TT #162: Route 766 - Enabling the SmartBus

Route 766, was introduced to retain local coverage in the Surrey Hills/Burwood area when the 700 SmartBus started. This was Melbourne's third SmartBus, established after trials of the 703 and 888/889 pilot SmartBus routes showed that if you improve bus service levels more people will use them. 

Route 700 was an obvious pick for an upgrade. Running from Box Hill to Mordialloc it served many train stations and shopping centres, the largest being Chadstone, along its north-south path. On 14 June 2005 it got upgraded to SmartBus. As well as more trips and longer operating hours the route was made more direct, skipping Surrey Hills. Hence the need for the 766 to retain missed coverage. The 700 later became part of the even longer 903 orbital, passing to Transdev and now Kinetic.  

766's map is below. It has two or three main functions. 

Firstly it’s a train feeder for Surrey Hills. When it was introduced we had more graduated zonal fares that made train travel into the city cheaper from Surrey Hills than Box Hill. And, besides, a trip via Box Hill would have been an inefficient backtracking move. Surrey Hills is a premium (staffed) station and almost all trains stop there (some argue that this is because it was in the former premier Jeff Kennett’s seat). Hence it was an attractive interchange point. 

Secondly while slow it provides a one-seat ride to the major centre of Box Hill from the southern part of Surrey Hills and Burwood. Box Hill has major health and education facilities as well as being a major connection point. 

Thirdly the 766 intersects the east-west 70 and 75 trams. Both go to Camberwell with the 75 continuing beyond Deakin University on Burwood Hwy. 

766’s relation with these and other intersecting services can be seen from the PTV network map below. 

Also notable is that passengers can interchange to the 903 (or the 700 before that). This is an important point especially in the early years of a bus network reform. Some existing passengers would have enjoyed one-seat ride to destinations including Holmesglen Institute and Chadstone Shopping Centre. Not everyone will be happy with their route being cut up but providing a connection point lessens the blow. The first 766 route map actually labelled connections to the 700.

Similar provision was made when the 901 Frankston - Dandenong SmartBus replaced the old 830 and 831. 830 and 831’s local coverage in Carrum Downs became serviced by local routes 832 and 833. Both served a stop on Frankston – Dandenong Rd to which connections could be made with the 901. 833 was later extended in another direction (to Carrum) but the dog-leg stop has unnecessarily remained, delaying and confusing passengers as (in this case) few seem to use this connection. It also makes improved coverage harder, as explained here. Retaining an out-of-the-way connection point might be defensible at first but might not be worth retaining if there are higher network aims.  

Route 766 operates in the seats of Box Hill (Paul Hamer MP) and Burwood (Will Fowles MP). Both are marginals held by the Labor Party. 

A tricky timetable

On weekdays Route 766 runs between about 6:30am and 7pm about every 30 minutes most of the time. The exceptions are (i) when there's some hour morning and afternoon gaps and (ii) where two short trips run in both the morning and afternoon to provide a 15 minute peak service between Surrey Hills and Burwood. 

Run time for the full route is about 25 minutes the the mostly half-hour frequency permits efficient operation with two buses. As the short peak trips are less than 15 minutes just one extra bus is needed to double frequency on its busiest portion. I am assuming that counterpeak trips operate out of service as they don't show in the timetable. 

Monday to Friday operating hours suit 9-5 office workers but not people who start and finish earlier or later than those times. For example starts are late and finishes are early. Also there are hour gaps in both directions around 10am and again around 3pm. I'm guessing this is either due to school bus requirements and/or driver breaks. The passenger service outcome is however poor with the sort of irregular timetable that makes people distrust buses in Melbourne.  

