I've been really disappointed by the proposal to reduce network frequency during the forthcoming Commonwealth Ave bridge repairs. See: Traffic chaos: Weekday bus services to be cut to cope with bridge closures (https://region.com.au/traffic-chaos-weekday-bus-services-to-be-cut-to-cope-with-bridge-closures/906093/). If anything, they should be increasing bus services rather than decreasing them, to encourage public transit and reduce the reliance on cars through this important traffic artery.
So it got me thinking, what would be a better alternative than simply reducing services to cater for increased travel times? So I put to this forum my alternative network to effectively manage this period. The network has been designed to avoid the bridge where possible and provide alternative pathways across Canberra without travelling through the city. I've calculated (on the back of a napkin) estimates for resources required and I believe this network can be achieved within the current resource constraints by making modest reductions to existing services (where they have been replaced by more direct routes or are already well served). I've also included the option to adjust the Gungahlin routes to improve access to new suburbs and to provide more direct routes - all within the current resource envelope.
Route changes:
Commonwealth Ave changes
R2: Rerouted via Kings Ave bridge to reduce services over Commonwealth Ave bridge. Reduced peak frequency from 6ph (full route) + 6ph (Kippax-Railway) to 4ph + 4ph. Reduced interpeak frequency from 5ph to 4ph.
R4: Reduced peak frequency from 10ph to 6ph and interpeak frequency from 5ph to 4ph.
R5: Reduced interpeak frequency from 5ph to 4ph. Additional peak services of 4ph added from City to Woden to substitute for reduced R4.
NEW R8: Route extended to Woden via Molonglo and Weston Creek. New direct service from Woden and Weston to Belconnen without travelling via the city. Extending existing R8 route rather than creating a new rapid route reduces duplication of resources through Belconnen.
R10: Rerouted via Parkes Way to reduce routes travelling over Commonwealth Ave bridge. Route departs city interchange stop 3 and arrives stop 2. Reduced peak frequency from 6ph to 4ph.
NEW 37: Whitlam to City via Jameson. Replaces route 47 with similar route duration. 2ph peak and 1ph interpeak.
47: Removed. Connections to Denman Prospect and Belconnen provided by R8.
NEW 52: Denman Prospect (North) to City via Barton, Russell. Replaces Denman Prospect part of 66 with direct route from Molonglo to Barton and Russell. Provides connection to R8 and R7 on Cotter Rd to provide links to Weston and Belconnen to reduce cars on Adelaide Ave and alternative route from Barton to Belconnen away from Commonwealth Ave. 2ph peak and 1ph interpeak.
66: Route no longer serves Denman Prospect. Faster and more direct route.
180: Rerouted through Gordon (north) to provide single expresso service for Lanyon. Rerouted via Parkes Way to reduce services over Commonwealth Ave bridge. Connections to 81 provided in Gordon. Increased AM frequency from 3 services to 4.
181: Removed. Services redistributed. Replaced by 180 or connection from 180 to 81.
182: Increased AM frequency from 3 services to 4.
NEW 183: Tuggeranong to City via Cooleman Ct. Peak expresso service from Tuggeranong to City to provide alternative to R4 through Woden and Commonwealth Ave bridge. 4ph in both directions in peak. Connections at Cooleman Ct to R8 to provide better connectivity from Tuggeranong to Belconnen without travelling to the city.
All expresso services to depart stop 8 with 54 and 55 relocated to stop 9.
Gungahlin changes
NEW 16/17: Gungahlin to Jacka loop via Amaroo, Taylor and Moncrieff. Replaces 26/25 through Amaroo and Moncrieff and introduces new service to Jacka. Operates 17 (anti-clockwise) AM and 16 (clockwise) PM at 2ph.
24: Terminates at Casey to provide better connectivity to Group Centre.
25/26: Rerouted via Plimsol to reduce duplicative services within close walking distances and faster journey through Casey. Rerouted via Mirrabei Dr to provide more direct service along this important thoroughfare and faster journey to Taylor.
27: Complete reroute through Ngunnawal. Provides vastly faster services to south Ngunnawal and more simple, direct route.
28: Complete reroute to pick up the Belconnen leg of 24. More direct route through Ngunnawal. Provides faster journey and direct route between Ngunnawal and Casey to Harcourt Hill, Gold Creek and Belconnen.
Updated network map:
(https://imgur.com/9o77JDG.jpg) (https://imgur.com/9o77JDG)
There's some good ideas there but I don't think this would be feasible simply due to driver and vehicle numbers.
Why does the R10 use Tuggeranong Parkway/Parkes Way but not the R7?
As a driver one thing in this that I would strongly advise against is having more buses terminating at Casey, it's already an extremely awkward place to terminate and layover, the last thing it needs is for more buses to terminate there.
