Network the next

[Barry Drive]

Apart from Weekends and that appalling mess in Lyons / Chifley, the new route structure for Network 14 isn't all bad. The bigger problem has been timing and scheduling which leaves much to be desired.

So what's next? If ACTION were to aim for a minor revision next time, what is needed and/or where do you start?

New suburbs need to be a priority. Coombs needs a service ASAP, as does Jacka. Casey / Ngunnawal might benefit from an additional route.

Thoughts?

[King of Buses]

Coombs will probably get the 83 diverted (and 783 maybe), Jacka will get either the 55/255 or 59/259 extended in true ACTION style IMO.
Weekend runs will remain stuffed up I imagine (e.g. I see no need to send the 940 along Benjamin Way with no weekday run, so why not along Hennessy St? Because they sent the 980 down there because of the 940 going along Benjamin Way 

Timing and scheduling is the main issue though. A particular route comes to mind here...

(And yes, that mess in Lyons/ Chifley needs to be sorted out...)

[Skitube]

i wonder if lawson and throsby would be developed enough to get a bus route by then

[Bus 400]

i wonder if lawson and throsby would be developed enough to get a bus route by then

Moncreiff is the next suburb being constructed, Throsby is at least a decade away (knowing my luck they'll start it next year). I know we have to wait ages between networks, but not that long.

[Skitube]

Moncreiff is the next suburb being constructed, Throsby is at least a decade away (knowing my luck they'll start it next year). I know we have to wait ages between networks, but not that long.

going down Baldwin Dr, seems like there's quite a lot going on in Lawson...
I do wonder what will happen when we run out of numbers in 5x series, do we combine east and west gungahlin routes, or would we go for 3 digits again?

[Skitube]

New suburbs need to be a priority. Coombs needs a service ASAP, as does Jacka. Casey / Ngunnawal might benefit from an additional route.

Forgive my ignorance, but how much Jacka has been built? last time i went up there, about 8 months ago, hardly anything...

[The Love Guru]

You have a real route number fetish don't you?
I'd be more concerned with the new suburbs getting a bus in the first place. Route number is of no concern. I'm sure there are enough numbers to choose from that we wont run out anytime soon.

[Buzz Killington]

There's one main road in Jacka (Appleford Av) at the moment and a few side streets. I'm not even sure Appleford is particularly bus friendly. Access to the 55 on Roden Cutler Dr is appropriate for now.

The newly completed Horse Park Drive may provide alternatives for routing in Gungahlin.

I get why late night services were cut, but there should still be a basic service until around 11pm. Run 300s every 30 minutes, connecting with flexibus services - perhaps two services per district ie one for East Belconnen, one for West Belconnen. Definitely needs be done for Thu/Fri/Sat nights.

[vnguyen]

I wonder if Hall would need a bus route?

Also they should start doing services to Canberra Airport with services extending to Oaks Estate and maybe Beard.

[Bus 400]

QCity/Transborder already provide services to Hall & Oaks Estate. With a stop just out on the main road of Beard should be good enough.

[The Love Guru]

If you can get Canberra Airport Group to drop the access fee for each service then I'm sure ACTION would happily run a service there.

[Barry Drive]

While I'm in favour of running empty buses through new suburbs, there's no justification to add services to Hall, Oaks Estate or Beard if they are not going to attract passengers. There is a finite limit to resources.

Without Brindabella and Fairbairn parks, an airport service would also be a waste - ACTION's last attempt got canned after about a year.

If there are viable roads, then 31 could divert through Lawson - it's just a matter of timing.

I'd suggest a reworking of 55/59 to service Jacka, even if only as an interim measure. For instance, instead of just running along Horse Park, 59 could go Mulligans Flat, Mabo, Mobourne, Roden Cutler then into Jacka and back to Amaroo. 55 could then turn left at Mabo and run through the middle of Bonner.

[Buzz Killington]

QCity/Transborder already provide services to Hall & Oaks Estate. With a stop just out on the main road of Beard should be good enough.

