Northern Link tender announced

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Successful Northern Link tender announced

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

I was invited to attend this announcement. Mention was made of giving bus access from the INB, which would be of great benefit to express bus out from/to Moggill Centenary suburbs. Full details of how this would be achieved is apparently still being negotiated.  It would appear that this tunnel will probably be built so pressing for bus rapid transit to be part of it is essential.

[ozbob]

Courier Mail --> Toll on the $1.5bn Northern Link project fixed at $3 for first year

[somebody]

Mention was made of giving bus access from the INB, which would be of great benefit to express bus out from/to Moggill Centenary suburbs.

You are thinking of in peak hour?  Yes, I guess that would be better than sitting in the traffic on Moggill Rd.

[ozbob]

The Lord Mayor mentioned Express bus to and from the West in his presentation.  Will be of particular benefit at peak.  Some more work on Moggill road as well. Full details hopefully will be forthcoming.

[SteelPan]

  Great to see more positive ACTION with TransApex.  Remember, EVERYTIME, you get board a QR train you pay a toll (fare) in addition to any tax dollars that have gone into rail.  Also, if govt's don't build some toll rd's there will be even LESS money to go to rail projects!

[#Metro]

Also, if govt's don't build some toll rd's there will be even LESS money to go to rail projects!

Not necessarily. Any profits Clem7 would have made would be going to... shareholders of Clem7
Anything made on NL tunnel will go into ... the interest payments over the tunnel ... so the bank...

It does look like this tunnel will be built, rain hail or shine. The least that could be done is connect the express buses to the INB as a second-best solution. I still think that an UrbanLink train running express from Darra would be of more benefit overall to the Centenary Suburbs than this Tunnel.

[somebody]

The Lord Mayor mentioned Express bus to and from the West in his presentation.  Will be of particular benefit at peak.  Some more work on Moggill road as well. Full details hopefully will be forthcoming.

Ok, but we don't use the Western Freeway off peak at present.  I feel that could be of benefit even though it would bypass Indoorooopilly shops, but patronage has to rise to a certain level.  Not sure if we are there yet.

[SteelPan]

Also, if govt's don't build some toll rd's there will be even LESS money to go to rail projects!

Not necessarily. Any profits Clem7 would have made would be going to... shareholders of Clem7
Anything made on NL tunnel will go into ... the interest payments over the tunnel ... so the bank...

It does look like this tunnel will be built, rain hail or shine. The least that could be done is connect the express buses to the INB as a second-best solution. I still think that an UrbanLink train running express from Darra would be of more benefit overall to the Centenary Suburbs than this Tunnel.

The whole basis for my post - was that by putting money into SOME toll roads - govts do not have to put money (or as much money) into roads and will have more money to embrace other projects, such as rail.  If private sector interests are prepared to stump up the ca$h for SOME toll roads, then of course any returns must flow to them - usually, govts cut themselves in for a share of the action too!

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Tunnel toll to start low

[#Metro]

The whole basis for my post - was that by putting money into SOME toll roads - govts do not have to put money (or as much money) into roads and will have more money to embrace other projects, such as rail.  If private sector interests are prepared to stump up the ca$h for SOME toll roads, then of course any returns must flow to them - usually, govts cut themselves in for a share of the action too!

I'm not really sure I agree with that.
See if you increase the number of roads, you make it easier for people to drive, so you get a net shift of people to roads from public transport.  Which is a bit like shooting oneself in the foot if you ask me.

AirportLink is an excellent example of exactly this. Tollway directly to the Airport will directly compete with the AirTrain.

These roads are not being built for the sake of public transport,
or for the purposes of funding public transport;
they are being built as an alternative to public transport.

I have had mixed feelings about this project. It might allow a re-direction of heavy traffic into the new tunnel, however this is debatable as the traffic forecast is 16 000 per day, so that's not a lot when you think about it overall.

This could help allow the return of that much beleaguered bus lane on Coronation Drive.
(Alternatively the bus lane could be seen as "funnelling").

[Jonno]

I do not have mixed feelings about it.  I hate it and all it represents.  It will not solve any traffic problems, it will pollute my childrens air, it will send BCC broke, it will generateore more car use, it is a waste of time and money.  Promoting better bus services to support it's construction is like promoting health benifits from smoking. It is BS!!!!!!

[somebody]

Personally, I shall be impressed if they can connect the northern link to the busway at Normanby.  It will be facing in entirely the wrong direction.

