Redex: Insert Pinched Slogan Here!

Started by Buzz Killington, April 28, 2009, 06:43:04 PM

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Bus 400

Seeing if anyone else noticed that 727S gets lower case l&s while 727N gets uppercase L&S

Busnerd



Barry Drive


QuoteOpponents of light rail say that buses offer the same service that light rail can. This of course is totally false, as the major limiting factor is passenger capacity and reliability of route service.
And the limiting factor of light rail, in Canberra, is lack of sufficient passenger demand (other than in peak) to make a service viable. Not to mention lack of money to build and run a light rail.

QuoteWhen announced in May, the service was to service all town centres, Civic and the Parliamentary Triangle. All major service areas, with significant passenger volume needing to be shifted with few stops (or none) along the way. A commendable aim, and one which I supported at the time.
Except that it was being done the wrong way - two overlapping routes which 'joins the dots' is not the best way to design bus routes. It's exactly the same problem that he/she was complaining about - meandering routes. The correct way is to do some proper research about people's travel needs and what is stopping them from catching buses. If this means additional services in peak times, limited stop or otherwise, then that is what should be delivered rather than just a publicity slogan.

Quote•Handling cash and providing change delays services. I suggested that REDEX services not accept cash, making REDEX a bus card only service.
Which would guarantee failure, because it would only attract existing bus users. What would be better is to trial the Adelaide system of offering cheaper bus travel during the middle of the day.

QuoteHow can this trial fail ?

•Only one bus will run every 15 minutes from Gungahlin town centre. If this bus reaches capacity, it will sail past people waiting at the special REDEX stops (a sign on a pole) and the person will have to wait for another bus.

•The REDEX trial will use regular buses, not the new high capacity steerable rear axle buses.
I don't need to say much here other than Wrong, Wrong, Wrong. There is no shortage of capacity now between Gungahlin and City and I doubt that any Redex bus is near to capacity.

Busnerd

I love the comment that the SPECIAL REDEX STOP is just a SIGN ON A POLE....

That is usually what a bus stop is made up of...what do they expect?

Barry Drive

A smart bus stop showing real-time arrival time perhaps.

Busnerd

We can only wish....only Melbourne has managed to run it properly. Sydney has trial units and has done nothing with them since, most don't even work anymore. Adelaide CBD has them functioning but thats about it...

Barry Drive

#107
Quote from: Buzz Killington on December 05, 2009, 03:10:35 PM
An interesting post here regarding REDEX - http://onfourwheels.blogspot.com/2009/10/redex-bus-rapid-transit-you-have-when.html
This particular blogger intends to post a new Redex blog on Friday (11 Dec).

smitho

Quote from: MaxiZac on December 05, 2009, 09:17:14 PM
We can only wish....only Melbourne has managed to run it properly. Sydney has trial units and has done nothing with them since, most don't even work anymore. Adelaide CBD has them functioning but thats about it...
Perth has had real time information at both railway stations and bus stops for quite a long time. The system seems to work very well there.

Barry Drive

Quote from: Martin on December 10, 2009, 09:18:04 AM
This particular blogger intends to post a new Redex blog on Friday (11 Dec).
His latest blog has now been posted. His summary: "Redex is a good thing."

To pick it apart somewhat:

QuoteRedex needs a separate platform at Interchanges. There is also no dedicated Redex platform in Civic.
And where would such a dedicated platform be located? Platforms 8 and 9 could be modifed, but at times they are already over-crowded and making them shorter would disadvantage the current services. Northbourne Ave (10 & 11) is another option but this is located too far from the main interchange for connections.

QuoteRedex buses are not distinct from regular Action buses. As can be seen from the photo, this could be any other Action bus. From a distance the service number cannot be seen distinctly. The scrolling Redex message is also indistinct. Action need to plaster a big red magnetic or vinyl sign across the front of the bus, or place a large redex placard in the front window of the bus, and also adjacent to the passenger boarding door.
Isn't that non-scrolling "REDEX" sign on the front of the bus enough for you? But I agree the side/rear desto could have been done better - since it's an LED it could be programmed to alternate between '727'and 'REDEX'.

