One of the simplest bus routes in the public transport maze
that is Melbourne’s outer east is Route 680. It runs between the last two
stations on the Lilydale line, serving residential areas east of it. The
stations are a fair distance apart so few homes in the area are within walking
distance of the train. A route map is below.
The area map shows the 680 in relation to other routes and
stations. Its unique coverage is the residential area around Lakeview Dr. The
western portion near Mooroolbark overlaps the catchment of Telebus Area 3. And
around Lilydale there are overlaps with Route 663 and the almost entirely
duplicative 673 (described previously). The 680 operates in the seat of Evelyn, held by Bridget Vallence MP.
Patronage
Route 680 is slightly quieter than average, attracting 18 passenger boardings per hour on a regular weekday. This below average performance can be attributable to low population density (the outer east typically has blocks twice the size of new growth areas), demographics (parts of the outer east have an older population skew that makes fewer trips), and factors such as car ownership (higher in the outer east than some other areas). Aspects of the service and network, such as operating hours and overlaps with other routes, may depress patronage.
On the other hand the presence of a TAFE near one end of the route and the existence of reasonably strong termini at both ends (in this case train stations and local shops) make it more productive than other local routes such as the 663 (15 boardings/bus hr) and 673 (1 boarding / bus hr). Student patronage Is also important for the 680 with non-school day patronage dropping by a third to 12 boardings per hour. This high dependence on students is typical of a limited-hours bus route operating in a fringe area with high car ownership. In contrast bus routes with long operating hours and higher frequencies attract a more diverse passenger base and hardly drop in usage during school holidays.
Timetable
PS: An index to all Timetable Tuesday items is here.
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I would extend 680 to Croydon Station via Lincoln, Dorset and Hewish Roads, running 20 minutes frequency at peak times and half hourly off peak, and make it a 7 day a week service from 5:30am to 10:00pm (7:30am start on Sundays).
ReplyDeleteThis would give a direct and reliable service for residents between Mooroolbark and Croydon Stations that currently rely upon the infrequent Telebus Area 4 service. I'd take the trade-off of a short walk to Lincoln Road for a much more reliable bus service in my area.
Yes, I like that concept. If you wanted a slightly simpler network you could run 680 via more of Hull Rd and reroute 689 via Lincoln Rd.
ReplyDeleteA simple fix could also be to run the 680 to Chirnside Park, replacing the 675 and upgrading the service to the minimum 9PM 7-day-a-week standard. It is odd that the closest train station to a shopping centre is also the only one without a proper bus service.
ReplyDeleteThe main issues around Mooroolbark are the TeleBus services, and lack thereof. By scrapping the long-outdated TeleBus scheme and turning the routes into normal fixed sections instead of a poor man's taxi service it would allow them to become more frequent as they don't have to pick anyone up or drop them off off-route - I'm sure people can walk or wheel themselves 100-400 metres to the nearest bus stop just like everyone else in Melbourne.
A bus along Sweetland/Woodville/Hayrick/Wainewright/Landscape to Chirnside Park (maybe even continuing slightly north of the highway along Meadowgate Dr for sh!%s and giggles) would be ideal for a "meandering" bus which passes a few schools on the way, and a bus along Diane/Bambra/Lee Ann/Rodleigh through to Croydon North is another possibility (the Bambra St area is currently devoid of any public transport as the current Area 2 Telebus turns at Esther Cr), although such a bus would probably be limited in use due to being entirely through residential areas. Both routes would most likely be a miserable hourly service if they only used one bus each though, but with a more frequent 675 (as the extended 680) along Manchester Rd, and the existing 664 on Bellara Dr, anyone wanting a more frequent trip to/from the Croydon North shops would still have the option. The Diane Cr route might make 40 minutes with one bus but I don't know how long it would take (the only traffic lights are at Dorset Rd and around Mooroolbark station), but the other route is much longer and would probably need to allocate two buses during the day to be viable.