Just passing through

Bus routes along Oxford Street have no opportunity to transfer passengers to the rail network between Bondi Junction and Circular Quay, but bus routes along South Head Road can transfer passengers to rail at Edgecliff and Kings Cross Stations. Passengers that stay on the bus after Kings Cross really want to reach destinations in the CBD north of Park Street including Circular Quay.

In the past, people would have stayed on the buses because of the difficulties in transferring to the trains but the Oyster (aka Opal) Card changes all that. In the past there was no way of dissuading passengers from staying on the buses until Elizabeth Street and walking to Town Hall Station (the most crowded station on the loop) to catch a train. The Eastern Suburbs line is the only platform not operating at or over capacity during the AM and PM peaks. The Oyster Card changes that too. The Oyster card can impose penalties on passengers who transfer from William Street buses to the tube train services but not to the Harbour Bridge trains at Town Hall Station. It can also give incentives to passengers who transfer from the Eastern Suburbs Line to other train services at Central or Redfern rather than Town Hall. The Oyster Card is truly the solution to the Public Transport congestion in the CBD.

The last stop in William Street, between Crown & Riley Streets

The last bus stop in William Street is a long way from Elizabeth Street (over the horizon in the photo) to give drivers a fighting chance to get across to the right-hand turn lanes at College and Elizabeth Streets. Buses head to Circular Quay, and to Chatswood via the Cahill Expressway during the peak periods because this is where passengers want to go. The next stop is the set-down-only stop in Elizabeth Street that traps drivers in the bus priority lane.

When the Oyster Card is operational for buses it will be possible to terminate more bus services along South Head Road at Edgecliff Station, relieving congestion in Elizabeth Street. Problem solved if no further bus routes are run along Elizabeth Street.

But O'Farrell has no intention of allowing people to go where they want to go.

Trapped in the bus priority lane
From corner with Park Street 

Bus services that run along Victoria Road have for generations entered the CBD from the Western Distributor via King Street and proceeded to Circular Quay along George Street then returned form Druitt Street. But there are efficient alternative terminuses: buses can turn into York Street to a terminus at the Queen Victoria Building, or they can enter from the exclusive bus lane running east along Druitt Street to a terminus in Clarence Street and exit from Market Street.

So what's with the double-ended mauve arrow directing Victoria Road bus services into William Street? This diagram was reproduced in the last post along with the ominous assertions about Druitt and Park Street being the main east-west bus routes.

The answer is that the invading hordes from the north are being brought into the heart of the CBD in order to herd them into the privately-operated cattle cars. Bus services from the north are given priority for the bus stops at the QVB and bus services from the Western Distributor that perforce enter the middle of the CBD are shunted into William Street.

But where will these services terminate? They cannot do a U-turn in William Street, so they must perforce continue to the bus interchange at Edgecliff Station. Alternatively buses could continue to Watsons Bay and commit suicide by driving off the cliff.

Edgecliff Station bus interchange

Entry to the bus interchange at Edgecliff Station is from Ocean Street which provides an efficient terminus for AM and PM peak bus services from New South Head Road east of Ocean Street, but involves a diabolical right-hand turn from New South Head Road for buses terminating from Victoria Road.

Bus blocking traffic

Bus stops in William Street force bus drivers to block a lane of traffic when picking up or setting down passengers as required by the contract with the builders of the Cross City Tunnel. But O'Farrell's plans for Edgecliff bus interchange will further obstruct traffic flows along New South Head Road (already operating bumper to bumper at peak times) before any one has a chance to enter the Tunnel. The SMH reported yesterday that the lenders were getting nervous. O'Farrell could be sending the Tunnel's operators into receivership for a second time. It is worth noting that the public servants who did the modeling for the Cross City Tunnel are possibly doing the infantile modeling for the light rail.

The cunning plan in continuing New South Head Road bus services to Town Hall is to feed passengers onto the cattle cars. Like, people are going to catch a bus to Town Hall then a tram to Randwick rather than drive or catch a bus there, along Avoca Street. People will be encouraged though, to transfer to the loop trains at Town Hall Station.