Kedron Brook and Lutwyche busway station open day 16th June

[ozbob]

Kedron Brook and Lutwyche busway station open day 16th June 10am - 2pm

http://translink.com.au/travel-information/network-information/event-transport/details/693

[ozbob]

Premier
The Honourable Campbell Newman
13/06/2012

Northern Busway sneak peek

The LNP Newman Government will officially open Brisbane's newest busway between Windsor and Kedron this weekend, taking hundreds of buses off busy Gympie and Lutwyche Roads.

Final touches are being applied to the $444 million Northern Busway project and people are invited to attend a Community Day this Saturday, 16 June before buses roll out on Monday.

Premier Campbell Newman said the LNP was a passenger-focused government and the Northern Busway project would improve reliability and frequency for passengers on the north side.
"This new busway means more bus services and reliable travel times for northside commuters, regardless of the traffic conditions on Gympie Road and Lutwyche Road," Premier Newman said.

"Rapid growth in the northern suburbs places huge demand on our transport network and the Northern Busway will help manage this growth.

"The three kilometre stretch of busway could carry the same number of people as a massive nine lanes of traffic on Gympie Road.

"Member for Gregory Vaughan Johnson deserves a special mention. He was a driving force behind Brisbane's original busway network while he was Transport Minister and we are delighted to see how it has evolved since 1997."

Minister for Transport and Main Roads Scott Emerson said the new busway would encourage more people to use public transport with buses running every three minutes during peak time.

"With more than 2,000 weekly bus trips added across northern Brisbane, passengers will be able to just turn up and go on frequent services that skip road congestion," Mr Emerson said.

"From Monday early morning and late at night buses will be so frequent that the thousands of people who will use the new Lutwyche and Kedron Brook busway stations can throw away their timetables.

"I would encourage all local residents to come along and explore the new Northern Busway at the community open day this Saturday between 10 am and 2pm."

Local residents can walk through the 600-metre busway tunnel connecting Lutwyche and Kedron Brook stations. They can also:
• see the new Lutwyche and Kedron Brook busway stations featuring high quality urban design and modern landscaping
• talk to TransLink staff about new and improved bus services
• explore local Lutwyche shops and businesses that will benefit from the busway
• purchase food and drinks
Entry is via the Lutwyche busway station or the Kedron Brook busway station.

Northern Busway facts
• $444 million project to build busway between Windsor and Kedron
• 3km in length from Truro Street, Windsor to Sadlier Street, Kedron
• Mixture of 1.5km tunnel and on-road dedicated bus lane
• Two new architecturally-designed busway stations at Kedron Brook and Lutwyche (Bradshaw St)
• Eight new bus stops - along Lutwyche Rd and Gympie Rd corridor
̶ 6; New green space from Bradshaw Park in Lutwyche to Kedron Brook
• Peak hour buses every 3 minutes and off peak every 7-8 minutes
• Combined frequency of peak hour buses every 2-3 minutes and off peak buses every 5 minutes between Chermside and the Brisbane CBD
• One busway lane can carry the same number of people as 9 extra traffic lanes on Gympie Road
• 3 ½ years to construct - with 450 people working on project
• Represents third leg of the busway after Inner Northern Busway (CBD to Royal Brisbane Women's Hospital (RBWH)) and Northern Busway Stage 1 (RBWH to Windsor)
• Planning is underway for future stages from Kedron to Bracken Ridge


General Busway facts

• Planning is underway for future stages from Kedron to Bracken Ridge
• Brisbane's busway network is 27 kilometres long, with 24 busway stations and interchanges.
• An average busway can carry more than 12,000 passengers per hour in each direction.
• Around 5.2 million passengers travel on busways each month.
• Thanks to the busway, up to 50 million fewer car trips will be made on Brisbane's roads each year.
• Busways effectively halve the pollution that bus routes would normally produce if they were required to operate in standard traffic.

For more information about bus services, visit Translink.com.au or call 13 12 30.

[ENDS]

[ozbob]

http://media.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/selections/northern-busway-section-opens-3371766.html

[SurfRail]

"Member for Gregory Vaughan Johnson deserves a special mention. He was a driving force behind Brisbane's original busway network while he was Transport Minister and we are delighted to see how it has evolved since 1997."

