tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18909424.post3458163183669442180..comments2024-03-24T23:01:11.766+11:00Comments on Melbourne on Transit: Building Melbourne's Useful Network Part 53: SmartBus orbitals - time to split?Peter Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413976934040474125noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18909424.post-35236243105680398772022-01-18T09:25:52.539+11:002022-01-18T09:25:52.539+11:00The 901, provides a link from many outer rail line...The 901, provides a link from many outer rail lines to Melbourne Airport, but why oh why does it go into shopping centres? This adds a lot of delay to the route.Liamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11146832903753810047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18909424.post-61732143867266317272020-07-22T15:43:52.471+10:002020-07-22T15:43:52.471+10:00Any chance on running the southern half of the 901...Any chance on running the southern half of the 901 to Box Hill instead of Blackburn if it ever got split? Blackburn has absolutely nothing going for it and no quick way between there and Box Hill if you've missed the train (ignoring peak). Even when the 286 to Box Hill was a thing, it was timetabled that the 286 would leave just before the 901 so there was never a connection unless the former was late (or the latter was early, which almost never happened).<br /><br />If the 901 absolutely must terminate at Blackburn, maybe someone can convince Ventura to extend the 703 to Box Hill instead. With no level crossing to contend with it should be a piece of cake to go straight along Whitehorse Rd, if not via Laburnum station instead (the bridge has a 4.2m clearance), which would avoid the Whitehorse Rd traffic lights that the 901 always gets stuck at.<br /><br />If the 901 terminated at Ringwood I would have absolutely no use for it. As long as Metro's services are to remain complete rubbish east of Blackburn (I really want to say Burnley) I will keep getting the 901 when possible (obviously it's a different story on the weekend when the trains are 10 minutes and the bus is 30).<br /><br />That said, extending the 907 to Ringwood might have some merit as well, although it would leave the rest of Whitehorse Rd (particularly Nunawading) without anything useful in the east-west direction.<br /><br />If the Whitehorse Rd/Ringwood section replacement meant reinstating the old 270 via X, Y and Z, taking 45 minutes to get to Mitcham and finishing at 5PM on weekdays (the last one at my old bus stop used to be 5:45PM towards Ringwood), count me out, I had enough of that 17 years ago when I lived at the top of Ringwood Street! The uselessness of the 271 and 370 is bad enough.Heihachi_73noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18909424.post-65383634438670903842020-07-17T14:08:22.677+10:002020-07-17T14:08:22.677+10:00I do think it's a good idea to split up the or...I do think it's a good idea to split up the orbitals. This is what I would do:<br /><br /><b>901</b>: I'd split it into multiple sections. Keep Ringwood-Frankston as is (increased frequency). Replace the Whitehorse rd section with local routes (such as an upgraded and extended 370 to Box Hill and 907 to Ringwood). Extend the 703 to The Pines. Delete The Pines-Greensborough section. Keep the Greensborough-Broadmeadows section but re route via RMIT and the Ring Road and possibly also route via Greenvale. Extend the 577 to Greensborough to service Plenty. Terminate at Broadmeadows.<br /> <br /><b>902</b>: I'd Split it into 2 section. Chelsea-Doncaster (increased frequency) and Box hill- Melbourne Airport. I'd possible run direct to Greensborough and have a local route run Greensborough-Eltham-The Pines.<br /><br /><b>903</b>: I'd split it into multiple sections. Keep Mordialloc-Northland (increased frequency). I'd replace Heidelberg/Northland-Coburg with a modified 513(split at Heidelberg and run Heidelberg-Coburg at 10 min off-peak/ 6 min peak) and 527(swap at Coburg end with 526 and extend to Heidelberg via Southern Rd and Waoria/Upper Heidelberg Rd at 10 min freq). Delete/replace Sunshine-Altona. Run Coburg-Sunshine Via Highpoint (replaces 408/468) (increased frequency). I'd divert the 465 to Sunshine whist extending the 406 to Keilor Park (and onto Melbourne Airport).Cameron Coyhttps://twitter.com/ptv_cwerwerdnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18909424.post-43041481096423941612020-07-17T09:00:38.275+10:002020-07-17T09:00:38.275+10:00Thanks Ricky, Some ambitious splits there that mak...Thanks Ricky, Some ambitious splits there that make sense. My thoughts are: <br /><br />901: Frankston - Ringwood leave alone, boost weekend to 20, peak to 10 min, interpeak to 10 min probably in that priority order<br /><br />901: Ringwood - Greensborough. Delete. Replace with a. Ringwood - Box Hill route along Whitehorse Rd (every 20 min, based on trains at Box Hill being every 10 min). b. 703 extended north to The Pines SC and boosted to every 10 min. c. New Heidelberg - The Pines route (modified 280/2 probably every 20 min. <br /><br />901: South Morang - Melbourne Airport. Reroute to Airport West (swap with 902). Upgrade weekend to every 20 min. Needs another route number due to split (909?)<br /><br />902: Chelsea - Doncaster unchanged. Need large frequency increase in Springvale South - Nunawading portion (run short trips?)