SE Busway & Capt Cook Bridge

[somebody]

In the peak, almost half of the SE busway services leave the busway to take the Capt Cook Bridge, but none that I know of do so off peak.  I'd suggest that there's a case that they should for the following reasons:
(1) The Cultural Centre can be congested even in off peak times.
(2) There is no shortage of buses between the CBD, the Cultural Centre, South Bank, Mater Hill and Buranda.
(3) If a full time service moves off peak, it would also move in the peak and reduce congestion at the Cultural Centre in the peak.
(4) If it's faster to fight the traffic congestion in the peak, that would apply even more off-peak, I would assume.

The most glaring example I can see of a bus service which should move is the 555 (not the N555 though).  There's probably a lot of Elizabeth St services in the same boat.

[Fridge]

The 155 and 134 both take Captain Cook Bridge and the run all day.

Both service Griffith Uni Nathan, the 155 Queen St - Calamvale runs once an hour, increased during peaks in both directions.  134 Queen St - Griffith Uni Rocket runs only during semester during the Uni's peak hours.

[#Metro]

Just a passing comment. I would like to see most buses diverted onto the Riverside expressway when there is an accident (i.e. Melbourne St intersection, Cultural Centre, Victoria Bridge). Lights or some kind of signal could be installed to prevent busjam.

[somebody]

Just a passing comment. I would like to see most buses diverted onto the Riverside expressway when there is an accident (i.e. Melbourne St intersection, Cultural Centre, Victoria Bridge). Lights or some kind of signal could be installed to prevent busjam.

Isn't that already done?  I would presume that a radio message goes out.  The trouble would be that so many buses have already passed the intersection by the time the message could be gotten out.  At least I would hope so.

[Andrew]

Usually a call does go out.  But the busway doesn't have the capacity when things go to poo like a bus breaking down.  Classic example was last week.  I was on a 156 rocket in the morning which was told to go via Southbank due to an accident at the beginning of Coro Drive and it was causing traffic congestion on Capt Cook Bridge.  It was only about 2 mins after passing Allen St exit that another call went out saying that a bus was broken down at the end of Victoria Bridge so we got stuck big time.  We managed to get to Cultural Centre before we stopped completely.  The driver let some people out there before we slowly made it across the bridge but it was a very unfortunate chain of events.  They need a bus only bridge that is 2 lanes each way from Cultural Centre.  I believe there are plans for a bridge to Adelaide St and putting in new platforms at Cultural Centre.

[O_128]

Usually a call does go out.  But the busway doesn't have the capacity when things go to poo like a bus breaking down.  Classic example was last week.  I was on a 156 rocket in the morning which was told to go via Southbank due to an accident at the beginning of Coro Drive and it was causing traffic congestion on Capt Cook Bridge.  It was only about 2 mins after passing Allen St exit that another call went out saying that a bus was broken down at the end of Victoria Bridge so we got stuck big time.  We managed to get to Cultural Centre before we stopped completely.  The driver let some people out there before we slowly made it across the bridge but it was a very unfortunate chain of events.  They need a bus only bridge that is 2 lanes each way from Cultural Centre.  I believe there are plans for a bridge to Adelaide St and putting in new platforms at Cultural Centre.

would it have been to hard to go across the non bus part of victoria bridge

[#Metro]

They need a bus only bridge that is 2 lanes each way from Cultural Centre.

This is a complete choke point. Only one thing needs to go wrong at this position (passenger gets hit at busway exit on melbourne street, car crash at intersection, fools running across cultural centre busway, bus collision) and the whole network will go into chaos because almost all buses have to pass through C.C. or are close enough to be affected by it.

This area needs a permanent solution. An idea would be to close off the pedestrian crossing at the busway/Melbourne st portal.
Temporarily close Melbourne street intersection.
Dig a big trench
Lay a prefabricated concrete tunnel underneath the crossing/road.
Return the intersection to operation, permanently close the pedestrian crossing.

There is a tunnel like this at Toowong that goes underneath High Street. The bikeway tunnel underneath coro drive is another example.

[justanotheruser]

This area needs a permanent solution. An idea would be to close off the pedestrian crossing at the busway/Melbourne st portal.
Temporarily close Melbourne street intersection.
Dig a big trench
Lay a prefabricated concrete tunnel underneath the crossing/road.
Return the intersection to operation, permanently close the pedestrian crossing.

There is a tunnel like this at Toowong that goes underneath High Street. The bikeway tunnel underneath coro drive is another example.

Good idea but I would suggest a bridge overhead. This could actually then be linked to the walkway over the CC stop which means people would not even need to go down to street level to go across the road. Instead they go from bus platform to walkway and only go down to street level once they have gone past the intersection

[dwb]

I'd suggest a better solution would be to route most of the south bound traffic via a new bus only bridge next to Captain Cook straight on to busway near Gabba. This means most buses would miss the choke poitns of Mater adn Cultural Centre. Other services could still travel via the south bank section of busway, but not the majority. this would offer more direct service and also solve the pedestrian issue at cultural centre which has been badly managed since the beginning and would only get worse by attempting to prohibit at grade pedestrian crossings.

[#Metro]

Or just make that inner city rail upgrade tunnel a bit wider and put in a busway.

[longboi]

This area needs a permanent solution. An idea would be to close off the pedestrian crossing at the busway/Melbourne st portal.
Temporarily close Melbourne street intersection.
Dig a big trench
Lay a prefabricated concrete tunnel underneath the crossing/road.
Return the intersection to operation, permanently close the pedestrian crossing.

There is a tunnel like this at Toowong that goes underneath High Street. The bikeway tunnel underneath coro drive is another example.

Good idea but I would suggest a bridge overhead. This could actually then be linked to the walkway over the CC stop which means people would not even need to go down to street level to go across the road. Instead they go from bus platform to walkway and only go down to street level once they have gone past the intersection

Definately. And while you're at it, I'd say a link to South Brisbane station wouldn't go astray. _{As well as renaming CC to South Brisbane}

The whole Melbourne/Grey St corner is just a mess of pedestrians in every direction - there needs to be a complete separation.