QuoteDespite limited patronage on the services I was on, Redex is a good model and seems to be working. For public transport systems to work effectively, they must be Comfortable, Frequent and Attractive. I found the Redex service to satisfy all three criteria.
Obviously I have a different criteria about 'working' - if there are not enough passengers to warrant the service, then it's not working.

QuoteNo doubt if Redex is extended, services like 216/217 can be converted to 'Redex' quite easily.

When first announced, Redex was to operate from the other Canberra town centres. This was changed due to funding problems (as reported in my previous blog post on Redex). If the redex trial in Gungahlin proves successful it should be rolled out across the Action network.
Um... 216/217 do not exist and haven't since Network '08.

Roll what out? All that has been said by Stanhope is that it could be rolled-out to Tuggeranong and Belconnen - but from where to where? As I've said before show me where there is demand for public transport which could be serviced by Redex - Belconnen to Kippax is one; Belconnen to Gungahlin may be another; Tuggeranong to Erindale perhaps, but I'm dubious about this. 

Buzz Killington

Tuggeranong to City would be nice. If they ran it up Erindale/Yamba/Yarra/Adelaide/Commonwealth/Interchange they could also run it via Erindale and service the hospital via the stops on Yamba Dr.

smitho

Article on page 4 in yesterday's CT seems to confirm suggestions that Redex will continue beyond the 30 June trial-end date if the government accepts ACTION's recommendations. It reports 1377 passengers used Redex on Monday this week....OK considering many workers and families with school aged family members are still out of Canberra.

Speculate about possible extensions to the existing route  .... the Fyshwick Market, Manuka/Forrest and DFO are options.

Barry Drive

#112
Smitho, any chance of posting a scan of that article?

As I'm sure I've said before just counting how many passengers are on Redex services doesn't tell the full story. Of those 1377 passengers, how many would have caught other routes if Redex didn't exist? By all means keep the Redex service, but reduce duplication/competition with other routes.

Where to extend Redex? I'm not sure that it needs extending. Instead I would like it travel via Manuka and Kingston shops (perhaps via Commonwealth Ave, Canberra Ave, Manuka, Giles St/Eyres St, then terminate at Railway). Or possibly not even Kingston shops just go along Canb Av and turn into Wentworth at the Hume Place roundabout. The Constituition Av, Kings Av, National Crt, Wentworth Av, Kingston Shops corridor is already well serviced (or even over-serviced) by routes 4, 5, 80 and Xpresso services - they just need to be better co-ordinated.

Fyshwick and DFO should be handled by a different route. Possibly a more direct service than the 80 currently provides.

smitho

My PC set up is a bit basic and doesn't allow me to scan - I can leave a photocopy in your pigeon hole @ Belco Depot if you like, Martin.

Barry Drive

Just internal mail / leave with the starters will be fine.

Barry Drive

Got it. I might post a scan later.

Quote from Liz Clarke: "...we've show (sic) at the moment an increase of 4.2 per cent of patronage on Gungahlin bus services for (sic) Redex. "

Not sure what services are being counted as Gungahlin bus services, but if you include 56 and 58 they've gone from 4 services an hour to 8 services an hour (off-peak) so for a 100% increase in buses there has been a 4.2% increase in passengers. It would also be interesting to see at what times this increase in passenger numbers has been occurring and where they are actually coming frrom and going to. How many are using Redex instead of other Northbourne Av bus routes (30, 31, 39 etc) which do not count as Gungahlin services?

Bus 400

With the planned cut to the GST revenue that the ACT receives & the Treasurers threatening tax hikes for ACT Residents, I wonder if ACTION will get the money to fund &/or expand the Redex network?

Buzz Killington

310 was on Redex this afternoon with a quality paper sign desto.

Times New Roman, you ask?

You bet your sweet bippy.

Bus 400

An Irisbus was on Redex yesterday as well.

smitho

Today's Southside Courier carries a report about the extension of Redex "through" Fyshwick, including "a stop at DFO"...left me wondering whether Fyshwick Terminus may become the southern terminus for Redex.

