ACT Budget 2016-17

Started by Barry Drive, June 06, 2016, 10:27:50 AM

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Barry Drive

As announced today by Transport Minister Fitzharris - ACTION will receive an additional $14m in tomorrow's budget -

* $10m for 20 new buses
* $3.5m for improved services to Weston Creek and Molonglo (including extension of 83 into Coombs and new City  - Weston Creek service)
* 0.75m for design of a new Woden Depot.

vnguyen

I'm pretty sure that is more than $14m where did the extra $0.25m come from?

ajw373

Quote from: vnguyen on June 06, 2016, 12:19:19 PM
I'm pretty sure that is more than $14m where did the extra $0.25m come from?

You know not everything in this world is stated accurately to the nth degree. $14m is close enough as a headline figure.

Barry Drive

#3
20 buses should be less than $10m.

More details now provided via Facebook:

* free City Loop to commence from 4 July - operating every 15 minutes
* new Park & Ride to be built at Wanniassa
* up to three electric buses will be trialled
* upgrades to Woden Bus Station

(Corrections: every 15 minutes, not 10; up to 3 electric buses will be trialled)

Sylvan Loves Buses

Quote from: Barry Drive on June 06, 2016, 02:28:27 PM
* free City Loop to commence from 4 July - operating every 10 minutes

is that like the special centenary 100 route?

Quote from: Barry Drive on June 06, 2016, 02:28:27 PM
* an electric bus will be trialled

oh cool another trial bus ;D

Barry Drive

#5
Quote from: Sylvan Loves Buses on June 06, 2016, 03:00:31 PM
is that like the special centenary 100 route?
More details have been posted to the ACT Bus Facebook page.


Bus 503

Is there any timeframe as to when they will be getting an electric bus, buying the 20 new buses and adding the new 'Weston Line'?


Barry Drive

#7
Sort of, yes and yes.

20 new buses "over the next two years" (but DDA requirements mean they must be in service by 31 Dec 2017).

Weston Line "in the next few months" - so will be part of Network '16.

Electric bus(es) - they keep saying this year. And they will be on a 12 month trial. Might mean one at a time though.

King of Buses

Not a fan of the Opperman Ave turnaround for the "Western Line". Should do all of John Gorton/Coppins Crossing OR North Weston Park N Ride. Doing both sets a precedent that the service will continue to serve both even as Molonglo keeps expanding...

The City Loop is a familiar concept from days gone by though. Not sure what patronage will be like given how short it is.

The Love Guru

Quote from: King of Buses on June 06, 2016, 08:53:06 PM
Not a fan of the Opperman Ave turnaround for the "Western Line". Should do all of John Gorton/Coppins Crossing OR North Weston Park N Ride. Doing both sets a precedent that the service will continue to serve both even as Molonglo keeps expanding...

The City Loop is a familiar concept from days gone by though. Not sure what patronage will be like given how short it is.

If that map is accurate then that service is a fucking waste of time. What a stupid idea.
There is already a direct service from Wright to both Woden and Cooleman (or near enough to it) so the only thing they are providing is the City link. To service just 1 road and turn around is retarded.

They should have extended route 26 back to Cooleman then direct to the City or Re-route the 83 and 26 (26 via Lyons and 83 via Hindmarsh direct to Cooleman) then follow current route 83 and onto the City after Molongolo.

Bus 400

I'm not sure why the 83 can't go through all of Coombs? The route is there, most of the building is complete. People from South Coombs have to either catch the WL or 83 & walk from John Gorton Drive. Why not improve services for them?
Also why can't the WL turn around at Stromlo Forest Park?

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King of Buses

Quote from: Bus 400 on June 07, 2016, 09:39:08 AM
I'm not sure why the 83 can't go through all of Coombs? The route is there, most of the building is complete. People from South Coombs have to either catch the WL or 83 & walk from John Gorton Drive. Why not improve services for them?
Also why can't the WL turn around at Stromlo Forest Park?

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I suspect Annabelle View is too thin around the pond thing for a bus to go from Harold White to Fred Daly. Plus of the only other two sets of stops in Coombs one is right on John Gorton pretty much plus the other set is at a dead end as there isn't anywhere for a bus to turn around as yet (well, I doubt one would loop around those side streets).

As for the WL, I'll stick with The Love Guru's remarks on it. It should either serve North Weston Park and Ride direct from Cooleman (similar to the 726) OR go up through Molonglo to William Hovell and into the City (direct from Cooleman - thus not serving the park and ride).
To turn around so soon is ridiculous and to serve both John Gorton and North Weston Park and Ride only sets a precedent for when services are needed further up John Gorton that the WL will continue to serve both the Park and Ride AND John Gorton.

