In Melbourne (unlike Sydney or Perth generally) the presence of a suburban railway station doesn't necessarily assure frequent 7 day service. Our infrastructure is mostly sufficient; it's just that successive governments have, with few exceptions, not made all week frequent service a priority, with train and tram services actually declining per capita. Bus reform, so important for connections to and between major centres, is also slower than desirable, with a tendency for DTP to use metrics that inflate progress when asked about this at the last PAEC hearings.
A good number of the first 25 housing activity centres are on lines that will either directly benefit from the Metro Tunnel, or would greatly gain (ie Craigieburn, Sandringham and Upfield) if the frequency upgrades in the 2016 Metro Tunnel Business Case service plan occur (which we don't know yet). Their locations are also conducive to improved bus and tram services. My suggestions for cost-effective infrastructure and service priorities for all 25 centres were given here, shortly after the centres were announced.
PTUA studies bus service levels
Yesterday the Public Transport Users Association released their contribution. They audited the operating hours and service frequencies of all 51 bus routes that served the government's first 25 housing activity centres. It made it into the Herald Sun .
The chart below summarises the results.
There is a skew towards lower quality services. Below I will go through each of the four categories and suggest the easiest/cheapest/highest benefit upgrades.
Good
Just 4 out of 51 routes with operating hours and frequencies that could be considered train-like. To show the continuing influence of Tramways Board service planning, 3 of the 4 routes rated good (216, 220, 223) are remnants of the Footscray tram network while the well-used 907 on Doncaster Rd is also an ex-Met route (albeit with subsequent upgrades).
While these routes are well served by Melbourne bus standards some could benefit from minor operating hours or frequency improvements so that the 15-20 minute frequency applies over more of the day.
Fair
16 routes were rated fair. The better of these are popular SmartBus routes like 900, 901, 902 and 903. While these were intended to be premium services, this was really only the case for Monday - Saturday service spans and weekday frequencies, where a 15 minute frequency applies. Weekend service is why these routes were not considered good, with gaps of up to 30 minutes applying, even during the day. Also in this group are the better non-SmartBus routes including the 472, 828 and the recently upgraded 800.
Many of these routes have high patronage potential. Almost all would benefit greatly from upgrades of weekend service to every 20 minutes or better, with some minor operating hours increases. Eventually there will be a need to bite the bullet with SmartBus orbital splits but in the interim weekend short workings could enable 15 minute service on busy portions. Use can be made of patronage productivity statistics to prioritise which should happen first in a staged program.
Low quality
The biggest group, involving 22 routes, are considered low quality. Most run 7 days to 9pm, meeting minimum service standards. Weekday service is typically every 30 minutes, though unique parts of the 811 and 812 around Dandenong are only hourly. Weekend service is almost always hourly. This sort of service level provides a basic 'safety net' standard but is insufficient to encourage mode shift or much reduce the need to own a car. With Saturday service only every 80 minutes and no Sunday service, the 414 through Brooklyn and Laverton doesn't even meet that; personally I'd have rated it lower.
Some of these routes have significant patronage potential and/or serve areas with high social needs. Priority low cost upgrades could include:
(a) 7 day service on Route 414,
(b) Operating hours extensions on routes below minimum service standards such as 612,
(c) Weekend upgrades on popular routes like 623, 625, 626, 693, 742, 811, and
Good
Just 4 out of 51 routes with operating hours and frequencies that could be considered train-like. To show the continuing influence of Tramways Board service planning, 3 of the 4 routes rated good (216, 220, 223) are remnants of the Footscray tram network while the well-used 907 on Doncaster Rd is also an ex-Met route (albeit with subsequent upgrades).
While these routes are well served by Melbourne bus standards some could benefit from minor operating hours or frequency improvements so that the 15-20 minute frequency applies over more of the day.
Fair
16 routes were rated fair. The better of these are popular SmartBus routes like 900, 901, 902 and 903. While these were intended to be premium services, this was really only the case for Monday - Saturday service spans and weekday frequencies, where a 15 minute frequency applies. Weekend service is why these routes were not considered good, with gaps of up to 30 minutes applying, even during the day. Also in this group are the better non-SmartBus routes including the 472, 828 and the recently upgraded 800.