Sir Pompously

308 was on Redex yesterday from memory. Don't know why it would backtrack, smitho, unless it will head up Canberra Avenue, onto Iron Knob (Giggles), and then onto Newcastle street and looping around there before turning down Ipswich and Wiluna Streets to the terminus.


Buzz Killington

#121
I would've thought it would turn out of the Railway onto Wentworth, left onto Canberra Ave, left onto Tom Price, left onto Iron Knob and set down at DFO.

smitho

Quote from: Buzz Killington on May 12, 2010, 06:37:36 PM
I would've thought it would turn out of the Railway onto Wentworth, left onto Canberra Ave, left onto Tom Price, left onto Iron Knob and set down at DFO.

Yeh, that's the sort of route you'd expect, but DFO would not be a very suitable terminus as it is presently configued
- you need room for two or three Redex buses at least, because often terminating Redex buses are there at the same time as Redex buses waiting to depart...not to mention the occasional transiting Route 80 service...

Buzz Killington

Not to mention that you can often encounter Redex services running in the same direction two minutes apart because somebody's running late..

I would suggest there's probably space to layover on Geraldton Cres, Leonora St and Beaconsfield St. Bit hard to tell from Google Maps as they're from the time when the whole area was still under construction.

Bus 400

I wonder if this DFO extension of 727 is an attack on Brand Depot? As patrons have the option (with ACTION) of 30-60 minute services to Brand Depot or every 15 minute limited stop service to DFO.

belcodriver

Quote from: Bus 400 on May 12, 2010, 08:06:33 PM
I wonder if this DFO extension of 727 is an attack on Brand Depot?

I hope so. The Snow family really fucked things up with all their offices at the airport.

smitho

Morning peak hour southbound Redex services extremely slow so far this week.

Lengthy delays on Flemington Rd southbound; worked to my advantage this am as Redex in front of me was running so late that there were relatively few punters for my 727 to collect ...meant I was on-time out of Civic but didn't get to overtake him.


smitho

Long talked about changes to Redex including their integration into the network may see them re-numbered as the Route 200 Series services.......whether the remaining '200 Link' routes (such as the 226, 227) continue with those numbers remains to be seen - as does the fate of the current Route 5 service, which is largely duplicated by Redex as currently structured, at least on the northside.

smitho

Due to an unannounced closure of many roads in the Mitchell area around late morning today, including Flemington Rd, I had to find an alternative route for my southbound Redex from Mitchell to Dickson.

Lack of detour signage in Mitchell meant I ran into several more road blocks until reaching the Gungahlin Cemetery road, thence left on to the Barton Highway, turning left again near the collapsed GDE bridge onto the Barton Highway, then right onto the old Barton Highway turnoff, running through to Dickson about 5 minutes late...not too bad in the circumstances. 

Northbound 727's had a much more roundabout route, having to go via Ginninderra Drive. The closures were lifted shortly after mid-day.

Bus 400

Did you ever find out why the roads were closed? When I left Mitchell in the truck at around 7am there wasn't too much extra traffic on the GDE & we had no trouble getting back into Mitchell via Flemington Road (from the Federal Highway) at around 11:30.

smitho

No - even ACTION Communications Centre only seemed to find out a fair while after the closures. Roads blocks were manned by good numbers of police - curious!

Barry Drive

#131
Doing 727 northbound, departing City around 5pm: a 52 is sitting on pl 8 (Bus 412) when I arrive yet passengers still go to my bus. And at the Macarthur/ Northbourne stop 2 passengers chose 727 even though the 52 got to the stop first. Guess which bus got to GMP first.

smitho

Yeah, its all luck of the Irish on Redex.

I usually have a Number 5 ahead of me on one of my mid-morning 727s and we can overtake each other multiple times. But this am, I overtook him just north of Civic Interchange and never saw him again until he arrived in GMP about 5 minutes later than I.

Barry Drive

#133
Answer: 52 arrived first despite being an "all stops" service. Of course, if everyone had caught the 52 then it wouldn't have arrived first. Earlier in the day there was a 5 which left before me which I ended up beating by about 1 minute - but only because I passed it at the last Flemington Road stop.