News & Discussion: O-Bahn

[AtD]

Normally I have rose coloured glasses with these things, but... what an anti-climax for Grenfell and Currie Streets, it doesn't look like any actual changes. The plan is to paint the existing bus zones red and take credit for bus priorities that have been there for years. There's only bus lanes where traffic already moves at a decent pace.

And why has a chunk of the Botanic Rd bus lane been removed? And the "Turn left with care" from Rundle Rd to Dequetteville Tce with a set of lights.
http://www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au/__d ... e_plan.pdf

Almost two years and it's still just a concept with no sight of a finalised plan.

What a jip.

[metro]

Normally I have rose coloured glasses with these things, but... what an anti-climax for Grenfell and Currie Streets, it doesn't look like any actual changes. The plan is to paint the existing bus zones red and take credit for bus priorities that have been there for years. There's only bus lanes where traffic already moves at a decent pace.

Almost two years and it's still just a concept with no sight of a finalised plan.

What a jip.

So true.. i looked at the pictures and was impressed for a couple of seconds until I had a closer more critical look. Nothing is actually changing according to those pictures, just some new bus shelters and red paint

[AG]

I'm not sure how this project will cost as much as the $61 million budgeted to it, it doesn't look like anything substantial is going to be constructed beyond a few shelters, some roadworks, improved drainage and a few other small things.

[Isiskii]

Maybe they'll be using glitter-red paint, and have air-conditioned bus shelters?

[Omicron]

Maybe they'll be using glitter-red paint, and have air-conditioned bus shelters?

And rare orchids for the median.

[muzzamo]

I'm not sure how this project will cost as much as the $61 million budgeted to it, it doesn't look like anything substantial is going to be constructed beyond a few shelters, some roadworks, improved drainage and a few other small things.

Perhaps through some creative accounting they can use some of this federal funding to help fund the new ticketing system...

[Norman]

I think there was something about using the rest for "other projects around the system".

[AtD]

I thought both the interchange upgrades and the ticketing system already had funding in the state budget. Are the State Govt using federal money for their own promises?

[Amused]

It does indeed appear that physical changes are minimal. The only real additions I see are some extra left turn lanes at intersections. I find it laughable that buses will have to merge with traffic and then re-enter the buslane for the sole reason of not removing he pedestrian way outcrops. To remove these and bring the curb back in line with the rest of the street would give an unobstructed buslane.
To be blatantly honest, All I'm seeing are dedicated bus lanes made out of lanes where traffic is already fluid, and some repaints to represent bus parking areas. I was truely expecting unobstructed bus priority lanes to turn o-bahn - city into an unobstructed journey for buses, similar to trams.

[rubberman]

I hope the changes to the scope are within the parameters of the original submission.

Federal Treasury might be just a little suspicious of what appears to be a bit of window dressing and funds redistributed elsewhere.

[koalaboy]

Most of it seems ok except the busiest and congested section along Grenfell and Currie. What happened to the bus priority? Anyone that uses Grenfell would see that painted asphalt where buses already park will achieve nothing. To be fair, the consolidation and gating of the stops will help to reduce the congestion that the buses inflict on themselves. Maybe this is the main part of the solution...not sure. I would have liked to see some tricky one-way or car-ban options. They took the easy option I reckon.

I think they should get rid of ticketing all together and make it free. That would make it more efficient and more attractive to use. It would be sort of like an reverse-toll for road users. Everyone pays for the public transport in state taxes, but it becomes a personal choice not to use it. What many don't realise is that they are already paying for the public transport they don't use. I think about 1/5th of the operating cost is covered by the ticket, while the remaining 4/5th comes from every tax payer. No ticketing would save money on ticket machines, enforcement and improved access and egress efficiency. It might take some pressure off of the road network.

[monotonehell]

I think they should get rid of ticketing all together and make it free. That would make it more efficient and more attractive to use. It would be sort of like an reverse-toll for road users. Everyone pays for the public transport in state taxes, but it becomes a personal choice not to use it. What many don't realise is that they are already paying for the public transport they don't use. I think about 1/5th of the operating cost is covered by the ticket, while the remaining 4/5th comes from every tax payer. No ticketing would save money on ticket machines, enforcement and improved access and egress efficiency. It might take some pressure off of the road network.

In theory it's a good idea, but without a cost on a trip people start to view it to be worth nothing. That leads to all kinds of unhelpful attitudes toward it. It's a 'people are messed up, psychological' thing...

[koalaboy]

In theory it's a good idea, but without a cost on a trip people start to view it to be worth nothing. That leads to all kinds of unhelpful attitudes toward it. It's a 'people are messed up, psychological' thing...

In that case, how about free trips out of the city only? The main issue seems to be about getting people onto the buses as quickly as possible

[AtD]

There was a thread about this somewhere.

[AG]

In theory it's a good idea, but without a cost on a trip people start to view it to be worth nothing. That leads to all kinds of unhelpful attitudes toward it. It's a 'people are messed up, psychological' thing...

In that case, how about free trips out of the city only? The main issue seems to be about getting people onto the buses as quickly as possible

Which would probably result in a lot more trips taken by public transport in the evening peak than in the morning peak! I would think that the new ticketing system would improve the situation a fair bit if it's a proper touch-on card system - just need to look at it used in other cities to see how quick boarding times are!