Hi everyone, working on some media content for BTQ and I’m interested in if anyone has some notable examples of bad bus stop spacing in SEQ (specifically stops that are too close together, or that could otherwise be rationalised). As an example, here’s Swann Rd with a whole line of bus stops about 150m from each other, all served by the same route:
The stops near Swain St and Harold St on Logan Rd come to mind.
The inner western suburbs (Paddington etc) are lousy with them.
No idea why there are these stops for the 182 within spitting distance of the Broadwater Rd stop that’s also served by the 180. (Source: Openstreetmap)
[Edited to add:] ~140 metres between stops!
Musgrave road and waterworks road through red hill is particularly shocking. You can get off the bus and walk to the next stop before the bus will have made it in some cases.
199 in west end.
Stop 6 is very very close to both 5/7
Then stop 11 Hardgrave/Whynot is poorly located and very close to 10/12
Personally I’d like the 199 & 196 to alternate which stops they service on their shared section of Brunswick street - instead of stop removals.
With both 199&196 being BUZ’s the sheer volume of stops within close proximity boggles the mind.
Milton road stops 13/14 are VERY close on the 470 as well. (Then again most of the Milton road stops are quite close) - largely due to the hills in between them I believe.
Warrigal Rd looks to have a few set of stops that are close to each other.
All are very well used though, and towards the northern end Warrigal road is quite hilly
Looks like they are reactivating that bus stop on Brunswick Street outside Brunswick and Co. I was hoping that they would as there is a stop 40 m up from that stopp on the corner of Brunswick Street and Wickham Street that works well.
Which routes use that street that this stop is on?
What about the stops on Cracknell Rd?
Lamington Ave at Brassey St, Ascot seems to have very little reason for its existence. The Doomben Rail stop is 230 m away, and it’s very flat, no hills. Scrap it.
26,334,338,347,348,360,361,364 & FVal station rail buses.
I believe that the 338,347,348 will get moved back to this stop when it reopens, not too sure about the rest.
They will probably close the stop outside Waltons near Wickham Street when that building starts getting redeveloped.
I would also like them to close stop 211 inbound and combine with 212.
This one has bothered me for a while, but I’m not sure how to fix it (or even if it’s possible) worthwhile.
The northbound stop on Kingston Rd is served by 545, 551, and 561. You can’t get rid of it, because the 551/561 don’t turn into Wembley Rd.
The westbound stop on Wembley Rd is also serviced by the 545, and the 550. So, you can’t get rid of it, either, because the 550 needs to service this local shopping centre.
Maybe the 545 could skip the Wembley Rd stop, but would people find that too confusing?
Anyone needing to transfer between 545 and 550 could still do so at the Logan Central bus station.
That bus stop on Kingston Road is really awkwardly located. No only does it fall right between two driveway exits, but directly in front of it becomes a turn lane, so the 551 and 561 need to merge straight into the middle lane from this stop almost immediately. The opposite stop is squeezed between an intersection and a driveway as well.
The 545 I feel could bypass this stop pretty easily because it stops around the corner, and I don’t know how much interchange you would get between the 545 and 551/561. Unfortunately, there’s not much alternative for the Kingston Road routes - this is an important location that the 551/561 can’t not service, but there’s not really any better alternative for a stop.
One of my bugbears has existed for a long time now - the complete absence of any bus stops on Route 747 between Hooker Boulevard and Cottesloe Drive, including but not limited to stops at the Q Super Centre. The advice has always been to potentially use up to 3 buses to make a trip from Southport/Bundall (eg combination of 747, 741 and 751) instead of just taking the most direct route and being able to get off out the front.
I find it amazing that a shopping centre as substantial as the Q Super Centre - a three-supermarket centre with discount variety store and a Bunnings - doesn’t have any bus stops to service it. Even the stop the 751 uses it at an adjacent park/across Markeri Street.
Given the road layout I don’t have an issue with the current stops on Markeri St, just that there is nothing on Bermuda St when there easily could be.
I’d be aiming at providing bus stops in the following 3 locations. The 747 is a route that should eventually be a high frequency service given it is the only one that connects the 2 largest of the 3 principal regional activity centres in the city (Southport and Robina).
Top one at Santa Cruz Blvd would require a safe means of crossing Bermuda St on foot, which doesn’t exist (if you ignore walking all the way up to Hooker Blvd 400m north) but should. If that can be put in place either of the 2 spots shown would work as there appears to be enough room and no clashing movements. I don’t see this one happening.
The Q Super Centre seems to me to be the easiest one to deal with. Northbound stop as part of the slip-lane island (combined with installing the missing 4th pedestrian crossing), and southbound stop straight in front. Not ideal but nothing here would be and it means you don’t have to break through the concrete barriers on the northbound side of the road.
Further south at Karabella Court / Warriewood Place would need a bit of work on the northbound side to put a stop in and connect it through to the existing paths - southbound would be easier.
