Wollongong Rt. 55 Commenced Service & Split into 55A/C

[tonyp]

It will still be (I suspect) majority funded by the NSW taxpayer.
And those screaming the most about an extra few dollars a day, are hardly going to start driving and paying petrol and parking charges.

I just see no reason why Wollongong should be different to Sydney or Newcastle,

Or for that matter Chatswood, Parramatta, Hornsby, Epping or even Warrawong

You need to understand what these downtown circulators are about and why they're applied where they are. As I said, apart from the many overseas examples, nine other cities in Australia have them (including Parramatta and Newcastle). They're city-improvement initiatives that are part of a state government's responsibilities and are generally funded by the taxpayer, directly or indirectly, like many other city-improvment initiatives.

[mandonov]

Only reason the Newcastle shuttle never worked was because the majority of it's route was in a fare free zone anyway.

[tonyp]

Only reason the Newcastle shuttle never worked was because the majority of it's route was in a fare free zone anyway.

Other Australian examples are in fare-free zones too: Perth and Melbourne. Newcastle as a small city wouldn't have so much need for a dedicated bus within a fare-free zone unless it performs a specific function that other routes within the zone don't perform (e.g. a circle route).

[tonyp]

https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/sto ... le/?cs=300

“Get this mess sorted” – Ryan Park on Gong Shuttle

Glen HumphriesGlen Humphries
Local News
The government needs to stop the delays and put the Gong Shuttle funding deal to bed, Keira MP Ryan Park said in parliament. Picture: Georgia Matts

Keira MP Ryan Park has given the government an ultimatum – sign off on the Gong Shuttle deal by Saturday.

Speaking in parliament on Thursday afternoon, the Labor spokesman for the Illawarra put forward a motion calling on the government to drop any decision to introduce fares on the free shuttle.

Mr Park also pushed the government to wrap up the long negotiations on the shuttle funding.

“I’ll give you a timetable,” Mr Park said.

“How about you, by the end of this week, get this mess sorted once and for all? Because you have had months to do it. You have had plenty of time to get it sorted.”

In December Wollongong City Council and the University of Wollongong agreed to jointly fund the $700,000 shortfall to keep the shuttle free for the next three years.

Since then, Transport for NSW has been in negotiations with both bodies – only informing them late last month that the funding offer was not enough.

Mr Park ridiculed the government for taking so long to sign off on the funding arrangement.

“This is a government that has got its priorities wrong,” he said.

“It can’t even accept money put forward by Wollongong City Council and the University of Wollongong to contribute to the service.

“It can’t even do a deal with when somebody else is doing the heavy lifting for them.”

He said it made no sense to make cuts to a bus that was delivering on public transport goals like increasing usage and reducing congestion.

“It is simply phenomenal in this day and age that we have a situation where a government would scrap a public transport service that is going above and beyond all of the KPIs,” he said.

(Perhaps they want to total it because it's going above and beyond the KPIs.)

[tonyp]

There have been a few stories in the meantime but I've waited for slight signs of something happening:

https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/sto ... -mp/?cs=12

The Gong Shuttle funding drama should be sorted before the July 1 deadline for the introduction of fares.

That’s the expectation of Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra Gareth Ward, who said he had been involved in negotiations at all levels of government.

The University of Wollongong and Wollongong City Council had agreed in December to provide a combined $700,000 a year in joint funding for three years to keep the shuttle free.

In April, Transport for NSW said would not be enough – the two Illawarra bodies responded by refusing to kick in any extra money.

It is understood Transport for NSW is looking at ways the Gong Shuttle can remain free with the $700,000 in annual funding.

It is not clear at this stage whether that would prompt any changes, such as a reduction in the days the shuttle runs or its frequency.

Mr Ward has been part of the negotiations, in part because he said he had a good relationship with both the university and council.

The delay in the negotiations was not a surprise for Mr Ward.

“One of the reasons I had the timeline [for the introduction of fares] extended to June 30 was that I anticipated there would be a number of hurdles along the way,” Mr Ward said.

