More bike racks?

Started by Barry Drive, April 28, 2015, 08:43:50 PM

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Barry Drive

Minister Rattenbury tonight gave a presentation on Canberra's Transport Future.

A report on twitter states he has committed to installing bike racks onto artics and 14.5m Scanias.



Another report states that 409 buses will have racks.


King of Buses

Not my artics!!!

Take it the darts still won't get any?

The Love Guru

Won't be able to do so without a change of legislation unless we plaster the back of the long buses with oversize stickers.
Typical green, big on ideas, small on the logistics of making it happen.

ajw373

Quote from: The Love Guru on April 28, 2015, 10:49:29 PM
Won't be able to do so without a change of legislation unless we plaster the back of the long buses with oversize stickers.
Typical green, big on ideas, small on the logistics of making it happen.

Um, they are the Government, who can change the legislation, so one would think they know what they are doing. Whether you agree is another matter, but cheap shots like this one are not helpful.

The Love Guru

#4
When the bus exceeds maximum length allowed by law it's a big issue. It's all well and good to want a bike rack on a bus, but there is no consideration of the practicalities of operating an over length vehicle. I think they will struggle to get approval to put racks on the long buses. As i said, big on ideas but no idea on how it'll work in the real world.

ajw373

They are the government, they can change the law! So they change the law then the maximum length would now longer exceed the law. Job done. Or offer up an exception, simple job done.

Big on complaints, cheap shots, but no idea on how the real world works.

The Love Guru

Showing your lack of knowledge on the subject of transport once again i see.

You can change as many laws as you like in the ACT, fact is the road network can not handle 14.5m and artic buses with bike racks on them. I can think of numerous intersections that would be impossible to negotiate in them if a bike rack was in use.
The ACT would require NTC approval to operate oversize vehicles outside the national guidelines.

Then there is the issue of drivers, who are not paid to operate vehicles that are over dimension. This will require negotiation with the drivers union and ultimately will cost more coin.

So over here in my real world as a driver of the vehicles, the Greens can think up any policy they like, in practical terms it is impossible to achieve without significant investment in adjusting road infrastructure and payment of additional wages to operate over dimension vehicles.
Please feel free to resume your personal attack on me, coming from all your years of professional driving experience.

Barry Drive

#7
I'd have to assume (or at least hope) they've done their homework this time.

So far nothing coming up on a Google search about this, and nothing on any official government websites.

Hoping that someone who was there (Skitube / route56 ?) can provide more details. Was it "we are investigating how ?" or "we will do this by 31 Dec ?".

I'm still dubious about the logistics of a bike rack on a 14.5m rigid bus (nevermind the legalities), but they will be fine on artics.

Now if only the Minister had something to say about achieving the DDA target of 80% low floors by 31 Dec 2017.

Barry Drive

We have a reply:


The Love Guru

Hahaha, don't worry about the National Vehicle regulations ACTbusspotter, they don't apply when Mr Rattenbury wants to push his ideology.

No matter the approval, you can't fit a square peg in a round hole and that is what they are asking. The 343/743 will be removed from the approved 14.5m list immediately. (L) from Kerrigan to Shakespeare will be impossible (unless they don't replace the signs that have already been knocked over cause the corner is too tight).

No consultation with the drivers or union either, as the vehicles will now fall outside the standard dimensions, all drivers will need to be retrained and additional money paid to drive them.

Another really well thought out plan by the greens.

Bus 400

This is what you get when the let one of the worst minister in the ACT Government loose.

Barry Drive

If/when this happens, it opens up the possibility for some improved scheduling options.

For starters, STAGs can be placed on just these routes: 200, 250 & 300 - and if scheduled properly could do most if not all daytime 200 services.

Artics can then do more peak Blue Rapid runs (replacing STAGs) when not required for school runs.

And STAGs and artics can be let out on weekends to do 900 / 300 /200 type services. Weekend shifts can be designed as STAG or artic to increase capacity on the crowded services. For instance, STAGs can run 200s to/from COC in the morning & afternoon and do Belc - Woden 300/900s during the middle of the day. Some afternoon Gungahlin services could also use an artic.