[ozbob]

The reality is that this tunnel will be built by the looks of things.  The Federal government has provided $500M.  It would be foolish in the extreme not to include some bus access in a project that will cost $1.5 billion all up.  The tunnel is a road project but if some benefit for public transport can be gained then that is in itself worth pressing for.  To stand aside and say we don't agree with the tunnel at all is one thing.  Not to ask for some additional support for bus in view of the fact that the tunnel will be built is another.  The cost of connections for bus would be in the order of $50M as I understand it, and that is not presently part of this project.   Compare that cost to the cost of the Eastern Busway ...  Brisbane rate payers use the buses too ...

[ozbob]

Personally, I shall be impressed if they can connect the northern link to the busway at Normanby.  It will be facing in entirely the wrong direction.

Not across the detail but there are options to achieve  just that.  Problem is, not funded (yet).

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

All aboard the Northern Link express

All aboard the Northern Link express
Tony Moore
September 21, 2010 - 5:38AM

Western suburbs residents could get their first express bus services to the Brisbane CBD through the Northern Link tunnel.

However, it would need a state government injection of $50 million for the link from the Inner City Busway at Kelvin Grove, so buses could effectively use Northern Link.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman outlined the public transport benefits of the new tunnel as he announced Transcity was the successful tenderer for the project.

"This will allow the creation of express bus services to people who live west of the Chapel Hill, Moggill Road, Centenary Highway interchange," Cr Newman said.

"So people who live west of Chapel Hill, Kenmore, Pullenvale, people in the Centenary Suburbs and further to the south-west will be the beneficiaries, because we can then put buses on that run, through the tunnel, from the Inner City Bypass and the Inner Northern Busway and cut a huge amount of congestion out to them."

Public transport advocate Robert Dow, from Rail: Back on Track, said it needed a "$50 million link" between Northern Link and the Inner Northern Busway at Kelvin Grove.

"You would have buses on the Western Freeway through Northern Link in a blink," Mr Dow said.

"I understand there is negotiations [between the state and council] underway and it really a pretty small sum of money given they are spending almost $600 million on the [Eastern] busway out at Buranda."

Cr Newman yesterday spruiked the time-saving benefits of Northern Link, based on the crowded Milton Road, Coronation Drive, the Inner City Bypass and the Western Freeway.

Council expects Northern Link to slice travel times between the Centenary Bridge and Inner City Bypass from 30 to 10 minutes.

An 24-minute afternoon peak hour journey would be cut to 10 minutes, a saving of 14 minutes, Cr Newman said.

Currently, 80,000 use the Centenary Motorway and the Inner City Bypass every day, while there are 70,000 vehicles on Coronation Drive and 55,000 on Milton Road.

"So I think you can see that this is an absolutely critical project for the city of Brisbane," Cr Newman said.

Council is yet to release the 2010 Queensland Treasury Corporation report which would outline how the project would impact on council rates.

The 2009 QTC report clearly said rates could rise if traffic figures were lower.

However, with a lower capital cost due to a $300 million saving, along with lower operating costs, the pressure on rates would be lessened.

"It was a $1.8 billion project and it is now $1.5 billion project," Cr Newman said

"Through this very competitive bid process, we have achieved a saving of $300 million."

Cr Newman said there would be no rate rises due to Northern Link.

"We either raise rates - which we don't want to do and which we don't intend to do as a result of the way we are doing this - or we have a user pays toll system," Cr Newman said.

"We think this is the best outcome for our ratepayers."

Council's borrowings for Northern Link have been reduced from $703 million, contained in the 2009 QTC report, to $566 million.

Operating costs have been reduced from around $350 million to $280 million.

"That makes a very significant positive difference to our business case and that is substantially better than the business case we put to the Queensland Treasury Corporation about 12 months ago," Cr Newman said.

[ozbob]

Blast from the past ... we have form .. 

Media Release 13 September 2009

SEQ:  Options for bus rapid transit from the West

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 called for an immediate committment to provide rapid bus transit from the western suburbs of Brisbane.

Robert Dow, spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track said:

"There is a new park and ride facility being set up at Kenmore (1).  This is a welcome initiative, however, journey times from there to the CBD can be an hour or more at peak times.  Clearly there is a need for a western busway or a bus priority system to provide rapid public transport to avoid the serious road congestion between Kenmore and the CBD, and from other western suburbs as well."

