda to the University of Queensland's Eleanor Schonell Bridge had faced last minute commissioning problems when a water pipe burst.

"There had been some concern that that would delay opening but government engineers, contractors and officers from the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service worked closely together to get the pipe fixed and the fire safety system independently certified in time for the first bus at 5.14am this morning," Ms Nolan said.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said she wanted to personally thank the workers for their efforts.

"The Eastern Busway is a great project - it will take hundreds of buses off the road every day and cut around 10 minutes from the bus commute from the southside to UQ," she said.

"These workers' efforts mean that the project was completed ahead of time and on budget so commuters are enjoying the benefits right now."

Ms Nolan said today was a huge day for public transport with both the Eastern and Northern busways being opened.

"Together these busways are taking more than 7000 buses and more than 200,000 passengers per week off our roads and they're cutting travel time," Ms Nolan.

"They're the result of the Bligh Government's fundamental commitment to public transport and they're improving quality of life and cutting congestion in the south-east.

"Ten years ago when this Labor Government was elected, there was not one kilometre of busway in SEQ - now there are 24 kilometres of dedicated busway and bus patronage is growing rapidly as a result."

[dwb]

http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3756.0