Network 2021

Started by triumph, February 25, 2021, 09:56:29 PM

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triumph

Will there be a network revision this year? Anyone have clues on what might be in the works and planned for when?

Barry Drive

It's a good question. There's no pressing reason for a major network change this year.

Early work on Woden Interchange (the layover) should commence later this year, but the demolition of the current interchange won't be until 2022. Also, Woden Depot is unlikely to be completed until 2022/23.

So there may be increased weekend services coming, but I don't think a full network change is likely until 2022.

Barry Drive

Construction work on the new Turner Layover is progressing. This could be the catalyst for a network change next year when City West departures move to Rimmer St.

The other cause of a network revamp would be if they decide to lease 34 electric buses and store them at a satellite depot – I would assume they'd need to reconfigure the shifts although that may not affect the timetables.

In any case, the new GTFS has been released taking the timetable up to mid December. So that suggests no changes happening this year, other than the usual Christmas timetable reduction.

triumph

Quote from: Barry Drive on June 11, 2021, 10:10:12 AMConstruction work on the new Turner Layover is progressing. This could be the catalyst for a network change next year when City West departures move to Rimmer St.

The other cause of a network revamp would be if they decide to lease 34 electric buses and store them at a satellite depot – I would assume they'd need to reconfigure the shifts although that may not affect the timetables.

In any case, the new GTFS has been released taking the timetable up to mid December. So that suggests no changes happening this year, other than the usual Christmas timetable reduction.

Firstly, It is to be hoped that Rimmer Street departures when the new layover is operational will include those routes departing S from platforms 8 and 10 and N from platform 6. In particular, services starting at platform 10 and terminating at platform 11 are very inconvenient for connections. ( For some connections by those familiar with the system, there are non-interchange options, but using the Interchange should be the effective, efficient, and convenient norm.)

Secondly, it is very disappointing that, apparently and despite recruitment and training seemingly proceeding apace, the weekend timetable is not to be improved again this year to reduce local service intervals to at least one hour from the present 2 hours. (In particular, a 2 hour interval service to the National Museum is very poor indeed.) 

Thirdly, how is the layover to be accessed? Brief material I found seems to imply that buses will enter and leave from and to Kingsley St., thus adding to the long delays (up to near 2min) already experienced by inbound services turning right from the Barry Drive bus lane. And what about already lengthy backed up morning peak hour Barry Drive general traffic, too bad? (Construction plans seem to be hidden behind registration of potential contractors and a log-in.)

Barry Drive

1. I agree it would be useful, but I can't see it happening as it would add too much run time. As it is, I'm wondering whether they will be able to keep the existing timetable (and just swap City West for Rimmer St) or if the times will need to be adjusted.

2. I've previously commented that weekend Rapids could be modified to free up resources for regular routes. And possibly give some thought to earlier finishing on both days.

This may be heresy, but the R4 could probably cope being run every 20 minutes Sat and Sun evenings.

3. Based on what's been built, access will be via an extension of Kingsley St, and there will be a second entrance off Watson St. The simplest option will be to make the Kingsley St traffic light phase two-way requiring vehicles turning right to give way to buses going straight.

triumph

Quote from: Barry Drive on June 23, 2021, 10:26:21 AM1. I agree it would be useful, but I can't see it happening as it would add too much run time. As it is, I'm wondering whether they will be able to keep the existing timetable (and just swap City West for Rimmer St) or if the times will need to be adjusted.

2. I've previously commented that weekend Rapids could be modified to free up resources for regular routes. And possibly give some thought to earlier finishing on both days.

This may be heresy, but the R4 could probably cope being run every 20 minutes Sat and Sun evenings.

3. Based on what's been built, access will be via an extension of Kingsley St, and there will be a second entrance off Watson St. The simplest option will be to make the Kingsley St traffic light phase two-way requiring vehicles turning right to give way to buses going straight.

1. On occasions I have used buses from City West, most times the bus does not leave the layover in time to depart at the scheduled time. The traffic lights for entering Marcus Clarke St from University Ave can cause lengthy waits, also the lights at the exit from the stop, and then there are more lights at the right turn into Alinga St..
Provided the Kingsley St/Barry Drive traffic lights give better priority for buses and drivers leave the new layover in time to depart Rimmer St to schedule, I think it will pretty well balance out. But there is no getting away from the fact that the extra movements will be detrimental to Barry Dr traffic and bus traffic from Belconnen (the latter unless priority phasing is improved).

