City bus layover and interchange feasibility study - Transport for ...

JULY 2012
City bus layover and interchange feasibility study
The ACT Government is seeking the community’s
comments on identifying a new site (or sites) for
City bus layover, and improvements to the City bus
interchange. This is an important project to help
improve the city’s public transport needs until 2026.
The possible bus layover locations
1. Corner of Barry Drive and Watson Street in Turner
What is a bus layover?
A bus layover is where drivers park buses and prepare
services between journeys. Bus layovers provide facilities
for drivers, such as a meal room and amenities. The time a
bus spends in a bus layover can vary from a few minutes to
around an hour.
The positioning of bus layover facilities is a critical element
of a city’s bus system in order to minimise ‘dead running’
and to increase service hours. Canberra currently has a City
bus layover on Marcus Clarke Street between Allsop Street
and University Avenue.
Why is the ACT Government undertaking
this project?
The existing City bus layover site has recently been
transferred to the Australian National University, which
intends to develop the site as part of the expansion to its
campus. It is therefore necessary to find a new location
for the City bus layover and to ensure it is well designed.
This could be one primary bus layover of size sufficient to
cater up to the year 2026 or a smaller primary bus layover
supplemented by one or more secondary bus layovers.
The relocation of the existing bus layover will change
the way in which some buses are routed through the
city. This may result in the need for some changes to the
existing City Bus Interchange, which is clustered around
the intersection of East Row and Alinga Street.
What stage is the project up to?
The first stage in this project identified over 20 options
for the location of a new City bus layover. Through a
range of technical analyses and initial consultation with
key stakeholders, this long list of options has now been
reduced to a list of three potential bus layover strategies.
You can read more about the study in the Preliminary
Options Report at www.transport.act.gov.au
ACT Government Environment and Sustainable Development
2. Corner of Barry Drive and Watson Street in Turner,
supplemented by a smaller, on-street bus layover
on Mort Street in Braddon
3. Constitution Avenue, opposite the city campus of
the Canberra Institute of Technology
Another possible option is to have a combination of
two bus layovers – one in Turner and one in Reid, thus
servicing the city from east and west.
www.transport.act.gov.au

What improvements are required to the
interchange?
The City bus interchange currently has 11 platforms
clustered at East Row, Mort Street, Alinga Street and
Northbourne Avenue. The interchange serves a large
number of bus routes into, out of and through the city.
Platforms 1-5 and 7-11 are used by ACTION buses,
while Platform 6 is assigned to Deane’s Buslines. With
increasing demand for services, particularly during peak
hour, the interchange is approaching capacity, with
overloading of some platforms already occurring during
peak times. We are considering a number of options
to increase capacity, improve passenger comfort and
streamline services at the interchange.
• Tell us what works
• What does not work
• What you would like to see improved?
Project activities
Review of relevant background information
Identification of a long list of bus layover options
Initial stakeholder consultation
Community consultation
Drop in and view more detailed information about the
bus layover study and talk to the project team.
When: 3.30–6.30pm, Tuesday 24 July 2012
Where: Pilgrim House at Canberra City
Uniting Church, 69 Northbourne Avenue, Civic
Have your say
Web: www.transport.act.gov.au or
www.timetotalk.act.gov.au
Email: transportplanning@act.gov.au
Post: City Bus Layover and Interchange Feasibility Study
PO Box 158, Canberra ACT 2601
Comments about the City bus layover and interchange
feasibility study close on Tuesday 4 September 2012.
Further opportunity
After the preferred option is developed around late
October 2012, there will be another opportunity for you
to provide your comments.
For more information
Call: Canberra Connect on 13 22 81
Web: www.transport.act.gov.au
Further technical analysis of bus layover options
Identification of a short list of bus layover strategies
WE ARE HERE
Online information on proposed options and
opportunity to submit feedback
Consultation event on potential bus layover strategies and
interchange improvements
Review of community feedback
Selection of preferred bus layover strategy
Development of business case including cost benefit analysis
Online information on preferred strategy and
opportunity to submit feedback
Review of community feedback
Finalisation of feasibility study
Existing City bus layover in the area surrounded by Allsop
Street, Marcus Clarke Street and University Avenue
ACT Government Environment and Sustainable Development
www.transport.act.gov.au