Nobody is going to catch a bus to Beard. Have you been through there?

[Bus 400]

There's a few joiners, couple of building companies are based out there & our Scania base is there. Plus an meat cutting place & a bus depot among other things.

[smitho]

Re-route route 1 via east Curtin (Theodore St) rather than Hughes....

[Buzz Killington]

There's a few joiners, couple of building companies are based out there & our Scania base is there. Plus an meat cutting place & a bus depot among other things.

Summary: not your average bus passenger.

[King of Buses]

Re-route route 1 via east Curtin (Theodore St) rather than Hughes....

On the 1 from Woden, send it to Hughes (as per current run) then up Kent to Yarralumla. Then send the 3 from Woden to Hughes Shops via current, then onto Groom, Carruthers, Denison, Strickland. In the process, extending the Gold Line (or just the 2 & 3 now thats gone) from City to Carruthers St inbetween Groom and Denison. Theodore St never really produces any passengers (except the oldies who got the 76/77 to Woden). Although, if it needed a service, send the 83 through Curtin via Theodore, Carruthers (at the Shops), McCulloch (serving that extra SSO stop) and then onto Wright via Cotter Rd thus serving the park n ride on Cotter Rd. The Lyons and Weston bit would need to be covered too though. Maybe the next route for Molonglo could do Lyons/Weston or Curtin (Theodore) or just a restructure of Weston Creek Runs (again).

[smitho]

Agree that the Brindabella Nursing Home patients would not have produced many (if any) patrons for ACTION as they are mainly confined to barracks....but there is a chunk of East Curtin between Theodore St and Yarra Glen to be considered.

[Busnerd]

Not sure how new it is but noticed a sign on Gundaroo Dr that looked quite shiny with Ford and Throsby listed on it

[smitho]

Not sure how new it is but noticed a sign on Gundaroo Dr that looked quite shiny with Ford and Throsby listed on it

Hopefully that sign had FORDE with an "E" on it, as I understand that the suburb is named after the former Australian Prime Minister, Andrew Forde.

[Barry Drive]

Close. I'll give you a hint: his name is on the main street.

(Answer: Francis Forde, aka Frank.)

[Bus 400]

Not sure how new it is but noticed a sign on Gundaroo Dr that looked quite shiny with Ford and Throsby listed on it

That sign has been there for years, roughly since Gundaroo Road was spilt from Mulligans Flat Road.

[smitho]

You're right - it is FRANK Forde (not Andrew)....

[Bus 400]

It's worth suggesting, but why can't the 26/926 do that dog leg past the nursing home? Rather than the 27/927 does now & the 25/925 did previously. It would mean all Woden to Weston Creek buses would depart from the same stop among other benefits.

[smitho]

It's interesting that the draft master plan for the Weston Centre has all buses using the top bus stop at Cooleman Court (the one the 26 uses)...quicker, more direct access I suppose....and gets buses out of the hair of Mr Woolworths (just as is the case with the proposed removal of the Erindale interchange from its current location next to the Woolies dock).

[WalesCentre]

Was just looking at Route 81 and it seems to represent all the issues with ACTION routes. It takes the longest possible way and doesn't service many of Canberra's tourist highlights. Telstra Tower was big in the 80's but I wonder is it worth taking a route bus all the way to the top these days? Similarly, is it necessary to drive along every inch of road at the Arboretum? I would suggest skip Telstra Tower, go into National Musem, go quickly in & out of the Arboretum, then National zoo, across Scrivener Dam, down past Parliament House & NGA, across Kings Ave Bridge and then to City via Constitution Ave. This would make a good useful tourist loop without much extra run time.

[belcodriver]

Was just looking at Route 81 and it seems to represent all the issues with ACTION routes. It takes the longest possible way and doesn't service many of Canberra's tourist highlights. Telstra Tower was big in the 80's but I wonder is it worth taking a route bus all the way to the top these days? Similarly, is it necessary to drive along every inch of road at the Arboretum? I would suggest skip Telstra Tower, go into National Musem, go quickly in & out of the Arboretum, then National zoo, across Scrivener Dam, down past Parliament House & NGA, across Kings Ave Bridge and then to City via Constitution Ave. This would make a good useful tourist loop without much extra run time.