<br /><br />902: Doncaster - Greenborough. Reroute to form more direct corridor not via Eltham eg as per 293. Boost to every 10 min weekday, 20 min weekend. Reform other local routes eg 582 extension to Greensborough. Some other changes in Eltham area to support SmartBus removal. <br /><br />902: Greensborough - Airport West. Swap with 901 to Melbourne Airport. Boost weekend service to 20 min, weekday peak to 10 min, maybe weekday interpeak to 10 min. <br /><br />903: Mordialloc - Heidelberg. Unchanged. Frequency boosts particularly weekend to every 10 - 20 min at least between Mentone and Doncaster. Potentially extend to La Trobe Uni. <br /><br />903: Heidelberg - Sunshine. Renumber as 904 due to split. Every 10 min 7 days from Heidelberg to at least Coburg funded by merger with part of 527. Operate via Highpoint (replacing 468 & part of 408) and boost 465 operating hours and Sunday service to compensate Buckley St. Boost weekend service to every 20 min and weekday to 10 min all the way to Sunshine if Highpoint is done. <br /><br />903: Sunshine - Altona. Replaced with rerouted 412 (Altona - Sunshine as per blog post). Upgrade 411 to SmartBus with 10 - 20 min weekday service, 20 min weekend with long hours between Footscray and at least Altona (Laverton desirable). Peter Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13413976934040474125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18909424.post-41073129758400244062020-07-17T08:37:25.429+10:002020-07-17T08:37:25.429+10:00I think some of the splits are going to be rather ...I think some of the splits are going to be rather tough here Peter, so I’ll go through them all in order of what I would do with them:<br /><br /><b>901;</b> Split in 5.<br />Obviously Ringwood-Dandenong-Frankston as a seperate route. Patronage justified. Probably a frequency boost.<br />Blackburn-Ringwood. I’d probably cast this off onto the former 367, it much better suits being a link to Maroondah Hospital, and patronage wise, might do better out of it, drop the frequency back to a harmonised 30 min.<br />The Pines-Blackburn. If anything I see this having potential for a split yet extended 703 as a straight north-south link from The Pines to Clayton. It’s tough to know what to do with this one, but I can see it being a better use of resources, especially giving access to Monash from the north and Doncaster region.<br />Greensborough-The Pines. See 902 Greensborough-Doncaster.<br />South Morang-Greensborough. If anything this should head down Plenty Rd, replacing the 386/7, then follow the metro ring round to Greensborough. Whilst yes, admittedly, losing a connection to Mernda’s residential region would be painful for some, having a frequent smartbus replace it, and provide far better connections than running through cows and kangaroos, speaks volumes and would probably quash some of the want of an 86 extension. Service Broady-Greensborough.<br />Broadmeadows-South Morang. No change, Service Broady-Greensborough<br />Airport West-Broadmeadows. See 902 Airport-Broady<br /><br /><b>902;</b> Split in 3.<br />Doncaster-Chelsea. Obvious split off route, increase frequency.<br />Greensborough-Doncaster. Convolutedly, I’d extend 281 back to Eltham, have 582 pickup the old 901 route from Fitzsimmons Lane roundabout on, and run the 902 replacement over the top of the 293. I’m 50/50 about the 901/293 split, which ever has the higher patronage might be better to become the smartbus, but at least the saved resources from the 293 however could go into upgrading the 281. The Greensborough-Eltham segment might be better off being pumped into other local routes, or an extension of the 580, but it’s a much of a muchness.<br />Broadmeadows-Greensborough. No change, service Airport-Doncaster.<br />Airport-Broady. This’ll be controversial. I would duplicate this segment, hook it onto your proposed 500, and give it a frequency boost. North-West links are something that is lacking, let alone directly to patronage generators. So having a connection that’s reliable across the North-West, and links the two major transit hubs, would be far better than little ol Airport West.<br /><br /><b>903;</b> Split in 3.<br />Northland/Latrobe Uni-Mordialloc. I’m undecided whether this should go to Latrobe (Replacing the 350) or Northland. On one hand, Northland has good patronage to Heidelberg, but not many passengers beyond, on the other hand, a link from Box Hill to Latrobe has been talked about for many many years. Whilst yes, duplication is bad, I’m pro it for this situation.<br />I would also consider whether running it via Elgar and Burwood Highway over Riversdale/Warrigal to serve Deakin, might be a better choice, with the 732 taking a slight diversion over the old routing. I’ve always felt that 903 not serving Deakin was a lost opportunity, and would be somewhat reasonably easy to rectify.<br />Sunshine-Heidelberg. Definitely run via Highpoint as has been commentated by you Peter. Other than that, no changes.<br />Altona-Sunshine. If anything, I’d take the resources out of this section and put them into 471/411. Somerville Rd isn’t a patronage generator at the best of times, so carrying fresh air through the industrial west doesn’t help that portions situation. A lower frequency service might be justified, or an extension of the 417, but even then, if same stop transfer at Altona Gate was provided, it somewhat defeats the purpose.<br /><br />All in all, they’re a confusing mess that need a lot of work.Rickynoreply@blogger.com