Barry Drive

#12
Minister Rattenbury has announced on twitter that the rollout will commence in October.


Barry Drive

According to the Budget estimates, new timetable (ie shifts) are anticipated in October 2015.

Is it too much to expect a rearrangement of STAG and artic shifts to make use of their bike racks?

The Love Guru

They haven't fixed the weekends in years so no chance of them using suitable bus types when they are actually needed

Barry Drive

Some further news about this. A tweeterer asked ACTION why haven't they seen the new bike racks yet, since it's now October. The reply -



Which makes me wonder about the earlier reply which said "we have gained approval" for this.

Also probably means: don't expect them anytime soon.

Bus 400

Shane Ratenburys staff have replied to a tweet. With word that the National Heavy Vehicle Authority has approved the bike racks & trials are to start shortly.

The Love Guru

Hasn't got it passed the union and drivers yet, as there is no clause in the EBA covering oversize vehicles.

Busfanatic101

514 was operating a southbound 313 through Woden Bus Stn at around 4:30pm today with a bike rack. It was a black rack.
The other artics I saw afterwards 532 527 537 were all rack free.
No STAGs with racks were seen.
I was pretty surprised at how suddenly this has occurred long after people have forgotten about the whole proposal with no official announcement from TC yet.
Poor phone pic attached.

Sylvan Loves Buses

I did call ACTION a few months ago and asked about it, but they didn't say anything about going through with it - that was then though.

King of Buses

Quote from: Busfanatic101 on May 16, 2017, 06:18:53 PM
514 was operating a southbound 313 through Woden Bus Stn at around 4:30pm today with a bike rack. It was a black rack.
The other artics I saw afterwards 532 527 537 were all rack free.
No STAGs with racks were seen.
I was pretty surprised at how suddenly this has occurred long after people have forgotten about the whole proposal with no official announcement from TC yet.
Poor phone pic attached.

Racks on STAGs won't happen. I believe all the artics are being fitted though. Only some(?) Belconnen artics have been fitted so far.  I'd expect a TC announcement once most/all are fitted.

King of Buses

A couple of slightly clearer photos for those who haven't yet come across an artic infected with the plague...



Sylvan Loves Buses

Yeah, those bucket racks are pure plague

On the other hand, yay for me and many other B&R uses in Canberra.
I'm going to call ACTION about this again, but does anyone know before I ask, is this going to be a 'blue rapid only' specific use sort of thing like it was back in 2005-07, or is it to be expected that bikes on the racks can be used on all routes?

Sylvan Loves Buses

Well, there's the confirmation for it


QuoteBike racks to be installed on Transport Canberra articulated buses

In April 2017, Transport Canberra received a permit from Roads ACT following the agreement of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) to deploy bike racks on all 33 articulated buses in our fleet. Transport Canberra is currently in the process of installing the bike racks, and it is expected that this will be completed by the end of June 2017.

As of 1 May 2017, 85% of the Transport Canberra bus fleet are fitted with bike racks. Following the installation of bike racks on all articulated buses by the end of June this year, this percentage will increase to 92% and will provide greater multi-modal Active Travel options for the Canberra community using public transport in the ACT.

The availability of services with bike racks is reported through the real-time NXTBUS system.

Barry Drive

#24
Quote from: Sylvan Loves Buses on May 18, 2017, 06:04:21 PM
Well, there's the confirmation for it.
I would have thought photos of artics with bike racks fitted was sufficient confirmation.

Sylvan Loves Buses

I hadn't seen any in use yet, which I why I posted

Buzz Killington

So actual photos didn't cut it, but a drawing of the front of a rigid bus with a bike rack did?

triumph

Another aspect I have found no comment on in this thread, is that quite a few buses with bike racks are operating without a front number plate.  Further, the rack obscures proper visibility of the plate on those buses with front number plates. I wonder how and when that was legally authorised?

Busnerd

Because they have fleet numbers on the windscreen.

