B2 bus route coming? Homebush to Central.

[boronia]

Some Constance propaganda on Ch 9 news tonight about a new TUAG service proposed to run along Parramatta Rd from Homebush to Central, WHEN the new M$ tunnel is opened. DDs mentioned.

[Fleet Lists]

When reading the heading I thought this referred to new train set B2 to operate between Homebush and Central stations. But no B2 seems to refer to rapid bus route B2.

[Frosty]

https://twitter.com/9newssyd/status/1019130821477728256
Link to the report. The council still wants silly idea of trackless tram which we all know is just a long multi-articulated bus. Does anybody reckon they would convert Parramatta Rd similar to Epping Rd between Nth Ryde & Lane Cove. One general lane in each direction, a bus lane in each direction & cycle path.

I reckon a good idea would be with the new M5 is to have express buses run from Liverpool into the City.

[tonyp]

"Rapid" and "double decker" are two incompatible concepts considering that the latter run slower and spend longer at stops.

[swtt]

Tucked away in that news clip is the Newport extension to B1 is scrapped. NIMBYism at its worst.

[tonyp]

Tucked away in that news clip is the Newport extension to B1 is scrapped. NIMBYism at its worst.

Curious as to why a community would oppose a semi-express bus service, I checked a little background on this and found that, apparently, the Newport extension is opposed because it will be a "catalyst for over-development". Have any of these numbnuts ever looked at the capacity of the B Line - about 1,500 pph per direction? That's absolutely nothing, barely adequate for the existing catchment population let alone any extras. Amazingly, the objectors are supported by one Barrie Unsworth whom one would think would know much better. If it was a tramway or railway, I can understand them getting (nonsensically) agitated - but this?

The B2 would be the same. The old double-deck brigade, which seems to have re-established itself at TfNSW (has a boat recently arrived from England?), trots out this fantasy every generation, which they can only hope to fulfil by skipping as many stops as possible to establish a reasonable journey-time, but is completely lacking in capacity. It's a glamour project and I wish the money would be spent on more worthy and urgent transit projects.

[Jurassic_Joke]

Tucked away in that news clip is the Newport extension to B1 is scrapped. NIMBYism at its worst.

As if Murdoch would ever want the media to publicise significantly that the Libs have backtracked on something! Nope keep it under wraps. Libs hypothetically decide to end the Sydney Metro at Campsie instead of Bankstown the media would also quietly bluff about it briefly and then stay quiet because it’s not Labor cancelling it /satire

Anyways, let them. I read in a news article title locked by a paywall it was resident backlash that caused this backflip. Come end of 2018 and let’s see the people of Newport whinge and beg for it back. They are their own worst enemy. Arguably worse than the tree-huggers at Mona Fail, B-Line arrived and as far as I’m aware, the sky hasn’t dropped and people have continued to live their normal lives. And the people on the northern beaches have a fancy multi million dollar double decker bus service too.

[Fleet Lists]

The cancellation of Newport B1 is confirmed in https://yoursay.b-line.transport.nsw.gov.au/newport

[swtt]

This Homebush to Central route is more than likely the rapid route that would've been Burwood <-> City (461).

The Homebush starting point is interesting. There's basically nowhere to turn the buses around except at Flemington Markets.

[rogf24]

Homebush station, just do a loop around Station st and Knight st. Or he could actually mean Olympic Park instead, presumably via Underwood rd or even Carter St. Who knows?

[mubd]

"Rapid" and "double decker" are two incompatible concepts considering that the latter run slower and spend longer at stops.

If it were an all stops service like Metrobus I'd agree with you, but 'Rapid' routes are generally planned to have stops spaced out at much further distances than normal all-stops bus routes so dwell time isn't as big an issue with them.

[tonyp]

If it were an all stops service like Metrobus I'd agree with you, but 'Rapid' routes are generally planned to have stops spaced out at much further distances than normal all-stops bus routes so dwell time isn't as big an issue with them.

This is a time-honoured technique in NSW since the 1950s. Realising that they couldn't better the journey times of the all-stops trams even with optional-stopping buses, they introduced express and first set-down bus services as a sweetener to help "justify" the tram replacement - as well as bypassing the capacity consequence of buses filling up prematurely if they stopped at every stop. It's rather like that hospital in Yes Minister: the best bus service is the one that doesn't stop to pick up passengers at all.

