540 via Logan & Gateway & Griffith

[Gazza]

http://translink.com.au/resources/travel-information/network-information/timetables/111031-540,P546.pdf

Why doesn't it do this?
It's a long trip, and I can't imagine the run up Beaudesert Rd through Acacia Ridge etc is particularly fast....Bad for pax, and for driver costs. Pax trying to get to destinations no longer served would use the BUZes from Browns Plains.

[somebody]

I don't understand it either.

[SurfRail]

It's just awful legacy routing.  It shouldn't even go past Browns Plains - that way you might actually be able to run it hourly with the same resources and just plonk people on the 140.  It would still be faster than present.

[ozbob]

It's just awful legacy routing.  It shouldn't even go past Browns Plains - that way you might actually be able to run it hourly with the same resources and just plonk people on the 140.  It would still be faster than present.

Funny you would say that ... I said similar to a journo out Beaudesert way today myself.

Locals not happy with frequency.  If it was run into Browns Plains frequency could be upped.

The 540 is I think TransLink's longest single bus route (apart from GCL) ...

[somebody]

649 Railbus is longer, if that counts.

[ozbob]

649 Railbus is longer, if that counts.

Outside the rail buses ...

[Fares_Fair]

649 Railbus is longer, if that counts.

Outside the rail buses ...

... 'cause technically they are trains! 

[STB]

One of the TL Planners who manages that area (at the time) told me years ago that the reason that they had trouble cutting it back to Beaudesert-Browns Plains only, was due to community pressure out there with school kids and workers accessing the Annerley area from Beaudesert-Browns Plains section.

[ozbob]

The times are a' changing ....

[SurfRail]

One of the TL Planners who manages that area (at the time) told me years ago that the reason that they had trouble cutting it back to Beaudesert-Browns Plains only, was due to community pressure out there with school kids and workers accessing the Annerley area from Beaudesert-Browns Plains section.

And they have no trouble with the fact that it is hard to access the route at all because there are like 5 per day per direction?

TL's priorities are seriously screwed up.  We need to import some talent from TransLink in Vancouver, where they more or less do everything we advocate - frequent network maps, public engagement and explanation of why they do what they do, legible bus routes, buses feeding rail etc etc.

[#Metro]

How is someone going to get to Annerly from Browns Plains? Where do they connect?

[ozbob]

Transfer, multiple options check out journey planner.  All faster.

[somebody]

How is someone going to get to Annerly from Browns Plains? Where do they connect?

Mater Hill.

[techblitz]

there needs to be a service utilising beudesert rd which connects browns plains to the busway due to the large number of industrial areas and business that it passes through. Yes the logical choice would be to make them backtrack into mater hill or get to browns plains via who cares what sort of method (i bet it took all of 5 secs for people to come up with that idea But beudesert rd IS a major road which needs adequate bus services just like the rest.

[somebody]

there needs to be a service utilising beudesert rd which connects browns plains to the busway due to the large number of industrial areas and business that it passes through. Yes the logical choice would be to make them backtrack into mater hill or get to browns plains via who cares what sort of method (i bet it took all of 5 secs for people to come up with that idea But beudesert rd IS a major road which needs adequate bus services just like the rest.

I support what you are saying.  Currently the 115, GCL, 122 and perhaps some others do provide this connection with a double or triple interchange.  If the 115 were to be removed (sensible), perhaps a 117 extension to Beadesert/Compton Rds?

[SurfRail]

But beudesert rd IS a major road which needs adequate bus services just like the rest.

Fair enough, but it should not be the 540 that fills this role.  That would be like sending the 150 via Logan Road instead of the busway.

[Gazza]

But beudesert rd IS a major road which needs adequate bus services just like the rest.

But the 540 runs like 5 times per day in each direction. How is it really covering Beadesert rd?

Plus, why should it be the job of a long route covering several towns like the 540 to be also covering stops in Brisbanes southern suburbs?

