TransGoldfields joints the dinosaur era

[governor362]

Well done to the PTA
Finally Kalgoorlie bus commuters are able to use the Multi Rider system which has been removed from the Perth Metro Area. Great to see the PTA are keeping country towns up to date with technology.

[PaxInfo]

Well done to the PTA
Finally Kalgoorlie bus commuters are able to use the Multi Rider system which has been removed from the Perth Metro Area. Great to see the PTA are keeping country towns up to date with technology.

It must be about time for the PTA going to put their (and other regional city operator) timetables on the web?

I understand their routes have been restructured since a few years ago when it seemed that every trip between Hannan St & Boulder took a different route to the previous!

Peter

[<smarTTrams>]

... Finally Kalgoorlie bus commuters are able to use the Multi Rider system which has been removed from the Perth Metro Area...

Back in May I started the thread New Transwa MultiRider 10 Tickets?? which fizzled out without anyone providing any further information.

The MultiRiders mentioned in the link http://www.transwa.wa.gov.au/default.aspx?tabid=156 were only available for Avonlink and Australind services.

What I have deduced (whether correctly I don't know) is that the new Transwa multiriders will be accepted by Transperth staff for passengers to travel on Transperth services to complete their journey after arrival at East Perth (on Avonlink) or Perth (on the Australind). (Presumably, previously, people with the old Transwa MultiRiders would have been able to insert them in the (now-withdrawn) Transperth MultiRider machines to complete their journey.

If this is the case, it wouldn't cover travel by Transperth services to East Perth or Perth before travel on Avonlink or Australind, but it probably never did anyway.

Your information, governor362, just adds to my curiosity. Would it be feasible to have a MultiRider for the Prospector I wonder? Would you want to have one, if it were available?

<smarTTrams> ... coming ... <smarTTrams> ... going ...<smarTTrams>

PS
How is the Prospector doing these days? Have its earlier problems been overcome?

[governor362]

I understand their routes have been restructured since a few years ago when it seemed that every trip between Hannan St & Boulder took a different route to the previous!

They now have a semi standard route, though I believe that still depends on the driver.

[actually]

I have the latest timetable. Its nicely presented. There are 3 fixed routes all of which take about 30 minutes to complete depending on the time of day.

[governor362]

Would it be feasible to have a MultiRider for the Prospector I wonder? Would you want to have one, if it were available?

As far as I can see atm the multi riders only go to 8 zones. This is a trip from Kalgoorlie to Kambalda. So no not feasible for a trip to Perth on the Prospector.
Would I use it - NO.
I prefer to travel on the bus - Goldrush Tours - http://www.goldrushtours.com.au

[PaxInfo]

I have the latest timetable. Its nicely presented. There are 3 fixed routes all of which take about 30 minutes to complete depending on the time of day.

Interesting. So what are the routes and what sort of service frequencies do they run?

My guesses would be:

1. Hannans - Boulder via Maritana St, Central Kalgoorlie & highway past the bus depot

2. Lamington - Boulder via Central Kalgoorlie (maybe via Lionel St)

3. Kalgoorlie - Boulder via Hannan St, O'Connor, Somerville, Oasis & Burt St

Peter

[actually]

heres the t/t..

[PaxInfo]

Thanks actually.

Looking at it, it's a big simplification of what was previously run with hourly clockface running most of the time.

Hannans gets a big service improvement, while spans seem to be slighly better. The half-hourly Kalgoorlie-Boulder service appears to be a little less consistent now (2 buses an hour but 20/40 min apart) but with fewer route variations.

Overall service is less intensive than Bunbury but far superior to Geraldton.

I wonder if they've persisted in those tiny timetables in the 1m stop posts or gone to something more conventional (eg A4-sized holder on pole).

Peter

[actually]

heres a bus stop with t/t.


Its a good service in Kal. I went for a ride on each trip and loading was good in the middle of the day. Hannens was the quietest service. I was told theres a possible 4th service in the wind that would go past the railway stn. At the moment theres no service past the railway stn. Gero could improve alot with their services and Im sure that will happen in time. Albany also has good town service.