For some reason the emoticons don't work for me in IE, but:

EYES ROLLING...

[somebody]

"Member for Gregory Vaughan Johnson deserves a special mention. He was a driving force behind Brisbane's original busway network while he was Transport Minister and we are delighted to see how it has evolved since 1997."

For some reason the emoticons don't work for me in IE, but:

EYES ROLLING...

I don't mind this point - it's a fair point that the 1997 plan came out under a Liberal govt.  I hadn't thought about that before.

• Mixture of 1.5km tunnel and on-road dedicated bus lane

This disagrees with the Brisbanetimes video.  Is it a go or not?

[Jonno]

To give them some credit not one mention of how many buses it will get of the roads!!!

[Mr X]

Or how many seats it will deliver per week.

[SurfRail]

I don't mind this point - it's a fair point that the 1997 plan came out under a Liberal govt.  I hadn't thought about that before.

It's partisan silliness though.  Labor was as guilty of it.  Note the euphemising about how the busway has evolved over time, as if it grew by itself like a weed.

[Fares_Fair]

"Member for Gregory Vaughan Johnson deserves a special mention. He was a driving force behind Brisbane's original busway network while he was Transport Minister and we are delighted to see how it has evolved since 1997."

For some reason the emoticons don't work for me in IE, but:

EYES ROLLING...   

Hope these suffice ...

[Mr X]

I don't mind this point - it's a fair point that the 1997 plan came out under a Liberal govt.  I hadn't thought about that before.

It's partisan silliness though.  Labor was as guilty of it.  Note the euphemising about how the busway has evolved over time, as if it grew by itself like a weed.

Oh of course. Busways grow on trees- didn't you know that? 

I guess the LNP can spin this one was a "PT focused government revolutionising bus services to the northside through two new high class BUZ routes".. which were in the makings before the LNP were elected I would expect 

[ozbob]

Briabanetimes http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/

Northern Busway section opens

We take a ride on the Windsor to Kedron section of the $444 million Northern Busway project which will open to the public on Monday, saving up to ten minutes during peak hour.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Up to 10 minutes. How long would the bus be stationary at Albion road for haha.

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail click here!

Northern Busway faces boycott as bus drivers not allowed through tunnel beforehand

Northern Busway faces boycott as bus drivers not allowed through tunnel beforehand

    by: Robyn Ironside
    From: The Courier-Mail
    June 14, 2012 4:01PM

BUS drivers are set to boycott Brisbane's Northern Busway when it opens next Monday because they have not been allowed to drive through the tunnel to familiarise themselves.

Premier Campbell Newman and Transport Minister Scott Emerson yesterday took their first trip through the $444 million busway ahead of Monday's opening, but the Rail, Tram and Bus Union said members had not been afforded that privilege.

State secretary Owen Doogan said drivers did not feel confident about driving passengers through the tunnel when they had not been through themselves.

"They're not familiar with the road or the fire exits, which are vitally important to the safety of passengers," Mr Doogan said.

"There are also on the busway, unlike other busways, pedestrian crossings which at this point do not have lights.

"Essentially the passengers' first experience of the busway would be the drivers' first experience as well. We don't consider that to be acceptable."

Dave Matters from the union said the best training Brisbane City Council could offer was for the drivers to go through the tunnel in their own time.

"Frankly the BCC is not serious about ensuring that passengers are transported through the busway with a driver who is in the best position to ensure their safety," Mr Matters said.

"The drivers are only too happy to operate this busway once adequate training is provided."

Mr Doogan said they would do their best to limit any inconvenience to passengers.

Hundreds of buses a day are expected to use the busway between Kedron and Windsor, part of which is underground.

[somebody]

I don't like the services metric very much.  Seats made rail services sound much more impressive.

[ozbob]

612 ABC Brisbane Breakfast with Spencer Howson

Busway with no buses?

Busway with no buses?

15 June 2012 , 8:25 AM by Spencer Howson

The Northern Busway opens on Monday morning but will there be any buses using it?

Union Bus drivers say they haven't had enough training.

David Matters is the Assistant secretary of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union:

Click --> here!

[SurfRail]

Sack the buggers and bring in drivers from Bus Queensland or other operators to do it.  They would be champing at the bit to drive in as driver-friendly an environment as BT, and with BT's wages.