To me that is a bit like making Gold Coast trains stop all stations Beenleigh to the city!

I think you're wrong on this one Techblitz.
Beaudesert Rd should have another route covering it.

[somebody]

Fair enough, but it should not be the 540 that fills this role.  That would be like sending the 150 via Logan Road instead of the busway.

Isn't that what we are all saying?

[techblitz]

points taken gazza/simon/Sr.

Ive noticed there is a bad connection with GCL & the 5.08 outbound 540 @ salisbury station. An opportunity to provide  a handy peak hour connection from sherwood rd/salisbury station to browns plains and they get the timetabling all screwed up.

[#Metro]

I can't believe that there are TWO bus routes now - one and another a prepaid rocket - with a big fat variation in the middle just to appease people!
What a waste of money!

Cut the thing right back and then re-invest the savings for more decent frequency!

A BUZ down Beaudesert road (eventually) is not a bad idea - but the whole 125/124 etc should probably be totally cleaned up and combined to create this BUZ rather than just throwing yet more money everywhere.

The train system doesn't seem to be being used properly and fed by these buses either. Beenleigh line is rather low frequency.

[somebody]

We're getting off the topic, but I think the solution is:
- Make the 116 do what the 121 does south of Cracknell Rd, and remove the 121
- On demand service around Rocklea if needed
- Consolidate the 124/125 into a single route which follows the 125 until around where it touches the 120 and have the new route continue to Sunnybank Plaza like a 124
- Revisit stop spacing on the 120 for the section from Musgrave Rd to Garden City.  I do not believe this justifies a two tiered service.
- Not sure what to do with the 117, but extending it along Beaudesert Rd and Compton Rd until Gowan Rd seems like an option worth exploring.

The only thing wrong with the P546 is that it has stop restrictions on it and arguably doesn't go far enough.  I'm never a fan of terminating at a Park 'n' Ride.

[achiruel]

649 Railbus is longer, if that counts.

Maybe not.  A quick calculation for 649 on Google Maps show 63km for 649 and 65km for 540.

I support what you are saying.  Currently the 115, GCL, 122 and perhaps some others do provide this connection with a double or triple interchange.  If the 115 were to be removed (sensible), perhaps a 117 extension to Beadesert/Compton Rds?

If 117 were extended to Compton Rd & 540 truncated to Browns Plains, a double interchange would still be required to access Beaudesert Rd north of Compton Rd.  I don't disagree with double interchanges to some extent, but to force an interchange again with ~4km is asking a bit much IMO.  Terminate the 540 at Compton Rd?  Or have a Beaudesert Rd route that extends to Browns Plains.

While were at it, should the 130 extend to Browns Plains?  It just seems to finish in the middle of nowhere at the moment.

[somebody]

You know what?  If you did what I outlined in my post above you could terminate at Browns Plains, use a 140 to Sunnybank Plaza and then get the 124/125 combined route from there, without any extension to the 117 needed.

[ozbob]

The Melbourne 901 bus route is 115 km long.  I remember noting the 901 stop at South Morang when I was in Melbourne the other week

http://ptv.vic.gov.au/assets/Maps/Routes/PDFs/5774_Bus901.pdf

[SurfRail]

The Melbourne 901 bus route is 115 km long.  I remember noting the 901 stop at South Morang when I was in Melbourne the other week

http://ptv.vic.gov.au/assets/Maps/Routes/PDFs/5774_Bus901.pdf

I have never heard a driver have anything good to say about the 901, 902 or 903.  Exactly the sort of thing to avoid - shorter routes along the same corridor with better recovery time are needed.  The concept is basically flawed, although not the routing or frequency.

It's not like anybody seriously travels single-seat from Mordialloc to Altona unless they are a buff, or they are the driver (in Melbourne it seems to commonly be both!)

[Gazza]

^Hence the logic of new cross town routes like the 590 and 369 being 'shattered' into workable sections.