SEQ Bus Network Review

[SurfRail]

The 77 is not the epitome of waste but it completely duplicates other routes.  Being from the Gold Coast things like this stick out like a sore thumb to me.  The Gold Coast network features none of this stuff - 60 bus routes which all have a specific purpose and which only overlap to provide coordinated high frequency.  In that sense it is a lot more connective and consistent with what other cities worldwide do even if the headways and span are wretched.

I don't see a place for it even in a connective network.  I'm not even convinced sending it to UQ would justify it when you can change to the 66 from virtually any other bus on the Gympie Rd corridor at RBWH.  Routes like the 77 really aren't much better than the 161 when so many services even in BT land don't run after dark and every single stop on the route would continue to enjoy high frequency and NightLink services in its absence.

Getting quite OT though.

[HappyTrainGuy]

But when you consider it can be up to 15 minutes or more faster during peak hour than other alternatives there is quite a massive time advantage. I have done trips where I've arrived at my desired stop 15-30 minutes earlier because I managed to leap frog onto earlier services. I haven't checked since the timetable mods but it might even be faster than a bus from Chermside-Roma Street then train to Altandi.

Its a route that seems odd but if you have used it before for north-south trips you can really see the benefit especially when you transfer onto connecting buz routes.

EDIT: Yep. 14 minutes faster 77+130/140 during peak hour vs 330+Gold Coast Express and 15 minutes faster than 330+130/140 express combo. It's a really effective route if you know how to utilize it to its maximum.

[#Metro]

I travel in Luxury, all the time with my personalised BT home rocket Route 161.
Thanks Ratepayers. Thanks Taxpayers.

Don't cut my bus!! ESSENTIAL public service here.

(Laying back with dark sunglasses in bus sipping champagne)

What's this about waste in Brisbane City Council's bus network? Waste? What Waste? 

[Fares_Fair]

I travel in Luxury, all the time with my personalised BT home rocket Route 161.
Thanks Ratepayers. Thanks Taxpayers.

Don't cut my bus!! ESSENTIAL public service here.

(Laying back with dark sunglasses in bus sipping champagne)

What's this about waste in Brisbane City Council's bus network? Waste? What Waste? 

Umm, Lapdog,

Could we borrow your bus to meet our new 4:22pm ex-Central train service at Landsborough please?
We'll have it back to you for the morning run, I promise. 

Be warned - It may show more signs of wear and tear than the brand new unused condition it is in now. 

[#Metro]

Don't you have your own bus? You know, the one pretending to be a train?

Unfortunately can't loan, as I have important celebrity duties to discharge ;-P


http://www.ladyblitz.com/photogallery/photo-gallery-paris-hilton-in-philippines-1331/attachment/lereditiera-paris-hilton-in-visita-nelle-filippine-3/#sthash.6okL4TUN.dpuf

(Hopefully a Browns Plains rocket soon to take advantage of new and improved 'parking' space)

[James]

The 77 is not the epitome of waste but it completely duplicates other routes.  Being from the Gold Coast things like this stick out like a sore thumb to me.  The Gold Coast network features none of this stuff - 60 bus routes which all have a specific purpose and which only overlap to provide coordinated high frequency.  In that sense it is a lot more connective and consistent with what other cities worldwide do even if the headways and span are wretched.

I don't see a place for it even in a connective network.  I'm not even convinced sending it to UQ would justify it when you can change to the 66 from virtually any other bus on the Gympie Rd corridor at RBWH.  Routes like the 77 really aren't much better than the 161 when so many services even in BT land don't run after dark and every single stop on the route would continue to enjoy high frequency and NightLink services in its absence.

Getting quite OT though.

There are many things the Gold Coast does not have. It does not have:
- A recognisable peak hour (or peak hour services)
- A tunnel which is far faster and more direct than surface roads
- Multiple significant universities on one end of the route (UQ/Griffith)

virtually any other bus on the Gympie Rd corridor at RBWH.

