STA Observations 2019

Sydney / New South Wales Transport Discussion
tonyp
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by tonyp »

In Transit wrote:
When its an RMS road, go for your life. When its a council controlled road, under what powers would TfNSW force a council to act? If you’ve ever attended council traffic committees, you’ll see there is precious little power to direct councils.

Regarding those particular stops - there’s a fair argument that the three stops on Oxford Street in that area ought to be rationalised to two anyway. The current layout of the stops in question is not ideal relative to the pedestrian crossing (on both sides) as buses in the stop block sight lines for both pedestrians and vehicle drivers. Note the 333N also does not serve these stops (one of only two outbound and one inbound stops it doesn’t stop at), given the use of artics on it.
I've been saying for years that the state needs to up the game on bus stops. They're an essential part of bus infrastructure just as stations are for trains and the state should set the standards for councils to follow compulsorily. In the meantime just delete the stop from the schedule and let councils deal with the backlash from locals and shopkeepers.
tonyp
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by tonyp »

I'm advised that the DGT and successors did once have responsibility and control of bus stops but Transport handed that responsibility over to councils. Probably not a good move in hindsight. Our local council doesn't even bother putting up bus stop signs or defining them with parking markers, let alone anything else! No doubt it saved the government maintenance money and by the look of it, councils save money too.
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boronia
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by boronia »

I know that responsibility related to shelters at bus stops, I'm not sure how further it extended.

A couple of years ago when I tried to get off a bus in the city, I found a seat on the footpath effectively blocked exit from the centre door. It was very close to the kerb, and I had to squeeze between the seat back and the bus to get away. I sent feedback to STA about it; their response was that "council put the seat there, it is their responsibility". So I wrote to Council, their response was "STA has a style guide that specifies how/where a bus stop has to be laid out, the seat complies".

There is also some complex arrangement between RMS and councils regarding the location of parking zones and restrictions, and for the actual installation of the signs.
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Swift
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by Swift »

Worthless bludger NSW chucking a normal as usual.
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burrumbus
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Re: STA Observations 2019

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And zero common sense shown by all parties.
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boronia
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by boronia »

Spotted 3000 out on the road today
DSC03563 (Small).jpeg
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by Swift »

That would make a good where is it picture.
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boronia
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by boronia »

Tell us then
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by Swift »

Park St in the city near Pitt St facing east.
It looked like George St Haymarket at first then realised the minor details that buses don't use it and that light rail line is there.
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moa999
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by moa999 »

Not really with a Park St sign, Hungry Jack's and the Metro signage visible - pretty easy
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by Swift »

All of which can be obscured pretty easily on the computer.
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by marcnut1996 »

STA 1637 smashed its left mirror on Pacific Highway, running on 144 towards Manly, just now at 5:40pm.
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David10
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by David10 »

marcnut1996 wrote:STA 1637 smashed its left mirror on Pacific Highway, running on 144 towards Manly, just now at 5:40pm.
Hardly newsworthy, very few days would go by without a STA bus losing a mirror.
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by burrumbus »

Mirrors being lost and accident damage would be daily occurences in multiple.
Just part and parcel of the business.
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by Swift »

I remember seeing one in a Mercedes Mark II in 1982!
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tonyp
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by tonyp »

boronia wrote:I know that responsibility related to shelters at bus stops, I'm not sure how further it extended.

A couple of years ago when I tried to get off a bus in the city, I found a seat on the footpath effectively blocked exit from the centre door. It was very close to the kerb, and I had to squeeze between the seat back and the bus to get away. I sent feedback to STA about it; their response was that "council put the seat there, it is their responsibility". So I wrote to Council, their response was "STA has a style guide that specifies how/where a bus stop has to be laid out, the seat complies".

There is also some complex arrangement between RMS and councils regarding the location of parking zones and restrictions, and for the actual installation of the signs.
Not intending to be off topic but in fact related - posted by Transperth today, who obviously don't leave the matter of bus stops in the neglectful hands of local councils and do the job properly themselves:

Image

The caption: "Ever wonder what happens when a bus stop is upgraded? After it’s been surveyed we remove all the paving, then the framework is installed to ensure the kerbing is correct and that the pavement will be level and accessible for everyone. We then pour the concrete and we re-open the bus stop once it’s dry. After 28 days once the concrete has cured, tactile paving is applied." In NSW we're lucky if there's either a proper kerb, a level, accessible surface, proper paving, seat or shelter, according to the whims of the local council. I reckon there's a definite need to get it back under TfNSW.
tonyp
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by tonyp »

Moving back to home, here is a state project - the bus stop and new P+R on the city-bound side at Manly Vale yesterday:
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IMG_6115.JPG (209.91 KiB) Viewed 3921 times
I wonder what the maintenance costs are for the hanging gardens of Babylon around the carpark building, not to mention the lift etc? It's a very valuable piece of real estate to sterilise for free public use - nil return plus outgoings on a major investment for what is only a low-capacity PT mode. You'd do it for rail, very marginal for tram, bus ...well. Would it be about votes by any chance? Getting some lettable commercial space into one level might help it pay for itself. The carpark was basically full, only three vacant spaces on the display outside. The bike racks are in use too. So it's a good facility to have, but they could have thought through the financial side a little better.

Talking about council bus stop seats blocking centre doors, here we have a TfNSW-initiated bus stop sign right in the way. Seems like there's no hope either way.
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by Swift »

Manly Failure?
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boronia
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by boronia »

Not as bad as some stops where there is a bench seat or tree directly opposite the doorway, almost right on the kerb edge.

TfNSW says "council puts the seats there, complain to them"
Council says "TfNSW "Style Guide" says that is where they should go"
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tonyp
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by tonyp »

boronia wrote:Not as bad as some stops where there is a bench seat or tree directly opposite the doorway, almost right on the kerb edge.

TfNSW says "council puts the seats there, complain to them"
Council says "TfNSW "Style Guide" says that is where they should go"
These B Line stops would be entirely designed and built by TfNSW I imagine.
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by Stu »

3002 at STA AMD Leichhardt.
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by Stu »

1151 has gone missing from STA AMD Leichhardt, a few days ago it looked as if it was ready to be placed onto the back of a low loader and transported to a scrap yard.
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by Swift »

RIP 1151.
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by Frosty »

Saw an odd desto today on 2569 it had the usual 372 Railway Sq desto but then on the next scroll it said Connects with City Bus. This makes no sense at all did someone perform a little mix up in the programming.
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Re: STA Observations 2019

Post by drpurpleturtle »

I've heard a rumour from a friend who works out of M, that M will be losing all of its bendy buses to Y and will become a 12.5m bus depot only after the last 14.5m's are retired.

Apparently quite a number of Epping Rd and the 340 trips have been shifted to 12.5m rigids after the timetable change on the 28th of July. Guess we'll have to wait and see how it all pans out!
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