The ACTION Bus Network according to the King of Buses - Revised & Scheduled

[King of Buses]

As some of you may or may not remember, I posted my plan for the routes that form the ACTION network early last year (refer to: http://actbus.net/forum/index.php?topic=4084.0).

Using this, I decided to attempt to schedule the full network by hand using the routes I'd designed as a personal exercise; this was not an easy task.

After many attempts and revisions, I managed to achieve a fully scheduled network a few months ago. However, it was at this point I realised I was no longer satisfied with some of the routes I had designed and I wanted to change many of them...so I did. By no means is the final network I've produced necessarily operable financially using the existing budget, but it is maybe operable based on the fleet size IF one includes all buses in the current fleet (not including the 4 training buses, but including buses possibly being withdrawn in the coming weeks with the latest Bustech Scania deliveries/with 621), and three trial buses (electric or otherwise). The fleet at such a size would allow for 25 buses (approx) "spare" at both Belconnen and Tuggeranong depots on school term weekdays to compensate for vehicles in the workshops, out of service for other reasons, in Dandenong, or whatever. I'm not actually sure how many "spare" buses there are in the current network, but if more are needed, further fleet size increases would obviously be needed for my network to operate. This could be done with the next round of bus deliveries, whenever that is to begin.


Features and benefits of my network include the following...

• A 7 day network which abolishes the separate weekend network numbering
• The provision of set crib breaks for drivers where required in all schedules to prevent blocks of driving for more than 3 hours
• The extension of the Blue Rapid corridor from Tuggeranong to Lanyon Marketplace, now providing a service every 15 minutes (or better) on weekdays
• Additional weekday Blue Rapid services increasing frequency back to every 7-8 mins off peak
• Improvements to the existing route 250, increasing services along the Gungahlin to Belconnen (via Baldwin Dr) to operate every 15 minutes on weekdays and rebranding the service to be the "Black Rapid"
• The addition of two new frequent corridors to the network: One from Erindale Bus Station to Woden Bus Station via Wanniassa Shops (operating every 15 mins on weekdays, and every 20 mins on weekends), and another from Cooleman Court to Woden (operating every 15 mins on weekdays, and every 30 mins on weekends)
• The provision of new services to Tharwa, Oaks Estate, Uriarra Village, Cotter Reserve, Denman Prospect, Throsby, Jacka, Moncrieff, Casey Market Town and Hall
• Increased service coverage in Conder, Bonython, Chisholm, Gowrie, Monash, Wanniassa, Coombs, Curtin, West Macgregor, Dunlop and Casey
• Adding approximately 100 new stops to the network (includes stops converted from School Services only to being serviced by regular route services)

Please note I have NOT included the "Green Rapid" service in this network as I don't see a way to run this service in such a way that does not remove long standing and frequently used links to South Canberra suburbs at this time. This might be possible in future when the Gungahlin to City section of the Red Rapid corridor is replaced by Light Rail and/or the bus fleet size increases. One component of the proposed Green Rapid service that was considered for routes 4 & 5 was not operating via Russell. However, this change was not made order to allow for my 7 day network to provide a service every 30 mins (or better) along Constitution Ave on weekends, along with frequent services along the same corridor on weekdays in conjunction with Red Rapid services).




While route listings, directions, etc are available via the above link, a brief description of each of the proposed routes forming my network is below...

RED RAPID: Gungahlin to Fyshwick via City, Russell, Barton & Kingston
BLUE RAPID: Tuggeranong to Belconnen via Woden & City
BLACK RAPID: Belconnen to Gungahlin via Bruce
GOLD LINE: Deakin to City via Forrest, Barton & Parkes
GREEN LINE: Manuka to City West via Kingston, Barton, Russell & City
WESTON LINE: Woden to City via Cooleman Court & Molonglo