[/end fantasy where the power of the RTBU and TWU has been broken forever]

[colinw]

How exactly is this busway different to driving along any other road for the first time? If it is designed & signed correctly, route knowledge should be unnecessary just like any other safe road.

Are the public expected to have a "familiarisation drive" along the new Airport Link tunnel before using it for real with their cars?

Privatise BT!  Having it in council hands is anachronistic.

[somebody]

I can see some sort of induction wrt emergency exits and what not as being necessary.  Drive through?  Arguably once/direction.

[ozbob]

I can see some sort of induction wrt emergency exits and what not as being necessary.  Drive through?  Arguably once/direction.

+1  also pedestrian crossings on this one as well ..

[O_128]

So are there seriously going to be no on road bus lanes for the non Busway sections of this project? This is pathetic. Furthermore what is stopping them getting a bucket of paint and putting bus lanes from kedron to chermside?

[#Metro]

Have all the bus drivers turn up at open day and walk through it?
Show them a youtube video taken from the driver's seat?

[Golliwog]

I think the pedestrian crossing line is a bit of a dud. If it's a traffic lighted pedestrian crossing, theres a few of those already at the Cultural Centre and at Dutton Park. If it's a non-traffic lighted crossing, there's one of those as you come off the bridge into UQ Lakes. I don't see what the issue is.

Same goes for emergency exits. If it's anything like the current busway tunnels, they have a sign every 5-10m or something pointing towards the nearest exit.

[somebody]

I think the pedestrian crossing line is a bit of a dud. If it's a traffic lighted pedestrian crossing, theres a few of those already at the Cultural Centre and at Dutton Park. If it's a non-traffic lighted crossing, there's one of those as you come off the bridge into UQ Lakes. I don't see what the issue is.

Same goes for emergency exits. If it's anything like the current busway tunnels, they have a sign every 5-10m or something pointing towards the nearest exit.

What if there is a fire and the smoke is obscuring the signs?

[Golliwog]

I think the pedestrian crossing line is a bit of a dud. If it's a traffic lighted pedestrian crossing, theres a few of those already at the Cultural Centre and at Dutton Park. If it's a non-traffic lighted crossing, there's one of those as you come off the bridge into UQ Lakes. I don't see what the issue is.

Same goes for emergency exits. If it's anything like the current busway tunnels, they have a sign every 5-10m or something pointing towards the nearest exit.

What if there is a fire and the smoke is obscuring the signs?

Pretty sure that's what the big jets in the ceilings are for. Either way though, how is that any different from any other tunnel? Besides, it's a tunnel, the fire exits will be doors in one side of it, or for the shorter ones, just go out the way the bus came in.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes -->here!

Busway will not be extended (01:27)

The Northern Busway is unlikely to be extended to Bracken Ridge as planned, pleasing the RACQ which wants to see more transit lanes and a reduced toll on the Airport Link tunnel.

[HappyTrainGuy]

YAY NO BUSWAY TO BRACKEN RIDGE!!! FINALLY SOME REAL SENSE!!

[Golliwog]

Brisbanetimes -->here!

Busway will not be extended (01:27)

The Northern Busway is unlikely to be extended to Bracken Ridge as planned, pleasing the RACQ which wants to see more transit lanes and a reduced toll on the Airport Link tunnel.

Michael Roth, RACQ: "We think the government should review their plans and look at other ways of charging motorists that may not cause as much congestion as these toll roads do."

I think that's as close as you're going to get to the RACQ admitting that new roads induce more traffic. Too bad that seemed to be his justification for why the State should buy back Clem7 and remove the toll there altogether.

Either way, this confuses me. Didn't the RACQ support these new roads as 'congestion busters' when it was known that they would be tolled but now that they're in they're complaining that the tolls should be lowered or removed?

[somebody]

I think the pedestrian crossing line is a bit of a dud. If it's a traffic lighted pedestrian crossing, theres a few of those already at the Cultural Centre and at Dutton Park. If it's a non-traffic lighted crossing, there's one of those as you come off the bridge into UQ Lakes. I don't see what the issue is.

Same goes for emergency exits. If it's anything like the current busway tunnels, they have a sign every 5-10m or something pointing towards the nearest exit.