“But just like everything, when I make a commitment I get it done and I fully anticipate that we would have resolved this by the 30th of June.”

READ MORE: Successful Gong Shuttle inspired by a bad idea

Mr Ward said his aim was to retain the shuttle as fare-free public transport.

“That is my objective of course and I’m working with the department to bring about a solution which would satisfy the various budget constraints of the three organisations but maintaining a free service,” Mr Ward said.

The Liberal MP also criticised Wollongong City Labor councillors for putting forward a motion with a set dollar amount of funding rather than investigating the costs in the first instance, which he said had delayed negotiations.

Um, Wollongong Council's offer was based in good faith on the costs that Gareth gave them as it has been impossible to get any more detailed information out of TfNSW. Both council and UOW have since formalised those amounts in their 2018/19 budgets. It's not easy dealing with an agency that plays dirty and petty.

[tonyp]

https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/sto ... ee/?cs=300

A meeting on Thursday could decide the future of the Gong Shuttle – and may lead to cuts to the service.

Transport for NSW is meeting with representatives from Wollongong City Council and the University of Wollongong over the joint offer of $700,000 a year.

That money would plug the shortfall caused by the Transport for NSW decision to cut its funding for the shuttle by 25 per cent.

With the university and council opposing the government request for more money, it is understood reductions to the timetable will be put on the table by Transport for NSW.

Labor MPs Paul Scully and Ryan Park have also suggested cuts as a way to keep the service free.

The options put forward by the MPs include a reduction in the shuttle’s weekday frequency from every 10 minutes to 11 minutes.

The other option is seeing weekend buses run every half-hour rather than every 20 minutes.

Mr Scully said either of these options would save money as the contract for the shuttle includes a payment based on total kilometres travelled – fewer loops means fewer kilometres.

A University of Wollongong spokeswoman was not ready to commit to any changes.

“The University of Wollongong has committed its funding on the basis that shuttle services remain unchanged,” she said.

“Any changes will need to consider impacts on not only the staff and students of UOW but also the wider community.”

It was Mr Scully’s preference to reduce frequency of weekend services.

“It’s the least worst option but it fulfills our primary objective which was to keep a free service,” Mr Scully said.

“The bottom line is we wouldn’t be in this position if the government had not wanted to introduce Opal fares in the first place.”

The Wollongong MP also called for a review of any changes to be put into place.

“What I think should happen regardless is there should be a six-month review of whatever option might be landed upon if there is a change to the way it operates,” Mr Scully said.

“If it’s not working the way it should be there should be an element of flexibility in being able to change that.”

The introduction of Opal fares was deferred to July 1 to allow time for negotiations between Transport for NSW, council and the university to take place.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra Gareth Ward said he expected the groups to come to an agreement before then.

If no solution is in place by June 30 then Opal fares will be introduced.

Or they could possibly need one less bus if they got the buses around the circuit more quickly with all-door loading.

[mandonov]

Or they could possibly need one less bus if they got the buses around the circuit more quickly with all-door loading.

Agree with you here. What would make me support cuts to frequency was if there was a concurrent boost to capacity (needed anyway!) with articulated buses.

What affect would shortening the loop have on running costs? I'm thinking, instead of running through Fairy Meadow, the routes use Montague Street and Puckey Ave to go between the Uni and Innovation Campus. Would that have an adverse affect on patronage?

[tonyp]

Agree with you here. What would make me support cuts to frequency was if there was a concurrent boost to capacity (needed anyway!) with articulated buses.

What affect would shortening the loop have on running costs? I'm thinking, instead of running through Fairy Meadow, the routes use Montague Street and Puckey Ave to go between the Uni and Innovation Campus. Would that have an adverse affect on patronage?

