Bus network upgrades funded in 2022's state budget are continuing to be rolled out. The most recent to be announced are reforms in the Hampton Park / Cranbourne West / Narre Warren area, starting later this month. Changes are certainly needed with the existing complex network shown below.
If anything the map underestimates the network's complexity. For example routes 894 and 895 only run their full route during off-peak times. Peak times have 'holes' of up to 4 hours in the counterpeak direction with many stops skipped (including Fountain Gate on the 895). This is due to an attempt to do as much as they can with a small number of buses. But it makes the network more complex and less usable.
The maps below shows how PTV present these routes to passengers. They are confusing at best and misleading at worst. The root cause of this is that both routes are too complex for PTV systems and people to understand or present clearly to the public.
I discussed Hampton Park bus network challenges in much more detail here.
What gets changed?
How will the budget funded revised network improve things? This release gave some clues but we weren't sure on the specifics. Until last week when PTV released timetables and route maps . Local paper reporting here.
In short the changes are fairly modest, involving two of the ten or so routes in the area.
The 863 gets extended a long way south (to Cranbourne West) while the 895 has its horrid peak oddities removed and new coverage of the Casey Business Park.
PTV explains this in text form but dislikes using maps in public-facing material. This is despite these having to be prepared for internal 'service specification' documents. Hence I'll attempt the job below.
Route 863 doubled in length
Buses will operate 7 days per week until approximately 9pm. Like the existing Route 863 they will be every 40 minutes except for the last couple of evening trips where they will be 60 minutes apart.
The Cranbourne West extension adds about 20 minutes to the route. Given the 40 minute frequency that's means one extra bus would likely have been needed to operate it.
The premier's release from last year said that the new network would connect Cranbourne West with Merinda Park train station. Does it? Not according to the PTV stop map (accessible via the timetable). This shows that 863 remains on Evans Rd.
Passengers could walk to the train but it's an inconvenient 400 metre walk. That's likely to lessen 863's appeal for bus - train passengers relative to existing routes like 760 and 792 to Cranbourne station.
Route 895 simplified
How popular will the extended 863 be in practice? On the map its directness looks a refreshing change from most local routes in the area. It will add some welcome extra frequency on sections of Hallam Rd. And it will provide a welcome new link from Hampton Park to areas away from Route 893.
Route 863's 40 minute peak frequency won't be particularly appealing to commuters, especially if they also face a significant walk to the station as at Merinda Park. The rebuilt Hallam station is a good interchange and is likely to be the routes's busiest stop.
Usage near the ends of the route is likely to be limited by the weakness of its termini. Ideally these should be major train stations with large shopping centres, with Dandenong and Cranbourne the obvious front-runners.
A Dandenong connection is perhaps best achieved by merging 861 and 863, though there are some complications regarding Endeavour Hills coverage and incompatible frequencies. This is because Route 861 mostly operates every 30 minutes, which harmonises with 10 minute trains at Dandenong but not 20 minute trains at Hallam. However it has a lot of pay-offs including widening the area with a direct bus to Dandenong Hospital, Dandenong TAFE and Dandenong Market - all major trip generators.
A 20 minute frequency on a merged route would have higher operating costs but would better match what a direct main road route should be. Achieving this should be a high priority in the next round of bus network reform in the area. The reluctance here reflects current policy priorities where it's vastly easier to find $200m for a single level crossing removal versus say $2-5m per year for a reformed local bus network.
The new 863 Cranbourne West terminus is also weak. Cranbourne station is the logical nearest strong terminus. However to avoid inefficient backtracking and overlap this is best done in conjunction with other network reform involving routes like 792, 881, 890 and/or 897.
To summarise, Route 863's extension will make some local connections easier with better speed and directness compared to other routes. However it will not reach its full potential until it is extended to stronger termini like Dandenong and Cranbourne and gains higher frequency to better reflect its role as an important direct route.
Route 863's 40 minute peak frequency won't be particularly appealing to commuters, especially if they also face a significant walk to the station as at Merinda Park. The rebuilt Hallam station is a good interchange and is likely to be the routes's busiest stop.
Usage near the ends of the route is likely to be limited by the weakness of its termini. Ideally these should be major train stations with large shopping centres, with Dandenong and Cranbourne the obvious front-runners.
A Dandenong connection is perhaps best achieved by merging 861 and 863, though there are some complications regarding Endeavour Hills coverage and incompatible frequencies. This is because Route 861 mostly operates every 30 minutes, which harmonises with 10 minute trains at Dandenong but not 20 minute trains at Hallam. However it has a lot of pay-offs including widening the area with a direct bus to Dandenong Hospital, Dandenong TAFE and Dandenong Market - all major trip generators.
A 20 minute frequency on a merged route would have higher operating costs but would better match what a direct main road route should be. Achieving this should be a high priority in the next round of bus network reform in the area. The reluctance here reflects current policy priorities where it's vastly easier to find $200m for a single level crossing removal versus say $2-5m per year for a reformed local bus network.
The new 863 Cranbourne West terminus is also weak. Cranbourne station is the logical nearest strong terminus. However to avoid inefficient backtracking and overlap this is best done in conjunction with other network reform involving routes like 792, 881, 890 and/or 897.
To summarise, Route 863's extension will make some local connections easier with better speed and directness compared to other routes. However it will not reach its full potential until it is extended to stronger termini like Dandenong and Cranbourne and gains higher frequency to better reflect its role as an important direct route.