1: Woden to Dickson via Hughes, Deakin, Yarralumla, Parliament House, Parkes, City, Turner, O'Connor & Lyneham
2: Woden to Dickson via Curtin, Deakin, GOLD LINE, City, Braddon, Ainslie, Hackett
3: Woden to Belconnen via CBR Hosp, Garran, Hughes, Deakin, GOLD LINE, City, ANU, Turner, O'Connor, Calvary Hosp & Bruce
4: Woden to City West via CBR Hosp, Red Hill, Manuka, GREEN LINE & City
5: Woden to City West via CBR Hosp, Narrabundah, Manuka, GREEN LINE & City
7: Belconnen to National Museum via Bruce, Dickson, Ainslie, Braddon, City & City West
8: Dickson to Woden via North Lyneham, Lyneham, O'Connor, Turner, City, Parkes, Parliament House, Deakin, Yarralumla, & Curtin
9: City to ADFA Loop via Reid, Campbell, Russell, Hospice & Duntroon
10: City to Majura Pk Loop via War Memorial, ADFA & Campbell Park
11: City to Fairbairn Pk Loop via Russell, CBR Airport & Brindabella Business Pk
11A: City to CBR Airport via Russell
12: Spence to Belconnen via Evatt & McKellar
13: Belconnen to Fraser West via Kippax & Charnwood
14: Fraser to Belconnen via Charnwood, Flynn, Scullin & Page
15: Spence to Belconnen via Melba & Florey
16: Kippax to Belconnen via Latham & Florey
17: Kippax to Belconnen via Holt, Higgins, Hawker & Weetangera
18: Lanyon Marketplace to Tuggeranong via Banks, Gordon & Bonython
19: Lanyon Marketplace to Tuggeranong via Banks, Conder, Lanyon Marketplace & Tuggeranong
20: Tuggeranong to Woden via Erindale, Wanniassa, Kambah & Mawson
21: Torrens to Woden via Mawson, Pearce, Chifley & Phillip
23: Woden Loop via Chifley, Pearce, Torrens, Mawson, Farrer, Isaacs & O'Malley
24: Woden Loop via O'Malley, Isaacs, Farrer, Mawson, Torrens, Pearce & Chifley
25: Woden to Weston Creek Loop via Cooleman Court, Holder, Duffy, Chapman, Rivett & Stirling
26: Woden to Weston Creek Loop via Cooleman Court, Stirling, Rivett, Chapman, Duffy & Holder
27: Woden to Weston Creek Loop via Lyons, Weston, Cooleman Court, Rivett, Stirling, Fisher & Waramanga
28: Woden to Weston Creek Loop via Lyons, Waramanga, Fisher, Stirling, Rivett, Cooleman Court & Weston
30: Belconnen to City via Giralang & Kaleen
31: Belconnen to City via Kaleen
32: Belconnen to Kaleen Loop via Kaleen & Giralang
34: Cooleman Court to Woden via Holder, Duffy, Wright, Coombs, North Weston & Curtin
35: Uriarra Village to Woden via Cotter, Wright, Denman Prospect, North Weston & Curtin
39: City to Watson Loop via Dickson & Downer
40: Belconnen to City via Bruce, Jamison, Macquarie, Cook & Aranda
44: Kippax to Belconnen via Macgregor, West Macgregor, Holt & Higgins
45: Fraser West to Belconnen via Dunlop, Charnwood, Flynn, Melba & Florey
49: Casey Market Town to Gungahlin via Casey, Moncrieff & Amaroo
50: Belconnen to Gungahlin via BLACK RAPID
51: Belconnen to Gungahlin via Federation Square, Nicholls, Ngunnawal & Moncrieff
52: Belconnen to Gungahlin via Federation Square, Nicholls & Ngunnawal
53: Belconnen to Gungahlin via McKellar, Crace & Palmerston
54: North Gungahlin Loop via Ngunnawal, Amaroo, Bonner & Forde
55: North Gungahlin Loop via Forde, Bonner, Amaroo & Ngunnawal
56: Gungahlin to City via Palmerston & Mitchell
57: Gungahlin to City via Franklin & Mitchell
58: Gungahlin to City via Throsby & Harrison
59: Gungahlin to City via Throsby, Harrison, Franklin, Mitchell & Bimberi Centre
60: Tuggeranong to Woden via Greenway, Kambah West & Gleneagles
61: Tuggeranong to Woden via Greenway, Oxley, Wanniassa & Erindale
62: Tuggeranong to Woden via Kambah
63: Tuggeranong to Woden via Monash, Erindale & Wanniassa
64: Tuggeranong to Woden via Monash, Erindale & Wanniassa
65: Tuggeranong to Woden via Monash, Isabella Plains, Richardson, Gilmore, Chisholm, Gowrie, Erindale & Wanniassa
66: Tuggeranong to Erindale via Bonython, Isabella Plains, Richardson, Chisholm, Gowrie & Fadden
67: Tuggeranong to Woden via Isabella Plains, Calwell, Richardson, Chisholm, Fadden & Erindale
68: Tuggeranong to Woden via Kambah
70: Tuggeranong to Woden via Chisholm, Hume, Alexander Maconochie Centre & Symonston
