SEQ Bus Network Review

[James]

One can get a general perspective of commuter habits by commuting from qsbs or along mains rd at sunny hills, calamvale...simply observe all the shopping bags on buses ,sherwood is another prime example...a lot of commuters head straight to woolies and then do the walk home.
Its really a hard choice for what to build around train stations.....retail or residential.
I prefer retail,with decently close walkup high density residential.

In these areas, however, PT has been improved to such a standard that the residents in these areas see the bus as a real alternative - and on Mains Rd, it is. They see it as part of their everyday life. It is the same reason that around 4-5pm on a Sunday afternoon, 412s will leave with standing loads (yes, standing loads on a Sunday) because everybody is coming back after doing their shopping at Toowong. And when people use their bus service well, what happens? It gets upgraded. Which induces more patronage, which in turn further upgrades the service. QSBS is very much a convenience thing.

In terms of development near rail, it should be a mix of both. Right now, half of Brisbane's stations just have industrial wastelands next to them, which combine to make the area around the station feel unsafe and work appallingly in terms of generating patronage. Thank you BCC for not approving major shopping centres near railway lines. 

[Golliwog]

Change of tpoci, but has anyone noticed the new BUZ map? http://translink.com.au/sites/default/files/assets/resources/travel-information/network-information/maps/network/131014-buz.pdf

Who can spot the most issues? I've found 3 or 4 so far...

[minbrisbane]

Oh god, my eyes!!

[HappyTrainGuy]

I don't have that much leave left to even decode what the hell I just looked at.

[minbrisbane]

I don't have that much leave left to even decode what the hell I just looked at.

I'm just glad that (to my knowledge) this map is not on display.

[James]

My favourite part is the illegible crap in the CBD. I must say though, that MaroonGlider line adds a whole new level of awful to that map. I think that alone is enough reason to burn that route at the stake.

The map makes it look like the 345 goes right past Merthyr. 

[aldonius]

340, you surely mean.

[James]

340, you surely mean.

The fact I said 345 instead of 340 probably shows how bad and convoluted the map actually is.

The map could be improved significantly by having an inset for the city, to be honest. And then work on making suburbia less crowded/awful.

[SurfRail]

You know what would make this look legible and fairlyeasy to follow?

Actual to-scale topography and a CBD inset.

The ongoing lack of the high-frequency rail and ferry services is just dumb.

TransLink have got no idea on how to create meaningful or useful maps.  This appears to simply tick the box of having one.

I have urged them to get professionals like Transit Graphics or Netzplan in (in particular, Netzplan did the Gold Coast network map and TG do the QConnect ones).

[Old Northern Road]

Failed bus review is only part of the problem...the other will always be lifestyle choice.
Please tell me how you are going to persuade people to ditch cars and take-up bus feeders..when most of them have shopping to do after work?Gyms to go to? Touch football etc etc?
Outer suburb commuters spend enough time commuting to the train station...they dont want extra delays waiting around for a feeder bus to leave. Hop off the bus...do their stuff....wait for the next bus home.
Park and rides at train stations will always be popular due to this fact.

If you guys are going to do surveys...may i suggest doing some questions on passengers shopping and other lifestyle habits after work.Finding out why commuters are parking and riding at the station in the first place would be time better spent

Once again i will reiterate...failed bus review is an issue but only PART of the problem of overparked p&r"s.

Back when I was catching the train to work I would have loved to have been able to catch a feeder bus to the station rather than driving and I know a lot of other people who would have too. It would certainly be far less stressful.

People in the outer suburbs go shopping far less frequently than people in the inner suburbs (usually only once a week). Besides many stations have shops within walking distance of them (Petrie, Caboolture, Strathpine, Sandgate etc) and people should be able to walk to the shops, do their shopping and then wait at the bus stop outside the shops. It's impossible to do now because most buses in the outer suburbs stop running at 6pm.