What if there is a fire and the smoke is obscuring the signs?

Pretty sure that's what the big jets in the ceilings are for. Either way though, how is that any different from any other tunnel? Besides, it's a tunnel, the fire exits will be doors in one side of it, or for the shorter ones, just go out the way the bus came in.

If you think that covers every contingency, I don't have anything to add.

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Drivers threaten busway boycott

Drivers threaten busway boycott
June 15, 2012 - 4:04PM

The Brisbane City Council have shown bus drivers a training video for the Northern Busway instead of actually taking them along the road prompting refusals by the drivers to use it on Monday when it opens.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union assistant state secretary David Matters said drivers would use alternative routes on Monday unless the drivers had paid, formal training.

But lord mayor Graham Quirk said "voluntary" training on the new busway had already taken place.

Mr Matters said the council had refused to give drivers proper safety training by taking them through the busway so they could familiarise themselves with it.

"The council basically said to go through it in your own time and that really reflects their attitude, it's a hundreds of millions dollar busway and the training would coast a few thousand dollars," he said.

"They have been showing a video a week or two before it opens and expect drivers to be able to drive through the busway from that.

"It doesn't work."

Mr Matters said the council was "penny-pinching" and bus drivers wanted to be able to familiarise themselves with the emergency exits and the pedestrian crossings that did not have lights installed.

He said the drivers would not use the busway on Monday but could not say if the drivers would continue to boycott it through the rest of the week.

"We're hopeful they (the council) will come to their senses and start talking to us," Mr Matters said.

Cr Quirk said all bus drivers who volunteered for physical training on the Northern Busway had already received it.

"This is clearly a union claim for more money, not safety, and it's disappointing they're considering inconveniencing commuters in this way," he said.

"Drivers were provided with the same best practice simulation training as they did with the Eastern and Inner Northern Busways and there were no complaints from the union back then, so it's clear these are just more union games.

"Regardless, we've already delivered the extra safety training to any bus driver who requested it so there should be no reason for the union to be calling a strike based on safety concerns."

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/drivers-threaten-busway-boycott-20120615-20ex3.html

[Fares_Fair]

They want paid formal training ??

Are they paid extra for this training ?

[somebody]

Sounds like BCC backed down but they are maintaining the rage?

FF, I think training is on the boss's time in this instance.

[#Metro]

Well then it won't be such a big issue actually. Even if some services DON'T use the busway, the buses are so frequent that if say 50% didn't use the busway, that wouldn't be such a big issue.

BT could alter the rosters such that drivers who say that they don't want to use it could be assigned to route 333 for instance, that could run off busway until such time they were piloted through it in an off-peak run or while doing an out of service run.

It's not the end of the world.

[#Metro]

Privatise BT!  Having it in council hands is anachronistic.

I challenge you to make a poll on it Colin!

[colinw]

You're on -> click here

[Mr X]

Well then it won't be such a big issue actually. Even if some services DON'T use the busway, the buses are so frequent that if say 50% didn't use the busway, that wouldn't be such a big issue.

BT could alter the rosters such that drivers who say that they don't want to use it could be assigned to route 333 for instance, that could run off busway until such time they were piloted through it in an off-peak run or while doing an out of service run.

It's not the end of the world.

"Welcome to Brisbane, where our flagship Northside route (333) doesn't use a $444 mil busway because BT don't want to pay $20,000 to train bus drivers to use it!"

World clarse indeed.

[ozbob]

Joint Statement:

Premier
The Honourable Campbell Newman

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson
16/06/2012

Queenslanders celebrate new Busway

Queenslanders today celebrated Brisbane's newest piece of public transport infrastructure with a family day.

Premier Campbell Newman said the Northern Busway Open Day marked the end of a three year project to provide a massive boost to public transport services on Brisbane's northside.

"One Busway lane can carry the same number of commuters as nine traffic lanes on Gympie Road," Mr Newman said.

"In peak hour, you can catch a bus every 3 minutes and at off peak times you'll be able to jump on a bus every 7-8 minutes.

"This new section of Busway will make it easier than ever for northside residents to get out of their cars into public transport.