This is the third revisit of the double-deck "thing" in Sydney. It's getting tiresome. Their environment is the long express journey requiring high seating capacity. I think the northern beaches matches this, but Homebush seems a bit iffy to me. Even with limited stops, people will be getting on and off along the route more than northern beaches where they predominantly head into the city.

[boronia]

The graphics show the bus lane in the CENTRE of a two lane (per direction) Parramatta Rd.

Obviously not planning too many stops along the route?

[grog]

I assume this is artistic license.

[Linto63]

Realising that they couldn't better the journey times of the all-stops trams even with optional-stopping buses, they introduced express and first set-down bus services as a sweetener to help "justify" the tram replacement - as well as bypassing the capacity consequence of buses filling up prematurely if they stopped at every stop.

Limited stops or first set down stops have existed for almost as long as public transport. The NSWDGT just adopted a long standing practice, which to that point would have been fairly pointless with trams unable to overtake one another.

This is the third revisit of the double-deck "thing" in Sydney. It's getting tiresome. Their environment is the long express journey requiring high seating capacity. I think the northern beaches matches this, but Homebush seems a bit iffy to me. Even with limited stops, people will be getting on and off along the route more than northern beaches where they predominantly head into the city.

And what is the alternative, your beloved low four-door artics where a higher percentage of passengers have to stand? As has been discussed many times before, most acknowledge that artics can carry more passengers and the more doors the quicker loading and unloading. While dwell time is an obsession of yours, it isn't the only factor. As you have told us, you just don't like deckers, period. So even if a decker ticked all the boxes, you would still find something to complain about with them.

[tonyp]

As you have told us, you just don't like deckers, period. So even if a decker ticked all the boxes, you would still find something to complain about with them.

^^^

Their environment is the long express journey requiring high seating capacity. I think the northern beaches matches this,

[Jurassic_Joke]

Don’t mean to go OT , I’ll just leave this here, when glancing over this topic title in the forum list, I keep misreading the title as “B2 bus route coming home?” In reference to the UK Football team saying “it’s coming home!”

[swtt]

Almost 5 years on, and with the M4-M8 extension opening today, no news of this I guess Presume it to be cancelled?

[eddy]

Almost 5 years on, and with the M4-M8 extension opening today, no news of this I guess Presume it to be cancelled?

I got an email today from Linkt saying it is open.

[Fleet Lists]

B2 open? I dont think so.

[tonyp]

WIth a parallel suburban line close to the south of it and a parallel metro line to be to the north, it seems pretty pointless now.

[grog]

In what way? Most of Parramatta Rd is slated for development and most is not within walking distance of current or future rail stations.

[tonyp]

In what way? Most of Parramatta Rd is slated for development and most is not within walking distance of current or future rail stations.

Measuring my way along the map from Parramatta to Sydney University, most of Parramatta Rd is within 1 km of a railway, or future metro, station, which is considered the walking catchment for rail. The widest gap is at Lidcombe, which has a feeder bus. From Burwood there is a continuous bus corridor along Parramatta Rd into the city. The only suggestion I would make to augment this is a feeder along Parramatta Rd from Granville to the new Burwood metro station. Another feeder between Ashfield railway station and Five Dock metro station might be a good idea.

[Randomness]

As a regular M92 user, i'd say demand probably wouldn't warrant a M92 duplicate from Granville with that section getting none up to 4 passengers per stop (10min peak freq, 20min off peak). Mainly down to the area lacking destinations that someone may want to visit or go to. The section beyond Lidcombe is even worse in that regard with the M4 bordering the North side, the lack of crossings and the lovely sight of storefronts long abandoned or dead.

If Parra Rd magically becomes more pleasant and denser, maybe there could be a chance. One can only dream however.

[tonyp]

As a regular M92 user, i'd say demand probably wouldn't warrant a M92 duplicate from Granville with that section getting none up to 4 passengers per stop (10min peak freq, 20min off peak). Mainly down to the area lacking destinations that someone may want to visit or go to. The section beyond Lidcombe is even worse in that regard with the M4 bordering the North side, the lack of crossings and the lovely sight of storefronts long abandoned or dead.

If Parra Rd magically becomes more pleasant and denser, maybe there could be a chance. One can only dream however.

I assumed the discussion is within the context of Parramatta Rd becoming a corridor for high density development. Certainly, as it stands, I agree that there isn't the justification for it.