Route 895 simplified
Unlike Route 863, which has potential to be a direct and frequent main road route, the 895 is a coverage style route connecting people too far from or who can't walk to routes on main roads. It also provides shopping and educational connections that main routes in the area like 893 don't.
The big change is that catching the 895 will become a lot lot simpler. Instead of worrying whether your trip will serve certain suburban stops or even Fountain Gate Shopping Centre, everything will go the same way via the full route. That removes the major problems with this route.
The route's frequency stays the same (40 min weekdays, 60 min weekends). However there are some minor but worthwhile operating hours extensions on Sunday - Friday evenings. This means that there will now be an after 8pm trip from Fountain Gate on Sundays and an after 9pm trip on weeknights. Sunday morning also gets a small improvement.
The big change is that catching the 895 will become a lot lot simpler. Instead of worrying whether your trip will serve certain suburban stops or even Fountain Gate Shopping Centre, everything will go the same way via the full route. That removes the major problems with this route.
The route's frequency stays the same (40 min weekdays, 60 min weekends). However there are some minor but worthwhile operating hours extensions on Sunday - Friday evenings. This means that there will now be an after 8pm trip from Fountain Gate on Sundays and an after 9pm trip on weeknights. Sunday morning also gets a small improvement.
On trips when it did run to Fountain Gate the route ran straight there from the station. This directness has been removed with it now going via the Casey Business Park. However others will welcome the new connectivity to jobs and retail there. The travel time from Narre Warren Station to Fountain Gate is 7 minutes which means that if you're going there on the 895 you're better off staying on the bus than trying to catch another.
Overall these are small but worthwhile changes that remove the worst features of Route 895. They are likely to be uncontroversial and don't greatly reform the local bus network. Route 895's Narre Warren South terminus is weak and one wonders whether it should run somewhere else, eg Lynbrook Station. It's also unfortunate that measures weren't taken to do a similar simplification of the 894 which will remain as Casey's most complex and convoluted bus route.
What could also have been done?
Many things. Most of the local bus network's structural problems remain unfixed by these changes. Opportunities that were not taken up include:
* Reform of the 894 - the area's most convoluted route. It will continue with its inconsistent trips, extreme indirectness and weak termini.
* Stronger termini on routes such as 798, 836, 846, 847, 888, 892, 894, 895 and 899. Given that the whole area sits between two train lines, there is no reason for most routes not to operate between stations on both lines. This is the most efficient way to run buses because buses in both direction feed trains and thus pick up peak patronage. As opposed to routes that get well used in one direction only during peaks. Giving people the option of getting home via two train lines also provides resilience when one line is disrupted or is closed for works (as happens frequently now).
* Better connections to Cranbourne. This is a consequence of the policy of finishing buses at weak termini despite community calls for buses between major destinations like Berwick and Cranbourne. As I've said before there are people with a Cranbourne-level housing budget but who need access to the hospitals, schools and higher education of Berwick. Scope exists for routes like 847 and 899 to be reformed or replaced by routes that continue south to Cranbourne.
* An east-west connection feeding Lynbrook Station. This station opened over 11 years ago but the bus network still doesn't fully reflect its existence. For example no bus from it goes further east of Hallam Rd. A reformed bus network would likely feature an L-shaped route going between there and Berwick (potentially replacing parts of the 835 or 847).
* Better connection to Dandenong South jobs. Possibly by reforming the 890 to operate at more an east-west route, possibly operating to Narre Warren/Fountain Gate to replace most of the 895.
* A simplification of routes on main roads such as Hallam Rd and Berwick - Cranbourne Rd with at least one major route on each operating a frequent 7 day service with service until midnight.
What could also have been done?
Many things. Most of the local bus network's structural problems remain unfixed by these changes. Opportunities that were not taken up include:
* Reform of the 894 - the area's most convoluted route. It will continue with its inconsistent trips, extreme indirectness and weak termini.
* Stronger termini on routes such as 798, 836, 846, 847, 888, 892, 894, 895 and 899. Given that the whole area sits between two train lines, there is no reason for most routes not to operate between stations on both lines. This is the most efficient way to run buses because buses in both direction feed trains and thus pick up peak patronage. As opposed to routes that get well used in one direction only during peaks. Giving people the option of getting home via two train lines also provides resilience when one line is disrupted or is closed for works (as happens frequently now).
* Better connections to Cranbourne. This is a consequence of the policy of finishing buses at weak termini despite community calls for buses between major destinations like Berwick and Cranbourne. As I've said before there are people with a Cranbourne-level housing budget but who need access to the hospitals, schools and higher education of Berwick. Scope exists for routes like 847 and 899 to be reformed or replaced by routes that continue south to Cranbourne.
* An east-west connection feeding Lynbrook Station. This station opened over 11 years ago but the bus network still doesn't fully reflect its existence. For example no bus from it goes further east of Hallam Rd. A reformed bus network would likely feature an L-shaped route going between there and Berwick (potentially replacing parts of the 835 or 847).
* Better connection to Dandenong South jobs. Possibly by reforming the 890 to operate at more an east-west route, possibly operating to Narre Warren/Fountain Gate to replace most of the 895.
* A simplification of routes on main roads such as Hallam Rd and Berwick - Cranbourne Rd with at least one major route on each operating a frequent 7 day service with service until midnight.
Conclusion
These bus network changes are a step in the right direction for suburbs which have suffered from almost no bus reform for many years. However more reform is needed to deliver the simpler, more frequent and more useful bus network the area needs. Further detail on some potential concepts are given here.
1 comment:
Thanks for doing this important work. Public transport sucks in this part of Melbourne.
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