This is what you are ignoring. If I had my way with the Gympie Road corridor, there would be no more than 3 routes going down it (the 330, a P-rocket short-running from Chermside and maybe some other route thrown in there). Possible one or two more. This is HTG's land of expertise, but I will try my best to be an expert on something that isn't Coronation Drive's bus conga party.

Undertaking theoretical trip from Webster Rd at Milburn Street, stop 40.

Current situation
Peak scenario: Arriving at UQ Lakes for a 9am lecture
340 + 77 + 139: 49 minute trip time
340 + 66: 56 minute trip time (requires earlier departure)

Off-peak scenario: Arriving at UQ Lakes for a 2pm tutorial
340 + 77 + 169: 44 minute trip - BUT one arrives at 1:30pm, not very useful!
340 + 66: 59 minute trip (if you are daring, you can do it in 49 minutes if you take on the 1-minute 66 connection)

Future situation
Peak scenario: Arriving at UQ Lakes for 9am lecture
Feeder + 77 + 139/169/209: 5 mins to Chermside + 7.5 mins transfer + 28 mins to Buranda + 1.5 mins transfer + 8 mins to UQ Lakes
= 50 minutes trip time
Feeder + 330/333 + 66: 5 mins to Chermside + 3 mins transfer + 24 mins to RBWH + 2.5 mins transfer + 25 mins to UQ Lakes
= 60 minutes trip time

Off-peak scenario: Arriving at UQ Lakes for a 2pm tutorial
Feeder + 77 + 139/169/209: 5 mins to Chermside + 7.5 mins transfer + 24 mins to Buranda + 5 mins transfer + 6 mins to UQ Lakes
= 48 minutes trip time
Feeder + 330/333 + 66: 5 mins to Chermside + 5 mins transfer + 18 mins to RBWH + 5 mins transfer + 26 mins to UQ Lakes
= 59 minutes travel time

Conclusions from Route Investigation

Route saves 10 minutes on average, or between 15% and 20% of travel time.

It may be an idea to look at patronage and see where the pax are going. If you didn't have that transfer penalty going to UQ, the 77 would be even more attractive. On the other hand, UQ demand is peaky and sending it to 8MP may avoid demand being exclusively UQ-driven (hint: UQ routes do poorly outside semester!). From what I've seen, there is a far stronger incentive to catch PT to UQ when compared to Griffith due to the inaccessibility of the campus by car alone/Sir Fred Schonell Drive being cactus at the best of times.

The route in terms of its place in the network, under a connective network, is great. However, my main concern (more external to the above) is finances. I'd like to see where the cash in this route is actually being lost. Is the route in any shape or form that it could minimise losses (or even turn a profit)? Or is it a route which will lose money even if it is more packed than a 66 on the first day of Uni? I think the toll could be a bit of an issue here.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Maybe a mod can move these posts to the network thread. Personally I think the 77 should stay on the busway to 8MP/beyond (depending on the network and demand of course). Run it like a railway line using the busways and using selected busway stations as key interchange points such as Chermside for local feeders/surrounding areas/GCL, Kedron Brook for 369 going to Toombul-Mitchelton, Buranda for UQ and eastern services, Griffith for 130/140 going to Browns Plains/Parkinson, 8MP for 280/eastern services etc. Start cutting/merging routes along the busway to make the most eg Merging the 375 into 369 services. Make the 77 a key feature on maps detailing/highlighting the advantages. Really sell it.

[SurfRail]

Honestly I remain unconvinced.  There's no significant time advantage unless it runs at high frequency, which would pull resources away from the rest of the system that need them more.

[/

There are many things the Gold Coast does not have. It does not have:
- A recognisable peak hour (or peak hour services)
- A tunnel which is far faster and more direct than surface roads
- Multiple significant universities on one end of the route (UQ/Griffith)

There is a slight peak - travel demand heading north is greater in the mornings and south is greater in the afternoons, just not as noticeable.  Griffith Uni is in the north of the city as well.