Ok genius how would one quickly go into the arboretum? There's nowhere for a bus to turn around until the big carpark up the top which is I presume where most people want to go. Doing the full loop around isn't much longer than going up the northern side then coming back the same way.

A fair few people still go to Telstra Tower and it's a much harder walk than any of the other tourist attractions.

Other buses service the NMA, APH and NGA.

They never should have canned the 100 because that was very well patronised.

[Busnerd]

That sign has been there for years, roughly since Gundaroo Road was spilt from Mulligans Flat Road.

Yes it did have an 'e' and that sign has been there for years yes, but they have replaced it with a new sign (as it is brand new style with the reflective lines etc) the old one had rounded edges and was lower down.

[Busfanatic101]

They should reconsider some of the platforms for routes in future. last week, I saw 4 buses picking up passengers at platform 8 (civic), 2 laying over, and a 200 waiting for about 5 minutes with another car waiting behind it completely blocking the mort/bunda st intersection. now that platform 2 isn't being used and platform 1 has double the space, the southbound 200 should be moved to platform 1 with the blue rapid- there hardly ever more than 3 at once. If that's too hard, maybe use platform 10.

[Bus 400]

During afternoon peak, Platform 1 can be chockers. Another point is, how do you expect 200 series buses to get from London Circuit to Platform 1 & back to Northbourne Avenue without greatly affecting other services? If you wantthings to change, all services from Platforms 1,3 & 8 could be load & go. Using NXTBUS, if you were after the 259 for example,  you could track your bus into the City.

[The Love Guru]

I think he may have meant 200s from platform 9 rather than the 200s off platform 8.

[Busfanatic101]

Yeah, I meant platform 9, with the southbound 200s. If platform 1 is that busy, platforms 10 would be an alternative (if people are willing to walk that far)

[smitho]

Platform 0 on London Crt (Sydney Building) gets pretty congested at certain times during the morning peak, with buses queuing to offload there.

[Skitube]

woden could be redesigned as well, put 60/62/67 somewhere else, or swap platform 4 with 5 so that the less used platform is behind the blue rapid platform, or just put platform 5 out of use...

[Bus 400]

Alternatively, move your 80, 88, 749, 732 & 988 somewhere else.  Move your platform 5 services to platform 4. Then provide additional space for 300 south services.
Although,  I've caught the 62 from there for over 14 years. As long as I can remember, 300 series buses have backed up along there. But it is rarely an issue as they all dump & go. The biggest hold up is at the lights of Bradley Street & Callam Street. 2 weeks ago these lights caused buses to be waiting next to platform 7 2 buses wide & banked up to platform 4. But for those few minutes no suburban services were due to depart. So nothing was held up much.

[Busfanatic101]

oh yeah, something so needs to be done about plt 5. the other day at about 3:45pm, 4 Blue Rapids (1st few running late), and 60, 62, 67, 80, & 88 all came at the same time. So crowded that the stag on 313 hit the 67 as it(313) was leaving from the equivalent of plt 3, and buses piled up on the main bit waiting for others to leave

[Skitube]

put blue rapid on 10 instead of 9, have 791/792 depart from 8
something should be done with 14 as well, now that routes 1-5 all depart from there

[smitho]

Platform 10 may not be long enough at peak times; perhaps amalgamate 9 and 10 into a single platform for intertowns and Xpressos only.

[The Love Guru]

Or just leave it as it's due for the bulldozer in the near future

[Busfanatic101]

Or just leave it as it's due for the bulldozer in the near future

Genius

[smitho]

Or just leave it as it's due for the bulldozer in the near future

Things have a habit of being delayed in our fair City; Woden Interchange was supposed to go around the year 2005, but Lend Lease then pulled the plug on running Woden Plaza .... so that particular Grand Plan for the redevelopment of the Interchange site came to nothing.

