Northern Beaches BRT: B-Line to transform Northern Beaches

[tonyp]

Are there that many cars with any passengers let alone two? I guess it does make for easy detection of offending vehicles.

I used to marvel at the number of tradies using the restricted lanes on the M2 with only themselves on board but often with a cement mixer or other such items in the back. I figured that perhaps they were assuming, from watching too much Bob the Builder, that these items are actually animated and thus qualified as persons for the purposes of the law.

[Swift]

Knowing their infantile driving , that wouldn't surprise at all would it?

[Mercedes3035]

Today a friend of mine spotted a B-Line decker at Northmead heading towards Parramatta. Any idea why it is so far out of its territory?

[tonyp]

https://transportnsw.info/travel-info/w ... rn-beaches

The Dee Why one a is a bit of a distance from the stop. It appears to be in a new development (undercover?).

[Frosty]

https://transportnsw.info/travel-info/w ... rn-beaches

The Dee Why one a is a bit of a distance from the stop. It appears to be in a new development (undercover?).

If you look up the location on Google Maps it shows up as the PCYC Northern Beaches so a new mixed development. https://www.pcycnsw.org.au/northern-beaches/

[Daniel]

Today a friend of mine spotted a B-Line decker at Northmead heading towards Parramatta. Any idea why it is so far out of its territory?

Heading to Smithfield for warranty work.

[Swift]

They would have to carefully plan which way to take a decker out there. Do they have a set route they must follow?

[boronia]

The should have. "Risk assessments" are part of WHS requirements for just about any activities these days.these days.

[tonyp]

Had a ride today north of Dee Why. The MAN isn't bad and the stepless gangway downstairs is of course terrific. Reasonable suspension but definitely a better ride downstairs than upstairs. Slow on hills. The lean on corners you can feel even downstairs, quite disturbing at first. My over-developed sense of physics made me think we are going to topple - dont like deckers. Hit my head on the ceiling both decks. I guess I should be grateful there are no ribs across the ceilings! Seat pitch is no good for me. Noisy compared to Nowra's new Scanias. Give me an artic any day, but I understand the need for higher seating capacity on a long haul.

I was amazed that the drivers wouldn't let anybody get on before everybody got off and of course everybody dawdles down from upstairs and the dwells are yawning.

As I already knew, these buses have a niche in the larger picture but anybody who thinks they're OK for typical core high turnover work is either dreaming or British!

[Swift]

Would chopping the top off make another dream low floor single decker? Aldi were selling battery powered angle grinders until recently.
Would be good for cutting out a third doorway too.

[tonyp]

I don't know that a third door would achieve much unless there was a second staircase (therefore meaning less seats and it might as well be an artic), but basically this bus is not about turnover. Nice wide centre door (is it wider than standard?) but it's excessively bureaucratic to delay entry until all are off. Perhaps it's another of those Union things?

I was there in afternoon peak. Massive number of buses running on the northern beaches, every couple of minutes. It would justify a tramline at least. Oh, wait ......

The headways of the B liners were a bit uneven but hardly blameable in that traffic and I saw little sign of those priority lanes. At those headways it probably matters little to pax as long as they don't start bunching.

MAN has a fully low floor single deck version of the Lions City Swiftie. I don't know whether its available in Australia yet though. A little later in the peak I sat in an eatery in Glebe watching all the STA buses going past with all the standees packed on the low floor and the back half of the buses underpopulated. The penny may drop some day.

[Swift]

I don't know that a third door would achieve much unless there was a second staircase (therefore meaning less seats and it might as well be an artic), but basically this bus is not about turnover. Nice wide centre door (is it wider than standard?) but it's excessively bureaucratic to delay entry until all are off. Perhaps it's another of those Union things?

I have said before, the new service should have been run completely autonomous from the STA and it's union, as a completely fresh slate. As can be seen here, draconian practises are already stunting it's performance.

[PoweredByCNG]

MAN has a fully low floor single deck version of the Lions City Swiftie. I don't know whether its available in Australia yet though. A little later in the peak I sat in an eatery in Glebe watching all the STA buses going past with all the standees packed on the low floor and the back half of the buses underpopulated. The penny may drop some day.

[Tonymercury]

Did someone mention three door deckers with two sets of stairs?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beCvVVsj-dM

[Swift]

Did someone mention three door deckers with two sets of stairs?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beCvVVsj-dM

Singapore sure know how to make us look like a public transport backwater. The MAN's front was gorgeous but I like the AD's back better. The MAN's taillights look Chinese.

[tonyp]

...

I was waiting, in that video, for a huge crowd to board and fill the low-floor at the back lol! Disappointed

This is a full low-floor bus!

Is that MAN in the video in UK?

[Tonymercury]

Meantime in Nimbyville2 -

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/palm-beach-dr ... 0tps1.html

[tonyp]

Meantime in Nimbyville2 -

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/palm-beach-dr ... 0tps1.html

The real hardships of affluence are underappreciated by most. Kudos to the SMH's sense of social justice in highlighting issues that few of us understand.

Meanwhile back at the ranch - in case you're wondering why the police, firies and ambos take so long to get to you and teachers are late for work:

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/stor ... elocating/

It's that 0510 all-stops mail train from Kiama.

[tonyp]

Another one is gone in Hong Kong:

https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/02/10/j ... n-trapped/

[Swift]

When a decker tips over, the forces would be much worse on the upper deck. Still amazed that so many died.

[Jurassic_Joke]

Although this is more for the Observations thread, was very disappointed to see when I was on B1 just leaving Mona, the driver went past the traffic light, then suddenly stop... I look up from the upper deck, hear an Opal ding and voices and realised that he just let on another few passengers that made a run for it, like, that really dissapointed me. The customer is NOT always right and really if you ask me, that shouldn’t have been done, it doesn’t matter that the road was quiet. Once you’re at or past the traffic lights, it isn’t really safe to open the doors again, but it’s amazing the lengths some bus drivers will go to, to bend over backwards for customers. Also looking at you N90 driver that stops at Great Western Hotel, oops sorry not going OT, I won’t submit feedback because I’ve been in a pretty good mood today to be fair, but really, next time...

Otherwise comment for this thread - I notice the B-Line operates one way differently than the rest of the buses. I’ve noticed now a couple of times that buses are seemingly not allowed to skip stops if the stop is empty AND no one has pressed the button, the bus stops there for about 30 seconds anyway regardless.

[swtt]

Otherwise comment for this thread - I notice the B-Line operates one way differently than the rest of the buses. I’ve noticed now a couple of times that buses are seemingly not allowed to skip stops if the stop is empty AND no one has pressed the button, the bus stops there for about 30 seconds anyway regardless.

The bus may have been early?

[Jurassic_Joke]

It was not. I checked on my app, we were actually 2 minutes late. Wish I could say we were early.

[Swift]

Acting as a train does. At least it lets you bury your head in a smart phone without having to constantly look out for a the upcoming bus.
That driver breaking the rules for stragglers needs a speaking to. Only the customers who got to the stop on time are right.

[hornetfig]

Acting as a train does.

Guards have been known to be "kind" to straggling intending passengers as well...