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Would you prefer to walk a little further to a bus stop with frequent services (eg: buses every 5 to 15 minutes), or a bus stop closer to home with less frequent services (eg: every 45 minutes)?
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Comment 1 28 Jul 2009, 1:46 PM
ABSOLUTELY!!!
Comment 2 28 Jul 2009, 9:37 PM
It depends. On my regular commute I'm happy to walk a bit further (and do). But if I'm catching a bus later at night I'd rather get something that drops me right at the door (and the interchanges are dodgy). Sadly if I have dinner in civic on a friday night all the buses that get close to my door stop running by about 7:30pm.
Comment 3 30 Jul 2009, 11:45 AM
Where's the third option - a stop with frequent services near my house? I don't see that this should be an either/or choice!
You also haven't really framed what "further" and "closer" means - this is highly dependent on the mobility of the person answering the question.
I would prefer to walk no more than 10 minutes to a stop that had services every 5-15 minutes.
Also, where people are likely to have to wait for longer periods for less frequent services, the stop needs to be well lit and in a busy area so that it's a safe wait. Currently I have a choice of two stops within 10 minutes walk of my house. One has more services than the other, but at night I'd rather not use the frequent stop because it's in the middle of nowhere.
Comment 3.1 30 Jul 2009, 9:41 PM
If people are waiting longer, it becomes a timetabled service, ie, you check the table before you go so you only end up waiting 5 mins.
If it's a frequent service (~10 mins or better) then you don't bother with a timetable, but are only waiting on average about 5 mins anyway.
The problem at the moment is if you're transferring buses and miss the connection (but then you're at an interchange (for around 0.5hr!!), which <i>should</i> be well-lit, good amenity etc (but obviously isn't always), or you try to navigate the Action website, fail miserably, and just wait at the stop (which may or may not have enough information for you to decide if it's worth going and have a coffee while you wait).
Comment 4 30 Jul 2009, 11:45 AM
Would be happy to walk a little further to a bus stop with more frequent services.... but define a little further.
Comment 5 30 Jul 2009, 11:53 AM
The more frequent the better! Also more frequent services on the weekends and at night.
Comment 6 30 Jul 2009, 12:07 PM
Why can't you just increase the frequency of routes overall? Yes, I understand that means buying more buses, but that seems like a pretty sensible thing to do in a city which has physically expanded in the last 20 years.
Are you proposing buses which don't visit all stops on a route?
Comment 7 30 Jul 2009, 9:11 PM
Walk further, more regular buses.
Comment 8 30 Jul 2009, 9:37 PM
I would like to see an integrated planning scheme that has more housing on high frequency routes. That way the stop is close to home, and frequent.
Given the current state of affairs, I would pick the more frequent service at longer distance; pedsheds for rail stations (say 10min frequency) are about 800m (10 min walk) and that type of arrangement seems preferable to a stop <400m away but that arrives only once an hour.
Comment 9 31 Jul 2009, 7:16 AM
Definitely walk a little further with more frequent buses. I really think there is more efficiency with simpler routes that service a wider geographical area. For example, does a bus need to wind through the middle of every South Belconnen suburb or could it just race down Belconnen Way? And if I know that there will be a bus every 10-15 minutes I won't have to worry so much about missing one and then having to wait. Less stress, consulting of timetables etc.
Comment 10 31 Jul 2009, 1:17 PM
More frequent, further to walk.
Ideally, frequently enough to not need a timetable, i.e. a service every 5-10 mins. The intertown buses should not need a timetable now, why does one exist? Just say “between 7:30 and 9am – every 5 mins” etc. people get less upset if their bus is 2 mins late if there is no timetable.
Comment 10.1 31 Jul 2009, 10:23 PM
The problem with the current Intertown route is the fact that services continue onwards to out lying destinations. The No Timetable idea is great, however only if the route was travelling Tuggeranong, Woden, City, Belconnen and vv like the famed 333. Because of the current system, passengers like to know when the next bus to their destination actually is. I Agree with your point, however as I said the main problem is these routes which continue onwards where a timetable is required along the intertown route.
Comment 11 31 Jul 2009, 9:20 PM
More frequent.
Comment 12 31 Jul 2009, 10:28 PM
It is all dependent on the distance to the other bus stop to get that service. As it stands, I will take the 10 minute walk to Erindale if needed to catch a bus if I miss one (Especially on Weekends). However, I am lucky as it is only 10 minutes walk away.
So I will say Yes I am prepared to walk a small distance to a more frequent stop, but only if that stop is within 15 minutes away. Anything further than that I would just wait for the next bus!
Comment 13 2 Aug 2009, 9:25 PM
Longer walks would be fine, but keeping in mind not all residents will be able to walk long distances.
Some areas should not expect to have buses every 15 minutes if there is not sufficient demand for services.
The most sensible daytime option would be express services on the intertown routes with expanded intertown services to cover other main roads (i.e. the parkway and monaro hwy) and run every 5 minutes or so. Coordinated short suburb/area services should drop passengers off at points along the intertown (not normally an interchange) where the intertown would drop off only at interchanges.
Comment 14 6 Aug 2009, 8:54 AM
1) I favour frequent services, however due to mobility problems walking further is not an option for me e.g. to Northbourne Avenue.
2) I do not understand why this question is limited to a walk and ride option. Ideally, I would like to ride to a bus stop, lock up my bike, have a sheltered seat to sit on, view a Real Time Passenger Information Display please, and then get on a bus (with easy access - it makes such a difference!).
Comment 15 6 Aug 2009, 9:00 AM
3) Proximity to home is only part of the trip. I want too reduce my trip times in total. So the proximity of bus stops to common-use destinations too e.g. universities/CITs, library, swimming pools, shops etc. is also important to me. For example the intertown routes are close to the National Library.
4) I want to be able to combine my trips to do errands, shopping, work and recreation as I would in Melbourne getting on and off trams. This would be particularly handy in Gungahlin, Civic and Acton for me.
Comment 16 9 Aug 2009, 11:35 AM
A bus stop closer to home but maybe have some stops designated express stops so they have a more frequent service
Comment 17 14 Aug 2009, 12:59 PM
The periods I have used the bus most have been when I have been injured or been too crook to ride my bike. Many of my fellow travellers where elderly, or in a similar condition to me. I don't think making people walk further is a good solution.
Comment 18 27 Aug 2009, 8:29 PM
Personally, I would be quite happy to walk a little further to access a frequent service. This would be provided that the combination of longer walking time and more frequent service resulted less time spent in transit and waiting, measured as time I needed to leave before needing to be somewhere. For example, if I had to be in Civic at 9am, the journey time would be measured as the time between leaving and 9am. An infrequent local service might necessitate leaving home at 7.40, catching an earlier service at 7.45, and being in Civic at 8.20. It would be preferable to leave at 8, walk for 12', catch a bus at 8.15 and arrive in Civic at 8.55.
Consideration should be given to those who have mobility problems, however. Perhaps frequent, more direct routes could be added in addition to infrequent very local services.