"The Northern Busway is an important part of the larger network connecting with the Southeast and Eastern Busways to major destinations such as UQ, Griffith, and RBWH, Mater and Princess Alexandra hospitals."

Minister for Transport and Main Roads Scott Emerson thanked the local community, particularly those near the construction, for their cooperation and patience.

"Now residents can enjoy all the benefits of living near a Busway - quick access to one of the most reliable and fastest ways to travel across Brisbane," Mr Emerson said.

"This new Busway brings high-quality mass transit to the growing northern suburbs."

It includes 1.5km of tunnel, two new Busway stations at Lutwyche and Kedron Brook and a bus-only section in Truro Street with new bus stops.

"This tunnel is at the heart of the Windsor to Kedron busway and will take hundreds of buses off the roads putting them underground and carry 12, 000 busway passengers a day," Mr Emerson said.

"The equivalent of four Olympic swimming pools of poured concrete was used to line the tunnel, 1200 tonnes of asphalt was laid and the equivalent weight of 14,400 jumbo jets of spoil removed for the project."

The Lutwyche Busway station is a key feature of the new Busway and includes an underpass allowing pedestrians and cyclists to access the Busway station without crossing busy Lutwyche Road.

[ENDS] 16 June 2012

Northern Busway facts

·$444 million project to construct Busway between Windsor and Kedron

·3km in length from Truro Street, Windsor to Sadlier Street, Kedron

·Mixture of 1.5km tunnel and on-road dedicated bus lane

·Two new architecturally-designed Busway stations at Kedron Brook and Lutwyche (Bradshaw St)

·Eight new bus stops - along Lutwyche Rd and Gympie Rd corridor

·New green space from Bradshaw Park in Lutwyche to Kedron Brook

·Peak hour buses every 3 minutes and off peak every 7-8 minutes.

·Combined frequency of peak hour buses every 2-3 minutes and off peak buses every 5 minutes between Chermside and the Brisbane CBD.

·One Busway lane can carry the same number of people as 9 extra traffic lanes on Gympie Road.

·3 ½ years to construct - with 450 people working on project

·Represents third leg of the Busway after Inner Northern Busway (CBD to Royal Brisbane Women's Hospital (RBWH)) and Northern Busway stage 1 (RBWH to Windsor)

General Busway facts

·Planning is underway for future stages from Kedron to Bracken Ridge

·Brisbane's busway network is 27 kilometres long, with 24 busway stations and interchanges.

·An average busway can carry more than 12 000 passengers per hour in each direction.

·Around 5.2 million passengers travel on busways each month.

·Thanks to the busway, up to 50 million fewer car trips are made on Brisbane's roads per annum.

·Busways effectively halve the pollution that bus routes would normally produce if they were required to operate in standard traffic.

For more information about bus services, visit www.translink.com.au or call 13 12 30.

[aldonius]

Just got back from walking it.

Definitely no bus lanes in the Newmarket Rd - Truro St section. I asked a TL guy; he reckons BCC are responsible for their absence (effects on traffic). Says TL are certainly in favour of them, and potentially new State gov. is keen on bus lanes as well... Will be worth highlighting at some point.

[SurfRail]

The Airport Link guy I spoke to confirmed same (even though he was at a display with a copy of the diagram which shows bus lanes in place!)

The new network map also dispenses with the Doomben railbus - the only ones left at the Helidon, Toogoolawah and Nambour ones.  I my opinion only the Nambour one belongs there now, as there is no separate rail fare product any longer and the Nambour one actually supplements operating trains instead of replacing them altogether.

[red dragin]

Didn't CanDo remove all those buslanes within weeks when he was elected Mayor? A major election promise if I remember correctly.

Busway looks good, was more interested in seeing Truro st - Lutwyche but knew it wouldn't be open.

[STB]

Didn't CanDo remove all those buslanes within weeks when he was elected Mayor? A major election promise if I remember correctly.

Busway looks good, was more interested in seeing Truro st - Lutwyche but knew it wouldn't be open.

Yes, they were removed by BCC as Coronation Drive is BCC owned.  TransLink internally were not impressed and I remember one of the Planners (who I used to work with) saying to me that it was frustrating as the State (TransLink) had no say in it's removal.  From TL's perspective at the time circa 2007, they wanted to keep the bus lanes.