BusConnects Dublin - Big changes to Bus Network

Last Stop

donvito99 wrote: »

The only one I've seen in operation is on Templeogue Road. Locals will not stop for it.

So it's not so much a broken wheel as it is a system that was never properly implemented or abandoned with subsequent changes to other junctions.

So what makes you think that the new ones will work?

donvito99

Last Stop wrote: »

So what makes you think that the new ones will work?

I don't think they will and I never said they would. Calm down lad.

Last Stop

donvito99 wrote: »

I don't think they will and I never said they would. Calm down lad.

Fair enough.

This does strike me as a massive compromise to bus priority. Even over a short distance, the bus will be caught behind cars and with such high frequencies, bunching is inevitable!!

PhilOssophy

I dunno if it is still there but there used to be a bus priority thingie up towards Terenure and it was a complete waste of time. It took about 15-20 minutes to get through Terenure cross roads no matter what. Maybe it has improved but I remember when I lived out that way I used to walk to beyond Terenure and get a bus from there because that system did not work.
The only way people would obey it is if it had a red light camera on it but even then, it is an ideal world scenario which is often ruined by what else is around it, such as 2 roads into 1 a la Terenure.

dublinman1990

Oh I have to tell you. I am loving these new videos on BusConnects CBC's. Here is another one on the Bus Gate simulation.

Thelonious Monk

I posted this elsewhere but I find it incredibly satisfying to watch, hopefully Bus Connects ends up like this

https://twitter.com/HorneJerome/status/1235568774729908226

Also, are we ever going to get taxis out of bus lanes? That needs to happen.

Hotblack Desiato

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Also, are we ever going to get taxis out of bus lanes? That needs to happen.

But that would involve putting the public interest ahead of a vested interest...

pk1991

Does anybody know anything about the revised network? I was under the impression that the NTA were aiming for a Q1 2020 release of the final version?

huddledDuke12

pk1991 wrote: »

Does anybody know anything about the revised network? I was under the impression that the NTA were aiming for a Q1 2020 release of the final version?

With all of this COVID-19 stuff, I would say this will likely be put off indefinitely.

I'm very surprised at how operational public transport has been over the past few days.

loyatemu

huddledDuke12 wrote: »

I'm very surprised at how operational public transport has been over the past few days.

fewer passenger and less traffic. If there were no passengers and no traffic the transport system would be amazing!

donvito99

A commute by bus for me has gone from about 40mins on average to just over 20mins with the outbreak of COVID 19. So that's an approximate 50% reduction in journey time as a result of near empty buses, every other stop being served and no traffic.

The Core Bus Corridor that I'm on is said to have journeys that take as long as 75mins today, reduced to 25-30mins post Bus Connects.

If conditions today are arguably better than what Bus Connects will provide, how realistic are these future journey times? Obviously Bus Connects is about other things like reliability and cycling, but I'd be interested to see the basis for these estimates.

cgcsb

donvito99 wrote: »

A commute by bus for me has gone from about 40mins on average to just over 20mins with the outbreak of COVID 19. So that's an approximate 50% reduction in journey time as a result of near empty buses, every other stop being served and no traffic.

The Core Bus Corridor that I'm on is said to have journeys that take as long as 75mins today, reduced to 25-30mins post Bus Connects.

If conditions today are arguably better than what Bus Connects will provide, how realistic are these future journey times? Obviously Bus Connects is about other things like reliability and cycling, but I'd be interested to see the basis for these estimates.

Obviously the journey times assume normal conditions there's no global pandemics in the transport model.

Last Stop

donvito99 wrote: »

A commute by bus for me has gone from about 40mins on average to just over 20mins with the outbreak of COVID 19. So that's an approximate 50% reduction in journey time as a result of near empty buses, every other stop being served and no traffic.

The Core Bus Corridor that I'm on is said to have journeys that take as long as 75mins today, reduced to 25-30mins post Bus Connects.

If conditions today are arguably better than what Bus Connects will provide, how realistic are these future journey times? Obviously Bus Connects is about other things like reliability and cycling, but I'd be interested to see the basis for these estimates.

Projects like this often exaggerate the benefits to justify the costs. Didn’t the college green planning fall down on journey times? From recollection the board inspector tried one of the routes and found that the modelling grossly underestimated journey times in the area.

To be fair though, even on days like today, there are some additional features of Busconnects such as removal of cash fares and rationalisation of bus stops which will improve journey times.

These measures however will be countered by bunching of buses particularly on a number of corridors where the proposed number of services exceeds the design capacity of a CBC

donvito99

cgcsb wrote: »

Obviously the journey times assume normal conditions there's no global pandemics in the transport model.

My point is that, even in the midst of a global pandemic when conditions are probably superior to what Bus Connects will provide, the service isn't reaching the reduction proposed by Bus Connects.

donvito99

https://twitter.com/Costellop/status/1243147503861628930

An update from the
@BusConnects
team - due to Covid restrictions another public consultation will be run later this year.

The current consultation will still continue so dont worry if you have already made a submission, and there will be full engagement again later this year!

PopePalpatine

Looks like we're letting a good crisis go to waste.