[STB]

Failed bus review is only part of the problem...the other will always be lifestyle choice.
Please tell me how you are going to persuade people to ditch cars and take-up bus feeders..when most of them have shopping to do after work?Gyms to go to? Touch football etc etc?
Outer suburb commuters spend enough time commuting to the train station...they dont want extra delays waiting around for a feeder bus to leave. Hop off the bus...do their stuff....wait for the next bus home.
Park and rides at train stations will always be popular due to this fact.

If you guys are going to do surveys...may i suggest doing some questions on passengers shopping and other lifestyle habits after work.Finding out why commuters are parking and riding at the station in the first place would be time better spent

Once again i will reiterate...failed bus review is an issue but only PART of the problem of overparked p&r"s.

Back when I was catching the train to work I would have loved to have been able to catch a feeder bus to the station rather than driving and I know a lot of other people who would have too. It would certainly be far less stressful.

People in the outer suburbs go shopping far less frequently than people in the inner suburbs (usually only once a week). Besides many stations have shops within walking distance of them (Petrie, Caboolture, Strathpine, Sandgate etc) and people should be able to walk to the shops, do their shopping and then wait at the bus stop outside the shops. It's impossible to do now because most buses in the outer suburbs stop running at 6pm.

Not if you have kids and have to take a car load of shopping from the shops which happens quite a bit in the outer suburbs where there are more families about than in the inner suburbs which tends to have childless couples and single people.

I know growing up, my parents used to only go to the shops once a week and it was always a carload of food/drinks to last the week and a bit, and was quite common with other parents I knew.  Perhaps this influences behaviour to use the car to/from the shops rather than using the buses to get to the station.

I'm still with Techblitz, lifestyle choices do apply, probably more so in the outer regions where people with 2 to 3 kids are more common and hence the car tends to become the default to getting the kids around and also with the shopping.

[newbris]

Failed bus review is only part of the problem...the other will always be lifestyle choice.
Please tell me how you are going to persuade people to ditch cars and take-up bus feeders..when most of them have shopping to do after work?Gyms to go to? Touch football etc etc?
Outer suburb commuters spend enough time commuting to the train station...they dont want extra delays waiting around for a feeder bus to leave. Hop off the bus...do their stuff....wait for the next bus home.
Park and rides at train stations will always be popular due to this fact.

If you guys are going to do surveys...may i suggest doing some questions on passengers shopping and other lifestyle habits after work.Finding out why commuters are parking and riding at the station in the first place would be time better spent

Once again i will reiterate...failed bus review is an issue but only PART of the problem of overparked p&r"s.

Back when I was catching the train to work I would have loved to have been able to catch a feeder bus to the station rather than driving and I know a lot of other people who would have too. It would certainly be far less stressful.

People in the outer suburbs go shopping far less frequently than people in the inner suburbs (usually only once a week). Besides many stations have shops within walking distance of them (Petrie, Caboolture, Strathpine, Sandgate etc) and people should be able to walk to the shops, do their shopping and then wait at the bus stop outside the shops. It's impossible to do now because most buses in the outer suburbs stop running at 6pm.

Not if you have kids and have to take a car load of shopping from the shops which happens quite a bit in the outer suburbs where there are more families about than in the inner suburbs which tends to have childless couples and single people.

I know growing up, my parents used to only go to the shops once a week and it was always a carload of food/drinks to last the week and a bit, and was quite common with other parents I knew.  Perhaps this influences behaviour to use the car to/from the shops rather than using the buses to get to the station.

I'm still with Techblitz, lifestyle choices do apply, probably more so in the outer regions where people with 2 to 3 kids are more common and hence the car tends to become the default to getting the kids around and also with the shopping.

I guess you are all saying the same thing, just discussing the percentages really...some go straight home and would like a feeder bus rather than having to tie up a car, and some would drive anyway because of other chores. My anecdotal experience when in the outer suburbs was many I knew would just dump the car at a park and ride or local shopping centre and go directly to/from work...some of these might have preferred a connecting bus...others with daily child care routines may have driven straight to the centre. The same family might have had one adult doing one sort of commute and the other the other sort.