Barry Drive

#29
All I can find is that the Road Transport Authority may issue exemptions from the requirement to fit a number plate and for the number plate to be visible. So I assume this has occurred, with the condition that the fleet number be displayed on the front of the bus.

The fact that the fleet numbers on the Bustech VST are partly obscured by the bike rack is another problem though.

Sylvan Loves Buses

#30
Quote from: Buzz Killington on May 19, 2017, 10:07:16 PM
So actual photos didn't cut it, but a drawing of the front of a rigid bus with a bike rack did?

Well yeah, cause back in 2005 when they were supposedly trialing the things, back then I didn't know when they started actually using them until it was mentioned on the ACTION website

Busfanatic101

#31
Rackless on 18/5: 519, 520, 526, 527, 528, 529, and probably 530 and 526.

Bike racks seen today (22/5): 517, 524, 527.
Still no rack: 519 520 525 534

King of Buses

Quote from: Busfanatic101 on May 22, 2017, 04:45:16 PM

Still Rackless on 18/5
519, [/size]520, 526, 527, 528, 529, and probably 530 and 526

Bike racks seen today (22/5) on 517 [/size]524 527.
Still no rack 519 520 525 534

[/size]

506 - 508, 510 - 518, 527 and 528 have so far been sighted with racks. 523 looked to be heading into the workshops this morning (where 527 emerged from moments before with a rack) so it *may* have been fitted today.

Busfanatic101

Racks sighted today in addition to KoB's tally 534 and 525, neither of which had a rack on Monday


That makes reported racks 506-508, 510-518, 524-525, 527-528, 534

Sylvan Loves Buses

I saw my first today, that one being 517. I didn't ride it however, cause it was being chartered.

Busfanatic101


King of Buses


Busfanatic101

530, 532, 533, 535 today.


I believe that makes reported racks 506-508, 510-518, 523-528, 530, 532-537


Or now easier to list those yet to be reported:
509, 519-522, 529, 531, 538, of which 522 I can confirm still doesn't have a rack.


Despite their reiteration in the media release about the additional racks that "The availability of services with bike racks is reported through the real-time NXTBUS system", it was interesting to note that bike rack presence is not yet reflected on the NXTBUS screens (at least in the case of 532 and 533)

Barry Drive

#38
I haven't seen any bike racks show up on NXTBUS (for artics). Perhaps they'll update once all are done.

You can add 509 & 519 to the list.

Busfanatic101


King of Buses

Everything except 521 and 522 have been sighted with racks; 522 was on the T bricks last night, so it was probably fitted today.

Sylvan Loves Buses

and they're all bucket racks?

King of Buses

Quote from: Sylvan Loves Buses on May 31, 2017, 07:29:11 PM
and they're all bucket racks?

Sportworks VeloPorter 2 racks, yes.

Sylvan Loves Buses

Quote from: Barry Drive on May 29, 2017, 04:33:08 PM
I haven't seen any bike racks show up on NXTBUS (for artics).

I just missed out on riding 519 with my bike coming home, but as I looked at the NXTBUS screen, it did say with wheelchair and bike rack.
So possibly it's not done for all, but 519 is.

Busfanatic101

Quote from: King of Buses on May 31, 2017, 04:38:05 PM
Everything except 521 and 522 have been sighted with racks; 522 was on the T bricks last night, so it was probably fitted today.
Yes 522 does have a rack now.




Barry Drive

Have recently seen 519. Still displayed without bike rack on all NXTBUS systems.

Same as all other artics - none show bike racks.

Sylvan Loves Buses

Hmm, must've been a one off, NXTBUS can be glitchy like that sometimes

Busfanatic101

521 is marked as having a rack on fleetwiki but I was on it today and it did not have one - so it either never got one, or if someone had seen it with one, then it has subsequently been removed.

Barry Drive

#48
(It never had one.) Working on the assumption it will be fitted soon.

Barry Drive

521 has now been seen with a bike rack fitted.

So that's all of them.

Quote from: Barry Drive on April 28, 2015, 08:43:50 PM
Another report states that 409 buses will have racks.

The current number is: 398 buses with bike racks, which is 93.9% of the regular service fleet (excludes Darts).