Belconnen Changes

[Busnerd]

There is no foreseeable problems with this, it will work the same as an interchange.

[Irisbus Rider]

RedEx is a while away TP3000.......

I think the facilities for passengers are just pathetic, in comparison to the Interchange, we are getting short changed, in a major way!

[Buzz Killington]

Dare i say it, but i believe you've just coined a new term for the Bus Stations!

"Shortchange"

[Snorzac]

According to Win News there will be a temporary station on Laithland st.

[Barry Drive]

According to Win News there will be a temporary station on Laithland st.

(A) It's 'Lathlain' Street
(B) What part of this is news to you? The fact that it's temporary or that it's on Lathlain Street.

The Lathlain St Station will be replaced by the permanent Westfield Bus Station in 2010.

[Snorzac]

I was making a point of the fact that WIN actually said Lathlaind st. Not Lathlain.

[Bus 400]

With just over a week to go here is an update.

Cohen Street Bus Station
Cement work was being finished off today. Is mostly just waiting for shelters & stand information to be installed.

Lathlain Street Bus Station
Form work for shelters is now in place. Is only waiting on shelters & stand information to be installed.

Cameron Avenue Bus Station
West bound is waiting on shelter & stand information to be installed & old infrastructure to be removed. City bound is waiting on bus bay work & cementing as well as shelter's & stands to be installed. This Bus Station is likely to just be completed by next Monday (going by how long the other side took).

Development Applications have also been posted for the demolition of Old Belconnen Interchange & extension of Cohen Street. Only the demolition has plans so far (http://apps.actpla.act.gov.au/pubnote/pubnoteDetail_new.asp?DA_no=200913888)

[smitho]

Belconnen Familiarisation Tours of new bus stations are being run by ACTION next week - See Community Noticeboard in today's CT for details.

[Barry Drive]

I was making a point of the fact that WIN actually said Lathlaind st. Not Lathlain.

In which case you should have written "According to Win News there will be a temporary station on Laithland st (sic)." Although "sic" is usually meant for when quoting something written rather than what is said aloud.

(Don't they teach anything at school these days!)

Or else you could have used quotes around Laithland.

[Barry Drive]

Belconnen Familiarisation Tours of new bus stations are being run by ACTION next week - See Community Noticeboard in today's CT for details.

Or view this web page http://www.action.act.gov.au/bus_tour.html

Does this mean that ACTION are confident the work will be complete by Wednesday?

[Irisbus Rider]

Wow, they are quite optimistic, I have a sneaking suspiscion that they are primarily waiting on AdShel, but then again. AdShel have to wait until it's completed before they install their shelters.....

The Cameron Av station will be a struggle IMO.....

[Barry Drive]

I have no idea where the ticket office, lost property or supervisors will be located.

To answer my own question (partly) - there will be no ticket office, but there will be an information booth somewhere on Lathlain St (for ticket sales you will need to go to the Belconnen Mall Newsagents); lost property will be relocated to the City Interchange office; still no details on the supervisors.

[The Love Guru]

Supervisors office is to be in the depot where all the cunstruction was going on upstairs. They will be roving around a lot though.

[Bus 400]

It looks like Cameron Ave Bus Station is a rushed job. There will be no bus bays on City bound bays & there is a cement block the size of the width of a bus shelter at each platform. With the AdShel bus shelter behind the cement block. But then again, I suspect that this will be the less used bus station (outside peak hours).

Adshel bus shelters were being put in on West Belconnen bound platforms of Lathlain Street Bus Station this morning. But highly likely that this work will be completed by tomorrow.

[smitho]

Dismantling begins: Workers were removing safety signs on the southbound up ramp to the interchange around 1030 this am.
Familiarisation tour: Includes a loop through the Belconnen Depot. One passenger on the first tour enquired whether the Depot was going to be demolished as part of the 'improvements'!

[Bus 400]

Dismantling has also begun in the layover are at Belconnen Interchange, with parts of it being ripped up today.

[Snorzac]

I don't know where you get that from.....because they haven't ripped anything up!!

[Bus 400]

If I get a chance tomorrow, I'll take a picture of it.