I'd seriously doubt there's useful data available to TC that could be used to consider where passengers crossing the lake are travelling to and from and inform how the network could adapt to this challenge. We'll likely just end up with frequency changes.
I like your R8 concept - at least that's another option for Woden-Belco.
Personally I'm a fan of most of the changes you've made, whether they are feasible or not is another thing but I have some other suggestions to make.
- I like the idea of rerouting the R2 via Russell, but I'd go one step further and also reroute the R6 or 57/58, so that frequencies can be kept the same for the R4/5
- Same with the R7, just have it go down the Tuggeranong Parkway like the R10
- I like what you've done with Jacka and how most of the services in Gungahlin are shorter than they are currently, but I'd have the 25/26 service Crackajack Way. I know it's only 1 or 2 stops but it goes right past it so it may as well service it, and it only adds a minute or 2 to the journey time, otherwise I'm a huge fan.
- I'm a huge fan of the R8 concept, a Rapid service from Molonglo to Belconnen and especially Woden is needed.
- I think the 52 route is a bit lengthy, but I get what you're going for. I think it would work better as a peak hour route instead. Personally, I'd incorporate the 52 with the 37.
- Not sure why you cut the 181, but I love having the peak hour only services go down Parkes Way again. Not fully sold on the 183 concept though, it seems a bit pointless since I doubt the R7-70/71 would take much longer.
Especially during morning peak hour, Parkes Way into the City backs up from Edinburgh Avenue to Glenloch Interchange. I'd almost send the buses via Lady Denman Drive, Clunes Ross & Barry Drive. I'd even the R5 via Hindmarsh Drive, Tuggeranong Parkway, Clunes Ross, etc.
I like the idea of the R7/10, if implemented properly, gives passengers a chance to transfer between the 2 at Park & Ride stop. But I'd run the R7 via Russell atleast, you already have your City direct bus.
Running the 52 to run as a loop from Cooleman Court to Denman Prospect, eventually terminating at Molonglo Interchange. The 37 definitely has it's merits. The 32 is one of the longer routes still around. If combined, the 32 could be shortened.
The 24 could link with the 27 to run a loop. There's not much out the Jacka way at the moment & probably won't be for a few years.
As the 182 patronage shows, there's demand for Russell to Kingston. The 57 & 58 could cover the 2 stops in Parkes easily.
I hope I make sense.
Some general comments to the above feedback:
- Where possible, for the re-routed routes, I have only altered one option, to provide passengers with the option of maitnaining the current route. Ie R10 via Parkes Way but R7 via Cotter Rd and R2 via Kings Ave but R6 via Commonwealth Ave. My general rule is to maintain some of the current routes to provide options. This is especially the case for teh R7 where some passengers transfer from a local Weston Creek service. I wouldn't want to force them on another transfer just a few kms down the road to maintain their current options of a direct route and one through Parkes. If the new routes prove more beneficial, then there's no reason the R7 and R6 couldn't be rerouted too.
- I understand the challenge with Parkes Way - it becomes a carpark every morning. I'm wondering if a temporary measure could be what they do in Melbourne on the Skybus where these buses are allowed to use the emergency lane under low speed to overtake congested traffic. This may work here for the small period of congestion each morning for at least a part of the journey. The 'rat run' through Lady Denman Drive may seem appealing, but it has choke points at the exit from Tuggeranong Parkway and a very indirect and slow route through ANU to the interchange
will erode any time gained. - The 52 is quite a long route, but it's not designed for passengers to travel the entire length. It will form part of a number of different journeys including from North Denman to the R10, from Molonglo and Weston Creek to Barton increased capacity from Barton to city. I was tempted to route via Deakin to also provide a service from North West Canberra to the Hospital and Deakin office park without travelling via the city or Woden.
- I'd love to retain both the 180 and 181, but I wanted these changes to be realistic - you have to make some sacrifices for other gains. I did roughly estimate the number of buses and drivers needed to operate these changes vs the current resources and it came out pretty even (noting frequency reduction to some rapid routes and the loss of the 181).
- This option provides more services through Casey but no additional services terminating at Casey. If possible, the 24 should be through-routed with the 27 to provide minimal layover time.
- I tried to find a way to serve the stop on Crackerjack Way but couldn't do it. Rerouting would then remove a stop on Mirrabei Rd. So what you gain you also lose. The stop on Mirrabei is more central with a better catchment, so I retained the more direct route. The stop on Crackerjack Wy is only 300m from the stop on Bernard Heinze Ave, provided by the 16/17.
I know it's not perfect, but hopefully can spur some broader conversation on how to make some relatively minor tweaks to improve the performance of the network.