71: Tuggeranong to Woden via Isabella Plains, Calwell, Theodore, Erindale & Wanniassa
78: Tharwa to Tuggeranong via Banks, Conder & Lanyon Marketplace
80: Woden to City via Symonston, Fyshwick, Kingston & Parkes
81: Tourist Loop via War Memorial, Parkes, Parliament House, National Museum, National Zoo/Aquarium, Arboretum & Botanic Gardens
85: Oaks Estate to City via Brindabella Business Pk, CBR Airport & Russell
86: Gungahlin to Hall Loop via Casey Market Town
101: City Loop
160: Tuggeranong to City via Greenway, Kambah West & Woden
161: Tuggeranong to City via Greenway, Oxley, Wanniassa, Erindale & Woden
162: Tuggeranong to City via Kambah & Woden
163: Tuggeranong to City via Monash, Erindale, Wanniassa & Woden
164: Tuggeranong to City via Monash, Erindale, Wanniassa & Woden
171: Tuggeranong to City via Isabella Plains, Calwell, Theodore, Erindale, Wanniassa & Woden
178: Tharwa to City via Banks, Conder, Lanyon Marketplace, Tuggeranong & Woden
200: Gungahlin to Fyshwick via RED RAPID
222: Gungahlin to City (NON STOP)
249: Casey Market Town to Kingston via Casey, Moncrieff, Amaroo, Gungahlin & RED RAPID
250: Belconnen to Fyshwick via BLACK RAPID, Gungahlin & RED RAPID
251: Belconnen to Kingston via Federation Square, Nicholls, Ngunnawal & Moncrieff
252: Belconnen to Kingston via Federation Square, Nicholls, Ngunnawal, Gungahlin & RED RAPID
253: Belconnen to Kingston via McKellar, Crace, Palmerston, Gungahlin & RED RAPID
254: North Gungahlin Loop via Ngunnawal, Amaroo, Bonner & Forde then to Fyshwick via RED RAPID
255: North Gungahlin Loop via Forde, Bonner, Amaroo & Ngunnawal then to Fyshwick via RED RAPID
300: Lanyon to Kippax via Tuggeranong, BLUE RAPID & Belconnen
313: Fraser West to Tuggeranong via Charnwood, Kippax, Belconnen & BLUE RAPID
314: Fraser to Tuggeranong via Charnwood, Flynn, Scullin, Page, Belconnen & BLUE RAPID
315: Spence to Tuggeranong via Melba, Florey, Belconnen & BLUE RAPID
316: Kippax to Tuggeranong via Latham, Florey, Belconnen & BLUE RAPID
317: Kippax to Tuggeranong via Holt, Higgins, Hawker, Weetangera, Belconnen & BLUE RAPID
318: Lanyon Marketplace to Belconnen via Banks, Gordon, Bonython, Tuggeranong & BLUE RAPID
319: Lanyon Marketplace to Kippax via Banks, Conder, Lanyon Marketplace, Tuggeranong, BLUE RAPID, Belconnen
343: Fraser West to Tuggeranong via Dunlop, Macgregor, Kippax, Belconnen & BLUE RAPID
344: Kippax to Tuggeranong via Macgregor, West Macgregor, Holt, Higgins, Belconnen & BLUE RAPID
400: Woden to City via WESTON LINE
712: Spence to Barton via Evatt, McKellar, City & Russell
714: Fraser to Barton via Charnwood, Flynn, Melba, City & Russell
717: Kippax to Barton via Holt, Higgins, Hawker, Weetangera, Macquarie, Aranda, City & Russell
718: Lanyon Marketplace to City via Banks & Gordon
719: Lanyon Marketplace to City via Banks, Conder & Lanyon Marketplace
720: Farrer to City via Mawson, Garran & Hughes
721: Torrens to City via Pearce, Chifley, Lyons & Curtin
734: Cooleman Court to City via Holder, Duffy, Wright, Coombs & North Weston
735: Uriarra Village to City via Denman Prospect & North Weston
743: Fraser West to Barton via Dunlop, Macgregor, City & Russell
744: Kippax to Barton via Macgregor, West Macgregor, Holt, Higgins, City & Russell
765: Tuggeranong to City West via Monash, Isabella Plains, Richardson, Gilmore, Chisholm, Barton, Russell & City
767: Tuggeranong to City West via Isabella Plains, Calwell, Richardson, Chisholm, Barton, Russell & City
786: Hall to City via Casey Market Town
790: Tuggeranong to Gungahlin
791: Woden to Majura Pk via Barton, Russell, ADFA & Campbell Pk
792: Woden to Fairbairn Pk via Barton, Russell, CBR Airport & Brindabella Business Pk
793: Gordon to City West via Banks, Conder, Lanyon Marketplace, Calwell, Barton, Russell & City
794: Woden to Belconnen
795: Tuggeranong to Belconnen via Cooleman Court & North Weston
797: Chapman to City via Stirling, Rivett, Duffy, Holder, Cooleman Court & North Weston

