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.
I believe this is because there is boat mooring between the Captain Cook Bridge and the Story Bridge. You have to restrict the speed to ensure these boats don’t break from their anchors.
Why we let boats moor there is an entirely different discussion…
That is essentially what MBC is investigating at the moment. Mayor Peter Flannary was very excited about Baycats. The proposal in the article was a few years ago and was based largely on using Ecat ferries built in Tasmania. They have recently sold a huge car ferry to Argentina. Whether or not this gets more traction remains to be seen. The state government were supposed to be doing some dredging around shipping lanes in Mooloolaba.
@Verbatim9 i think that merge isnt correct as this thread is about brisbane river while one discussed before merge was to do with moreton bay area with potential island links or jetty to jetty therefore different scope
In general, I think a ferry from Moreton Bay City to the Brisbane CBD is an absurd idea. I could see a use for Caloundra—Bribie Island—Redcliffe, though. Whether it’s something that’s worth funding from the public purse is a different matter.
Currently, Caloundra to Bribie (Benabrow Ave, Bellara) by PT is ~ 2 hours. Bribie to Redcliffe is about the same, maybe about 15-20 minutes longer.
Bribie to Redcliffe could easily be halved. Not so sure about Bribie to Caloundra, due to low speed limits in some parts of Pumicestone Passage.
Might make PT more competitive with driving, which is 48 minutes off-peak, according to Google Maps.
As to how many people would travel from Bribie <> Redcliffe, I have no clue. It might end up being more of a tourist attraction than needed public transport.