Brisbane BCC Bus Network Review

[ozbob]

As reported by Brisbanetimes http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/council-to-call-for-submissions-into-own-bus-review-20130322-2gkh7.html

BCC is to conduct review  April 22 to May 20.

Link to BCC Review --> http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-transport/public-transport/buses/index.htm

[Mr X]

Few routes to be scrapped + most submissions to the state government one to be ignored = USELESS

[nathandavid88]

Maroon Gliders for everyone!!!   

[#Metro]

A lapdog in every empty seat!

[O_128]

I want a yellow cityglider that takes me from newfarm to uni via work at strathpine and my friends place on the goldcoast. And it must be on time!!

[ozbob]

BCC sees itself as an isolated transport island, with no flow on effects for the rest of SEQ.

The Lord Mayor is seriously deluded suggesting the bus network is fine ...

The Minister is clutching at straws, he also cannot grasp that public transport is really an integrated network. 

[colinw]

Complete ****ing Waste of Time.  Only feedback they'll be getting from me is "let TransLink do its job, and you do yours".

By which I mean "provide buses & drivers to run services to TransLink authorized routes, using TransLink fares & Go Card equipment".

Oh, and instead of meddling with this stuff, how about being a good little local council, fixing the perennial pothole in my street, and mowing the bloody footpath for once.

[kazzac]

I want a yellow cityglider that takes me from newfarm to uni via work at strathpine and my friends place on the goldcoast. And it must be on time!!

I want a Cityglider that travels direct from Morningside to Salisbury every day then!  Oops I forgot!I already have that ,my car!

[colinw]

Here you go - Yellow Cityglider. BYO vehicle & driver, runs as & when required only stopping when needed, no Go Card required*



*other charges may apply.

[Gazza]

I bet the superstops won't happen due to some BS reason from council about footpah overcrowding or something.

[beauyboy]

I have to say I have been quite on this subject for good reason, I saw some of the changes as to much. With that said I have mixed emotions about it going back to BCC. The point is it has, so no point whinging your head off, send an email to the Transport minister.

Things out of the Old plan I liked was

KFS Drive BUZ but I believe this should be Terminated at Toombul, KFS drive has terrible traffic and making it to long would result in poor on time performance

175 BUZ, Logan Road BUZ to Garden City

Centenery BUZ as we Have said before this could be achived but just merging routes

RBWH to UQ BUZ by merging 66 & 109. Plain common sense, Mind you I had to see it in the plan for me to come round

385 BUZ rerouted Via waterworks road, an inner city arterial such as this needs a BUZ

I do agree we needed to have things fixed but I believe it went to far. Connections are great but they need to be frequent and some areas (eg Stafford) would possibly be going to loose there higher frequency services with no explaination of how frequent the replacement services were going to be.

[somebody]

385 BUZ rerouted Via waterworks road, an inner city arterial such as this needs a BUZ

But the part of Waterworks Rd not served by the current 385 already has a bus every 15 minutes within the proposed 7am-7pm 7 day high frequency hours, does it not?

[beauyboy]

Not all of us travel on PT between 7am - 7PM. That is one part of the old plan I hate. High Frequency has to be high frequency, and as such the BUZ should stay a BUZ as defined.

Nothing is more unnerving then being at a bus stop at 9 o'çlock at night having just missed it by a few seconds then having to wait half an hour or more.
In cycling infrastructure there is a term called 8 to 80. I means anyone from 8 to 80 should feel comfortable using it no matter what. While 8 might be a little low how would you feel about a 12 year old girl having to wait at a Bus stop for half an hour at 7.30 at night, or a 79 year old woman at 8.30 at night. Both un-nerve me and are the reason why I will not back down from the BUZ concept as defined

[ozbob]

I bet the superstops won't happen due to some BS reason from council about footpah overcrowding or something.

Quirk did comment on this earlier saying it would cause footpath issues .. so probably dead.  City Stop mediocrity will continue to be sure .. unless Simon can convince them otherwise ...

[ozbob]

It will be interesting what 'evolution' changes BCC propose. They are going to have to do something as the system is approaching meltdown at times, and there is a lot of bus grief around simply as a result of fulls and no shows, and reliability issues generally. 