That's all worth considering. I'm not sure of the thinking behind the present Fairy Meadow leg. Perhaps the original intention was to include Fairy Meadow railway station and shops and the education group including TAFE, Wollongong and Keira high schools? It is good to review original planning after a number of years, bearing in mind though that this bus has had an effect on the local real estate market, rather like trams and railways. There might be property owner noses out of joint if the route changes - that old permanence argument for trams (and against buses) that they can't be relocated easily!

Artics yessss! But TfNSW would choose single door double deckers naturally.

[tonyp]

A decision may be available Friday. Discussions centre around a possible compromise of maintaining weekday services but cutting back weekend and public holiday services.

[tonyp]

What affect would shortening the loop have on running costs? I'm thinking, instead of running through Fairy Meadow, the routes use Montague Street and Puckey Ave to go between the Uni and Innovation Campus. Would that have an adverse affect on patronage?

I did a check. Your route would be about 1.2 km shorter, that is about 11.5 rather than 12.5 - 13 km. The reason I checked is that apparently TfNSW calculates its subsidy on kms run (is this normal for contracts?). So what they're pushing as a compromise is less kms and what they're talking up is making the weekend services 30 minute headways instead of 20 minutes. As the bus takes 40 minutes to do the circuit (with no layover), this is how two buses can run the 20 minute headway. If it's half an hour, I can only think that each bus will lay up for 20 minutes every hour, probably at the university. To me this seems crazy because the driver is still being paid and I always assumed that it was best utilisation of a fleet to keep it running as much as possible - but the pocket calculators at TfNSW must be running hot.

I wonder if they've ever factored in the money the government saves not having to build an extra multi-storey carpark at their Wollongong Hospital because of the shuttle taking visitors, patients and staff there instead?

No further news yet. I think the various parties have to go back to their offices and discuss the scenarios put forward. So maybe in the next week or so.

[tonyp]

https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/sto ... al/?cs=300

Well that's a bit of a backdown. The scale and ferocity of the opposition must have rattled them. I really think that TfNSW thought they could slip this through quietly in an environment of apathy. They didn't "read" Wollongong accurately at all.

A couple of hours trimmed off both ends of the Sunday service to save some wage costs. Headways to remain the same throughout the timetable. Hopefully Council and UOW will accept this. It will doubtless be reviewed in three years.

In terms of sheer numbers in a public campaign relative to population size affected, this one was right up with the Watsons Bay tram and the Fremantle line in the history of public transport campaigns. It's great that so many of the public will rise up when a good public transport service is threatened.

[Swift]

It pays not to take crap from the powers that be lying down, the usual roll over they are accustomed to from Sydney people.
Now they will try and tread carefully and apply cutbacks gradually. This is not the end. The true test of their vigilance is in not being lulled by gradual cut backs over a longer time by the dictators.

[burrumbus]

All that drama to save $95,000 !!! Makes you wonder.Agreed with tony's and swift's comments above.

[Linto63]

Not surprising, this government doesn't have much of a stomach for a fight. Another one to add to the list of backflips; council amalgamations, dog racing ban, fire insurance levy, Ferry McFerryface. I'm sure we will be able to add backing down in fighting the light rail contractor shortly.

All that drama to save $95,000

More like $795,000 TfNSW will only be funding about 75% of the cost of the service instead of 100%.

[tonyp]

Confirmed for next 3 years:

https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/sto ... ee/?cs=300

[burrumbus]

Great news !!

[Fleet Lists]

https://transportnsw.info/news/2018/wol ... e#homepage

Wollongong Shuttle bus to remain free
Wednesday 27 June 2018

The Wollongong Shuttle bus will remain a free service and the majority of services will remain unchanged after a funding agreement was reached between Transport for NSW, Wollongong Council and the University of Wollongong.

There will be no change to the frequency or running times for the Shuttle from Monday to Saturday.

On Sundays and public holidays Shuttle bus services will change to only run between 9.40am and 5.20pm. Services will continue to run every 20 minutes between 10am and 5pm.

Transport for NSW will continue to monitor the Wollongong Shuttle with services to be reviewed in 12 months.