The second of these arguably exists.  Sending buses up Bermuda St from the Burleigh direction would provide people with a faster journey to Southport.  This in part is why Route 747 exists, although the 747 now also provides coverage not found on other routes after the changes and provides a much, much faster travel time between Robina and Southport compared with going via Broadbeach and Surfers.  The time saving on the 77 from north to south is barely noticeable by way of comparison, and there is no additional coverage eg to Kangaroo Point.

[techblitz]

inbound city trains @ windsor connect very well to the 77
bit of a muckaround trip test for mitchelton - buranda busway - plethora of south/eastbound rockets

14 mins mitchy to windsor
3 min wait time which is ample time to cross the road
77 - 10 mins buranda bus station  >>>>  Hop off for very easy transfer to south/east services
total = 27 mins mitchy to buranda via 77

By rail completely mitchy to buranda

22 mins mitchy to central
up to 5 minute transfer penalty
15 mins central to buranda rail
and then the walk over the bridge @ buranda rail.....then down to the busway
total time via rail only 42 mins

My original suggestion back when TL wanted to delete it was to run it peak hour only......its patronage will grow......albeit very slowly.....and still no guarantees it will exist if/when campbell gets voted out

[aldonius]

The Windsor connection is useless in AM peak now, though. Both go through simultaneously.

If the southbound 77 services before 8:30 were pulled forward by 3-4 minutes, that'd work well.

[SurfRail]

A slightly faster journey on the busiest 2 corridors in Brisbane is not a worthy enough goal when some people have no useful access to the network at all.

[James]

Honestly I remain unconvinced.  There's no significant time advantage unless it runs at high frequency, which would pull resources away from the rest of the system that need them more.

There is a slight peak - travel demand heading north is greater in the mornings and south is greater in the afternoons, just not as noticeable.  Griffith Uni is in the north of the city as well.

The second of these arguably exists.  Sending buses up Bermuda St from the Burleigh direction would provide people with a faster journey to Southport.  This in part is why Route 747 exists, although the 747 now also provides coverage not found on other routes after the changes and provides a much, much faster travel time between Robina and Southport compared with going via Broadbeach and Surfers.  The time saving on the 77 from north to south is barely noticeable by way of comparison, and there is no additional coverage eg to Kangaroo Point.

Yes, a minor peak - nothing like what is seen in Brisbane, or what occurs heading towards UQ in AM peak.

I wouldn't really draw parallels between the 747 and Gold Coast Highway services. It's a different kettle of fish - it doesn't "bypass" any CBD and it covers quite a significant corridor (Bermuda St isn't a tunnel with nothing but cars in it). It however, does save an amount of time similar to that saved by the 77 in many instances (around 10-15 minutes).

A slightly faster journey on the busiest 2 corridors in Brisbane is not a worthy enough goal when some people have no useful access to the network at all.

But the 77 is not the thing to blame here at all. Some people have no useful access to the network at all because BCC insists on running a high-waste direct services network where all services proceed to the CBD, resulting in over 20bph running down Coronation Drive, Gympie Road and the SE Busway during the off-peak and on weekends when there is absolutely no need for this to occur (OCR is almost as bad), of which many services serve no useful purpose.

If the 77 was the only wasteful thing left in the BCC network, fine, lets look at cutting it. But aside from making it peak-only, I don't see why there is so much hate for it. But there are so many duplicative and useless urban safari routes (414, 417, 430, 435, 460, 468, 476) I don't see why some believe we should cut it ahead of dumb wastes of money like the entire northside network, 160, 222 and routes that go via China and South Sudan to reach their destination like the 232 or 361.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Then modify the bus network. I've harped on previously that the translink bus network for the northside (not the south, not the west but the north region) was vastly superior to whats currently available. It was stepping forward to a more connective network. There were still issues and things still needed to be addressed but overall it was still early in the stages to fix or address these problems. It addressed the duplication. It addressed the lack of feeders. Areas with PT blackspots were addressed especially the Geebung to Sandgate Road corridor. Short feeders were cut in favor of longer feeders (merging the 325, 335, 336, 337, 340 into a single route going past 6 interchange stations with HF routes to the city). 