[newbris]

385 BUZ rerouted Via waterworks road, an inner city arterial such as this needs a BUZ

But the part of Waterworks Rd not served by the current 385 already has a bus every 15 minutes within the proposed 7am-7pm 7 day high frequency hours, does it not?

Often yes, but up to half an hour on Sundays and a few other gaps. I saw the main benefit as:
- creating a very visible trunk route down Waterworks for casual users.
- removing the glider duplication
- re-routing via a right turn at the bottom of countess and right again into the busway and through Roma St busway and KGS terminating at CC. Save loads of time from current surface running.
- super stop containing F6, F7 and glider to even out loads and increase frequency.
- freeing up 380/381 buses for other parts of Brisbane.
- rerouting 379 into S100 via Coopers Camp Rd servicing the secondary road.

[#Metro]

I am going to write up a little and look into what the hell happened to what was a very promising bus review.

The key thing is this: TransLink and ministerial spinelessness aside, it has become quite clear that Brisbane Transport isn't a division of Brisbane City Council. It's the other way around.

It will be interesting what 'evolution' changes BCC propose. They are going to have to do something as the system is approaching meltdown at times, and there is a lot of bus grief around simply as a result of fulls and no shows, and reliability issues generally. 

Window dressing and whitewashing I suspect. Despite all the "regular reviews" ancient tram relics such as 476 and waste like 161 managed to survive.

[SurfRail]

I never realised how manifestly nasty and insular a place Brisbane was until this week.

[#Metro]

I couldn't also help but notice the presence of the Cr Shayne Sutton Effect which appears to be still present - I just could not help but notice how the frequent network conveniently just terminated at the boundary of her ward. I strongly suspect that the GFN orginally did extend into Bulimba, and then somehow was pulled back. That's my thoughts.

[ozbob]

Media release 23 March 2013



Brisbane: Transport functions must be removed from the Brisbane City Council

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers calls for legislation amending The City of Brisbane Act to remove Brisbane City Council's public transport functions.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Brisbane City Council's Bus review has as much credibility as a cigarette manufacturer calling for a review into the effects of its own cigarettes. The Lord Mayor is effectively the head of Queensland's largest bus company."

"Money that would have been spent on high frequency all day service or improvements to Bulimba, The Centenary Suburbs, The Northwest and Yeronga for example,  will now be spent on running buses full of air all the way from the suburbs, into to the CBD, continuing to worsen bus congestion and reliability."

"Yeronga and the Centenary suburbs are amongst the worst affected by the scrapping of the high frequency bus plan."

"Will the Lord Mayor announce a Centenary BUZ, Yeronga BUZ, BulimbaGlider and Albany Creek BUZ as part of the Brisbane City Council Review to make up for the loss of planned high frequency services to these areas?"

"Will Brisbane City Council cut any bus routes and if so which ones and where?"

"Will Brisbane City Council continue to ignore other operators and run an independent network without due regard to optimise all modes such as rail and other bus operators? Will they still focus on council boundary border 'hissy-fits' complaining that non BCC residents are on Brisbane Transport buses?  South East Queensland is bigger than Brisbane Council and needs an integrated public transport network, not Brisbane Transport and the rest."

"The fact that Brisbane Transport did not cooperate with TransLink and the real bus review, highlights the self serving, selfish and anti-public transport stance of Brisbane City Council. All other operators did.  Had Brisbane Transport taken part in the TransLink review there is a little doubt a much better overall outcome would have been achieved, and consequently an improved network."

"TransLink has been used as an ATM, now a shell agency and a lapdog for the Brisbane City Council. Brisbane Transport, the bus operator that TransLink is supposed to be regulating and contracting has captured full control of the agency, TransLink via the BCC. No other bus operator has been able to do this. Brisbane Transport can do as it pleases, invent and foist services upon the agency at will such as the Maroon WasteGlider."

"Now planning a multi-billion dollar bus tunnel, also outside its jurisdiction, it will no doubt want the State Government to pitch in 100% of the cash for that it so it can continue to operate its high-waste direct service to the CBD bus network."

"Where does it end? When does the Minister put his foot down and say enough is enough?"

"The whole idea of TransLink doing the route and network planning is to keep costs down for passengers. By keeping the network simple and efficient, fares can be low and stay low while connecting everyone with decent service. Now with the agency captured, the Minister powerless and groveling, and the operator, Brisbane Transport at the controls drawing up the routes, there will be extraordinary upward pressure on fares and taxpayer subsidies to rise. The next fare rise is a planned whopping 7.5%, and potentially 20% or higher."