[Bus 400]

I found out that each bus station has a bollard with bus information. But there is little to no staff directing passengers to the correct platform during off peak. I ended up guiding quite a few passengers as to which bus station they were to get off at.

Also the Benjamin Way entrance road to the Old Belconnen Interchange isn't fenced off.

Also in today's Canberra Times, the general manager states that the next challenge to fix is City Interchange, while most would of suspected Woden.

[Busnerd]

The city does need work done, good thing is it's in fairly good condition now, they just need a few improvements, so it's easier to do that now instead of Woden.

[Buzz Killington]

Heads up, WIN News have a story on the interchange closure, complete with footage of a confused commuter being greeted with a fenced off interchange. "Commuters caught out!"

[Bus 400]

Does anyone know what the Platform arrangements are for Transborder in Belconnen? As they previously used Platform 1 at Belconnen Interchange, but I haven't seen any details at the bus stations or on their website.

[Irisbus Rider]

Saw the bus picking up on Cohen St, but I believe it travels through all 3 bus stations. They ought to let the public know where to catch it from though.

[Barry Drive]

I found out that each bus station has a bollard with bus information. But there is little to no staff directing passengers to the correct platform during off peak.

Actually, each bus station has two bollards with bus information (one on each side of the road). And every stop has a map of that bus station. Unless you can't read you don't need someone to direct you.

[Bus 400]

As some may of overheard, the guys on the ACTION radio have for most peakhour afternoon's been telling bus drivers to slow down on Lathlain Street. This has to do with the public walking anyway they want to get their connecting bus. So I was wondering what do others think of maybe ACTION installing a high fence down the median strip of Lathlain Street Bus Station? I know that this may take a while since Cohen Street Bus Station still have temporary fencing around the garden.

Also I am wondering wether anyone else knows if Belconnen Quickfix is being shut for good or not? As every morning when I go past, the big gate is across it. Also when is the other exit gate from Belconnen Depot onto Josephson Street open?

[Irisbus Rider]

The other exit gate is open whenever a driver tags their card on it.

Quickfix?

A parramatta style fence would be an idea on Lathlain, but appropriate road crossing techniques would be required.

[Bus 400]

I do mean the gate right in front of Platform 1.

[Snorzac]

Quickfix?

The building at the entry to the depot. It is/was used in peak hours for when buses have minor problems, the driver drives it into quickfix and it is fixed quickly.

[Sir Pompously]

As some may of overheard, the guys on the ACTION radio have for most peakhour afternoon's been telling bus drivers to slow down on Lathlain Street. This has to do with the public walking anyway they want to get their connecting bus. So I was wondering what do others think of maybe ACTION installing a high fence down the median strip of Lathlain Street Bus Station? I know that this may take a while since Cohen Street Bus Station still have temporary fencing around the garden.

Well I don't think ACTION would personally install a fence down the median, that would be their mother departments job to do so a they maintain the road.

A fence would be good; however a High one would not be aesthetically pleasing. You would want a fence which is on a concrete median, where the fence is just a standard black painted metal 'garden' style fence like those found on the Brisbane Busway. I have only ever seen one person try and tackle the Busway fencing. Signage informing people of the direction of the lights and not to cross the road would also be required, yes people are that dumb and a fence without signage (Even with signage, however then they cannot say they were not told) would still make them attempt it.

[Bus 400]

I had a drive past Old Belconnen Interchange, it looks like nothing has been done. I say this as the trolleys are still where the lazy people dumped them. But it looks eerie.

[lukeo25]

urbex time 4 me :) to explore the old interchange

[Bus 400]

The following companies applied for the tender for "T09104-Construction: Cohen Street Extension and Replacement of Pedestrian Bridge from Churches Centre to Westfield Shopping Mall, Belconnen":

HAWKINS CIVIL ENGINEERING PTY LTD
ABERGELDIE CONTRACTORS PTY LTD
BMD CONSTRUCTIONS PTY LTD
DALE & HITCHCOCK CIVIL ENGINEERING & LANDSCAPING

While these people applied for the tender for "T09103-Construction: Cohen Street Extension and Demolition of Existing Bus Interchange"
DELTA PTY. LTD.
CARDINAL HOLDINGS (AUST) PTY LTD
BMD CONSTRUCTIONS PTY LTD
IRWIN & HARTSHORN PTY LTD
DELORCO PTY LTD

[Bus 400]

The bus stops on Emu Bank near Lake Ginninderra College were decommissioned this morning.

