I found myself having to go from New Farm to UQ and back yesterday which is a trip I’ve never done before, and for fun I decided to catch the bus (199 and M2) to get there, and then the ferry (F1) on the way back to compare the experience.
I’m not entirely sure why, perhaps it’s because I haven’t caught a CityCat in years, but I was shocked at how much longer the trip across town took on the ferry compared to two buses. I think it ended up being about 55 minutes, while the Google Maps recommended bus option got me there in 40 minutes and that included a 10 minute wait to transfer in the city.
Obviously the loop around west end vs the direct route through the PA and South Bank on the busway added time, but the slowest part of the journey actually seemed to be between the Captain Cook bridge and the Story Bridge which for some reason is a 6 knot (11km/h) zone now. Anyone know why? Is it because of the construction at Eagle Street or is this permanent?
The dwell time at some stops also seemed to be unnecessarily long, like there’s a fair bit of buffer built into the timetable. It might just be me, but the whole trip on the ferry just felt a lot slower than it used to be.