Gungahlin Ideas

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Westside
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Gungahlin Ideas

Post by Westside »

Gungahlin is growing and the bus network is slow to keep up. So I thought I'd put up a few suggestions of mine and see if anyone pays some attention.

So here they are:

Image

The majority of the bus routes revolve around an enhanced Red-Rapid service.

The current Red-rapid limited stop service (200) is to be extended to belconnen. The 250 will run like the current 50 each evening, running all stops Belconnen to the city.

The red-rapid route will also provide a 5 minute all-stops frequency from City to Lyneham and two 15 minute frequency spurs from Dickson to Kaleen (current 30/31) and Dickson to EPIC (current 56/58). This would also lead to the adjustment of the 200 stops to add Flemington/Manning Clarke (current city-bound service is only serviced in peak) but remove Federal/Phillip (now with the above red-rapid spur).

In addition, the current extensions of the 5x buses into the city during peak will be replaced by 75x buses, running express from Well Station to Antill St then express to the city. This should hopefully encourage greater use of these express buses, in turn giving greater frequencies on these routes and eliminate the need for the 200 City-Gungahlin only runs in peak (and lowering congestion on this route).

I also think that providing Watson residents a direct route in peak should encourage greater patronage (237). The clockwise 238 route will replace the 239 route in AM peak only so as not to duplicate the city-bound 237 service in Watson.

For residents in Nicholls, the 252 and 51 will have a synchronised timed stop at Gold Creek (not sure where yet due to limited space at bus stops - possibly a new indented bus stop will need to be created on Curran Dr) where both routes will wait for the other to arrive to transfer passengers. This will ensure all passengers will have have the option of continuing their journey to either Belconnen or the city without lengthy delays. Currently this in not done well by Action, but it works in other cities, so I'm sure it can work here.

A new service, the 750 will run from Gungahlin to Tuggeranong southbound in AM peak and northbound in PM peak.

The 1 service (replacing 57) will run to the city via Phillip, Majura, Limestone and Ainsley Aves. This shouldn't provide too great a delay for these passengers as the times this way in peak are comparable to Nothbourne Ave. Otherwise, pax can transfer to a 200 at EPIC.

Hopefully the rest of the map is self explanatory. Any comments welcome!
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ZIB-585
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Re: Gungahlin Ideas

Post by ZIB-585 »

Even though the map may be self-explanatory, can you list all the route descriptions shown on this map anyway? Makes it easier to follow.

There are some good ideas here and some not-so-good.
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Re: Gungahlin Ideas

Post by Xplorer »

A few things:
1. not sure how many people need to travel from Gungahlin to Tuggeranong each day
2. Bimberi doesn't really need a frequent service
3. Bonner and Forde doesn't need 3 bus routes, 1 is more than sufficient at the moment
4. seems like north kaleen-belconnen will be the job of 71, not sure if 71 will be improved any time soon
5. I think 39 should just operate in one direction at a time, anticlockwise before noon, clockwise after noon
6. West Gungahlin should get an expresso that is really express, i.e. Gungahlin Drive to Barry Drive, then through to City. Putting them on Barton Hwy doesn't really help because it is a 2 lane highway with no bus priority. Barry Drive is a better choice (plus no congestion from Northbourne)
7. A rapid route between Belconnen and Gungahlin is long due, you have my full support for that route
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Bus 400
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Re: Gungahlin Ideas

Post by Bus 400 »

Instead of terminating buses at Bonner Shops. The Amaroo Group Centre will open either this year or next year. Being the major centre for Forde, Bonner, Jacka & Amaroo. In case you weren't aware, the Amaroo Group Centre is at the intersection of Horse Park Drive/Katherine Avenue & Roden Cutler Drive. Same with Casey Group Centre at Horse Park Drive & Overall Avenue.

Would you consider splitting the 751, so that the 730 took the section from Casey through Ngunnawal & continue as per your 730. The 751 could take the section through south Casey & Nicholls.

