UN 125: Delivering for Deakin with the 903

The 2022 Victorian state budget announced several bus service upgrades. Most were coverage increases in fringe areas. These will bring public transport to growing areas that previously didn't have it. Extensions like these extend the network's tentacles, typically with a basic 40 - 60 minute frequency, in fringe suburbs.  

Up to recently other aspects of bus network development such as route reform and frequency upgrades in densifying middle suburbs, have often been side-lined as ministerial attention turned to infrastructure. 2021's Victoria's Bus Plan, though lacking specifics, recognised the issues and set a direction for reform. We've already had some, as described here.

Service upgrades on their way

The 2022 state budget included improvements to bus routes and services between Box Hill, Oakleigh and Southland. We could then only guess what they were as no route numbers were listed.  

A day or two later Will Fowles MP listed the routes involved. 

Then Box Hill member Paul Hamer MP wrote on his Facebook page that 733 and 767 will have higher off-peak capacity. A premier's website release confirms Box Hill - Monash - Clayton (busiest part of 733) and Box Hill - Deakin - Southland (all of 767).  

733 and 767 are both high patronage routes that deserve frequency upgrades. 733 between Box Hill and Clayton especially. Despite being one of Melbourne's busiest bus routes it groans under an hourly Sunday frequency and being no better than half-hourly at most other times. 

Last year's 234 and 907 frequency upgrades signalled a welcome new willingness to deliver 7 day frequent bus services on popular routes that need it. It doubled the number of bus routes running every 15 minutes or better 7 days from 2 to 4 (out of 300+ total). Upgrades like these add muscle as well as reach to the network. That's overdue as Melbourne's current bus network is a gangly thin-limbed adolescent with poor core strength and co-ordination.

Boosting the 201 Deakin University express shuttle is another capacity builder. Its current 20 minute frequency makes it much less of a 'go to' option compared to other university shuttles operating every 4 to 10 minutes. It's also not helped by being duplicated by an older university shuttle (the infrequent Route 768) that was not removed when the 201 started in 2016. 

A more frequent Route 201 should relieve pressure on other routes and, with reform, allow a two-tier style service to Box Hill in conjunction with other routes. A similar arrangements operates between Huntingdale and Monash Clayton where there is an overlap between the 601 shuttle, the 900 SmartBus and a local route 630. 201 has been the subject of work to speed travel though traffic signal priority. You can read about that here. 

903 rerouting

Now we get to today's main topic, the 903 being rerouted via Deakin University. This is significant because Route 903 is the area's orbital SmartBus. Operating more frequently and for longer hours than most other bus routes a rerouting would improve access to the campus from areas north and south including Heidelberg, Doncaster and Oakleigh.  

The map below shows the existing 903 and other routes around Deakin University. Four currently operate between Box Hill and Deakin University. These include the 201 and 768 shuttles, the 281 extension and the 767 down to Southland. Also starting at Box Hill is the 732 to Upper Ferntree Gully and the 766 to Burwood. These go near but not quite to Deakin University. 

Maps of 903's new alignment aren't yet out. How might it go? Just speculating, two potential options could be those below. Both involve one more turn than now.

Alignment A is perhaps simpler and retains connectivity with the Route 70 tram. However it doesn't quite go to the eastern part of the campus (which has an internal bus interchange). Still, uni campuses, like major shopping centres, are large places, and most people accept reasonable walks from one end to the other. 

Option B goes further east but overlaps the 75 tram more (along with the 732 bus). I am guessing that if adopted it would not pull in to the university interchange as it would usurp the distinctive role of the  (to be upgraded) 201 shuttle which does. Besides run time is money when planning bus routes and 903 needs good speed for through passengers, being the area's only frequent orbital transport option.

Network implications

These can be broken up into three main issues, as follows. 

1. Retaining Camberwell / Surrey Hills / Burwood local connectivity

Both 903 options pull service out of the west end of Wattle Park, leaving just the 766 remaining. To ameliorate this Route 766 needs, as a minimum, an upgrade to 7 day service, longer operating hours and an overhaul of its current timetable (which features some 80+ minute waits). I said more about Route 766 on Tuesday. 

2. Box Hill - Deakin University corridor

Existing connectivity is complex with the four routes operating at unattractive 20 to 40 minute frequencies each. Three routes (201, 281, 768) operate to the internal campus bus interchange while 767 stops outside. This network upgrade needs to simplify services including more clearly defining  each route's role with an appropriate service frequency. 

Orbital Route 903's routing via Deakin will add a major route operating every 15 minutes off-peak and better in the peak. Because Box Hill is a major centre with a large catchment increased speed on it would be desirable. This may include the potential for wider stop spacing if other routes exist for intermediate stops. 

Route 201 should remain as the express Box Hill - Deakin shuttle but at higher frequency. Ideally funded largely by a 'reform dividend' (eg incorporating the 768 and another route - more later). Combined with its speed a 10 minute frequency would make it the route of choice for everyone making that trip. This should relieve pressure on the 767 and rerouted 903, freeing these up for longer distance travel to Box Hill.  

A way of directing Deakin passengers to the 201 could be to make it the only route that runs to the university's internal interchange. It is also a good candidate for a 'rapid running' frequency timetable type service with minimal dwell time at interchanges. A cheap way of freeing up even more service kilometres to deliver a frequent 201 could be to truncate Route 281 at Box Hill. In exchange those who want a one-seat Doncaster - Deakin option would gain a more frequent service via the rerouted 903. 

