Transport news

UPDATE 10 June 2007

The ACT Government has extended the period for reporting back on their inquiry into ACTION until 30 August. The reason stated in the announcement (below) is that they are yet to receive a number of submissions that they are expecting. Seems highly irregular...But the main concern from all of this is that the Committee's reporting - and hence any resulting solutions - are going to be delayed by several more months.

Meanwhile, they've also announced a number of 'witnesses' they will be calling to present their thoughts personally to the Standing Committee. Not sure whether the GCC not making that list means our submission (below) is being ignored, or it's clear enough that no clarification is needed...

Read more: ACTION Bus Inquiry

A majority of car trips in the ACT are made with a driver and no passengers. A high proportion of bus trips have near empty buses.

If the number of people per trip per vehicle was increased we would reduce pollution, reduce traffic congestion and ease parking. It is estimated that each 1% increase in ACT vehicle occupancy will save the community $5M dollars per year. Doubling the average number of people in each vehicle will save the community $500M dollars each year.

Read more: Sustainable Transport Proposal

The 2007-08 ACT budget included $8 million for replacing old diesel buses with new gas-fuelled ones. We could have been forgiven for thinking that this might have increased the chances of some of those new buses finding their way onto Gungahlin routes.

But as Action General Manager explained at our June meeting, the buses go where the gas refuelling station is - and at present that means Tuggeranong. He hopes to be able to build a 'satellite' bus depot at Mitchell, including a CNG refuelling, but until that time - at least another year away and likely more - we can't expect to see much more in the way of new (and comfortable) buses on our routes.

UPDATE 31 May 2007

On April 11, Minister Hargreaves promised the bus lane on Flemington Road would be converted to a transit lane "by Monday". We've finally got a reply from him. It was the one solid commitment we got from Minister Hargreaves at an otherwise very frustrating meeting in April. But he's welched on it.

The reason given? The "B" bus traffic light at the southern end of Flemington Road would "confuse" people. Just why it couldn't be changed to a "T" I don't know, and maybe I'll put that to him. His letter on this and other issues raised is here.

I think it's pretty pathetic - what do you think?

Read more: Flemington Road transit lane promise broken!

I was invited to attend ABC Radio's Transport Forum on 23 May.

Some good ideas were floated, including a favourite of mine - providing public transport for free.

I had the opportunity to point out to Action's boss Tom Elliott that the ACT Government's Sustainable Transport Strategy points out a benefit-cost ratio for public transport spending of 2.0 to 3.0. That is, for every dollar spent on public transport, between two and three dollars in savings elsewhere would result.

Tom Elliott also agreed to come to a future GCC meeting to talk about Gungahlin bus services and our submission to the Action inquiry.

Read more: ABC Radio Transport Forum

UPDATE 18 May 2007

We had a great response for the first time we've used a poll on our website, with 70 responses. And we set it up to inhibit anyone trying to vote multiple times, so we have confidence in the figures.

We asked: Minister Hargreaves says no-one wants a bus service to the airport down Majura Road. Would you use it?

Read more: Bus for Horse Park Drive & Majura Road

This submission was  presented as a private citizen.
In the interests of disclosure I am a member of the Gungahlin Community Council and am founder of the private company Edentiti which may be able to help develop the systems to make the idea a reality.

Amongst ways of improving the utilisation of Canberra roads, the idea gives motorists an incentive to use public transport.

Kevin Cox

Read more: Submission to Action Bus Services Inquiry

UPDATE 18 May 2007

After causing a measure of embarrassment for their Minister, Roads ACT have apparently improved things a bit, with a short slip lane to allow better merging. The limitations on outbound usage will remain until September though. And although the minister has made claims of all this being "widely advertised" it just isn't true. I tried searching for a media release on all of the ACT Government website to no avail, and while there was a large ad in the Saturday Canberra Times, it was buried down with the classifieds. Not good enough I'm afraid...

Read more: Gungahlin Drive Stage 2 opens

Dear Alan
After seeing your article on the DEWR Intranet I felt I had to offer my support for this proposal.
I know of so many who have recently moved out to BBP and are finding the travel horrific! The delays are ridiculous, not to mention the parking.
A bus service is just what is needed.
At present I catch the bus to work (from Ngunnawal to Civic) as it saves me money on parking and petrol and is so convenient as I literally get dropped off at the door step (work and home) and fortunately for me I only have to catch the one bus!
If the area I work for ends up at BBP I would like to think I have the option of catching a bus from Gungahlin to BBP without having to come into Civic first and then catch a bus from Civic to BBP! What a waste of my time and money!
I hope for everyone concerned, the local Council can see the sense in having a bus route to BBP.
Regards
Sheryn

Columnist Graham Downie makes some very good points about the  ACT Government inquiry into Action bus services - in particular the need for attention to sequencing and connecting services.

 

 

 

 

 

In this letter to Canberra Times, a Kaleen resident makes good points about planning for transport in Gungahlin, and in Canberra in general.

The Action bus Intertown bus information sheet reads:

"The Intertown bus service is made up of bus routes combined to operate a high frequency bus service linking Belconnen, City, Woden, and Tuggeranong Town Centres. - Intertown buses start in the suburbs of Canberra then travel via the four Town Centres. You can get just about anywhere on an Intertown. - Any bus route with the numbers starting with 300 form part of the Intertown. These numbers are: 300, 312, 313, 314 and 315."

I take it that "just about anywhere" does not include any suburb in Gungahlin.

Read more: Intertown buses

Catherine Carter's regular column in the City News sometimes talks a lot of sense, on behalf of the Property Council of Australia (i.e. major developers).

But just as often she is just sprouting spin, with lots of numbers to try to lend credibility to an underlying flawed premise.

This article is one of her regular reprises of the "Canberra was designed for cars and public transport will never work" and "Canberra has a car parking crisis" topics.

Read more: Slow progress in Canberra's bus lane

Read more: Town Centre Traffic Woes