Ahead of next Tuesday's 2011-12 ACT Budget, the Greens have released their wishlist, including the following transport-related entries:
- $2million for Red Rapid Bus Services for Belconnen and Tuggeranong
- $1.060m for Park and Ride facilities at Holt (Kippax) and Calwell.
Gotta hope that they provided the wishlist to the Government a little sooner than the mere three working days in advance they released it to the media..
From the Greens media release:
Quote from: Meredith Hunter MLA“There are also pressures on families in terms of transport costs with high fuel prices, particularly for Belconnen and Tuggeranong residents. The Greens are calling on the Government to replicate the successful Red Rapid service for the North and South of Canberra.”
A little vague on details there. Where is the demand? What is the need? What points need connecting with a high frequency (all day) that doesn't already exist?
Without knowing the demand, I'd suggest a Tuggeranong - City and perhaps even a Conder-Calwell-Erindale-City for the southside, and a Kippax - Belconnen - City for the northside.
You might be onto something there. Still not convinced about demand, but City - Erindale - Calwell - Conder has merit.
Remember the "Red Rapid" or "Redex"(as it was called then) was originally planned for two different services.
QuoteWhere is the demand? What is the need?
It's not a good idea to plan bus services/routes based on absolute demand, if we were to follow this logic, then all bus services should cease at 9:00 pm every night.
So here's what we've got:
$450,000 has been allocated for the design of bus stations located in Barton and Dickson, in order to provide improved access to public transport for residents and workers in the locations.
$21.4m in funding has been allocated over four years to ACTION and will help cover improved services including:
* An extension of the Blue Rapid (Intertown) service to Kippax via Southern Cross Drive
* $3.7m to upgrade Woden Bus Depot
* $4.5m to upgrade the ACTION radio network
* Ongoing transport information and promotion initiatives.
* $150,000 for a feasibility study on bus priority measures at the intersection of Barton Highway and Gundaroo Drive
* $1m for the planning and design of a bus layover facility in the City
* $200,000 to conduct a feasibility study to establish bus stops including passenger information on Adelaide Avenue.
* Improved services for Gungahlin, the Inner North, Fyshwick and the Canberra Hospital.
* A dedicated minibus for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
* $1m to upgrade 250 bus stops to meet disability standards
* $4.4 million for the upgrade of fuel facilities at Tuggeranong and Belconnen bus depots.
Other non-bus transport info here: http://actbus.net/?p=843