Many of these routes have high patronage potential. Almost all would benefit greatly from upgrades of weekend service to every 20 minutes or better, with some minor operating hours increases. Eventually there will be a need to bite the bullet with SmartBus orbital splits but in the interim weekend short workings could enable 15 minute service on busy portions. Use can be made of patronage productivity statistics to prioritise which should happen first in a staged program.
Low quality
The biggest group, involving 22 routes, are considered low quality. Most run 7 days to 9pm, meeting minimum service standards. Weekday service is typically every 30 minutes, though unique parts of the 811 and 812 around Dandenong are only hourly. Weekend service is almost always hourly. This sort of service level provides a basic 'safety net' standard but is insufficient to encourage mode shift or much reduce the need to own a car. With Saturday service only every 80 minutes and no Sunday service, the 414 through Brooklyn and Laverton doesn't even meet that; personally I'd have rated it lower.
Some of these routes have significant patronage potential and/or serve areas with high social needs. Priority low cost upgrades could include:
(a) 7 day service on Route 414,
(b) Operating hours extensions on routes below minimum service standards such as 612,
(c) Weekend upgrades on popular routes like 623, 625, 626, 693, 742, 811, and
(d) Simplification of long and complex routes like 624 to enable improvements on their busiest portions.
Poor
Rounding off the 51 are the 9 routes described as poor. Sometimes these are just a few trips per day, like the peak only 740 from Mitcham or the 609 which is a potentially useful inner north-east connector if it had more trips and more useful termini.
Rounding off the 51 are the 9 routes described as poor. Sometimes these are just a few trips per day, like the peak only 740 from Mitcham or the 609 which is a potentially useful inner north-east connector if it had more trips and more useful termini.
Some of these lowly served routes have higher patronage potential than their timetables give credit for. Most notably 802 and 804 which serve Chadstone, Oakleigh, Monash University and Dandenong. Both also serve residential catchments with high social needs in Dandenong North. Nepean Hwy has only the limited service 823 but there may be benefits in a 7 day upgrade, especially if the route extended directly to Elsternwick.
Overall the easiest/cheapest upgrades likely include:
(a) 7 day service for routes 802 and 804 (with optional simplification with Route 862), and
(b) a simplification of the complex 600/922/923 cluster with shorter waits on each route.
More complex (as they may involve work with other routes) but desirable include
(a) the abovementioned 823 upgrade and extension, and
(b) Route 609 upgrade and reform (potentially in conjunction with an extended Route 567).
Conclusion
PTUA has done some good work that I recommend reading. Acting on it would produce an immediate and tangible benefit for the housing growth areas, including for existing residents, some of who may be wary about plans for their suburb.
Overall the easiest/cheapest upgrades likely include:
(a) 7 day service for routes 802 and 804 (with optional simplification with Route 862), and
(b) a simplification of the complex 600/922/923 cluster with shorter waits on each route.
More complex (as they may involve work with other routes) but desirable include
(a) the abovementioned 823 upgrade and extension, and
(b) Route 609 upgrade and reform (potentially in conjunction with an extended Route 567).
Conclusion
PTUA has done some good work that I recommend reading. Acting on it would produce an immediate and tangible benefit for the housing growth areas, including for existing residents, some of who may be wary about plans for their suburb.
2 comments:
Even the good aren't necessarily so. Middle Footscray is close enough to Footscray but West Footscray only has good buses in the east-west direction, which basically provide infill for the trains but otherwise travel to the same places. There are no good north-south routes that will take you to a destination like Highpoint (which is pretty much due north of West Footscray station and not very far away) without heading to Footscray and change. Not competitive with car transport.
The Sunday timetable must go. A unified weekend/public holiday timetable throughout Victoria is the only way forward if the government ever decides to improve services outside of weekday peak, with all 6-day bus routes upgraded to run 7 days. That said, it is highly possible that 5-day bus routes like the 675 will still remain forgotten.
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