On the subject of the 750 Tuggeranong Xpresso, of a morning there is a line up of traffic coming from the north (Gungahlin/Belconnen) onto Cotter Road & Hindmarsh Drive. These exits don't even back up of an afternoon, this may shown more of a demand for services to Deakin/Weston Creek/Woden then Tuggeranong.
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Re: Gungahlin Ideas

Post by Ryan »

Some good ideas there, and a couple similar to those we've had posted on our site: http://www.actbus.net/forum/index.php?board=55.0

Don't think 15 min frequency on 230/231 would be necessary with the 200 extended to Belconnen.
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Westside
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Re: Gungahlin Ideas

Post by Westside »

Thanks for the suggestions guys - always helpful.

Zib, the route descriptions are on their way.

To answer some questions above:
Xplorer wrote:
1. not sure how many people need to travel from Gungahlin to Tuggeranong each day.[/quote] Maybe not just to Tuggeranong, but eventually I'd like to see some transit stops along Tuggeranong parkway at Cotter and Hindmarsh rds (similar to suggestions along Adelaide Ave) to provide better linking of the northern suburbs with the southern suburbs without having to go through civic.
2. Bimberi doesn't really need a frequent service.
Agreed. This would still have the same current frequency. By extending the route to Gungahlin and providing it as part of the red-rapid service (ie the 16x on the blue rapid), you open up the a route to greater patrons.
3. Bonner and Forde doesn't need 3 bus routes, 1 is more than sufficient at the moment.
The loadings on the 55 at peak would already justify greater service, plus the area is continually expanding. There aren't 3 routes to Bonner and Forde, there is one route to Bonner, one route to Amaroo that happens to terminate in Bonner and one route to Forde that terminates in Bonner.
4. seems like north kaleen-belconnen will be the job of 71, not sure if 71 will be improved any time soon.
Yep, a few more 71s would be required to provide North Kaleen a direct link to Belconnen.
5. I think 39 should just operate in one direction at a time, anticlockwise before noon, clockwise after noon.
Agreed too, the 238 would only run in place of the 239 in the AM peak to provide Watson East residents a direct route to civic, with the 237 providing a direct route for Watson West residents. However, the route changeover at midday would work too.
6. West Gungahlin should get an expresso that is really express, i.e. Gungahlin Drive to Barry Drive, then through to City. Putting them on Barton Hwy doesn't really help because it is a 2 lane highway with no bus priority. Barry Drive is a better choice (plus no congestion from Northbourne).
Agreed here too, but this is better than the current trip via either Gungahlin or Belconnen and the only congestion on Barton Hwy is at the end near Northbourne. A small bus lane at the end would reduce a lot of this (As will adding a bus lane the length of Northbourne :wink:).
7. A rapid route between Belconnen and Gungahlin is long due, you have my full support for that route.
You bet :)

Bus 400 wrote:Instead of terminating buses at Bonner Shops. The Amaroo Group Centre will open either this year or next year. Being the major centre for Forde, Bonner, Jacka & Amaroo. In case you weren't aware, the Amaroo Group Centre is at the intersection of Horse Park Drive/Katherine Avenue & Roden Cutler Drive. Same with Casey Group Centre at Horse Park Drive & Overall Avenue.
The idea with the 259 is that eventually it would extend into Jacka instead of Bonner shops, but at this stage at least this route will provide pax a destination at both ends.
Would you consider splitting the 751, so that the 730 took the section from Casey through Ngunnawal & continue as per your 730. The 751 could take the section through south Casey & Nicholls.
Yeah the 730 probably needs a bit of work. Crace should have an expresso, but it needs to capture other pax to make it viable. Happy to entertain suggestions.
On the subject of the 750 Tuggeranong Xpresso, of a morning there is a line up of traffic coming from the north (Gungahlin/Belconnen) onto Cotter Road & Hindmarsh Drive. These exits don't even back up of an afternoon, this may shown more of a demand for services to Deakin/Weston Creek/Woden then Tuggeranong.
See point 1 above.

Ryan wrote:Don't think 15 min frequency on 230/231 would be necessary with the 200 extended to Belconnen.
Given the 230/231 would serve all of Kaleen, Giralang, Crace and part of McKeller, then I don't see why not. Most canberra routes should be half-hourly instead of hourly between peak to make them attractive.


Anyway, hope this all helps!
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