Changes to Sunday services will take effect from 1 July 2018.

[Swift]

Transport for NSW will continue to monitor the Wollongong Shuttle with services to be reviewed in 12 months.

The writing is an the wall with that use of language. Sounds awfully tentative. They want to erode the service until it whittles down to nothing.

[tonyp]

Transport for NSW will continue to monitor the Wollongong Shuttle with services to be reviewed in 12 months.

The writing is an the wall with that use of language. Sounds awfully tentative. They want to erode the service until it whittles down to nothing.

It's just TransportagainstNSW being its usual negative self with anything successful. Their motto would be "look after the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves". So they're carefully looking after the $3 million for this Shuttle while the $1 billion overspend on CSELR takes care of itself.

[Swift]

Any time NSW have created a transport related agency post 1980s, they quickly become synonymous with inefficiency and red tape. RTA (Yes est in 89 but was within a year of 90) became a stubbornly ideological agency and much despised through its life as dictator of the roads and whatever else it could rule over, now RMS has become the boogeyman for the CSELR. TNSW is now the Freddy Krueger for better bus practise.

[Fleet Lists]

New timetables now up on Transport Info for 1/7/2018

[tonyp]

New timetables now up on Transport Info for 1/7/2018

There's also another starting 9 July. I haven't studied them in detail to see what the difference is.

Yesterday at Fairy Meadow I observed two anti-clockwise buses (55A) running 3 minutes apart and then another hadn't appeared after 20 minutes. There were no traffic problems that could have held them up.

[Fleet Lists]

New timetables now up on Transport Info for 1/7/2018

There's also another starting 9 July. I haven't studied them in detail to see what the difference is.

.

\Probably no difference.
The 9th July is the start of school holidays and all timetables for all operators are being refreshed whether there are any changes or not. This happens at the beginning and end of all school holidays for Metropolitan and Outer Metropolitan bus regions but not for country bus, ferries and other timetables.

[tonyp]

Silly Wollongong Council isn't content with the luck it has and is trying to argue back with the state government over funding:

https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/sto ... ng-shuttle

Wollongong council to go to negotiation table about free Gong Shuttle funding

Ashleigh Tullis

Budget item: Wollongong City Council will advocate for the state government to again fund the free Gong Shuttle service from 2021.
Wollongong City Council will be heading back to the negotiation table within the next three years with the goal of getting the state government to fund the Gong Shuttle bus in full, and keep it free.

The council has allocated money in its budget for the next year to fund the popular service that transports people from the city centre to the University of Wollongong campuses.

If the draft budget is endorsed, the council will lobby the state government to continue the Gong Shuttle as an affordable service beyond 2021.

The Berejiklian government were going to make people pay to ride the shuttle in 2017.

Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery wants to avoid another eleventh hour decision that saw a deal struck where the university and council agreed to chip in $350,000 each and the state government pay half of the service.

But the timetable was changed and services were reduced.

"It is the state government's responsibility to look at ways to move people on public transport," Cr Bradbery said. "A lot of funds are going into public transport in Sydney Metropolitan and the least the state government can do is fund the free shuttle service in Wollongong."

The budget also indicated council staff would investigate a potential second Gong Shuttle route in the city centre and would advocate for a route for the south of the city centre to be established.

Cr Bradbury said it would take some time to build a business case with evidence about why the government should fund the service and then the conservation could start.

The bus service was introduced by a Labor government in 2009 as a way to reduce congestion around the CBD and reduce wear and tear on the roads.

Cr Bradbery said the council agreed to chip in money because of the benefits to the community and it meant the council did not have to provide more car parking or repair the roads as often.

He said if the government decided to provide a better train service in the Illawarra then the council likely would be more amenable to funding the shuttle service.

The draft budget will go on public exhibition on Wednesday and will be open for feedback until May 13.

[boronia]

I wonder what "conservation" they will start?

Maybe some funding for the Mercury to employ a proof reader?