Friday, February 22, 2013

Manly Ferry reviewed

The Bureau of Transport Statistics have released ferry patronage data.  It seems that the iconic Manly ferries actually experience their peak patronage outside of what is normally considered peak hour.  In fact the Manly ferries peak at 83% of seated loaded in the morning peak.  Given that the ferries only come approximately every half an hour, it seems clear that these add only modest value as a commuter service.  There is a sizable number of people making a commute from the area near the wharf, most notably on the E65 bus.  There is no reasonable feeder bus service to the ferry wharf and using the reasonable speed catamaran ferries (around 18 minutes to Circular Quay) would mean that you can't use a MyMulti for the combined journey.

Conclusion:
Time the Freshwater class vessels were retired and the fast ferries included in MyZone fares, running more frequently.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Diversion of some AM peak Harbour Bridge buses via the Cahill Expressway

As of Monday 18th February, 2013, selected M2 routes (620, 642, 650, 652) will enter the CBD in the morning via the Cahill Expressway, Transport for NSW has announced.

This is a several years overdue move.  Anecdotal evidence is that this has made an impact on the queues leading in to the York St bottleneck.

The inference I read from this is that these routes will not be removed after the NWRL is implemented.  Given that they would not feed an NWRL station anyway, more like Pennant Hills and Beecroft they are planned to stay and hence a solution needs to be found for them.

So what of the other routes in the North West?  Why would they become feeder routes?

Monday, February 11, 2013

Clover Moore now wants the Light Rail to be in a tunnel through Surry Hills

According to an article from The Telegraph, it seems that Clover Moore is now calling for a tunnel under Devonshire St to prevent the Light Rail from having to go past a few people's houses.

Honestly, if the Light Rail was ever to be built it had to go past someone's house and not all of those people are going to be happy about it.  Surely she should have thought about this before spending more than a decade calling for it.  Putting it in a tunnel also appears to make it not provide any service for the people it is bypassing which is an interesting outcome.

All this really shows is that Clover Moore is only interested in scoring political points.  Time she wasn't listened to at all any more.