Btw, since living inner city I must say there are young children everywhere around where I live, inner west, and the primary schools around Paddington, Red Hill, Ashgrove are filling up again. I see more young children out and about here than I did in the outer burbs.

[James]

Not if you have kids and have to take a car load of shopping from the shops which happens quite a bit in the outer suburbs where there are more families about than in the inner suburbs which tends to have childless couples and single people.

I know growing up, my parents used to only go to the shops once a week and it was always a carload of food/drinks to last the week and a bit, and was quite common with other parents I knew.  Perhaps this influences behaviour to use the car to/from the shops rather than using the buses to get to the station.

I'm still with Techblitz, lifestyle choices do apply, probably more so in the outer regions where people with 2 to 3 kids are more common and hence the car tends to become the default to getting the kids around and also with the shopping.

At no point have I encountered a family which would go shopping more than twice a week - even large ones with 4 children. Thanks to discounts from buying in volume, the inconvenience of parking etc., people in outer suburbs don't go to the shops every day. Yes, when they go shopping they will use their car, but this does not happen frequently enough. And in many situations, there is always the option of the other parent driving (remembering most families are still two-car families) and doing this running around.

If you put on the service, people will come. You ignore the stress of finding a park - something which is significant when Park n Riding at Oxley, Darra, Goodna, Petrie etc., where parking is overflowing. If you run a feeder bus every 15 minutes in peak/hourly off-peak, co-ordinated with trains, it will work. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen, with most buses on half-hour peak frequency. Hardly useful unless you are determined to use a feeder bus, for whatever reason (or if it magically co-ordinates well with your schedule).

In my experience, most people do not tie in commuting and shopping in the outer suburbs. It doesn't even happen in the inner suburbs - it is rare for me to pop in and pick up groceries if coming home from the CBD, even though the 411 goes right past Toowong. I'd just much rather either do it in the City, do it during the weekly shop, or go to a convenience store.

[HappyTrainGuy]

If you put on the service, people will come. You ignore the stress of finding a park

That's not always the case unfortunately in the outer burbs and areas on the borders of regions (between operators and in areas that the BCC doesn't like people using their buses).

The biggest problem the burbs have are the lack of services either in the form of poor frequency, poor route layout, poor connections, overcrowding (680 at Petrie for example where the train trumps the bus frequency by quite alot) and the span of hours. I can't say too much about other areas but alot of the park and rides on the Caboolture line suffer overcrowding nearly purely because the bus networks surrounding the station or local area are under supporting. If you get the 6.30pm City-Caboolture service and you happen to live up the road from the stations at Narangba or Burpengary well your next bus doesn't arrive for another 8 or so hours for the morning peak hour services. Hell, my local "feeder" bus stops running at 5.20pm from the railway station and it's not the only one Take the Strathpine-Petrie feeders. The railway line is running a 7 minute peak hour frequency. The bus network is running on a 60 minute frequency. It's one of the reasons why parking at Strathpine has really exploded these last 6 or so years (in arvo peak hour you can leg it around the back and avoid all the traffic on Gympie Road/Samsonvale Road - which FYI also goes past the Brendale IGA ). The best thing I loved about the Translink review was how integrated everything had become. Just think how good the network could have been improved if BT was allowed to help out. Buses fed directly into interchanges to connect with multiple HF routes. Busses fed directly into local railway stations. There were some long twisty short routes but they were brilliant feeder routes as they fed multiple HF routes and stations (Chermside loop, Chermside-Strathpine via Bracken Ridge etc).

In my experience, most people do not tie in commuting and shopping in the outer suburbs. It doesn't even happen in the inner suburbs - it is rare for me to pop in and pick up groceries if coming home from the CBD, even though the 411 goes right past Toowong. I'd just much rather either do it in the City, do it during the weekly shop, or go to a convenience store.

