Article: Bus system for Ripley Valley city

[ozbob]

From the Queensland Times click here!

Bus system for Ripley Valley city

Bus system for Ripley Valley city

Peter Foley | 17th August 2010

THE State Government is waiting on a study into a fast bus system linking Ipswich with the future population hub of the Ripley Valley.

In the last Ipswich City Council budget, $150,000 was allocated to look at options for a bus transport system linking the Ipswich CBD with the Ripley Valley.

Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale said he envisaged it as similar to Western Australia, with a system like light rail, except using buses.

Cr Pisasale said the study was being conducted by the State Government, Ipswich City Council and the Ripley Valley developer Sekisui House.

A TransLink spokesman said yesterday Transport Minister and Member for Ipswich Rachel Nolan was monitoring the study's progress.

"As the Minister announced last year, the government, along with Sekisui House and Ipswich City Council, is undertaking a study to look at future bus priority linking Ipswich CBD and Ripley," the spokesman said. "That study has not yet been considered by the relevant parties."

The 2010 TransLink Network Plan lists High Frequency Priority (HFP) transport services as a target for areas such as Ipswich.

They are described as "a network of fast, frequent, reliable and direct services will form the backbone of the public transport system, running along major corridors and connecting activity centres and residential communities".

The TransLink plan says the HFP network will operate services at a frequency of every 15 minutes or better, between the hours of 6am to 9pm, seven days a week. Commuters will not need a timetable on these bus, train and ferry services.

A network of HFP routes will be made clearly identifiable, with consistent branding of stations, stops, ferry terminals and signage.

[#Metro]

What happened to the train line plans? Is this going to be like Springfield repeated?
If anything these developments should be built around the existing Rosewood line where there already is a train line, which could have upgraded frequency.

[ozbob]

The railway is planned but sometime in the distant future.  The bus system is seen as an interim solution.  I expect the railway will be progressively pushed out from Springfield.  The Mayor of Ipswich is keen for a public transport solution into Ipswich.

[Golliwog]

So is UQ, with their Ipswich campus set to get its own station or one very close to it anyway. Could see the dodgey UQ shuttle bus done away with. Well at least to the Ipswich campus, Gatton would still need it.