"The Northern Link tunnel provides an opportunity for part of the solution.  The Northern Link tunnel will allow for bus lanes to established on either Milton Road or Coronation Drive if the projected traffic reductions occur on these thoroughfares when the tunnel is in operation, but if the Northern Link tunnel itself was modified to allow a bus entry exit point from the tunnel to the Inner Northern Busway, it would assist greatly in allowing express bus services to bypass the mess on Milton Road and Coronation Drive particularly."

"The Western Freeway could have additional T3 lanes added. These lanes could be extended through to Mount Ommaney on the Centenary Highway as well. From the Western freeway to Kenmore, Moggill Road could have T3 lanes added. Future bus stations could be built at Kenmore, and Fig Tree Pocket, Jindalee and Mt Ommaney for example."

"There are many options for improving bus rapid transit from the western suburbs ranging from a new subterranean busway to use of T3 and bus lanes on existing roads (2)."

"Our suggestions are just some of the possibilities. Regardless which solutions are chosen it is imperative that something be done now.  The situation for many people is already a commuting nightmare and will only get worse."

References:

1.   http://www.translink.com.au/kenmore.php

2.   http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2713.0

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[#Metro]

Not to ask for some additional support for bus in view of the fact that the tunnel will be built is another.  The cost of connections for bus would be in the order of $50M as I understand it, and that is not presently part of this project.   Compare that cost to the cost of the Eastern Busway ...  Brisbane rate payers use the buses too ...

Agree. They had a saving of $300 million, so there is money to do it. 

[ozbob]

With respect to bus, would accessing the ICB then the Northern Link be possible and practical?

--> http://www.northernlinkeis.com.au/projectdesign.html#1

[Dean Quick]

Well all bad things come in threes. The Clem 7 is a big white elephant. The Airport tunnel will be an even bigger one and now to complete this road building madness, construction is about to commence on the biggest of all. One rail tunnel has/is taking many years of planning/studies AND YET 3 road tunnels can be planned and built all in a very short time!!
I totally agree with Jonno. I hate it. It is a complete waste of money and symbolic of all that is wrong with current transport planning for a sustainable future. The failures of the past 4 decades are still being repeated!!!  

[somebody]

Personally, I shall be impressed if they can connect the northern link to the busway at Normanby.  It will be facing in entirely the wrong direction.

Not across the detail but there are options to achieve  just that.  Problem is, not funded (yet).

I think this tunnel sounds quite useless for bus.  Seems to have an eastern portal at a location less convenient to the city than Normanby.  The only way that this tunnel would help bus if it gives us bus lanes.  Go funneling!

That link shows that it is to be two tunnels of two lanes each.  I thought just the other day the plan was for one tunnel with one lane each way?

[ozbob]

Yes, despite the express bus talk there is little provision for bus at all.  With the projected traffic flows there would be plenty of room, but the Western freeway itself will still be problematical.   It is a road tunnel.  It is two lanes each way.  Back to bus priority on the existing network.  I cannot see additional funding being found for make a seamless connection for bus, at best it would be clumsy.  If traffic is reduced by the tunnel then bus lanes elsewhere might be achievable, but there will be funnelling claims of course.   Oh well, quad track at Darra, even if part botched ... lol

[#Metro]

If traffic is reduced by the tunnel then bus lanes elsewhere might be achievable, but there will be funnelling claims of course.

In defence of bus lanes against the "funneling argument":

1. Bus lanes were there and then were taken away to make room for the car. It is only being returned as it used to be
2. Motorists will have an entire new tunnel to drive into
3. Even if motorists do not want to use the new tunnel, they will (presumably) benefit from it as it is supposed to reduce congestion on Coronation drive (again a presumption)
4. The presence of bus lanes actually increases the capacity to move people on Coronation Drive.
5. Catch the BUZ 450! and benefits of the bus lane

People are given choices. Why should the choices and options be taken away from public transport commuters who already have to endure full buses, infrequent services, pay $3 or so and then have to endure stopping at bus stops everywhere and then be expected to sit in massive 15 minute + traffic jams on Coronation Drive at random times during the week just so a car with 1 person in it can get a quicker trip to the CBD?

It makes no sense.

[Jonno]

Don't look for sense in our transport plans.  It will only send you mad or turn you into a skeptic!!!!!!

