This is a concept of what future busway expansion could look like in Brisbane if we had serious funding. Some of these corridors should also be considered for later upgrade to higher capacity modes of transport. In light green is our current network, in white is what I’m suggesting we build and dashed white is other potential long term corridors that could be considered but aren’t needed any time soon.
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The most dire one I believe is needed is the one Micheal Berkman (MP for Maiwar) has proposed for years: a dedicated busway from Darra/Mt Ommaney to Toowong.
Second to that would be the one you’ve proposed across the Logan Motorway from Ipswich LGA to Loganlea and Loganholme. Although, a high frequency route would probably be the most preferred option; it would still be a gamechanger though.
All the proposed northern busways you’ve highlighted are duplicating existing routes 359 Albany Creek to City, 369 Mitchelton to Toombul, 379/380/381 along Waterworks Rd, and the Airport Line. All I would suggest there is improve the frequencies of the existing routes to a BUZ standard, especially the 359.
The eastern one along the Gateway Motorway is quite compelling - a transitway, at most? I suppose it would be needed in the next decade with how bad congestion is getting in the AM and PM peaks along that side of the City. I can’t think of much hypothetical routes, other then maybe having an express service from Eight Mile Plains to DFO, stopping only at Cannon Hill and Murarrie.
Why Murarrie specifically that’s already pretty close to Cannon Hill?
I assume austin meant Cannon Hill bus station, and Murrarie railway station.
Yeah, I was referencing towards the Cannon Hill bus station and the Murarrie railway station - I refrained from including Carindale bus station as it would make for a quite steep detour
Ok I see the rationale, but then at that point why not cannon hill train station, Murrarie station seems a bit quiet for an express bus.
I don’t have any objections to it, although in hindsight I can see both Barracks Road (Cannon Hill station) and Queensport Road (Murrarie station) being problematic as both have level crossings. Increased off peak and peak frequencies on the Cleveland line will only mean more waiting behind boom gates for motorists and buses.
Thus, I feel like the hypothetical route will take the approach of the Great Circle Line, which compromises by going over Creek Rd, servicing the less frequent Murarrie station, before going express over the Gateway.
The Northside needs a busway beyond Kedron. Yes the Northside transitway does exist and these bus routes do exist but Gympie Road is a disaster. Building a busway tunnel will be cheaper than proceeding with a road tunnel. And you could even extend the metro there. There could even be provisions for a future heavy rail tunnel as well
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UQ Busway Tunnel
The most important one I believe is a short tunnel under UQ from UQ Lakes to UQ Chancellors Place.
This short ~ 800m or so of tunnel is the key and missing piece to unlocking true East-West cross-town transport across Brisbane.
Think about it. You could travel from Wooloongabba, Carindale or Eight Mile Plains to Darra, Mt Ommaney, Indooroopilly or Toowong without once passing through the Brisbane CBD.
The costs would be relatively low because the tunnel is very short.
The benefits would be high because UQ is a huge trip generator, the bus services would be very frequent all day, and it is difficult to replicate competing trips by car.
The concept has enough merit IMO to proceed to a formal study. This could look at service patterns, costs, station location and design, flood mitigation/resilience, potential inclusion of a cycle link alongside the bus tunnel and cost/benefits.
Personally instead of Chancellor Place, I would connect it to Sir Fred Schonell Drive. And then at the connection there, I would have provisions for a future tunnel out to Indro and Wetsern Busway out to Kenmore and Jindalee.
You miss a lot of the benefit if you don’t serve the western side of the UQ campus.
I’m essentially proposing connecting it to the northwest of the campus instead of the southwest. More room to work with