2 Apr 2012: Brisbane: Lord Mayor Candidates - Scrap the Maroon CityGlider ...

[ozbob]

Media release 2 April 2012

Brisbane: Lord Mayor Candidates - Scrap the Maroon CityGlider proposal!

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 calls for all Brisbane City Council Mayor candidates to scrap the Maroon CityGlider proposal and use that funding to implement improved bus services for Bulimba as part of their election platform.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"In 2009, Bulimba residents told Brisbane City Council's neighbourhood planning team about car congestion on Wynnum Road, Hawthorne Ferry being parked out, the frequency of all bus services needing improvement and that the cars were eroding the vibrancy of Oxford Street with people parking across driveways and excluding parking for residents' visitors (1). It seems that no action has been taken on these concerns."

"A 'Bulimba Glider' would relieve Bulimba's major parking issues, improve access to the popular movie cinemas and a restaurant district that relies on late night trade. Current services in the Bulimba area are grossly inadequate, shameful and an embarrassment. The proposed Maroon CityGlider route between Stones Corner and Paddington is flawed because it merely duplicates existing high frequency busway services (2)."

"All Lord Mayoral candidates should download the 230/235 bus timetable from the TransLink website to see just how feeble and unconvincing claims that Bulimba is already 'well served' are (3,4). Around 7 pm on weekdays the 235 Thynne Road services become one way only, forcing passengers to do a tour of Bulimba before they can go to the city and waiting time blows out to one hour for a bus. After 6:30 pm, 230 Riding Road services to Bulimba also become one way only and waiting time blows out to one hour. On Saturday, services come once every 45 minutes. Compare this to other inner ring suburbs such as West End, Paddington or Stones Corner which already have services every 15 minutes or better. On Sunday, waits can be up to one hour and a half for services. World Class? Adequately served? Lower priority than Paddington, West End or Stones Corner? No need for upgrade? Really? We didn't think so either!"

"The 232 bus services are also terrible - driving into a maze of 28 different streets and one hour waits, the service resembles a safari tour rather than a public transport service.

"By way of analogy, if Brisbane City Council were to build a local main road that only opened once per hour, or forced drivers to drive into a maze, drive in circles depending on the time of day, was only open during peak hour or became one way 'exit only' at night motorists would be outraged. And yet this is what Bulimba public transport passengers put up with every day."

"Brisbane City Council has the power to act and listen to Bulimba residents and to scrap the Maroon CityGlider, and improve bus services for travel between Bulimba and the CBD rather than between Paddington and Stones Corner which already has access to high frequency services. Indeed, Stones Corner already has two busway stations and a train station."

"Creating a 'Bulimba Glider' would be a much better outcome for the community."

Contact:

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

References:

1. http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/2010%20Library/2009%20PDF%20and%20Docs/2.%20Planning%20and%20Building/2.2%20Local%20plans/bulimba_cpt_minutes_september09.pdf

2. http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7575.0

3. http://translink.com.au/travel-information/services-and-timetables/buses/route-230

4. http://translink.com.au/travel-information/services-and-timetables/buses/route-232

Attachment - How an upgraded 230 complements CityCat services 

[ozbob]

Discussion thread --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7575.0