How many buses is not enough?
It’s not the size that matters, it’s how often they come. Plus: What's a very “Brisbane” thing we could all do in a public space just for fun?
I’ve had some issues with the public transport system in this city — Queensland Rail still hasn’t answered my questions about when it will be enforcing its bicycles and scooters policy — but I do like to give credit where credit is due.
So far, cross fingers, the 50-cent fares policy (now embraced by both major political parties) has worked out pretty well for me. Financially at least.
You can’t beat getting a train into the city and back for a buck — and to think I could do a return trip to the Gold Coast for the same price is extraordinary.
My friends who catch buses to work are not quite as happy, however. Because buses don’t carry as many passengers as trains, the chances of them being left on the side of the road as a bus whizzes past has increased considerably.
So, the frequency of services has become the big issue.
The Greens have said they want waiting times between buses reduced to 10 minutes. And, by 2026, they want all public transport to be free. Is that achievable?
Meanwhile, the under-construction Cross City Rail network has just seen its first trial with a real train, and the wrongly named Metro service inches closer to full operation. (They might be big, but they are still buses, Adrian.)
Meanwhile, announcements on trains on the Cleveland line have begun referring to the “Boggo Road — Park Road” station, and this is also reflected in signage at the station formerly known just as Park Road.
I’m not a huge fan of name changes — I sometimes still think of Fortitude Valley station as Brunswick Street, for example — but I do understand why they are doing this. I think.
According to online sources, this is stage one of a full transition to Boggo Road Station “in a move to make navigating the network easier for Queenslanders”.
Why? Because Park Road railway station is close to Boggo Road bus station, which is soon to include a Cross River Rail station, making it a major interchange for passengers on the Cleveland, Beenleigh and Gold Coast lines.
So, they are confusing people in the short term to make things easier in the long term. Does that make sense?
And on the subject of names, the State Government is seeking suggestions for the Cross City Rail station in Albert Street. You can vote here. For the record, I’m a Frogs Hollow kind of guy.
P.S. Circling backs to bikes on a train, the next generation of Queensland Rail rollingstock really should have bespoke bike racks in one carriage (as some European trains do.)
A Brisbane thing?
You may be a David Bowie fan but are you enough of a David Bowie fan to dress up and parade through Fortitude Valley?
“Bowies on Brunswick” starts at Netherworld* at 5pm on October 19 and ends with Bowie-related revelry at the Hellbound Bar. It’s a fundraiser for the Cancer Council and details are here.
Reading about it got me thinking: what’s a quintessentially Brisbane thing we could do in this vein?
A battalion of Borises the Back Knight on horseback charging through the Queen St Mall? Couples waltzing down Caxton Street dressed as Wally Lewis and Alfie Langer, to music from The King and I? Gerry Connolly and a herd of Johs doing a lot of not worrying about that? Hundreds of Veronicas, two at a time? An all-Agro flash mob? Trent Dalton going door to door, interviewing the residents and writing novels about them? Barry Gibb just staying alive?
One more thing
It wouldn’t be Mister Brisbane without some radio news. Just briefly, congratulations to Jess Miller, who has been picked up by B105 after being let go by KIIS 97.3 duo to networking.
In less good news, another outlet has bitten the dust … Gold Coast-based global online station TNT News and Talk will cease operations at the end of the week.
*This orignally said “Neverworld”. I’m blaming spoolchucker.