Elgar Rd between Box Hill and Deakin is currently crowded with four bus routes but doesn't get consistently good service due to all being either infrequent, duplicative, irregular or express. The above simplification would leave it with just the (not stopping) 201 shuttle and the 767. Boosting the latter to say every 20 min (preferably 7 days) should provide a simpler, stronger corridor. Delays due to passenger loading between Deakin and Box Hill could be reduced as some passenger from Box Hill would shift to the 201 shuttle while some from the south would use the 903. 

The visual below shows how it might work.  

'Loose ends' created by the above include Route 766 (fixable - discussed at 1 above) and the southern end of the 767 (which justifies its own reforms around Bentleigh East/Southland along with 627, 701 and 822). There are also two bus operators involved with 281 and 903 run by Kinetic and the rest by Ventura. That makes reform harder than if there was just one. However pretty much all Melbourne bus operators have routes that justify upgrades so that if one of their routes required trimming some of their service kilometres / hours could be redeployed so they don't lose out. 

3. Surrounding network structural issues and SRL planning

You might wish to end things right here. And if you did a worthwhile network reform will have been delivered. 

However other issues with the bus network around Deakin University exist. These include residential area coverage south of Highbury Rd (which lacks its own bus route), 732 overlap with parts of the 903 and the 75 tram and 766's weak southern terminus. These are shown on the map below. 

Out of these the 732 overlaps may turn out to be non-issue as (a) the route gets good usage and (b) it relieves busy parts of the 903. On the other hand 903's rerouting may lead to other opportunities as discussed here.  

The Suburban Rail Loop's station at Burwood presents the opportunity of a terminus for a future revised bus network. This might involve routes such as 732, 766 and a Highbury Rd route. 

Southern opportunities (the Clayton / Southland end)

When you reform or boost services on one bus route you often unlock opportunities elsewhere on the network. While they might be considered 'out of scope' for this reform they should not be forgotten. That's so they can drive the next stage of cost-effective bus network reform. Both opportunities for this are at the Clayton / Southland end, as follows: 

Opportunity 1: Bentleigh East 

We know that all of Route 767 will receive service improvements. While it mostly has its own corridor north of Chadstone, its southern half around Bentleigh East has other nearby parallel and partly overlapping routes (map below). This is not desirable if you want the highest benefit from the extra resources you're spending on frequency. 

If you look at the broader north-south network you'll see the very frequent Frankston line to the west and the mostly frequent 903 SmartBus to the east. These are about 4km apart. 

Exactly half way between is a corridor formed by Murrumbeena, East Boundary and Chesterville roads. As you saw from the map above it has no simple continuous and frequent bus. But if it did then it would mean that almost everyone would be within 1km of a frequent north-south service to major destinations. 

With its frequency upgrades already funded in the 2022 budget, the 767 is the obvious choice for such a direct and more frequent route. It just needs rerouting between Chadstone and South Rd with about the same route kilometres as now. No new bus stops would need to be built on its new corridor as existing (less frequent) routes already serve it. However these existing routes (notably the 822 but also possibly 627 and 701) would need reform to retain coverage at stops the 767 is moved from. All the routes involved are run by the same bus operator, further simplifying reform. 

The simplified and rerouted 767 could be a candidate for further frequency and operating hours  upgrades as patronage warrants and funds become available. A simple route with enhanced service on the East Boundary Rd and Chesterville Rd corridors is also consistent with Principal Public Transport Network planning that guides land use decisions (see Glen Eira and Kingston PPTN maps here).

Opportunity 2: Clarinda/Southland 

The premier's release said that Route 733 will be upgraded between Box Hill and Clayton. This is only  some of the route as the full route operates to Oakleigh. However it is sensible as the Clayton - Oakleigh portion is both less used and is near (even sometimes overlapping) other routes offering higher service. Confining the frequency upgrade to the busiest portion allows the shortest possible waits where most needed.  

Terminating some trips at Clayton is also a step towards a next stage of reform. That is operating the Clayton - Oakleigh portion as an independent local route (if justified) and terminating all 733 trips at Clayton. 

That provides a simpler network as all 733 trips will finish at the same place. It also opens the way for a 733 extension to Southland (or Sandringham) to more closely replicate the Suburban Rail Loop, and, in the interim, boost service in the Clarinda area and improve connectivity to Monash University Clayton from the south. 

I presented more detail on this concept back in 2020. The most cost-effective implementation is likely to involve reform to and/or amalgamation with Clarinda area routes such as 631, 821 and 824. 

Conclusion

These upgrades will make public transport stronger in the Deakin University area. Even more so if wider network reforms such as at Bentleigh East and Clarinda are considered. The main remaining questions are the magnitude of the upgrades in terms of higher frequency and improved operating hours.  

When will these changes happen? Past bus upgrades have taken about 25 months from budget funding to implementation (for a new bus route). However a Whitehorse Leader article (paywalled) encouragingly says that these reforms will happen 'within 12 months'.  

Your thoughts on routing the 903 via Deakin and other network improvements you'd like to see in the area are appreciated and can be left in the comments below. 

See other Useful Network items here