[PaxInfo]

heres a bus stop with t/t. Its a good service in Kal. I went for a ride on each trip and loading was good in the middle of the day. Hannens was the quietest service. I was told theres a possible 4th service in the wind that would go past the railway stn.

Those stops/timetables are a huge improvement over when I was last there in April 2004. And the only paper timetable you could get then was a rough A4 sheet from the tourist bureau with no map.

My ideal network then (when I had too much time in Kal!) was a combined 30 min service between Boulder CBD - Kalgoorlie CBD - Kalgoorlie hospital, with alternating trips to Lamington West & Hannans shopping centre (60 min each). Plus a combined 30 min service along Hannan St as far as Lionel St, with one continuing to Boulder via Somerville and Oasis and the other down Lionel St (maybe deviating into Adeline and/or Oasis) to Boulder. And maybe a fifth to the railway station, backpackers hostels then the industrial area & West Lamington. If slack time allows, maybe start the Hannan St routes at the top end of town near the museum/poppet head.

Ideally all would be arranged to arrive at the main crossroads near the Exchange Hotel at :45 and :15 and depart at :50 and :20, allowing connections between all the main directions and for appointments & work starts/finishes on the hour and half hour to be kept.

I don't know if improvements are planned for Geraldton; their services had been reviewed a few years ago and had been improved when I was there in 2003. There were service improvements but they're not as good as Kalgoorlie - suburban services are very limited (about 3 or 4 a day?) and most attention was given to providing the free town shuttle every 45 min around the hospital, CBD, Northgate, etc.

Peter

[actually]

Gero has a very limited town service exept for the "clipper" service. Its a shame because Gero has changed alot in recent years and is quite a nice place. Albany and Gero have about the same -ish population wise.....Gero maybe a little bigger so an improved service would be great. Gero bus service has friendly drivers and a nice modern fleet which could easily expand the town services. I guess its upto govt funding at the end of the day.

[PaxInfo]

Gero has a very limited town service exept for the "clipper" service. Its a shame because Gero has changed alot in recent years and is quite a nice place. Albany and Gero have about the same -ish population wise.....Gero maybe a little bigger so an improved service would be great. Gero bus service has friendly drivers and a nice modern fleet which could easily expand the town services. I guess its upto govt funding at the end of the day.

That and the style of service people want. Geraldton's caters more for seniors living within 1-2km of the CBD wanting to access various attractions; Kalgoorlie's is more a conventional suburban service.

I haven't timetabled it in detail, but if routes were direct Geraldton could just about get a Kalgoorlie-like service for not much more than the resources currently spent on the town service.

This could comprise two routes: 1 - a fast north-south route for the main north and south coastal corridors and 2 - a circular service incorporating the more central suburbs of Rangeway, Wonthella and Beachlands.

1. could be Sunset Beach - Bluff Pt - Breresford - Northgate SC - Geraldton CBD - Tarcoola Beach - Wandina. If it stuck to the main roads and deviated into town via Chapman Rd and Cathedral Ave it may be possible to squeeze an hourly service from one bus.

2. could be a single direction anti-clockwise route for closer in (direction chosen for left-hand turns!). Eg Northgate - Geraldton CBD - Beachlands - Rangeway - Utakarra - Wonthella - Northgate - Geraldton CBD. Again possibly doable in an hour so one bus needed.

Interchange could be timed for either Northgate or Chapman Rd with simultaneous arrivals/departures to permit transfer from one service to the two others.

The problem is that these routes would be direct and wouldn't deviate to as many places as the current routes. Hence some walking distances would be longer, especially to areas currently on the town loop.

Those who live in the CBD near the current free route would be the main losers, especially if a fare was charged.

Still a fare might recoup perhaps 10% of operating costs, and this could go into little things like timetables and upgrading/maintaining stop info. Not much but every bit helps.

For people outside the free loop, they might have to walk a bit further to their stops (and the pedestrian environment on say the Brand or NWC Hwys isn't as pleasant as a local street) but they'd then get a much faster service that goes pretty much anywhere in the built-up area.

Peter