[#Metro]

People are given choices. Why should the choices and options be taken away from public transport commuters who already have to endure full buses, infrequent services, pay $3 or so and then have to endure stopping at bus stops everywhere and then be expected to sit in massive 15 minute + traffic jams on Coronation Drive at random times during the week just so a car with 1 person in it can get a quicker trip to the CBD?

Well at 1pm this afternoon, what a prophetic post!!!
Coronation Drive random traffic, extreme bus delay and traffic nightmare lucky lucky dip will be .... TONIGHT!!!

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail 22nd September 2010 page 17

Express services for west

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Northern Link centre 'will devastate park'

[ozbob]

From the Satellite 29th September 2010 page 3

Controversial link

[ozbob]

Late last week received this letter, twice.  It was addressed to the registered electors at our residence.

It was on official Lord Mayor letterhead and signed by the Lord Mayor dated 23 Sep 2010.  I assume all Brisbane voters received this letter.

It mentions up to 2000 express buses daily will benefit ... not sure how this will happen yet?  Does anyone?

[Jonno]

Not even going to bother pointing out all the urban myths used in this letter.  He might as well write "smoking cures cancer"!

[somebody]

Which means one bus service along the Northern Link per peak per bus that BT owns, roughly.  Yeah, right.

[#Metro]

I think this might be a case of "public transport abuse" where PT is bundled with a road and used to help sell it.
No bones about it, this is a road project, first and foremost. Express buses will help, but if you want fast buses you could
just bring back the Coronation Drive traffic lane. Alternatively you could build an interchange at Indooroopilly to allow Western Suburbs commuters
to catch the express UrbanLink trains on the Ipswich Line or you could build a busway.

[#Metro]

And the 2000 buses per day. A bit skeptical, but would be happily surprised.

A BUZ has buses every 15 minutes off peak- this is 4 buses per hour.
If we assume the BUZ runs from 6am to 12 pm this is 18 hours in the day.

18 x 4 bus/hour = 72 buses
There are 2 peak hours, so we will assume that in the peak, buses run every 10 minutes (6 buses minus 4 already present = 2 extra)
Assuming a 2 hour peak = plus 8 buses per day

The number of buses is about 72 + 8 = 80 per day for a BUZ.
As this is one way, multiply by 2 to get 160

2000 buses divided by 160 = 12 times

For an equivalent of 2000 buses per day, this would be equal to 12 BUZ services, 12 BUZ routes- Wow!
To put this in perspective, a rough estimate would be about 300 buses/hour using the Wooloongabba on ramp to the Captain Cook Bridge.

If we assume that every rocket that slips through Wooloongabba freeway on ramp does the return journey in the afternoon, that is 600 buses per day in just the peaks, leaving us with 1400 buses left still to run for the rest of the day.

The Brisbane City Council also only owns 1000 buses or so. Unless a truly colossal number of buses will be bought and operators can be found (the Bus operations already appear to be cannibalizing other parts of the BCC with 'caps' on staff considered due to cost pressures- see Courier Mail article) then either the Western Suburbs is going to get the biggest boost of BUZ buses in human history, or someone made a mistake in the media release!!!!

Edit: accounted for return trips as well.

[mufreight]

Since a drivers shift can be averaged out at 8 hours even allowing for point to point journey times of 90 minutes each bus can at least do 2 1/2 round trips per driver per shift.
As some of these buses would in the course of their diagram see as many as three drivers it is possible for each bus in the fleet to do as many as six or seven round trips in a depot to depot working day as a minimum.
Consider this when calculating the numbers of services that can be operated and the picture changes quite considerably.

[somebody]

Yes, despite the express bus talk there is little provision for bus at all.  With the projected traffic flows there would be plenty of room, but the Western freeway itself will still be problematical.   It is a road tunnel.  It is two lanes each way.  Back to bus priority on the existing network.  I cannot see additional funding being found for make a seamless connection for bus, at best it would be clumsy.  If traffic is reduced by the tunnel then bus lanes elsewhere might be achievable, but there will be funnelling claims of course.   Oh well, quad track at Darra, even if part botched ... lol

I think the bus in Northern Link was only ever a goer with the original proposal with massive interchanges at either end.  These interchanges have been removed from the proposal.

I would love to hear how they plan to operate 2000 bus services/day through here.  We don't even see the demand for a 444 via the Western Freeway combined with a Moggill-UQ BUZ.  Not to mention non-decent services to other places in the western suburbs.