Barry Drive

I can see what they're trying to achieve with the Weston Line (as shown). But the main demand for that route (assuming there is any at all) is the link between Weston Creek Centre and City.

Extra service to Woden from Weston is good, but can be achieved in other ways.

Linking Molonglo / John Gorton Drive to the City is good, but can be achieved in another way - such as by running the 83 past the Cotter Road Park & Ride and making it a transfer point. And instead of adding a new service, could instead extend 25 & 27 through to City after Weston (call them 125 & 127).

As for the City Loop, good idea on paper, but only stopping at City Bus Station once per loop reduces its usefulness.

Bus 400

#13
Just skipping through the budget papers, I can find that ACTION will get $100,000 for a new tow truck component & we have a targey 70% DDA compliance of buses by the end of this month.

Barry Drive

Quote from: Bus 400 on June 07, 2016, 10:26:48 PM
Just skipping through the budget papers, I can find that ACTION will get $100,000 for a new tow truck component & we have a targey 70% DDA compliance of buses by the end of this month.

We've already got 72% low floor in service (not counting the ones recently delivered), so I think the 70% target is on track. But the estimated outcome of 74% is unlikely. The target is 76% by this time next year: the new bus funding is $8m for next financial year (16 buses) and $2m for 2017-18 (4 buses).

$3m has been allocated next year for investigation into ticket system integration and the "opportunity to install new MyWay add-value machines in major bus stations". There is an additional, unstated, amount for the following year (presumably the cost of actually introducing changes / new system), so the chances of seeing AVMs next year may not be high.

The budget papers lists only $600,000 for the electric bus trial and shows it as ending Jun 2017. Which doesn't match the various media releases.

The Wanniassa Park & Ride is listed across two years (shown as ending June 2018).

The "New Woden Depot" is listed as $775,000 for design in this coming year and two further years of funding for construction with completion by June 2019. At which point, there had better be some funding for buses to put in it.

And the $100,000 tow truck component is listed with $1m for bus overhauls and $656,000 for workshop site and tool upgrades.

(PS - they really need a more accurate indicator than "passenger boardings" - passenger kilometres would be ideal, but no easy way to measure it.)

ajw373

Quote from: Barry Drive on June 08, 2016, 11:32:53 AM
We've already got 72% low floor in service (not counting the ones recently delivered), so I think the 70% target is on track. But the estimated outcome of 74% is unlikely. The target is 76% by this time next year: the new bus funding is $8m for next financial year (16 buses) and $2m for 2017-18 (4 buses).

$3m has been allocated next year for investigation into ticket system integration and the "opportunity to install new MyWay add-value machines in major bus stations". There is an additional, unstated, amount for the following year (presumably the cost of actually introducing changes / new system), so the chances of seeing AVMs next year may not be high.

The budget papers lists only $600,000 for the electric bus trial and shows it as ending Jun 2017. Which doesn't match the various media releases.

The Wanniassa Park & Ride is listed across two years (shown as ending June 2018).

The "New Woden Depot" is listed as $775,000 for design in this coming year and two further years of funding for construction with completion by June 2019. At which point, there had better be some funding for buses to put in it.

And the $100,000 tow truck component is listed with $1m for bus overhauls and $656,000 for workshop site and tool upgrades.

(PS - they really need a more accurate indicator than "passenger boardings" - passenger kilometres would be ideal, but no easy way to measure it.)

You need to be careful how you read these things, as I said somewhere else just don't look at face value and jump to conclusions.

Re electric bus the trial, it could well be the 'missing' $300k is a cost to some other area, the roads budget for example.

And as for new buses, $8m is for new commitments. On Pg38 you will find abother $5.719m, listed as Works In progress (Bus replacement program). So thats enough money for around 28 buses, 16 new commitments, ~12 on order waiting to be delivered. Give or take a few buses depending upon who far they are with progress payments for buses under construction and/or the cost of the current batch v's new orders.

Barry Drive

#16
Agreed the $5.719m is for the remainder of the current order of buses. Didn't mention it because it wasn't a new commitment.

You can also notice on Page 32, $6.718m was shifted to this year (2015-16) from next year (2016-17) due to the delivery of the buses being brought forward.

Barry Drive

#17
I found the answer - it is $900000 in a single year. $300000 of this is to "be met from existing resources."

Also found mention that the new Woden Depot is to accommodate up to 120 buses. And that the Wanniassa Park & Ride will include new stops on Athllon Drive.

Still looking for information about fare increases.