[Busfanatic101]

From a selfish point of view

Improved service coverage to ... Fadden

What I see is a huge reduction of services in the morning peak from the current 12 okay seperated services to 4 distinct services

I do like the half-hourly services until 9pm, but the hour gap between 5:52 and 6:52 from Woden cuts down from 6 (4 distinct) to 2 services


When you cut services, people complain and stop catching buses. Sure, we do get more buses than most other areas to start with but a reduction is a reduction. Once you give people frequent buses you have to keep it that way.

Also against terminating buses in Erindale UNLESS the blue rapid is diverted through Erindale via 900 route. Then that is fine, terminate either of the current 66/67, 61 and 71 in Erindale, delete 63, modify 64 continue through from Woden (64 route to L Clive Steele, R Ashley, R Barraclough, L Cockcroft, R Isabella, C Athllon, R Anketell) well as 65 servicing through to Woden.

Again, the weekend routes at present are tolerable only because the 900 goes through Erindale and I'm okay for a 15 minute walk as long as I know there will always be a bus within a reasonable (15 minutes) time. Keeping the same numbers but terminating them at Erindale on weekends, but with the 900 no longer is less convenient than before.

The only benefit to me would be bus photography 7 days a week

I do like the bus book cover design though.

And you have way too much time on your hands.

[King of Buses]

From a selfish point of view

Transferring vehicles is an experience many dislike, yes, but it is a reality that it necessary to operate a public transport network efficiently. This is why building in connections to allow easy and guaranteed transfers is particularly important (which is something that's not done so well by ACTION). The addition of Light Rail to the mix next year will likely result in a lot more people having to interchange to get to where they want to go. Best get people used to the practice even if they wont be impacted directly by stage one.

And while admitedly, yes, there are slight reductions in the number of services through Fadden, the reductions are not as great as you claim and have been made to allow for the network to provide services to new suburbs and better frequent/rapid corridors to make transferring buses easier.

In addition, connections from my proposed 66 are built in at Erindale to 100 series services to Woden and the City. Southbound 66/67 services you'll find also connect at Chisholm to 765/767 services to the City in peak also.

Regarding the Blue Rapid diversion, that significantly reduces the ease of access to the Tuggeranong Town Centre as well as limits the use of Steer Tag buses further.