Actually depends on where you live and it can happen more frequently and easier than you might think. In the burbs a lot of the time if you drive home after commuting on a train you go past or are near the local shops so its very easy to pop in and pick up a few things without stressing over parking. When I drive to work I go past Westfield at Chermside but I hardly ever stop there to pick up groceries as its easier for me to stop at the local IGA, pick up some milk/grab a few groceries if needed and then be on my way. If I have to do more shopping I just make a quick detour and pop into the larger shops as I'm going along Albany Creek Road. If I'm commuting from the local railway station I avoid Westfield and still stop at the IGA. The biggest deterrent for me shopping when commuting home is traffic. Parking isn't the issue. Its the traffic. It's a basket case to deal with.

[techblitz]

Just seen a 340i/b with 3 pax onboard cnr gympie/beams. Lets consider that doing well

T/l have put their survey company out and about with the online surveys again. Was offered to take part in one at petrie station today. Once again with the hugely incentvized 50  dollar prize on offer

[HappyTrainGuy]

I still say the 340 should be cut in favor of a frequent feeder service similar to the Translink plan for the Chermside/Aspley/Carseldine/Geebung area.

[techblitz]

I have managed  to intercept and board the same bus above and it now has 30 onboard coming into roma st. 
Inner busway clearly gets the 340 numbers up. Evening truncation at chermside late evening is all i would support for this route.

[SurfRail]

the loop the 301 does

Isn't the whole point of that to enable interchange at Doomben Station?

The one at Pleyestowe Crescent which is only in the inbound direction and appears to be unnecessary.

[James]

I have managed  to intercept and board the same bus above and it now has 30 onboard coming into roma st. 
Inner busway clearly gets the 340 numbers up. Evening truncation at chermside late evening is all i would support for this route.

techblitz, has it occurred to you that the loads formerly riding the 340 could be spread out on to the 330, 333 and 370? The 330 consistently carries air inbound, and the 370 despite being "all-stops" doesn't take much longer than the 333/340 despite not serving the same stops.

Just because one bus has 30 passengers on board it along an overly-duplicated corridor, doesn't mean that section of its route should be put in a holy grail. If you do this, you could justify sending the 435 to the CBD on weekends. If capacity is needed on the INB, either extend a route like the 393 to Roma Street/KGSBS and run more of those, or run more 66s. The reason I suggest the former, is because additional 66s add to loads at UQ Lakes/Cultural Centre.

I totally agree with HTG. No reason to have the 340 going to the CBD, yet alone BUZ the route.

[HappyTrainGuy]

That's actually the brilliance of the Gympie Road corridor. Services steal patronage from other services. The 340 will swoop up all the passengers leaving a quiet trip for the 333 or the 333 swoops everyone up and leaves a quite trip for the 340. And because of the design of the busway and the distance of the corridor services bunch up and shadow each other. And we all know the issues regarding waste with the express 330. The whole Gympie Road to City/Valley corridor could be better utilized by cutting services and reducing frequency at certain times to have a simplified network and then redirect the saved money into providing more feeder services and longer span of hours for these routes. There's no need for 4bph going to bracken ridge or 4bph going to Carseldine at 9.30pm or even the 12bph going to Chermside at night. But admittedly for that to happen the whole network needs to be redesigned and emphasis put on connecting to nearby railway stations and interchanges for it to pay off big time. Otherwise it would be the same mess that we have now.

Night frequency across those 3 routes really needs to be addressed either by cutting 330/340 at chermside or going back to a 30 minute service with the 333 to remain as is. The only reason I don't want to merge the 333 into the 330 route is because people in Bracken Ridge shouldn't have an express bus to the city and the Chermside-Bracken Ridge or City-Chermside leg leg can just transport air like crazy depending on the time of day. Once Norris Road is built the 330 should be cut up into a Chermside Interchange-Carseldine Station via Bracken Ridge feeder service. Want to go to the city board the bus to Carseldine and jump on a train or transfer at Chermside.

