New CityCat and CityFerry timetables - effective 22 February 2010

[ozbob]

http://www.translink.com.au/servicechange.php?id=436

New CityCat and CityFerry timetables - effective 22 February 2010

New CityCat and CityFerry timetables will commence from Monday, 22 February.

The new timetables offer increased service frequency, improved scheduling in peak periods and a new express CityCat service from Hawthorne to Riverside.

Please note, the Inner City Ferry (Sydney Street - North Quay) timetable will not change.

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

CityCats go express

CityCats go express
TONY MOORE
February 18, 2010 - 2:19PM

Brisbane's first express CityCats will start on Monday when three non-stop services run from Hawthorne to Riverside in the morning peak.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman announced the new express services this morning while launching Brisbane's 15th CityCat - the "Kuluwin" - which honours the Aboriginal name for the suburb Wooloowin.

"There are three new express services coming directly from Hawthorne into town," Cr Newman said.

"As we get more 'Cats in the fleet, our flexibility to re-engineer the timetable and do things like this is going to be vastly improved."

It will make the CityCat journey from Hawthorne to Riverside an 11 minute trip.

Adding the Kuluwin to the CityCat fleet would allow an extra 130 ferry stops on four new services, including the three express services from Hawthorne.

The Kuluwin is the first of the new series of CityCats for the Brisbane River and includes an extra toilet, noise reduction mufflers, a larger front deck for passengers and solar blinds for the ferry skipper.

Cr Newman said the council would announce two new CityCat terminal locations by the end of the year.

"Currently under consideration are stops all the way from West End around Davies Park, Victoria Street, all the way back to the Gateway Bridge," he said.

"We are not going upstream - we have been through that issue before - but downstream and at intermediate points - they are all being worked on right now."

CityCat terminals cost about $4 million, with both upstream and downstream berths, and private sector investment via public tender is being courted for the new terminals.

A council committee on Tuesday talked about a possible CityCat stop at Milton, though no final decisions have been made on the locations.

"There is a whole range of irons in the fire and I have mentioned two - possibly three - locations right now," Cr Newman said.

However he confirmed that the new ferry terminal terminal at West End's Orleigh Park would be upgraded to link in with the new CityGlider service which will start before Easter.

"The beauty of Orleigh Park is that it will integrate with the new CityGlider bus service," Cr Newman said.

The Kuluwin features the pink ribbon synonymous with breast cancer awareness painted on the bow.

The prize to add the symbol was won at an auction by The Professionals Real Estate, which paid $2000 at an auction last year to sponsor the addition of the National Breast Cancer Foundation's logo.

Cr Newman told guests at this morning's launch that breast cancer was an issue that had impacted on his family.

He has promised a fleet size of 19 CityCats by March 2012.

[cartoonbirdhaus]

What's with the Teneriffe-Bulimba ferry running every 12-13 minutes? It was a true turn-up-and-go service beforehand... maximum wait of 10 minutes, with a simple guide showing operating hours instead of a timetable. After all, it's a de facto extension to the 199.

[#Metro]

Express ferries are good news! Very good news- I can't believe that this has actually happened.
2 tier timetable for ferries. Excellent.
Lets hope there are more.

[Jon Bryant]

Why a Council announcement and not Translink?

[#Metro]

A good question.

The ferries are run by TransdevTSL on contract to the BCC, not Translink.
The council funds the ferry service as well IIRC. Not sure how much TL funding there is.

I think BCC does an excellent job...

[stephenk]

At least the new express CityCat services have been sensibly timetabled, leaving only a 6min gap for stops not served the new service - unlike express services on rail which leave unattractive 23min peak gaps on many lines.

[#Metro]

Yes.
Ferries ... Tick
Buses ... Tick

Railways

[STB]

A good question.

The ferries are run by TransdevTSL on contract to the BCC, not Translink.
The council funds the ferry service as well IIRC. Not sure how much TL funding there is.

I think BCC does an excellent job...

Actually, I heard a few months ago, BCC sold off the ferry services.  Regardless they are still co-funded by BCC and TL as I understand it.

[#Metro]

Yes, IIRC the ferries have been sold off (buses are sold too) to the QLD Gov. (They were considering a bank also).
However the control of the BCC has not been removed. The ferries are privately operated to contract by TransdevTSL.
The fares are regulated by Translink.

Why were they sold? To get the cash to pay for another ferry (and other projects).
(and then you can sell that new one too, and go to the next one).
This makes use of the value inherent within the ferry. The council then rents the ferry back off the state government (or bank, as was considered).

How can I explain this simply?
It is like buying a $500 000 house, selling it for $500 000 and then having that person rent the place back to you for $300 per week. And then using the spare cash to buy another one.
Pretty neat. Although not everybody is a fan...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6Rw705osFI&feature=related

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/citycat-sale-to-go-through-this-morning-20090816-emdg.html

New tenders have been called for operating the ferry... though I haven't heard anything to say the current operators will be replaced.

[ozbob]

http://www.campbellnewman.com.au/articles/brisbane-gets-express-citycat-services.html

Brisbane gets express CityCat services

Written on the 18th of February 2010

Brisbane is about to get its first express CityCat service.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman today unveiled the first of Brisbane's new-look CityCat ferries, which has been coloured pink in honour of the fight against breast cancer.

The Lord Mayor teamed up with the National Breast Cancer Foundation to launch Brisbane's 15th CityCat 'Kuluwin', the first of five new CityCat ferries this term.

Each City Cat ferry has an Aboriginal name with 'Kuluwin' being the local Aboriginal term for the area that is now known as the suburb of Wooloowin.

Cr Newman said Kuluwin's addition to the CityCat fleet meant commuters would get four new ferry services in the morning peak and, for the first time, three new express services.

"More ferries mean we can offer commuters more services, which is why I am increasing the number of CityCats in our fleet to a record 19 by 2012," Cr Newman said.

"Ferries are an important tool in my Can Do team's integrated approach to tackling traffic congestion, which also includes record road spend and putting 500 new buses on the road over four years."

There were only eight CityCats in Brisbane's ferry fleet when Campbell Newman came to power in 2004. Kuluwin is the seventh he has delivered since then, with four more to come.

He said the new third-generation CityCat ferries were more fuel efficient and emitted fewer exhaust emissions, meaning a smaller carbon footprint for Council to offset.

They also have a more streamlined design and different colour scheme, an extra toilet, new noise-reducing mufflers, a larger front deck area for passengers and solar blinds that will make it easier for Ferry Master's to see while driving, he said.

Cr Newman said all new services would operate during the morning peak. He said the three new express services would run direct between Hawthorne and Riverside without stopping. The new timetable will start February 22.

"CityCat patronage has exploded by 93 per cent since I was elected and these new ferries and services will ensure we can keep up with this burgeoning demand. Kuluwin's addition to our fleet will add another 130 ferry stop offs in the morning peak," he said.

Last year the National Breast Cancer Foundation auctioned off the chance to launch the new pink CityCat, which was bought by staff at The Professionals real estate group for $2000 in support of their boss Lorraine Cush, who survived breast cancer.

"As Lord Mayor I always try and get involved with a worthwhile cause and I'm very proud that we helped raise funds to fight this ugly disease, which has also touched my family."

Kuluwin will remain wrapped in pink for a month. About 6.5 million passengers caught Brisbane ferries in 2008/09, an increase of 76 per cent since 2004.

[Ends] Feb 18, 2010