What is convenient for some won't be for others. You can't please everyone.


Sent from my SM-G360G using Tapatalk

[vnguyen]

They say the Green Rapid is going to run via Parkes and not Russell. My idea is to keep the current routes 4 and 5 and have the Green Rapid Run from the City to Woden via National Circuit (via Parkes), down Canberra Avenue, Caption  Cook Crescent, Jerrabomberra Avenue and Hindmarch Drive.

[King of Buses]

They say the Green Rapid is going to run via Parkes and not Russell. My idea is to keep the current routes 4 and 5 and have the Green Rapid Run from the City to Woden via National Circuit (via Parkes), down Canberra Avenue, Caption  Cook Crescent, Jerrabomberra Avenue and Hindmarch Drive.

To have all three would require basically double the resources to run. Also bear in mind the Green Rapid is meant to also serve Kingston.

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

I love how the evening times are worse than what they already are

i would still add a couple of things here and there, otherwise dayam. I'm gonna have to find another time to read all that - and another computer to read everything properly
Only thing i still dont get, even with your view, why still bother with the 11A? Can't it just be one service, if not, be another number, and no 911? come on... that's just a stupid excuse

you have way too much time on your hands

ikr

[King of Buses]

I love how the evening times are worse than what they already are

Some routes lose 1 or 2 early evening trips and a few routes are replaced by their weekend versions, yes. However, there are more services that have trips later in the evening than they do now in an attempt to appease some of the complaints about services finishing too early. So overall, I don't see the services and times as being any worse than they are now really. Feel free to use some specific examples to back up your claim.

Only thing i still dont get, even with your view, why still bother with the 11A? Can't it just be one service, if not, be another number, and no 911? come on... that's just a stupid excuse

Yes, 911 would be particularly stupid given there are no other 9## series routes in this proposal (along with other obvious reasons). 11A has been retained as the number for the City to Airport services for the same reason it was chosen by ACTION in the first place - to indicate which route 11 services run only to the Airport. What would be the point of having a separate number for 11 and 11A services? Sure, one goes to BBP & Fairbairn and the other doesn't, but they both go operate in an alternating fashion on weekdays so it is better keep them as is. And if you're asking why I kept "11" as the base number - why change that either? The 10 runs to Majura Park and the 9 runs to ADFA - it isn't like it is a number that only half makes sense with numbering standards (e.g. 182).

[Northside]

First of all, wow, that's some time and dedication put in there!

Now, it seems like your idea is mainly based around getting a weekday timetable to fit the weekend. You've done a great job at this, but I'm not really sure of the value. Some of your weekend and night routes are overly complex and provide a lower amenity than is currently provided. Then when you place the routes on the same map, it becomes difficult to work out what route to take and when without reading the fine detail. Ideally, we'd have the same routes day, night and weekends and just adjust the frequency according to demand.

Finally, the weekday changes seem to be just tweaking around the edges. I'd like to see a complete overhaul of the network in order to straighten and speed up routes. Canberra suburbs need fewer bus stops, placed in more convenient locations. This will help increasing speed and frequency of routes.

Also, have you considered the upcoming opening of the Gungahlin Light Rail? That is just over 12 months away, so I'm sure the planners are already focusing their efforts on the post-LR network to come.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts tho. :)

[King of Buses]

Now, it seems like your idea is mainly based around getting a weekday timetable to fit the weekend. You've done a great job at this, but I'm not really sure of the value. Some of your weekend and night routes are overly complex and provide a lower amenity than is currently provided. Then when you place the routes on the same map, it becomes difficult to work out what route to take and when without reading the fine detail. Ideally, we'd have the same routes day, night and weekends and just adjust the frequency according to demand.

Finally, the weekday changes seem to be just tweaking around the edges.

The changes I could make were restricted by primarily the constraint of fleet size in order to produce something that was actually close to what we've got now resource wise. To do a full network overhaul, with all the same routes running weekdays, evenings and weekends, you'd need both more buses and more drivers (plus another depot). It is because of this I have evening/weekend services covering the ground of 2 or 3 regular weekday routes in part.