2. You said it - heresy - one of the reasons Light Rail has been such a success is reliable frequency. Ideally on the trunk R4 route, turn up and go should be the goal. Not to be overlooked is the impact of less frequency on connections. To my mind the only viable reason for not improving the weekend services again, is the impact of Covid on driver recruitment and training, yet Covid in the last 9 months has had very little significant impact on Canberra internally. It is stretching it aa bit to blame Covid. Note that the actual HV licence upgrade training can be completed in 1 day! The rest of the training needed is familiarisation with managing routes, passengers, employment matters, etc which obviously takes up a deal of time.

3. It all comes down to the agility and phasing of the Kingsley St/Barry Dr traffic lights, and the attitude of traffic light management to bus priority. Time will tell.

Sylvan Loves Buses

That intersection is such a pain. I got my one and only experience of being on a bus when the works there forced the driver to take the car turning lane, the difference in time felt amazing, felt like how bus prioritized lights use to feel...

Quote from: triumph on June 23, 2021, 11:41:29 PMmost times the bus does not leave the layover in time to depart at the scheduled time
Yeah, if only drivers would arrive <5 minutes before their scheduled leaving time like they use to in previous decades... I don't want to stand at my shelter-less/leaking ad(shit)shel bus stop in the freezing cold, pouring rain, 50*C+ heat, etc, because you want to spend an extra 10 minutes taking a piss or reading your paper. So what the route ends up being 25 minutes early when you arrive at the destination, sit and wait at a time point damnit!!!

Back to topic though...
Went past on Tuesday and it looks as though there's no direct way in from the Barry Drive bus lane right now, I would assume they're going to add one right? (after again spending god knows how many wasted tax payers dollars on the footpath)

Barry Drive

Quote from: Sylvan Loves Buses on June 24, 2021, 02:29:24 AMWent past on Tuesday and it looks as though there's no direct way in from the Barry Drive bus lane right now, I would assume they're going to add one right?
No. As stated above, there is an entrance off Watson St. Buses coming from Belconnen will need to turn left on to Watson St to access the layover.

Quote from: triumph on June 23, 2021, 11:41:29 PM2. You said it - heresy - one of the reasons Light Rail has been such a success is reliable frequency. Ideally on the trunk R4 route, turn up and go should be the goal.
Ideally, weekend services should run more often than every 2 hours also. I don't see why after, say, 7pm R4 can't run every 20 minutes, R6 every 30 minutes and the other rapids every hour IF doing so would enable other routes to run more often during the day.

In Adelaide, the Glenelg tram only runs every 20 minutes - all day - on Saturday and that's a fairly busy route.

Toyota Camry

Quote from: Barry Drive on June 26, 2021, 11:17:08 AMI don't see why after, say, 7pm R4 can't run every 20 minutes, R6 every 30 minutes and the other rapids every hour IF doing so would enable other routes to run more often during the day.
It would be a better compromise to operate the R4 only between Tuggeranong & City during late hours on weekends, and also after 9pm on weekdays; with a timetable adjustment, the section between City & Cohen Street would be serviced by R2 & R3.

R5 should also be adjusted to operate only between Woden and Lanyon Marketplace during those hours as well; R4 will provide capacity between City & Woden.

triumph

Quote from: Toyota Camry on November 02, 2021, 11:27:20 PMIt would be a better compromise to operate the R4 only between Tuggeranong & City during late hours on weekends, and also after 9pm on weekdays; with a timetable adjustment, the section between City & Cohen Street would be serviced by R2 & R3.

R5 should also be adjusted to operate only between Woden and Lanyon Marketplace during those hours as well; R4 will provide capacity between City & Woden.
Is this helpful?. Fundamentally, transport services exist for the benefit of present and potential customers, and for the community as a whole. Thus it must not be a service of last resort only suitable for 'losers'. Ask yourself what the customer actually likes and wants, and what will encourage new users and not discourage existing users?

Inconsistent services, needing to change services, infrequent services, limited hours services, long walks to stops,  and indirect services all are quite contrary to customer encouragement and satisfaction. Effort and innovation need to be directed towards reducing these impediments, not the opposite as represented by the current discussion. Further with regard to the current pandemic, environment transport trends are towards increasing frequency so as to encourage safe patronage spacing within the vehicles.

Sadly, for enthusiasm and respect, the fundamentals are too often overlooked.