RiotACT on Redex

[smitho]

What some contributers to RiotACT have to say following the REDEX announcement

If the ACT chooses to let developers build houses so far from Civic, then its planning system ought to inbuild a decent transport system for the poor mugs who have to travel from the outer suburbs. Routes from the outer suburbs can require 20-25 bus stops, and this takes up to 55-60 minutes to get to work in peak hour.
Not good enough; we want it done in half that time. Here's a target: can we get outer suburbs residents to Civic in 30 minutes in peak hour? We're a modern city, so surely we can deliver.
Transport is not just more buses, new timetables or green buses. It's getting the roadmakers to devise a priority system that prevents buses from being caught up in peak-hour traffic. Good transport needs good engineers, not just green buses or new timetables. It actually needs some imagination. (I wonder if we should sublet the task to Terry Snow, as he clearly knows how to get things done in this town).
Bottom line is this: Canberra commuters who live in the outer suburbs don't just want public transport, they want Rapid Public Transport. We don't care if it's green or ungreen as long as it's economical and rapid.
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Getting rid of the 333 was a major mistake. It was the one part of ACTION buses that used to work well, and was well patronised.
This sounds promising though.
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REDEX 1 will be a return service to Gungahlin, Dickson, City, Russell, Barton, Woden, Erindale and Tuggeranong. REDEX 2 will be a return service to Kippax, Belconnen, City, Russell, Barton, Woden, Erindale and Tuggeranong. "
How on earth is this an express service? The buses may come every 15 minutes, but the scenic route that it will take will take at least an hour, if not more. When will these idiots learn that people DO NOT want to catch a bus that takes any more than 20-25 minutes to get to their destination. This service is no more than a scenic version of the existing 300 series buses? A true fix would have them making routes shorter to a central destination, not travelling through 7 places.
So essentially what they're offering is a re-jigged version of a service they dismantled years ago, only not as good as the first version was. Great idea!

I don't think we're supposed to remember the old service existed, just praise our Glorious Leaders for improving our wonderful service still further.
All hail 333 Redux.

How on earth is this an express service? The buses may come every 15 minutes, but the scenic route that it will take will take at least an hour, if not more.
Perhaps it will be like the old commuter express services that were axed in Network 98, where they only picked up and set down at marked stops (Generally every second one in the suburbs) and did not pick up between interchanges.
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Agreed that he shouldn't have let the work experience kid write the press release without proof reading. However he does have good point in that the two routes don't mean the government have complied with the Greens' requirements of 30 mins buses, it's only 2 hardy useful services.
Though they may come in useful for people who want to go to/from russell or barton to one of the town/group centres, otherwise the route is useless. The people catching this service will have to disembark at an interchange and wait around in the cold to catch another service home. ACTION is only going to gain patronage if the services are fairly direct from their place of work/school to their home. Making the routes 30 minutes apart is not going to get more people onto buses when they don't go where people want to go in a reasonable time. Also, realistically every route shouldn't run at 30 minute intervals if there is not sufficient patronage to justify it, it's just a waste of money.
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If the ACT GovCo really wants people to start catching public transport everywhere, they need to stop suburban sprawl... not so simple in Canberra as pretty much the entire city is suburbs.
From my travels around the world, I can happily say that although Canberra's road network has it's flaws, it really is one of the best in the world. Build one of the best private transport networks in the world, then try to force people onto inferior public transport that can take anywhere up to 10 times as long to get somewhere, it's not going to work.
I do mean 10 times as long. Back in the day, I used to live in Holder, had a girlfriend in Weetangra. At 16, I was too young to drive to her place, so had two options, ride a push bike through Coppins Crossing, about an hour, or catch a bus, which on weekends took up to 2.5 hours. Car, 15 minutes.
That said, some ACTION routes are great, especially in peak hour. I now live near the Curtin Shops, catch the 732 Xpresso to the city, it takes around 10-15 minutes in the morning, and around 25 mins in the afternoon. Considering I save over $10 a day this is brilliant. However, there are only three of these buses each day each way, so I'm limited regarding what time I can get into and leave work. Miss these buses and I have to take route 2, which zigzags though Deakin, Yarralumla, Deakin again, Parilament house, Barton, then finally the city. Half an hour on the bus each way vs 10 minutes in a car.
As other's have said though, more than half an hour to get to where they'd like to go, and people will continue to shun public transport.
Unless the Government somehow comes up with many billion dollars to build a fast, comprehensive, cheap to use, underground rail network with trains every 2-5 minutes, then public transport in the ACT will continue to be a semi-viable transport solution for when your car is being serviced.
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I keep saying this, but well-placed Park n Rides would work better. Park n Rides in a paddock near population centres, with useful buses then ferrying the people to popular emmployment locations (Russell, Barton, Civic, etc) woudl be more effective and get people on those buses.
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Yes, yes yes!
In Canberra's cold weather, who wants to stand around at bus stops.
Drive to a nearby park'n'ride, and catch a bus that goes frequently to the major centres.
EPIC would be a great spot for one.
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If you catch a crowded bus you have a greater chance of catching Miss Piggy flu.
Sorry, I just can't help this scaremongering.
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What about weekend services? It's terrible at the moment, and very hard for people without vehicles (like young persons and elderly). They were supposed to reinstate what we used to have, about a year ago after they took the axe to it. Still no show.

[Barry Drive]

What is this obsession some people have about route 333?

Getting rid of the 333 was a major mistake. It was the one part of ACTION buses that used to work well, and was well patronised.

ACTION didn't get rid of 333 - it was modified into the Intertown services. Sure, it now takes a little longer to travel from Belconnen to City, they don't use artics and they carry bicycles, but apart from that it's the same service which also allows you to remain on the bus if travelling to the suburbs (provided you catch the right bus).

The people who want the 333 reinstated would probably be te first to complain about having to change buses at Belconnen or Tuggeranong (in the cold) if it were to happen.

[off topic]
Personally, I would like to see the 300 evening services scrapped in favour of 312, 313, 314 and 315  - that way passengers won't need to transfer in the cold of the new Belconnen bus stations. [/off topic]

[Irisbus Rider]

Very interesting to read the opinions regarding RedEx, and I see some support for a few Park 'n Ride facilities.
Thanks for posting that Smitho.

[belcodriver]

(I wonder if we should sublet the task to Terry Snow, as he clearly knows how to get things done in this town).

Those things being privatising the profits and socialising the costs by building offices for 10 000 people on land that is exempt from the planning process and then expect the govt to pay to expand the roads you've overloaded.