[somebody]

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/ratepayers-to-learn-impact-of-northern-link-20101019-16rv1.html

Ratepayers to learn impact of Northern Link
Tony Moore
October 19, 2010 - 12:51PM

Ratepayers will today learn the impact of the $1.5 billion Northern Link toll tunnel on Brisbane City Council finances.

Councillors will this afternoon debate the 2010 Queensland Treasury Corporation's Credit Review.

The 2009 review asked many questions of the Northern Link project, including what revenue would be received from the toll, which will start at $3 when the tunnel begins in 2014.
Advertisement: Story continues below

Brisbane City Council is funding Northern Link, with a $500 million contribution from the federal government.

The $1.87 billion project cost has been reduced to $1.5 billion since the design brief was put out to the market last year.

The 2009 QTC study also questioned the likely impact of the project on future rates.

However, since then Council's borrowings for Northern Link have been reduced from the $703 million contained in the 2009 QTC report to $566 million.

Operating costs have been reduced from around $350 million to $280 million.

"That makes a very significant positive difference to our business case and that is substantially better than the business case we put to the Queensland Treasury Corporation about 12 months ago," Cr Newman told brisbanetimes.com.au when the successful bidder was announced on September 20.

The new review is expected to make more detailed assessments of the revenue from tolls after the disappointing result from the Clem7 tunnel.

The Northern Link toll would start at $3 but increase to $4.61 (in 2010 dollars) after 12 months.

Brisbane City Council needs the approval of Queensland Treasury Corporation to proceed with the project.

I'd have to say, I cannot see how the QTC could approve such a project.  It is simply too expensive for the council to go it alone on.  So sanity may prevail here.

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Northern Link tunnel carpark plan for Toowong's Anzac Park angers residents

Northern Link tunnel carpark plan for Toowong's Anzac Park angers residents

    * Ursula Heger and Andrew MacDonald
    * From: The Courier-Mail, The Courier-Mail
    * November 03, 2010 12:00AM

RESIDENTS in Brisbane's inner west have hit plans to convert part of a local park in Toowong into a carpark for workers during construction of the $1.5 billion Northern Link tunnel.

It has been revealed part of Anzac Park's northern section will be used to house vehicles for 300 tunnel workers during the three-year construction period.

But Brisbane City Council says the carpark, which will be built 80m from the nearest homes in Wool St, will stop problems with construction workers parking in local streets.

Workers will access the site from Dean St, with others told to use shuttle buses and prepaid public transport tickets in a bid to reduce construction-related traffic and parking demand.

Deputy Mayor Graham Quirk said locals would be consulted before the carpark was returned to parkland after the construction period.

"This is a case of where we are doing it to keep residential amenity, because for example on the Airport Link there has been a lot of residential complaints about construction workers parking in their streets," Cr Quirk said.

"At the end of the project we will give residents an opportunity to have a say about what they want long-term – they may want to preserve some of these construction carparks. If they don't, then we will do a conversion back to some facilities they might want – that could be anything from turning it into a grassed area, to perhaps looking at the development of some facilities on the site."

Brisbane City Council opposition leader Shayne Sutton called for an alternative carpark to be investigated, saying the proposal was "completely unacceptable".

"Anzac Park is an extremely popular park for families," she said. "It is one of Brisbane's Avenues of Honour and includes a memorial, a great playground and Brisbane's longest flying fox."

Chapel Hill resident Alanah Hooi, who bypasses several parks closer to her home to bring her one-year-old son Otto to play at Anzac Park, said she worried the construction work could drive young families away.

"I have plenty of parks near me but not many with other kids so I come here because he gets to play with them," she said.

Former Toowong resident Victoria Scorer, who regularly brings her sons Ethan, 5, and Brodie, 4, to Anzac Park, said she was concerned about the potential safety risks posed by increased traffic.

"It's a shame to lose part of a park just for a bit of construction work," she said..

"I'm sure there are a lot of options that they could look at but this is probably just the cheapest and easiest."

[ozbob]

Minister for Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Stirling Hinchliffe
17/12/2010

Changes to Brisbane City Council's Legacy Way Project

Significant changes to approval conditions for Brisbane City Council's (BCC's) Legacy Way tunnel have today been approved by the Coordinator-General.

Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Stirling Hinchliffe welcomed the release of Coordinator-General's Change Report for the council project and said amendments included the relocation of the proposed Tunnel Control Centre (TCC) previously located opposite the Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens.

