Northern Beaches BRT: B-Line to transform Northern Beaches

[kypros1992]

I guess the people opposing the extension were not the same ones complaining about having to change buses?

Here's the cherry bag
http://newport.org.au/wp-content/upload ... l-2018.pdf

 The steep downhill slope south of “the bends” makes this a very dangerous intersection, ( comparable to the original Mona Vale Rd roundabout at Warriewood where a number of people have died in horrific accidents).
 The roundabout area has a high beach related pedestrian activity making it doubly dangerous
 The roundabout will also create a significant traffic “pinch/choke point” with approx. 100 large buses per day turning through 360 degrees.
 Commuters and residents north of Newport are likely to suffer major traffic delays wiping out any theoretical benefit from alleged faster B-Line transit times to the city. Traffic would be banked up from North Avalon, Kamakazi Corner, the bends to the Newport roundabout. This would apply in both directions at weekday rush hour and weekends. I.e. TpNSW B-Line project team is creating choke points and increasing travel times not the reverse.
 Some of the existing Norfolk Pine trees seem almost certain to be sacrificed if not by initial lopping then by root damage.
 An iconic beach side carpark would be used to house commuter’s cars all day probably free of charge denying use to shoppers and beach users
 The design diagrams do not show any acceptably safe entrance/exit arrangement for residents (and rugby spectators) from Burke and Attunga Rds.
 There appears to be a lot of “unknowns” that should be “ known”. E.g. Need for tree lopping in the village
area, relocation of the 2.4 metre wide footpath, toilet facilities for drivers, potential loss of the netball court, unknown entrance and exit to the carpark, etc.

[tonyp]

About a century ago, designs were drawn up for extension of the Spit/Manly to Narrabeen tramway to Newport. In those days the locals welcomed it.

[Frosty]

Another case of B-Line NIMBYism this time in Cremorne. If this was in the inner-west government would ignore and go ahead but this being Liberal north shore locals will win.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/som ... 4zqsy.html

[swtt]

Another case of B-Line NIMBYism this time in Cremorne. If this was in the inner-west government would ignore and go ahead but this being Liberal north shore locals will win.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/som ... 4zqsy.html

Let's hope the locals won't.

I wonder if the locals will welcome Beaches Link?

Sent from my Huawei Mate 9 using Tapatalk

[Swift]

NWIMBY. No works in my back yard. Unbelievable how short sighted these folks are.

[tonyp]

A succinct summary of three non-necessities of life in one short paragraph! Dogs, grooming of dogs and cars being used for the purpose of delivering dogs to dog-groomers:

Justene Senior, owner of dog grooming business Dogue Cremorne, said: “[The parking restrictions] will ruin my business. I have a lot of customers who bring their dogs in their cars and these restrictions pose a real problem for customers.”

Roll on the parking restrictions.

[Swift]

A dog grooming salon is a good indicator of how snobbish and indulged the population of the area is!!

[ay7744]

The leaked Beaches Link document states that the B-Line would travel through the new Beaches Link tunnel, consequently skipping the dreaded Military Rd from when the tunnel opens around 2025/2026.

It also states that some Northern Beaches buses would be diverted away from the City to Victoria Cross to integrate with the new metro as well as some other buses being diverted away to RPA, Sydney Uni & Broadway via WHTBL. A new link would also open up between Manly/Balgowlah and St Leonards/Macquarie via BL & Lane Cove Tunnel.

Any thoughts?

[tonyp]

The leaked Beaches Link document states that the B-Line would travel through the new Beaches Link tunnel, consequently skipping the dreaded Military Rd from when the tunnel opens around 2025/2026.

It also states that some Northern Beaches buses would be diverted away from the City to Victoria Cross to integrate with the new metro as well as some other buses being diverted away to RPA, Sydney Uni & Broadway via WHTBL. A new link would also open up between Manly/Balgowlah and St Leonards/Macquarie via BL & Lane Cove Tunnel.

Any thoughts?

It sounds encouraging, double deckers and all!

[GazzaOak]

The leaked Beaches Link document states that the B-Line would travel through the new Beaches Link tunnel, consequently skipping the dreaded Military Rd from when the tunnel opens around 2025/2026.

It also states that some Northern Beaches buses would be diverted away from the City to Victoria Cross to integrate with the new metro as well as some other buses being diverted away to RPA, Sydney Uni & Broadway via WHTBL. A new link would also open up between Manly/Balgowlah and St Leonards/Macquarie via BL & Lane Cove Tunnel.

Any thoughts?

It sounds encouraging, double deckers and all!

They should build a bus interchange in north sydney (kinda like the one in bondi jct) and divert all the northern beaches/north shore/suburbs buses to north sydney. And then eventually build a metro to northern beaches (via chatswood, roseville chase, forestville, frenches forest (though the hostpital) and eventually to dee why.