The real big issues in the current network for me is the mess with the 330, P331, P332, 333, 334, 340, P341, 370, 375, 376 (add in the 336/337/338/340/680 in Aspley regarding stop locations - the 340 should have another stop added near the car dealerships so residents there have access to a proper bus buz route) running along the Gympie Road corridor. Stop locations is another problem with Rode Road stop and a couple other places that should be considered as a buz stop. Nothing like having a brand new busway station with all the key routes bypassing them. Merge the 375 into the 369. Address the issues in the RBWH-Valley corridor with the 334, 335, 346, 353, 360, 370, 375, 379. Once that's addressed maybe look at extending some of the longer/higher capacity bus routes to Kedron Brook Bus Station after buses are removed/merged into other routes/terminated at interchanges or bus stations eg 111 services. That way the frequency is maintained along the busy part of the busway with higher capacity vehicles to cater for those that have to transfer onto or off them. You could then run the 330 as a express RBWH-KBBS service. But my biggest issue is the lack of bus priority at the busway entrances/exits which is one of the reasons why all the bus routes are bunching up. If it was to be a bus every 2 minutes in reality its 3 buses following each other then nothing for 8 minutes before another 3 buses show up following each other bumper to bumper.

I might live in the north west but I'd personally rather see those high waste areas addressed first then focus on addressing the issues with local feeders and the northwest region with the saved resources.

[techblitz]

A slightly faster journey on the busiest 2 corridors in Brisbane is not a worthy enough goal when some people have no useful access to the network at all.

Funny definition of slightly there SR...

4pmish s/bound via 330-111 = 39 mins
77 chermside - buranda 24 mins

Lets put that in percentage terms
39-24 = 15 mins into 39 mins = 35-40% timesaving via 77 over the other.

[#Metro]

Waste is waste. Why split hairs and go on a 'your waste is bigger than my waste' line? That's no argument. If it is waste it should be looked at for review (EXCEPT 161 which is an ESSENTIAL public service, particularly those with medical conditions such as claustrophobia  ). Same with waste on the rail network - rail has almost no waste in terms of route scheduling as the vehicles are stuck to the tracks - so you don't get indirect rail routes, loops, services invented on whims etc. It would just be too expensive to do that.

There may be some sections of the network where guards could be removed. Airport, Springfield and Doomben lines spring to mind.

[ozbob]

I am happy to announce that we are getting an indented bus stop on the 524, one stop from my pole in the ground - 312242. 

Exciting times ..   

soon it will be good bye pole!

[SurfRail]

A slightly faster journey on the busiest 2 corridors in Brisbane is not a worthy enough goal when some people have no useful access to the network at all.

Funny definition of slightly there SR...

4pmish s/bound via 330-111 = 39 mins
77 chermside - buranda 24 mins

Lets put that in percentage terms
39-24 = 15 mins into 39 mins = 35-40% timesaving via 77 over the other.

The service is only hourly though.  The time saving is largely illusory unless you take the one point in the cycle where the 77 offers a faster journey and ignore the other times when it is faster to go via town because you can leave right away.  You would virtually always be better off just catching a bus via the city.  Even half-hourly service is still about even.

[Golliwog]

You do have a point SR, and a proper review of access to the network needs to be done considering how poor it currently is, and while in the short to medium term I don't know if a route like this is a priority, it certainly needs to me on the drawing cards as designing the network around a CBD centric BUZ model (even with good radial routes) would leave these types of trips poorly serviced. You'd still be losing cross town journeys to those who can still afford to drive through the tunnel and value the time saving the trip through the tunnel provides rather than the trip though town.

[SurfRail]

I think any talk of reform is effectively little more than fantasy until the government changes now.

The 20 January bus changes down here have been cocked up big time and nobody wants to hear about it. 