"We believe that Brisbane Transport and Brisbane City Council must be broken apart and special state legislation altering The City of Brisbane Act 2010 must be introduced to require Brisbane City Council to divest itself of bus operations. Only by doing this will south-east Queensland's public transport network be significantly improved, transformed into a connective network and put on an economically sustainable model without the huge fare increases as we have seen since 2010."

References:

1. Bus review gets passed to Brisbane City Council http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2013/03/bue-review-gets-passed-to-brisbane-city-council.html

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulatory_capture

Regulatory capture occurs when a regulatory agency, created to act in the public interest, instead advances the commercial or special concerns of interest groups that dominate the industry or sector it is charged with regulating. Regulatory capture is a form of government failure, as it can act as an encouragement for firms to produce negative externalities. The agencies are called "captured agencies".

Contact:

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

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail 11th April 2012 pages 18-19

City's public transport will never improve while run by opposing sides





Hallelujah!!

[somebody]

But the part of Waterworks Rd not served by the current 385 already has a bus every 15 minutes within the proposed 7am-7pm 7 day high frequency hours, does it not?

Often yes, but up to half an hour on Sundays and a few other gaps. I saw the main benefit as:

Ah, so no cigar.  But why not just add the additional services to fill in the gaps?

- creating a very visible trunk route down Waterworks for casual users.
- removing the glider duplication
- re-routing via a right turn at the bottom of countess and right again into the busway and through Roma St busway and KGS terminating at CC. Save loads of time from current surface running.

I don't see these as worthy advantages.  I don't like Herschel St either, but better to turn left into Turbot St, R Edward St.

- super stop containing F6, F7 and glider to even out loads and increase frequency.

Not sure that F7 was to be in KGSBS, and F6 doesn't go down the same road as the Glider.

- freeing up 380/381 buses for other parts of Brisbane.

Not sure there is a net gain here at all - more likely a net loss from making the 385 slower and needing a bunch of secondary routes.

- rerouting 379 into S100 via Coopers Camp Rd servicing the secondary road.

I really loath this idea.

All in all, I'm very glad this aspect has been stopped!

I never realised how manifestly nasty and insular a place Brisbane was until this week.

Seriously?  Sounds like you haven't been paying much attention at all!

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

27th March 2013

Re: Public transport crisis

Greetings,

It is time the Minister for Transport actually outlined what  he is going to expect from the BCC Bus review.  More of the same self-centred system,  or an improved network as proposed by TransLink that starts to address the years of accrued mediocrity by BCC?  Maybe the Premier should stand by his desire for the state to take over the buses from BCC, I mean he is the Premier now.

SEQ is headlong into a public transport crisis, does anyone actually care?

Enjoy your commute!

Best wishes
Robert


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

Twitter

Robert Dow ‏@Robert_Dow

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman wants State Government to run buses --> http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/campbell-newman-wants-state-government-to-run-buses/story-e6freoof-1225839337936 ... #qldpol #showstherealmentalityofBCC

" ... LORD Mayor Campbell Newman wants the State Government to run Brisbane's bus network, which he says is being overcrowded by commuters who live outside the city ... "

No idea what an integrated network is ...  Minister you need to act!!

[#Metro]

Registrations now open

http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-transport/public-transport/buses/index.htm

[ozbob]

Registrations now open

http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-transport/public-transport/buses/index.htm

Thanks ..

[ozbob]

http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-transport/public-transport/buses/index.htm

Brisbane bus network review

In July 2012 the Queensland Government announced a review of TransLink's South East Queensland bus network including the Brisbane City area. The network review was released by TransLink on 7 March 2013.

On 21 March, TransLink handed its review of bus services within the Brisbane transport network over to Council. Council has set aside the recommendations of the TransLink review and will conduct a fresh new review. Brisbane's bus network does not require a radical overhaul.

The Queensland Government has asked that Council deliver an improved and more efficient network by redirecting underutilised resources to overcrowded routes within the current budget. This means there may be some changes to timetables or route paths, but Council does not intend to leave areas without services.