If that happen, the b-line should still be kept, but with it diverting to Manly or North Sydney via Mosmen (with an interchange in dee why)

[Tonymercury]

The leaked Beaches Link document states that the B-Line would travel through the new Beaches Link tunnel, consequently skipping the dreaded Military Rd from when the tunnel opens around 2025/2026.

On the scale of NSW doing things expensively to make the Ministers statements come true, this is a lulu!

[Fleet Lists]

https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/news-a ... ps-forward

Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link take major steps forward
Published26 Jul 2018

A long-promised road connection has taken a major step forward today with the NSW Government releasing a detailed design for the Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link for further community consultation.

The Western Harbour Tunnel will create a western bypass of the CBD and take pressure off the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Anzac Bridge and Western Distributor. It will also cut a journey from Olympic Park to North Sydney by 13 minutes – or more than two hours a week.

The Beaches Link will, for the first time, provide a motorway link between the Northern Beaches and the rest of Sydney. It will also reduce the travel time from Brookvale to the CBD by 27 minutes and slash a trip from Dee Why to the Airport by 41 minutes.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said since announcing a preferred route last year the NSW Government has listened to the community and massively improved the locations for the ventilation outlets, reduced the number of properties to be acquired to 37 and sought to minimise construction impacts.

“We know the Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link are important projects that will benefit the wider road network,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“We also know this has been promised over many decades, but only the NSW Liberals & Nationals will deliver it because the strong economic management of this Government means these vital road connections are finally becoming a reality.

“We will continue to listen to the community and we want to stress that even these improved plans are subject to further community consultation and are subject to further change.”

Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Melinda Pavey said the NSW Government had committed $550 million to the projects in the recent Budget. The final cost will be determined when a final design and financing options from the private sector have been finalised.

“We want to be up front with the community now and say the Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link will be tolled, but as always there will be a free alternative,” Mrs Pavey said.

The detailed design for the Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link will now be subject to extensive community consultation until November, with feedback to be taken on board to refine the design, ahead of the planning assessment phase.

Early works on the projects, expected to start later this year, include initial work around the Warringah Freeway and initial work to allow the Western Harbour Tunnel to connect to the Rozelle Interchange.

Subject to planning approvals and finalised financing and procurement major construction is due to begin in 2020 with the tunnels expected to open to traffic by 2026.

The Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link are part of the NSW Government’s record investment in both public transport and roads, including Sydney Metro Northwest, Sydney Metro City & Southwest, Sydney Metro West, WestConnex and NorthConnex.

Also see http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/whtbl
and http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/pro ... update.pdf

[tonyp]

Those time-savings will apply for the short time before induced demand fills it up and turns into a carpark again - public transport patronage falling correspondingly. It's an endless loop that it seems we'll never break out of.

[grog]

I’m not as sure about that with the tolls they are charging on all of these new roads, and the 4% annual escalation rate... surely there is a breaking point where the tolls act as a defacto congestion charge.

[Swift]

The way the Australian mind works is to use the tolls then complain about them, not avoid them in the first place. Plus the toll barons ensure its sewn up so as rat running is as unattractive or prohibitive as possible. We know how successful these corporations have been in the past at getting our collective foe, the major party we were naive enough to elect on our behalf, to get them what they want.

[mandonov]

https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/news-a ... for-safety

Making a B-Line for safety
13 Sep 2018

A safety device offering customers a new level of protection has been rolled out across the NSW Government’s hugely successful and popular B-Line bus fleet.

All B-Line buses will trial Mobileye, a forward-facing collision avoidance technology system developed by tech giant Intel.

Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said the state-of-the art safety feature could benefit all road users.

“Public transport safety is a top priority for this Government so investing in a trial of technology that could save lives and prevent injuries was an easy decision to make,” Mr Constance said.

“Our B-Line drivers will now have a third eye on the road to help keep customers and other road users safe.

“The addition of Mobileye will ensure B-Line remains one of Australia’s most high-tech public bus fleets. They already have in-seat USB chargers and real time service information for passenger convenience, we hope this safety feature adds further assurance.”

The Mobileye device fitted to B-Line buses is a system which uses audio and visual signals to alert a driver to potential collisions and provide lane departure warnings.

State Transit CEO Steffen Faurby revealed the advanced driver assistance technology was first used on a B-Line bus earlier this year before being rolled out to all 38 B-Line buses.

“We are in the early stages of assessing Mobileye but anything that may assist our drivers with incidents outside of their control is well worth looking at,” Mr Faurby said.

“We know from our testing in February that the technology can work but now it needs to be evaluated in our challenging operating environment.”

Demo videos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8s91v2evnmdx ... qxzka?dl=0.

[Swift]

Saw it on the news last night. Gee those Gemilang deckers look good!