[Bus 400]

I have been told of a problem with buses exiting Cohen Street Bus Station. As most people should know buses from Platforms 1/2 exit via lights at Josephson Street & the buses turn left from the median strip to Cohen Street. But some drivers haven't been told that you are only meant to exit onto Cohen Street when you have a green B light, not when the normal green light is up. I have been told that a driver was following another bus out & got the horn & he didn't know why. But as described above he got caught.

[Barry Drive]

Does anyone know what the Platform arrangements are for Transborder in Belconnen? As they previously used Platform 1 at Belconnen Interchange, but I haven't seen any details at the bus stations or on their website.

There was a hand-written sign at the Lathlain St shed saying that Transborder departs from platform 6.

[Irisbus Rider]

There was a hand-written sign at the Lathlain St shed saying that Transborder departs from platform 6.

Ha, good to see Deanes Transit group taking an effort there

[Buzz Killington]

I'd say it was probably ACTION who didn't think to include Deanes/Transborder services on their signage.

[Bus 400]

At Woden, Deanes Group put their own signs in.

[Irisbus Rider]

I'd say it was probably ACTION who didn't think to include Deanes/Transborder services on their signage.

ACTION shouldn't be responsible for another operator. Deanes TG already get enough from ACTION (Platform in City Interchange). Out to Northbourne with you lot!

[Buzz Killington]

If that operator is going to be using your facilities/interchanges, you may as well include their routes on your signage, rather than having cheap paper signs stuck everywhere because you neglected to do so.

Some ACTION stops around the place list Deanes services, the interchange maps online list them too, so i fail to see the issue.

[Irisbus Rider]

If that operator is going to be using your facilities/interchanges, you may as well include their routes on your signage, rather than having cheap paper signs stuck everywhere because you neglected to do so.

Some ACTION stops around the place list Deanes services, the interchange maps online list them too, so i fail to see the issue.

If Deanes were paying to use the old Belconnen Interchange, then ACTION would have a responsibility of service toward Deanes, but as far as I know, that wasn't the case.
Although,it would help ACTIONs image if they helped out other companies, i.e. putting up Transborders timetable information.

But I have a feeling I know what has happened, ACTION probably haven't even given Transborder any instructions on where to stop, that may explain this stiuation.

[Bus 400]

The rest of the carpark out the front of Belconnen Depot on the corner of Cohen Street & Nettleford Street is to be turned into retail space.

This would be the best place to have "smoko's" out the back & watch the going ons of Belconnen Workshop. But this will not take away one of my photo spots.

Also the on street parking on Cohen Street is to be removed soon.

[Bus 400]

For those watching the TAMS website for Belco Town Centre (http://www.tams.act.gov.au/live/about_our_department/community_engagement/community_engagement_activities_and_events/belconnen_town_centre_improvements)

A few funny pics have been posted in the Gallery & a proposed timeline for works is also up. This includes demolition on old Belco Interchange to start this month & to take 16 weeks & the work now won't be finished till October 2010 (I propose it won't all be complete until Summer 2010/2011).

[Bus 400]

On Sunday I had a look around Belco Interchange, so much has been done NOT!!

There was a huge skip type bin there & "Demolition In Progress" signs around the perimeter. It did appear as if maybe the rooms in the tower were being unfitted first.

[Bus 400]

RiotACT brings us news/photos that the demolition of Belconnen Interchange is finally underway (http://the-riotact.com/?p=12976)

[Busnerd]

You can just smell the asbestos from here!

[Bus 400]

The interchange shelter is gone the whole length of the platforms. I have taken the last photos from Benjamin Way walkway ever. As the walkway is now closed. I found out the hard way as all exits have a blockade across them except for the Chan Street entrance.

[Busnerd]

How do you know no one else took photos there?

[Bus 400]

I did see them fix the Chan Street sign after me, but don't fully know.

[Irisbus Rider]

Saw a few public servants using that corridor today heading to and from the mall. Might check it out tomorrow.....