... The Queensland Government has asked that Council deliver an improved and more efficient network by redirecting underutilised resources to overcrowded routes within the current budget. This means there may be some changes to timetables or route paths, but Council does not intend to leave areas without services ...

Oh dear, I can see the petitions now ...

... Brisbane's bus network does not require a radical overhaul. However, changes may be proposed ...

Disagree, exactly what it needs - a radical overhaul and changes ...  no chance now of real improvement now that the honey bear is in charge of the honey pot ... what about flow effects to other non-Brisbane areas?  Do they care ... of course not ...



About to go over the cliff ..

[#Metro]

Brisbane's bus network does not require a radical overhaul.

CUTS!! 

Will BCC leave entire suburbs without frequent PT coverage such as is the case in Centenary, Yeronga, Bulimba, Northwest, Wynnum road???

Looks like the entire system will be geared towards the pensioner demographic ...

[#Metro]

Let's look at the comedy skit council meeting on 12th March 2013:
Council minutes for 12 March 2013 (Word - 1.1Mb)
http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/downloads/about_council/governance_strategy/minutes_ordinary_12_march_2013.doc

.   RECOMMENDATION:

   THAT COUNCIL NOTE THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE ABOVE REPORT.
ADOPTED

B   PETITION – CALLING ON THE LORD MAYOR TO GUARANTEE THAT PASSENGERS WILL NOT BE AFFECTED BY THE REVIEW OF BUS ROUTES
      CA13/71296
515/2012-13

12.   Council continues to have a major role in bus services. However, Translink oversees all public transport delivery in South East Queensland, and has the authority to support or initiate changes to bus services. In this case, the bus network review is being undertaken by TransLink. Council has not been involved in planning any changes related to service reductions and the Lord Mayor is not in a position to guarantee that there will be no reduction of services in Inala, or across the whole Brisbane City Council contracted area.

13.   Council has recommended that service levels should not be decreased by the proposed changes; rather there should be a range of service augmentations across the network, to address demand for services.

Reccomendation #13 is important as this motion was carried - we hope that BCC can find it within its budget to fund 'a range of service augmentations' and no cuts. Happy Budgeting!!

[ozbob]

[ozbob]

We better start a petition for the P161 .... and the 314, and any bus routes that happen to go near a railway station within 800 metres or so ...

[#Metro]

Image Attribution : © Glenn Francis, www.PacificProDigital.com GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2
from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Paris_Hilton_2009.jpg

[longboi]

I can see it now...in a month's time the same thing will happen, just a different group of commuters will be p%ssed  off. This all boils down to the fact that change = scary but in order to address service overcrowding and CBD congestion, the BCC will have no other choice.

[ozbob]

I can see it now...in a month's time the same thing will happen, just a different group of commuters will be p%ssed  off. This all boils down to the fact that change = scary but in order to address service overcrowding and CBD congestion, the BCC will have no other choice.

Well said Nikko ... right on the money ...

[techblitz]

Snippets from this weeks southern star.....

  <<<yo wheres the paris hilton pic? 

[#Metro]

What a bloody joke this system is!!
161 was being replaced by another bus route, PLUS it would also have direct connection to Sunnybank AND a rail connection at Coopers Plains!!.

Even more outrageous is the fact that the bus terminates at Garden City on weekends already!! 

There is so much waste, Brizcommuter could fill an entire post with it and still have some left over.

Wishart Outlook Estate... who are the VIPs that live there that justify rockets to the CBD all day? (Apart from Paris obviously!!)

[ozbob]

NO!   Heaven forbid replace the 161 ....  I am so relieved ... hold on ...  what if BCC can the 161? 

Won't there be some grief then ...

[ozbob]

What those snippets highlight well is the lack of research and balance by the media, pathetic effort really.  TransLink should have been countering that bull ...  obviously were not allowed to ... 

172 .... 

[#Metro]

Ozbob, haven't you noticed, fact's and research don't matter anymore in the media industry. It is all "he said, she said" and opinion. Forget about truth and facts, they only want emotive, populist stuff. Have to work with it unfortunately.

Facts remain, this bus is the EPITOME of waste!

[ozbob]

Too right, lucky they kept their grubby paws off the 524!  Crikey, they are rather liable to explosions of bus rage out this way ...

[ozbob]

The Herald Sun and Age were published hard copy today in Melbourne ...  just saying ...