[James]

That's actually the brilliance of the Gympie Road corridor. Services steal patronage from other services. The 340 will swoop up all the passengers leaving a quiet trip for the 333 or the 333 swoops everyone up and leaves a quite trip for the 340. And because of the design of the busway and the distance of the corridor services bunch up and shadow each other. And we all know the issues regarding waste with the express 330. The whole Gympie Road to City/Valley corridor could be better utilized by cutting services and reducing frequency at certain times to have a simplified network and then redirect the saved money into providing more feeder services and longer span of hours for these routes. There's no need for 4bph going to bracken ridge or 4bph going to Carseldine at 9.30pm or even the 12bph going to Chermside at night. But admittedly for that to happen the whole network needs to be redesigned and emphasis put on connecting to nearby railway stations and interchanges for it to pay off big time. Otherwise it would be the same mess that we have now.

Night frequency across those 3 routes really needs to be addressed either by cutting 330/340 at chermside or going back to a 30 minute service with the 333 to remain as is. The only reason I don't want to merge the 333 into the 330 route is because people in Bracken Ridge shouldn't have an express bus to the city and the Chermside-Bracken Ridge or City-Chermside leg leg can just transport air like crazy depending on the time of day. Once Norris Road is built the 330 should be cut up into a Chermside Interchange-Carseldine Station via Bracken Ridge feeder service. Want to go to the city board the bus to Carseldine and jump on a train or transfer at Chermside.

I disagree with the 333 remaining as is - it should go. Yes, 333 saves route km over the 330, but 330 can - and will - induce patronage further along the route. As I have mentioned previously, having buses every 15 minutes feeding buses every 15 minutes is dumb. Unless there is some operational reason, the routes should be joined.

The 330, realistically speaking, is a very new BUZ route (has only been around for a bit over a year). Look at what has happened on the 444 corridor - people as far away as Moggill/Bellbowrie have moved towards having fewer cars/becoming more PT dependent and development has increased in the area, but this is because the route has had BUZ frequency for 6 years, and hence, people have moved along the corridor (and as far away as Moggill) thanks to the BUZ. I expect that if you keep the 330 as is, the same thing will happen on the way to Bracken Ridge. However, it does need to stop between Chermside and RBWH. Express running saves little time and is a waste of resources.

The 340 is just a pathetic route with numerous problems and should not exist. It firstly starts within 800m of a train station (probably more useful off-peak as pax for rail might as well just catch the bus), goes along some roads which are difficult to access with PT, goes along an area with possible patronage, then Gympie Road (little patronage), then a little bit more suburbia, and then you hit Chermside and join the bus conga line to the City.

IMO, the 330/333 issue is in the same basket as the 200/222 issue. Nobody calls for the 200 to be chopped into a feeder, so nor should the 330. Yes, the northside has a railway line, big woop, the bus still needs to serve Chermside, and if you reduce the 330's frequency, nobody in the north has decent frequency any more.

Even once MBRL has started, I believe the trunk Bracken Ridge - CBD via Chermside should remain. Short-running buses can be run as necessary (which I doubt will be the case a lot of the time - you can fit most Chermside-CBD pax on one bus every 15 minutes during a lot of the off-peak right now). It is sort of like giving Moggill high frequency, but terminating the bus at Indro, then introducing a high frequency Indro - CBD bus route. Sense, it makes little.

[HappyTrainGuy]

The peak hour capacity of the 330/331 fits on to 2x 6 car trains and even now the current railway frequency along that corridor is every 7 minutes during peak hour.

I understand what youre getting at but the times I see the 330 it vastly fluctuates in its loadings and that's down to the trip generators along its route for Chermside-Bracken Ridge and the mess of the Chermside-City leg. If they fixed the Gympie Road corridor with the 330/333/335/340/370/375/379/whatever else runs that way and improved the interchange/higher capacity buses I might be more inclined to change my opinion but I just see the same empty 330/340 running pretty much day after day. In peak hour maintain the P331 route maybe with some mods for any capacity concerns but once that Norris Road extension goes though the focus should be getting Bracken Ridge residents onto the railway line if they are going to the city. Its still ridiculous seeing 333's at night with more people onboard than the 330 behind it. And the times I see the 330 waiting to turn off Gympie Road after Chermside its still only a handfull of people onboard. Inbound is worse.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Further making our statement of how much we hate the 340 just saw an inbound service through Aspley around 8.30am with approx 1 person onboard being the driver. Pretty sure there was no pax onboard. In contrast the 337 went past 30 seconds earlier with around 20-25 onboard at the most.