"The Coordinator-General has worked closely with Brisbane City Council to address the concerns of residents over the proposed location of the control centre," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"As a result of public consultation in respect of the TCC, further consultation will now be undertaken on the new location for the control centre once council develops an alternative."

Mr Hinchliffe said in addition, the Coordinator-General required a project ventilation station be buried to allow for future expansion of the gardens. He also refused plans for a temporary workers' car park at Anzac Park, Toowong.

"Regarding the proposed car park in Anzac Park, the Coordinator-General has asked council to consider all options available for providing off-street parking for construction workers and report back," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"It is likely that a combination of existing parking areas may be required to provide adequate parking however it is important that all options are thoroughly investigated.

"The public will be able to have their input on the possible locations for the car park when BCC conducts community consultation before presenting a further change application to the Coordinator-General.''

On 25 October 2010 BCC wrote to the Coordinator-General to request project changes. These changes also include a realignment of the proposed route for the two underground toll roads. The realignment follows BCC's acceptance of their proffered tenderer and their design for the project.

The roads will link the Centenary Motorway at Mt Coot-tha in Toowong with the Inner City Bypass at Kelvin Grove.

"The requested alignment change will result in operational improvements with easier grades within the tunnels providing more efficient traffic flow,'' Mr Hinchliffe said.

"New conditions have been added on top of the existing provisions in the Coordinator-General's report to minimise disturbance and provide clear triggers for the implementation of mitigation measures around vibration, noise, dust and air quality."

Changes to BCC's spoil conveyor system will remove the need for up to 450 truckloads per day (at peak production) or a total of up to 83 400 truckloads over a 14-month period resulting in a reduction of almost 14 000 truckloads (or 28 000 truck movements).

"I would like to thank all members of the community and stakeholders who put forward a submission," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"Submissions made on the changes have been essential to gaining an understanding of the issues of interest and they have informed the final conditions contained in the report."

A copy of the Coordinator-General's change report is available at http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/legacyway

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

[ozbob]

Late last week received this letter, twice.  It was addressed to the registered electors at our residence.

It was on official Lord Mayor letterhead and signed by the Lord Mayor dated 23 Sep 2010.  I assume all Brisbane voters received this letter.

It mentions up to 2000 express buses daily will benefit ... not sure how this will happen yet?  Does anyone?

Twitter

Robert Dow ‏ @Robert_Dow

@Campbell_Newman  Are you going to fix this deliberate misrepresentation today Campbell? --> http://t.co/Z19Z0Uwq #qldvotes more spin and bull

[ozbob]

Media release 4 March 2012

SEQ: Legacy way's 2000 daily express buses - we don't believe it Campbell!

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers has highlighted the promise that 'bus users will be able to benefit with up to 2000 express buses able to use Northern Link each day' (1).

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"RAIL Back On Track at the time doubted claims whether 2000 'express' buses per day was truly genuine (see calculations below) and wondered if it was just 'transit-wash', which is using fringe benefits of public transport to curry up favour for a road project whose actual purpose is to provide more road space and resources for car travel (2)."

Calculations

2000 express buses
18 hours per day 2000 buses / 18 hours of service = 111 buses per hour on average
60 minutes in one hour = 3600 seconds in one hour
3600 seconds in one hour / 111 buses per hour
is a bus every 32 seconds
(or assuming all the trips are return trips, a bus a minute).

"One of the most audacious publicly obvious failings in Western Suburbs transport planning was boasting about making a $300 million dollar 'saving' on Legacy Way but then, in the same release, claiming that $50 million dollars could not be found for a bus interconnection to the busway to allow council's own buses to use the Legacy Way (Northern Link Tunnel!"

"The idea of public transport being able to use Legacy way appears to have been set up to fail and nothing but 'transit-wash'.

"Brisbane City Council is continuing its bizarre record of removing bus lanes from Brisbane's most unreliable road - Coronation Drive, so that its own bus services carrying its own ratepayers are all slowed down and bus operating costs for its own fleet are increased."

"Add to that multi million dollar high-visibility Maroon CityGliders that may symbolise improvement to public transport but on further analysis actually reveals that they add zero new mobility and duplicate existing high frequency services."

"RAIL Back On Track again calls for the total abandonment of 'balanced transport' policies and a shift to 'rebalanced transport' based around walking, cycling, buses, ferries and rail."

References

1. http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4459.msg35456#msg35456

2. Greenwashing, Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwashing

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org