I'm jack of the whole thing now.  Convinced the LRT implementation will be screwed up as well, there is no evidence to the contrary that they have any idea what they are doing based on current performance.

It's clear that certain people in the decision-making chairs believe we are "self appointed experts" and not worth listening to.  I say give them enough rope.

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Mackenzie residents urge TransLink to reverse changes to the 260 bus service to Wishart shopping village

[Gazza]

Ok a few points about the 77.

3 min wait time which is ample time to cross the road

Not Lutwyche Rd in peak! Horrible traffic light cycles at times. If your train is a minute late (And it is still is a 200m walk) then you aren't going to make the connection. I'd never plan a trip around a 3 min connection.

Why are we doing a comparison with a trip to Buranda? Like, who goes there? Park Rd is the actual destination, and if you are going there, you don't have the transfer penalty at Central.

And if you are going to use the argument that Buranda was chosen because it is a point of comparsion, well sure, but a route shouldn't exist just because it's faster than a set journey between two chosen points.

The example I like to give is the way a coach from Roma St to Surfers Paradise is faster than a Nerang Train and 74X to Surfers, or that a bus running direct to Joondalup to Perth would be faster than an all stops train.

Like, no sh%t sherlock. Of course a non stop bus in mostly motorway conditions is going to be faster than an all stops mass transit service.
But the point nobody ever makes is whether the patronage gained is worth the extra cost, or a good use of taxpayers dollars in the first place!

I think the 77 is dumb. You basically have to luck out and be there when the 77 is coming by, otherwise you'd be better off  jumping on the first bus coming past (They are near continuous remember!).

IMO Only reason the route got done was a form of greenwashing to make the Clem7 look a little less car focused ("Look, it benefits PT too!")

[HappyTrainGuy]

I used GUBS as I've used the 77+130/140 on multiple occasions during peak hour. Also hence my maintain the 77 along the busway with more terminating routes thrown into the mix. I just find it bloody excellent that the 77 to Griffith has a similar transit time as the 330 express buz from Chermside-City using the airport link. Peak hour is when the 77 should be run. Similar to the 336/337. Off peak.... meh. Utilise the existing buz routes.

Heck send it through the Airport Link too to shave off another 10 minutes 

[techblitz]

Why are we doing a comparison with a trip to Buranda? Like, who goes there?

You apparently...

Also, my feedback on the 77 right at the 500 word limit too
I actually travel from Buranda, but its missing from the suburb list :/
I Use this to get from UQ-Chermside shops.
-Shorten the 77 back to Buranda, and send via Airport Link,
-Would make the route cheaper to run due to the lower total distance.
-High speed of using Airport link maximises the benefit of this being a fast 'shortcut'.
-If the route was cheaper to run and faster it could improve its "Value for money" and "Average Patronage" scores.
-Can still Transfer to 111 to get to 8milepln

Htg seems you HAD a fan of your airport link diversion 

[aldonius]

Peak hour is when the 77 should be run.

Nail, meet hammerhead. We can argue about peak all we like, but it's pointless at hourly frequencies offpeak.

To pull costs down further, perhaps terminate it short? For the southside, dare I suggest UQ?  <puts on flameproof suit>

[minbrisbane]

Probably not UQ, I'd suggest Langlands Park, at least then you have the SEB/CL connection at Buranda.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

31st January 2014

Passengers left stranded in many bus regions in SEQ

Greetings,

Not only is there a major fare affordability crisis, there are major issues with the bus network in SEQ.  Reductions in many regions of frequency and span of hours of many routes is causing problems with the ability of people to actually use the public transport network, let alone afford it!  The sector 2 rail timetables have been a welcome improvement however unless there is adequate feeder bus connections people are stranded ( New Translink timetables run smoothly http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/new-translink-timetables-run-smoothly-20140130-31psb.html )

The reductions  flow from the political failure of the TransLink bus review.  In order to continue to prop up the inefficient direct service model of the Brisbane Transport bus network other regions are having serious cuts.  Hardly a satisfactory outcome.  There is serious concern with the changed Gold Coast bus network.  Many bus routes now finish before people return from work and other activities.