[James]

The peak hour capacity of the 330/331 fits on to 2x 6 car trains and even now the current railway frequency along that corridor is every 7 minutes during peak hour.

I understand what you're getting at but the times I see the 330 it vastly fluctuates in its loadings and that's down to the trip generators along its route for Chermside-Bracken Ridge and the mess of the Chermside-City leg. If they fixed the Gympie Road corridor with the 330/333/335/340/370/375/379/whatever else runs that way and improved the interchange/higher capacity buses I might be more inclined to change my opinion but I just see the same empty 330/340 running pretty much day after day. In peak hour maintain the P331 route maybe with some mods for any capacity concerns but once that Norris Road extension goes though the focus should be getting Bracken Ridge residents onto the railway line if they are going to the city. Its still ridiculous seeing 333's at night with more people onboard than the 330 behind it. And the times I see the 330 waiting to turn off Gympie Road after Chermside its still only a handfull of people onboard. Inbound is worse.

Then we should try and reduce duplication along Gympie Road first. The reason why the 333 does so well is because it starts in the interchange, while the other two use the stop across the road. Even though the 333 uses that stop too, people are too lazy to walk across to the other stop. It's the same thing with 444 overcrowding. People go to KGS for the 444 because they know they won't be waiting long, even though in terms of buses per hour, QSBS has more to Indooroopilly (5 vs. 4 bph on a Sunday, but it isn't very useful when there's a 30-minute gap ).

Axing the 333 and making the 330 stop at all express stops is probably the best way, under BCC's current 'direct services' mantra, to save money (along with the axing of the 160, 222, and termination of a few City-Indro routes at Indro) - and they're probably the only real gains we can actually make given how stubborn BCC is. If peak capacity is required, use P332s.

[ozbob]

Media release 8th November 2013



SEQ: Separate Brisbane Transport to pay back Brisbane City Council debts

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 says that Brisbane City Council should separate Brisbane Transport to pay back its public debts.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"After pursing hi-waste projects like the Clem 7 Lemon ($770 million, true market value $618 million) and refusing fundamental bus network reform, it is no surprise that there is little funding left for the bread-and-butter basics that councils are supposed to be providing for their ratepayers."

"We do not have the money available to do all of these projects alone," Cr Adrian Schrinner said.

Robert Dow continued, "The effect of Brisbane City Council keeping its 'taxi style' direct service bus network is that everyone is paying 'taxi style' fares, with more high cost fare increases due in January 2014. The high costs are hurting pensioners, people on welfare, low income earners, but most of all, unemployed job-seekers who do not qualify for concession fares in Queensland. BCC is harming the very people it set out to protect."

"Paper tickets to travel just ONE zone will break the $5 barrier in January. This is unacceptable and we reject it. It is indefensible that the BCC bus network carries 50% air into the CBD during peak hour through Cultural Centre. It is unacceptable that other assorted hi-waste legacy routes continue to exist on the BCC bus network after not one, but two, bus reviews. We think more cuts are coming from the Lord Mayor because there is no way that so much waste can be preserved, and not experience a cost explosion."

"Brisbane City Council and its Councillors should be embarrassed that they were all unable to deliver basic high frequency bus services to Yeronga, Albany Creek, Morningside, Inala, Enoggera, and the entire Centenary Suburbs. They couldn't deliver the promised 2000 daily express buses down Legacy Way despite publicly boasting that they could do a better job than TransLink. They couldn't - the BCC Bus review is actually far worse."

"The ratepayers of Brisbane are being neglected (especially Bulimba). The council is in billions of dollars of debt. Useful infrastructure can't be built because useless infrastructure has taken away the funding. Services like the CityCat and buses have been cut."

"Brisbane City Council may want to run Brisbane Transport but it doesn't need to. It should be separated and the funds used to pay down the interest and principal on BCC's growing pile of public debts. Brisbane is no longer surrounded by market gardens, public transport throughout SEQ is suffering from a lack of proper network integration due to BCC's failures."

