The O-bahn

[Jim]

It’s a shame that the O-bahn does not support regional shopping centres, higher density housing, hotels and community facilities at its Klemzig or Paradise interchanges with heaps more parking. While well landscaped with trees, sort of desolate lonely places at night.

[AtD]

One of the O-bahn's biggest problems is it simply doesn't go far enough. I know monotone is saying it's a 6 minute delay, but I know I've been in buses that take 20 minutes to reach the track from the Grenfell Street stop (especially when going via the RAH). Obviously more bus priority is required along the route. I find it strange that the ACC/DTEI feel a few dozen 15 minute car parks are more important than a bus lane.

I would like to see (in order of probability):
- Bus lanes along the length of Hackney Road (and thus a widening of the bridge over the river)
- Bus lanes along the entire length of Grenfell and Currie Streets, and the removal of all car parking, at least in peak.
- Removal of all left turns in peak onto King William Street and left turns heading north on Frome Road in afternoon peak
- Four lanes of bus lanes during peak leaving only two lanes of traffic, and no turns at almost every intersection (Getting really optimistic now)
- Or better still, closure of Grenfell/Currie Streets to traffic, with four bus lanes and two protected bike lanes down the centre.

Or pigs might fly!

[monotonehell]

It’s a shame that the O-bahn does not support regional shopping centres, higher density housing, hotels and community facilities at its Klemzig or Paradise interchanges with heaps more parking. While well landscaped with trees, sort of desolate lonely places at night.

While I can see some merit in some high density housing at the interchanges, they aren't destinations in themselves. They were never intended to be. Instead they intersect the PT systems routes and allow buses to enter and leave the track to service the sprawl around them.

That's one negative of the OBahn as compared to trains, it doesn't have the same driver to encourage TODs as a train corridor has. Because the buses can hop off and on and it doesn't have the same terminal rigidity as a train it does little to discourage sprawl. But that was never its purpose.

[Jim]

I have no problems with the O-bahn, just think it could be better if there was greater use of the interchanges.

[monotonehell]

I have no problems with the O-bahn, just think it could be better if there was greater use of the interchanges.

Buy all the houses within walking distance and throw up a few connected TODs, I have no problem with that.

[Cruise]

hahaha, I love how people argue that buses are shit because they are cramped, But trams only get cramped because they are popular.


Hmmmmmm...... take that anyway you want.....

[monotonehell]

hahaha, I love how people argue that buses are shit because they are cramped, But trams only get cramped because they are popular.


Hmmmmmm...... take that anyway you want.....

*nods* that's the kind of bull..dust I've been calling people on in this thread. They claim that buses are cramped but then go quote crush loads on the tram to prove their capacity.

[jk1237]

ok guys, dont get your nickers in a knot now. Our suburban trains have been able to take wheelchairs and mothers with prams quite easily for many years. Even our jumbo's are much older than the o'bahn buses, and they managed to be fully a/c.

I just wish the o'bahn could be brought into the 21st century, and not this 'cheap and nasty' system that we got.

As atd says, either extend it or have bus only lanes all the way from Hackney Rd through Grenfell St, and have some half decent bus stops/stations in Grenfell St

Get some new articulated, low floor, a/c buses, even 3 section long buses like Ive seen somewhere on the net, and see if they can be a bit quieter when trying to get up the hill near Hope Valley reservoir, with the diesel engines revving so loud atm, and spewing a trail of poo behind them

Even electrify the o'bahn track, and have hybrid buses who can use the more efficient electric form of energy when going at 100km/h, and then switch to diesel once off the track

The idea of having boom gates at Modbury and Paradise is a great idea. I can clearly remember the times when my bus to town waited at TTP for over 5-8 mins, while 50 people finally got on and paid their fares. To get the people in the buses quickly will save a lot of time

and I do recommend Monotonehell, to take a field trip to Perth - the northern line corridor is similar to our NE suburbs, but the quality of what they got shits all over what we got, in my opinion. But I do understand the problem we had is that our railway lines are to the west parklands, so it would have been a large project to connect a rail tunnel from Hackney to the CBD, or run the line around the northern parklands to conn with lines near North Adl station. Because of this problem, we went for a much, much cheaper option

[Somebody]

The line in Perth to Clarkson runs through urban sprawl areas built since the 1980s, mostly down the middle of a freeway. Relies mostly on cars and buses to bring passengers in.

Sure, it works ok there (although the modal share is not overly high), but having a railway in that kind of a setting is not what I'd consider desirable. Best kind of setting is something like the Gawler Line in Adelaide which passes through major commercial centres etc - increases patronage potential as has destinations other than the CBD.


What about the old idea of extending the Northfield line to Tea Tree Plaza? It'd be rather indirect via Dry Crack, but the train could probably still get to TTP in 20".