Examples of Brisbane bus network waste and unproductive issues surviving two rounds of bus 'review' include:

* BCC 50% air buses in peak hour at Cultural Centre

* Maroon WasteGlider from the CBD to Stones Corner

* Express Bus 161 which duplicates almost everything on the South East Busway

* Enormous service duplication and wasteful competition along Coronation Drive both against BCC's own bus routes and rail

* Enormous waste along Old Cleveland Road where an excessive 16 buses per hour pass (a bus every 3.75 minutes) in the OFF peak, mostly carrying air.

* Lack of quality service to Albany Creek, The Centenary Suburbs, Bulimba, Yeronga and Wynnum Road.

This starves TransLink of service funds and the other regions are now being hit hard.  Crazy ...

Bus regions outside Brisbane are suffering because of a political failure.  TransLink is not to blame, political incompetence is.

Best wishes
Robert

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

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

New Translink timetables run smoothly

Commuter advocates say changes to Translink timetables introduced last week have left some train passengers stranded in outlying areas of Brisbane.

Despite that, however, they say the transition to 200 extra daily rail services has gone relatively smoothly since they were introduced last Monday.

Dutton Park's Michael Swifte, the administrator of a Facebook forum dedicated to Brisbane's public transport network, said many commuters had raised concerns about bus connectivity with train stations since the changes were introduced.

''Talking to people from the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Logan especially, they are saying there is a serious safety issue with the span of hours of the services,'' he said.

''They say they no longer have buses that connect with the train when they get home.''

Mr Swifte said women in particular were concerned at walking home from train stations after dark.

''Peak services to the Gold Coast don't have the connecting bus they used to,'' he said.

''Some people have said they have especially asked to leave work early so they can get a particular train so they can then get the bus.''

A spokesman for Transport Minister Scott Emerson said the new timetable gave the Gold Coast line 93 additional train services each week.

He said overall the implementation of the timetable changes had been highly successful, with high levels of on-time running.

''Translink has more than 50 liaison officers on the Gold Coast network and up to 100 in the Greater Brisbane region – including Logan City – to help customers,'' he said.

''The main focus of enquiries has been to assist with journey planning questions and to help them become familiar with the new network.''

He acknowledged there had been some changes to routes south of Brisbane but said the changes had been made after extensive consultation by Translink.

''While there are some changes to service coverage on the Gold Coast, several new areas are being provided with public transport services for the first time,'' he said.

''The frequency and span of hours of most routes across the Gold Coast have been adjusted to ensure the public transport network is efficient and meets demand for the greater number of customers.''

Robert Dow, of commuter group Rail Back on Track, said connectivity between the bus and train network had been an ongoing problem in Brisbane and Queensland's southeast.

However, he said overall commuters had been happy with the extra 200 daily services.

''There has been some potential overcrowding issues, particularly the Springfield services are pretty heavily loaded but overall it's working reasonably well,'' he said.

''People will get used to new timetables.

''It takes time for a new timetable to permeate through the community but the gains are pretty significant.'' 

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/new-translink-timetables-run-smoothly-20140130-31psb.html

[ozbob]

Letter to the Editor Queensland Times 31st January 2014 page 9

Residents want Sunday buses to go to church, shop and visit

[James]

Nail, meet hammerhead. We can argue about peak all we like, but it's pointless at hourly frequencies offpeak.

To pull costs down further, perhaps terminate it short? For the southside, dare I suggest UQ?  <puts on flameproof suit>

No, UQ is actually a smart idea. Although you'd have to change what it does around Buranda - it MUST (and I mean ABSOLUTELY MUST) go via Buranda bus station allow for SE busway connections. To just send to UQ means it will become like the rest of the UQ routes - standing loads in the Uni peak direction, air carried at all other times. Langlands Park - no. I don't get why people love terminating things there. Yes, there's a bus turnaround, but aside from that there's nothing there. Seriously, I think some 412 stops would get better patronage than Langlands Park busway station...