"After a decade of games, it's time to dump Brisbane City Council and separate Brisbane Transport."

References:

1. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/brisbane-city-council-to-fund-kangaroo-point-to-cbd-bridge-20131106-2x1op.html

2. http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/city/buck-stops-plans-for-new-brisbane-cross-river-bridges/story-fni9r0jy-1226754154260

Contact:

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

[Derwan]

Well it's been a few weeks now and here is my summary of catching a bus at Roma St (connection from a train) to Wolloongabba:

• There is no point waiting for a 340.  You could be waiting more than 20 minutes despite them being timetabled every 10 minutes.
• The Maroon Glider numbers have settled slightly.  Waiting passengers can now at least board this service (when it finally turns up).
• Bus-hopping results in a faster and less crowded trip (particularly the 111 or 222) but with the inconvenience of changing (again) at Cultural Centre or Mater.

This morning a 340 actually turned up.  The bus was still over half full after King George Square (to Woolloongabba), indicating the need for this connection.

I'm looking forward to 20 January 2014 when I can simply remain on the train from Shorncliffe and change at South Bank.

[ozbob]

Thanks for those observations Derwan ^  .. useful.

[HappyTrainGuy]

I was near the outbound bus stop at Aspley between 2.20-2.30 today. In that time 2x 340 showed up (about 2-3 mins between them). Shortly followed by a 336 and a 680. In order of patronage.
336 - 15 (only 1 boarded)
680 - ~10 minimum/13 max (didn't see it actually stop but no one was waiting/walking around near the stop)
340 - 9 (3 got off, 1 boarded departed with 7 onboard)
340 - 3 (2 got off departed with 1 onboard)

Nothing wrong at all with the Brisbane bus network that I can see. Kudos on the recent mods  :bi

[techblitz]

340 clearly suffering reliability issues thanks to being too reliant on gympie rd and its rather busy intersections etc. Hopefully BT catch on to eventually 

[HappyTrainGuy]

340 isn't the only one. During outbound peak hour you can sometimes find 3x 330/331 following each other. And the current interchange arrangement and resulted congestion doesn't help when the 330/335/340 all rock up at the same time wanting that one spot. I personally reckon it would be better for the interchange congestion if they swap stop E? with stop A? Get the two 330/340 services into the longer bays and then take a right straight out of the interchange instead of having empty 333's or waiting 333's idling in the bay. Chuck the 335 on to the Hamilton Road stop and send it via Kittyhawke Drive/Ellison Road where there is a bigger chance for patronage/unified stopping for passengers going from the interchange to the PCH.

I'm honestly suprised that they didn't look into the current interchange arrangements across the network and how they could improve them. I think the inbound 335 now stops at the interchange and the inbound 310 now stops outside the interchange IIRC. Apart from that I can't really recall any other interchange mods besides the P88 removal etc.

[techblitz]

Chermside is so big it could probably pay to build an entirely new bus station on the opposite side of the center near kittyhawk.

[minbrisbane]

I'm trying to think which BT interchange is most efficient in terms of design and use of space wisely. 

I'm really racking my brains here, but I come up with Garden City, I think even it is not as good as it could be. 

[SurfRail]

I'm trying to think which BT interchange is most efficient in terms of design and use of space wisely. 

I'm really racking my brains here, but I come up with Garden City, I think even it is not as good as it could be.

Richlands, which is probably a function of it not being built or designed by the BCC.

Garden City after that probably. 

So many of the others involve unnecessary deviations, travelling through carparks, way too many traffic signal phases to get in and out, are too small, are concrete dungeons etc.

[Cam]

The bus queues back from the Cultural Centre Station across the Victoria Bridge in the afternoons seem as long as they were before the timetable changes were introduced last month. Twice in the last week, I've seen the bus queues reach more than halfway across the bridge – once it was almost back over the Pacific Motorway.

There are still significant bus queues back towards South Bank Station when approaching the Cultural Centre in the morning peaks.