Once buses that currently run along the Light Rail corridor are free to roam elsewhere and Woden Depot has (finally) reopened, that's when a full network overhaul could/should take place to allow for the best chance of creating a better network Canberra wide. In the meantime, we've just got to look at what we've got and how we can better use that.

[Northside]

The changes I could make were restricted by primarily the constraint of fleet size in order to produce something that was actually close to what we've got now resource wise. To do a full network overhaul, with all the same routes running weekdays, evenings and weekends, you'd need both more buses and more drivers (plus another depot). It is because of this I have evening/weekend services covering the ground of 2 or 3 regular weekday routes in part.

Once buses that currently run along the Light Rail corridor are free to roam elsewhere and Woden Depot has (finally) reopened, that's when a full network overhaul could/should take place to allow for the best chance of creating a better network Canberra wide. In the meantime, we've just got to look at what we've got and how we can better use that.

Yeah, I see what you've done there and I understand why. But in the search to make some routes fit the weekday pattern, others have had a significant downgrade in their services. For example, Casey residents will have to travel via Moncrieff, Jacka and Amaroo on their trip to Gungahlin and 51 patrons now have an extra tour via the backstreets of Moncrieff too at all hours of the day. Yet the 7 residents of Hall get an express bus to both the city and Gungahlin in peak!

As you have introduced elsewhere, have you considered running the 56-59 to Mitchell, Harrison or Dickson only during inter-peak and nights and provide a seamless connection to the 200 route to free up running for elsewhere (ie for an additional Gungahlin route to service the new suburbs).

Similar thinking for the 66. It barely covers any of its own route. That could be used to provide better frequency to more popular routes (thus helping to increase popularity). I'd just about halve the number of services in Tuggeranong and double to frequency. You may end up with a slightly longer walk at the end, but it'd help ensure every serviced bus stop had a service every 30 min max interpeak and 15-20 mins during the peak. That'd go a long way to increasing adoption to services in this city.

But that's just my view. I know others may have a different opinion.

[Barry Drive]

Had a bit of a look. It's definitely not an easy task.

The one obvious thing that is missing is a direct Tuggeranong to City route, even if it is only during peak. I would suggest the easiest way to do it is for 718 & 719 to divert via Tuggeranong Bus Station - these would also replace any 18, 19, 318 & 319s running at the same time. You could probably have a service every 10 minutes that way during peak.

You might then need to add some supplementary 300 services between City and Tuggeranong to service the Athllon Dr corridor. Or else a City to Kambah Centre express via Athllon Dr to ensure the Wanniassa P&R maintains a regular frequency.

The Route 400 "Weston Line" doesn't work for me. I'd prefer it be split into two routes: City to DP and Woden to DP - both via Cotter Road. This is pretty much what the proposed 182 changes will be, but the difference is there will be two distinct route numbers and the timetable can be adjusted to provide more or less services to cater for demand.

I also have doubts about the viability of a Gungahlin to Tuggeranong express. Woden to Gungahlin might have more demand.

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

Alright, I just had another quick look at the times - at least for the Kambah/Wanniassa bound buses (from Woden) for evening times. In my opinion it is somewhat better than what we have now (cause what we have atm is ludicrous), but what I'm getting more at is how late they go, which is not late enough. I will have more of a look another time, but for now...

I have a bike so I'm generally not worried too often about this sort of thing, but people without cars like to go out to party, go see a movie, or/and presentation/performance somewhere (mostly out at the city), but then they'd also need a bus to come home on too. If the buses are restricted to 10pm, then that's discriminating against those who like to do the above things, low income earners/students who can't afford taxis and work/study late and those who connect to other buses but can't cause of bad connecting bus times.
I've been on a few of those late 9/10pm buses, sure there's rarely ever anyone on them which you'd think a removal for that service would be ideal for the next upcoming network 9which is likely going to happen next month on some routes as it did last time), but it's better to know that there's going to be a bus for you rather than knowing you either have to get a cab or walk home from the City.

That's what I meant by my previous comment albeit I was having a momentary laugh, but there is a concern that I have for the other users of the network.