I don't think anybody thinks the route should stay at hourly off-peak frequency. Hourly bus routes are useless and only really perform a coverage function for people who can't drive and grannies (and even those who can't drive are quite likely to walk to a frequent route should they have one no more than 1-2km away).

[minbrisbane]

The only I reason I suggested LP is so it passes through Buranda.  It'd defeat any reason to send 77 down here at all if it were to go to UQ straight out of the tunnel. 

Either way, absolutely agree, hourly is useless unless you just happen to be travelling at the times it is running.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Peak hour is when the 77 should be run.

Nail, meet hammerhead. We can argue about peak all we like, but it's pointless at hourly frequencies offpeak.

But it fits in so well with the northsides 60 minute or worse frequencies  

[STB]

Noted yesterday that some Labor people were handing out flyers at Beenleigh station over the Logan Region changes and attacking the LNP for reducing the weekend services (notably routes 543, 562/563 (replaced with 564/568) and 570).

A woman there who was talking with them said that she couldn't get to work anymore on Sundays by 7am (from Eagleby to Loganholme).

[SurfRail]

They would have to be the biggest morons going not to campaign strongly on public transport.

Unfortunately, read the first part of that sentence.

[BrizCommuter]

Letter to the Editor Queensland Times 31st January 2014 page 9

Residents want Sunday buses to go to church, shop and visit

If they want a bus to get to church on Sundays, they had better start praying now.

[HappyTrainGuy]

What is this thing called "Sunday buses"??

[James]

Buses on Sunday? Goodness, what are all these new-fangled youngsters talking about?

Back in my day, we drove to church, and then we cooked a nice chicken roast and got all the neighbour kids around and they all played backyard cricket while the men sat around barbequeing some sausages. Why anybody would want to catch something as satanic as a bus on Sunday is beyond me. I mean, even Paris Hilton has her head screwed on, her personal home taxi service only goes to the local shops on a Sunday (in case her mother needs to pick up a chicken, no doubt). Isn't this the way everybody lives these days?



(Back to serious: The standard which Sunday buses are being operated at is absolutely pathetic, right across SEQ. If my bus was operated like the 564/568 are on a Sunday, I'd be pretty p%ssed  off too. Even as is, the hourly frequency of my local route makes me want to scream at the best of times).

[#Metro]

The reason why Sunday services are sparse is because (a) demand is lower and starts later in the day (i.e. people sleep in) and because labour costs a LOT more to operate on a Sunday.

The higher the price something is, the less of that something you can get for a fixed budget.

Under a connected network, services would be short (i.e. to the nearest connection point) and hence less costly = more services can be operated.

[#Metro]

Sunday bus service?

[HappyTrainGuy]

Even as is, the hourly frequency of my local route makes me want to scream at the best of times

[newbris]

Took my son to "Sunday church" this afternoon on the MGLD from cultural centre (towards ashgrove)...we won 2-1 in the 90th minute  #GoRoar


Untitled by newbris, on Flickr

(FYI: Filled up after this at KGS with move down the back calls)

[James]

The reason why Sunday services are sparse is because (a) demand is lower and starts later in the day (i.e. people sleep in) and because labour costs a LOT more to operate on a Sunday.

The higher the price something is, the less of that something you can get for a fixed budget.

Under a connected network, services would be short (i.e. to the nearest connection point) and hence less costly = more services can be operated.

Does labour cost any more on Sunday than it does on Saturday? If so, death to such a feeble thing! Society no longer differentiates between the two days in any significant form, so nor should bus timetables (for the most part) or bus frequencies.

HTG - do you dare challenge me to point out which part of Brisbane has the shittier service?


(Picture neglects to mention 2-hourly 101, 102 services, non-existent 104/414/416/427/432 services and Centenary suburbs black hole).


Thank goodness someone in this City has decent frequency on a weekend!