Zebra3

Absolute shambles.

cgcsb

Are people going to be better able to make submissions when they're back in work? What's the logic?

CatInABox

cgcsb wrote: »

Are people going to be better able to make submissions when they're back in work? What's the logic?

I'd say that the reason they're doing another consultation after this is all over is that they had to cancel the in person meetings. I'd imagine that if someone was to go to court over this, it'd be easy to argue that they didn't have the necessary consultation due to the fact that they announced public meetings and then cancelled them.

Frustrating, but NTA do seem to be doing this right, legally speaking at least.

Peregrine

There's no way the NTA could get away with calling this period the final public consultation and get away with it. The September one will be more like a continuation of this as opposed to a new phase.

cgcsb

All submissions are in writing though. The meetings are material to the consultation, there's no new information at the meetings that isn't already in the booklets and questions can still be answered electronically. When this crisis is over and people have to go back to crushing themselves onto PT after a period of chilled home working there'll be a lot of anger at the inaction. We're 2 years into this project, not even a planning application completed.

Peregrine

cgcsb wrote: »

All submissions are in writing though. The meetings are material to the consultation, there's no new information at the meetings that isn't already in the booklets and questions can still be answered electronically. When this crisis is over and people have to go back to crushing themselves onto PT after a period of chilled home working there'll be a lot of anger at the inaction. We're 2 years into this project, not even a planning application completed.

Try telling a judge that the 80 year old whose front garden is being CPOed had every chance to meet with a solicitor on Skype and could have Zoomed the NTA after reading the online documents. It won't fly.

If it was a consultation to built a motorway near my house and they tried to do it during a global pandemic, I would be livid. The same goes for this even if I support it.

Hell, I haven't been able to meet up with some people that I had intended to share notes with.

CatInABox

Peregrine wrote: »

Try telling a judge that the 80 year old who's front garden is being CPOed had every chance to meet with a solicitor on Skype and could have Zoomed the NTA after reading the online documents. It won't fly.

If it was a consultation to built a motorway near my house and they tried to do it during a global pandemic, I would be livid. The same goes for this even if I support it.

Hell, I haven't been able to meet up with some people that I had intended to share notes with.

Particularly so considering that the NTA announced that there would be public meetings as part of the consultation. I'd imagine that the local area consultations for Metrolink, which are online only, would continue without any trouble, as they were never meant to have public meetings.

cgcsb

Peregrine wrote: »

Try telling a judge that the 80 year old who's front garden is being CPOed had every chance to meet with a solicitor on Skype and could have Zoomed the NTA after reading the online documents. It won't fly.

If it was a consultation to built a motorway near my house and they tried to do it during a global pandemic, I would be livid. The same goes for this even if I support it.

Hell, I haven't been able to meet up with some people that I had intended to share notes with.

People facing CPO are contacted directly. Their internet access isn't a problem. They've already been having consultation with the NTA for years, long before the pandemic.

PhilOssophy

Are people really suggesting they plough on here and have a public consultation?

Polar101

https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0513/1138062-nbru-transport-reform/
NBRU calls for Metro and Bus Connects projects to be abandoned

NBRU wants to get rid of Metro and Bus Connect, and instead build a rail line to Navan, the airport and between Heuston and Connolly. And they want to finish the Western Corridor as well.

Not sure if understand the logic of dumping Busconnect.

Peregrine

Polar101 wrote: »

https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0513/1138062-nbru-transport-reform/
NBRU calls for Metro and Bus Connects projects to be abandoned

NRBU wants to get rid of Metro and Bus Connect, and instead build a rail line to Navan, the airport and between Heuston and Connolly. And they want to finish the Western Corridor as well.

Not sure if understand the logic of dumping Busconnect.

NBRU were completely against the network redesign and were actively spreading lies about it. They were quiet about Core Bus Corridors and are now calling for BRT anyway so it looks like they want the entire project to be dropped just to get rid of the network changes.

Unless the article gets a lot of traction, I'm inclined to not give it oxygen. Half of it is crazy. As the NBRU might say: it's based on what's desired, not what's needed.

Cookie_Monster

who cares what NBRU thinks or wants. They have no qualification in the field and should be listened to just as much as Starbuck's opinion on it.

wotswattage

From the article:

To this end it says both Bus Connects and the Metro in Dublin should be dropped and that Bus Rapid Transit systems could solve congestion in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway at the fraction of the cost.

These would require dedicated roadways and priority junctions for buses.

Is that not in essence what Bus Connects is ? (correct me if I'm missing something)
Good to see it being proposed in the other cities

jams100

Polar101 wrote: »

https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0513/1138062-nbru-transport-reform/
NBRU calls for Metro and Bus Connects projects to be abandoned

NBRU wants to get rid of Metro and Bus Connect, and instead build a rail line to Navan, the airport and between Heuston and Connolly. And they want to finish the Western Corridor as well.

Not sure if understand the logic of dumping Busconnect.

NBRU are just looking for attention and sadly they are getting it. I wouldn't be surprised if the government did drop the metro as no government in Ireland has any foresight whatsoever. In two years we'll be back to the same ****e as 3 months ago.