Due to quieter traffic Saturday run time is less; between about 15 and 24 minutes. Service is approximately between 7:30am and 6:30pm. Frequency though is wildly inconsistent. Up to midmorning Saturday service is more or less a consistent 40 minutes, presumably done with a single bus. However after then waits blow out to over 60 and then over 80 minutes. Later they settle down to nearer 40 minutes again. While gaps like these are often due to driver meal breaks, most other routes have consistent frequencies through these backed by suitable rosters. The erratic scheduling would also likely contribute to the 766's very low Saturday usage (discussed later). 

Route 766 was introduced just before minimum standards were in 2006. While this upgraded many existing bus routes, the 766 was neglected. Hence it remains without evening and Sunday service, unlike the old 700 that previously served its catchment. 766, however has service on most public holidays with the (irregular) Saturday timetable operating as per the service standard.  

Usage

Route 766 isn't well used. It gets about 13 boardings per hour on weekdays and 9 on Saturdays. This is barely half that for metropolitan buses in Melbourne, especially those serving Box Hill which is one of Melbourne’s strongest bus hubs. Its irregular timetable with 'holes' where people expect there to be trips, as discussed above, is one reason for this.

Probably 766’s biggest contribution to the network is that it enabled the 700 and later 903 SmartBus. Bus 903 carries more passengers than any other and it's not only due to its length.  Even though the 903 has some quiet parts it averages 32 boardings per hour on weekdays and over 40 on weekends. That's about 50% higher for a bus route in Melbourne. And if you were just to factor in 903's Box Hill - Oakleigh portion the boardings per hour will be higher again. 

It would likely not have been politically possible to have introduce the SmartBus in its current form unless you added coverage to the areas that lost a bus with a route like the 766. This is a prime example of why you shouldn’t judge a bus route on its individual patronage productivity without also considering its contribution to the wider network. Having said that local routes (including the 766) should have simple timetables free of irregular gaps even if they are never made very frequent. I'm not sure that this has been done given the 766's timetable is basically unchanged from 2005.

History

Route 766 started on the 14 June 2005. You can see its first timetable and route map on the BCSV website here. It originally went as far south as Thomas St only with the Burwood Hwy extension added later. Its timetable has not significantly changed in the following 17 years.

766’s future

The most important item on the horizon for Route 766 is the merging of Surrey Hills and Mont Albert station to create a new Union station about mid-way between. This has implications on the 766 (as it feeds Surrey Hills) and potentially also 284 and 612. I discussed these here.  

The 2022 state budget included funds for bus upgrades and reforms in the Box Hill area. This included a rerouting of 903 via Deakin University. This will leave some areas near the 766 with less bus service. As a minimum there may need to be 766 upgrades including longer hours and Sunday service (eg as per minimum standards). Timetables also need fixing with 60 - 80 minute gaps removed. 

Successful bus routes almost always have strong termini at both ends. That means railway stations and/or major destinations like universities and shopping centres. Termini like tram routes and local shopping strips are better than nothing but don't deliver really strong all day bidirectional patronage. 

On this score Route 766's northern terminus at Box Hill is strong but its southern terminus on Burwood Hwy is quite weak. While it intersects with the 75 tram, a short trip on it is needed for local trips such as to Burwood station or Deakin University. An extension to either of these location might be desirable with the Deakin option eventually connecting to the proposed Suburban Rail Loop Station there. 

A more radical concept could see the 766 extended along Highbury Rd to Glen Waverley. This would provide needed coverage to a large unserved part of Mt Waverley and possibly Ashwood. However this would more than double the route's length and operating cost. It wouldn't necessarily be very direct to Box Hill, a feature needed if it's to be useful for more than local coverage. 

Any Route 766 extension will bump up the run time. This may make the scheduling less efficient unless interlining opportunities can be found and/or frequencies are adjusted. Eg, a 'quick and dirty' Deakin extension (possibly via Highbury Rd) might involve a 40 minute interpeak frequency (with no 60  min gaps) and a 20 min service. However this would have 'swings and roundabouts' gains and losses. 

Thoughts on what (if anything) should happen with the 766 are appreciated and can be left below. 

See other Timetable Tuesday items here