[The Love Guru]

Still not worth spending and time or money shifting the platforms around.
I'm pretty confident it won't be operating this time next year.

[Busfanatic101]

Still not worth spending and time or money shifting the platforms around.
I'm pretty confident it won't be operating this time next year.

  i'll miss it 

[smitho]

Still not worth spending and time or money shifting the platforms around.
I'm pretty confident it won't be operating this time next year.

Agree...only one to benefit would be Westfield...but with the Plaza facing tough trading conditions and with Myer dropping its Woden development plans, Westfield might decide just to sit on the land formerly occupied by the interchange. Even ACTPLA seems to publicly recognise this by stating that it has no idea how long the interim interchange would operate as it all depends on the private sector "developers" ....

[Bus 400]

From what plans I've seen,  the former bus station is to become a pedestrian walkway. You could just as easily move the platforms around the corner so they are on the extended Bowes Street.
Westfield could move the Asian Grocery store & the el cheapo store & create the "waiting lounge" there.
If in a few years time, Westfield decide to expand. They could without affecting the new bus station.

[smitho]

From what plans I've seen,  the former bus station is to become a pedestrian walkway.

That's correct...idea is to create a more obvious link between the Town Centre and the town & district parks and ovals to the east.

[pckong]

Hi guys, I was searching for public opinions on Jacka's bus service. Here is my view and suggestion as I am a new resident in this suburb.

The bus service in Jacka is pretty grim at the moment, taking about 1.5km walk from centre of Appleford Ave to either route 59 bus stop at Amaroo school or route 55 bus stop at Bonner Mobourne St. That is 20 mins walk! It makes the bus unusable.  Hate it 

I suggest to either extend route 59, running along Horse Park Drive, to Appleford Ave, to Roden Cutler Dr, then crosing Horse Park Drive and back Katherine Ave to bus 59 usual route;
Or extend route 55, running Mobourne St, to Roden Cutler Dr, to Appleford Ave, to Horse Park Dr, and then back to Roden Cutler Dr and Mobourne St.

It is probably better to extend the route 55 as above, and route 59 extension would be used to connect Moncrieff with Horse Park Dr, and then back to Amaroo.

[The Love Guru]

Making perfect sense. We all know how that works out!

[smitho]

Although it is easy to make light of it, Woden Interchange does have some genuine heritage significance in that it dates back to when ACTION was a national leader in urban bus service innovation and the Interchange was the first of its kind in the country.

At the time (early to mid 70s) the Commonwealth (led by PM Gough Whitlam) had lofty ambitions for public transport and it used its ownership of ACTION to demonstrate the kinds of services and infrastructure which it saw as the way ahead for the whole country.

Unlike most bus facilities elsewhere around the country, the Interchange was a showcase for demonstrating how feeder and trunk services could be coordinated with minimal inconvenience to passengers, including avoidance of having to cross the paths of moving buses.

Other innovations demonstrated by the Interchange (which we now take for granted) included close proximity to retail, social and community facilities and public service offices, secure public waiting places with all-weather protection for passengers, heated bus waiting room bays, compact form, a primitive electronic information system for passengers, grade separation of pedestrians (including rooftop walkways), electronic PA system, proximity to Park N Ride parking area....

Although neglected and run down and now isolated from major retailers due to ACT government planning decisions, the form of the Woden Interchange is still highly effective and efficient. Based on the recent experience at Belconnen, the community has reason to ask whether the new Woden interchange will necessarily be an improvement.

[Barry Drive]

I suggest to either extend route 59, running along Horse Park Drive, to Appleford Ave, to Roden Cutler Dr, then crosing Horse Park Drive and back Katherine Ave to bus 59 usual route;
Or extend route 55, running Mobourne St, to Roden Cutler Dr, to Appleford Ave, to Horse Park Dr, and then back to Roden Cutler Dr and Mobourne St.

See above for my thoughts on changes to 55 & 59. But not likely to occur anytime soon.

Would an additional bus stop on Roden Cutler Dr help at all?