Loops

Started by particleman, June 16, 2010, 12:18:12 AM

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particleman

Hi guys and girls,

I just thought of an interesting (if not utopian) rethink of ACTION bus services.
My current idea is this:
3 different types of routes
Suburb-Group Centre
Group Centre-Town Centre
Intertown/Redex

Basically, each Suburb-Group Centre route would run as a loop between one (or two) suburbs and the closest group centre (eg: Start at Jamison, go through Cook (and/or Macquarie/Aranda) and then return to Jamison) Two routes would alternate per hour, a clockwise loop and an anticlockwise loop. Mitchell would be served by two of these routes – one for Gungahlin, and one for Dickson.

Two or three routes would run between Group Centres and their corresponding Town Centres (eg: Start at Woden, go through Southlands, Cooleman Court and Curtin, then return to Woden) (eg: Dickson and Manuka would also make one loop - but in figure 8 formation with Civic in the centre), Four routes would alternate per hour, two clockwise loops and two anticlockwise loops.

Then a number of major routes would run between the Town Centres. One route would be equivalent to the current intertown (albeit extended to Gungahlin), but without stopping in between (almost like the Redex) - This could be replaced (or complimented) with the proposed light rail system as well. There would be a Redex (all routes would be renamed) every five minutes. Fyshwick would be served by one of these routes

Fares:
The original flat fare system would be replaced with a distance/time based system. There would be a small price (less than $1) per kilometre/5 minutes, (there would be a zone-based distance/time calculator on the website, and route length/time would be incorporated with each timetable) and it would be easy to track with the MyWay cards.

Numbering:
The routes will have Alphanumeric route codes - For example: A bus going clockwise from Gungahlin to Palmerston via Kosciusko Avenue would be coded as: PKC, a bus going anticlockwise through Kaleen and Giralang would be coded as: KGA, a bus going clockwise from Charnwood to Belconnen via Kippax would be KBC.

The Redex buses would have an alphanumeric code, starting with RX and finishing with a number, for example the Redex going from Belconnen to Civic via Gungahlin would be coded as RX5 (Redex 5).

During peak periods, regular numbered routes would also be used, which don't loop, but go between two interchanges/termini via suburbs and group centres, as well as school routes and Xpressos (which will be coded as XX1,2,3 etc). During the weekend however, the loops would be used all day.

These are only some of the ideas that I can think of at this stage, there is probably more streamlining of the routes to be done as well.

Apologies for the terrible grammar used (it's too late to concentrate).

Any constructive feedback would be appreciated too. If anyone wants to say "Like that's ever going to happen"</sarcasm>, I already know that this system is not the most viable (modifications might be able to be made to make it viable), and even if it was, ACTION wouldn't implement this plan, there is no need to point it out like Captain Obvious.

Thank you
particleman

CNG

You have some interesting ideas there particleman, however in relation to fares $1 per killometere I don't believe that would work, as some passengers don't know were to get off, change thier mind or get off earlier. However in relation to the routes themselves they could possibly work well, however shouldn't they go through an interchange i.e. jamison route through belconen.

Barry Drive

It's an interesting idea, but probably not one which passengers would like. Passengers (A) don't like changing buses (B) prefer direct routes. This idea has neither.

If you were going to run services to a Group Centre, then you would need to make sure that a direct bus to the nearest Interchange and then perhaps the City is available as a connection with minimal waiting. This could be what they have planned for the Dickson and Erindale bus stations.

particleman

I guess I didn't think about the fares properly enough. $1/km is waaay too much, and I guess that it's hard to monitor the mileage too, maybe it would work better as 10c per 5 minutes on board, keep a large clock in the front of the bus (it would be real easy to set the Diesel MANs up to do this). A timer would be used to make sure that passengers are not billed for any time when the bus is stopped when picking up/dropping off passengers.

As I said earlier (though not in the right place) during peak periods, the loops would revert to a regular linear route (like the old 54 used to - Peak hour, it went direct from Civic to Belconnen, via Gungahlin, Yerrabi, Amaroo and Ngunnawal; off peak, it only did the Gungahlin parts - in a loop).

With the group centre/town centre loops, the buses would be timed so that all the group centre loops meet five minutes before the town centre loop starts, and would lay over for an extra five minutes after the town centre loop leaves.

CNG

lot like a taxi now, sounds alot more practical