From my observations, few of the buses crossing the Victoria Bridge in peak times appear to have standing passengers. IMPOV, there are still too many services using the Cultural Centre & QSBS.

[ozbob]

The bus queues back from the Cultural Centre Station across the Victoria Bridge in the afternoons seem as long as they were before the timetable changes were introduced last month. Twice in the last week, I've seen the bus queues reach more than halfway across the bridge – once it was almost back over the Pacific Motorway.

There are still significant bus queues back towards South Bank Station when approaching the Cultural Centre in the morning peaks.

From my observations, few of the buses crossing the Victoria Bridge in peak times appear to have standing passengers. IMPOV, there are still too many services using the Cultural Centre & QSBS.

I am still disgusted at the lack of support for the TransLink bus review by the political masters.  It is now really coming home to roost.  Continued failure on the BT network, and pruning of all the other regions to prop up  the BCC bus network disaster.  The Transport Minister should hang his head in shame ... 

[ozbob]

Richlands, which is probably a function of it not being built or designed by the BCC.

Says it all really ...   

[James]

I'm trying to think which BT interchange is most efficient in terms of design and use of space wisely. 

I'm really racking my brains here, but I come up with Garden City, I think even it is not as good as it could be.

If you look solely at the bus facilities, I would say Indooroopilly is quite good for what its worth. Sure, you could have put it right along Moggill Road to save time, but then you have the issue of easy access (the Moggill Road end of the centre is not pedestrian friendly). Where it is probably minimises time wasting while maximising amenity.

Layover space is probably the only thing which could be worked on, and a slip lane to get into the bus station. The new traffic lights at Station Road are now frequently holding up buses trying to get into the interchange - bus-only slip lane needed to avoid the buses having to wait too long.

[Gazza]

the Moggill Road end of the centre is not pedestrian friendly

It is now, to be fair.

[#Metro]

I'm trying to think which BT interchange is most efficient in terms of design and use of space wisely.

What's this? Brisbane Transport and INTERCHANGE appear in the same sentence? Interchange? What's interchange? HAHAHA
Is this some kind of prank joke?

[ozbob]

FYI .... interesting position advertised ....

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

Manager Contract Reform
Transport and Main Roads (Organisation site)
Service Policy & Investment; PT Integration; TransLink Division; Kelvin Grove

In the role of Manager (Contract Reform) you will be responsible for contributing to the development and implementation of the outcomes of the TransLink Division Bus Reform Strategy to ensure that they are aligned with TransLink's organisational objectives as well as the identified needs of public transport users in Queensland.

Accountabilities include:

• Provide expert and authoritative advice relating to reforming bus Service Contracts and apply specialist knowledge in the fields of contract design, planning, management and review in relation to a variety of types of bus service contracts in Queensland.

• Lead the development and implementation of the procurement process for multiple bus service contracts across Queensland.

• Ensure that a structured approach to project probity be developed, maintained and regularly reviewed.

• Undertake complex liaison and negotiation for commercial bus contracts that are of strategic importance to TMR.

• Foster strong and effective relationships within the organisation, departmental portfolio, and with local, state and federal agencies, industry bodies, transport operators, clients and other key stakeholders to build commitment to the long-term growth of public transport in Queensland.

• Prepare complex, well-researched and thorough documentation and analysis including project plans, policy papers, briefings, reports and submissions.

• Lead and manage specific project management accountabilities through effective budget development, appropriate monitoring, policies and critical reporting functions.

•This role is responsible for effectively managing the relationship with and output of key external consultants.

• Provide leadership and proactively manage and supervise high performance teams by fostering TMRs values, recruiting skilled staff, managing staff capability and performance, appraising and developing staff, managing change and ensuring ethical behaviour and decision-making.

This role reports to the Director Contract Reform and has 2 direct reports.

Applications to remain current for 12 months.

https://smartjobs.qld.gov.au/jobtools/jncustomsearch.viewFullSingle?in_organid=14904&in_jnCounter=221374904&in_jobDate=Any+time&in_orderby=reex_expirydate