Papanui Road bus priority measures
Papanui Road bus priority measures already showing positive results
After only two months of operation the Papanui Road/ Main North Road Bus Priority corridor is already producing significant improvements to the bus travel times.
On average the buses in the morning and afternoon peak are travelling 4.2 km/hr faster than in November last year.
Monitoring by Environment Canterbury shows that in November 2008 the time it took for a bus to travel between Bealey Avenue and Northlands during the afternoon peak could vary by 30 minutes, from seven minutes on the shortest journey to 37 minutes during the longest. In November 2009 that variation had reduced to between five minutes and 24 minutes.
In November 2008 the average travel times during the morning peak could range between five and 17 minutes. In November 2009 the travel times ranged between five and 13 minutes. This shows that reliability is improving, which is key to making the bus services a more convenient and attractive travel option.
Project management manager Christian Anderson says these figures are particularly positive given they were recorded while the route was still only partially completed, and when people were still adjusting to the new system. The final section of the Council part of the route was completed on 4 November 2009.
Mr Anderson says the improvements to the individual journey times also have a positive flow on effect throughout the day.
“Each time a bus runs late throughout the day, it has an impact on the next bus trip. For instance if the bus runs four minutes late for each of the first five trips, then it will start the sixth trip 20 minutes late. Therefore even a four minute saving can have a major impact on the reliability of the bus service.”
The Bus Priority project is a partnership between the Christchurch City Council and NZTA, and covers both local and state highway roads. NZTA funded 53% of the Council project, as Christchurch’s bus priority projects are seen as a key public transport initiative in NZTA’s National Land Transport Programme 2009-12. ]
“Environment Canterbury stands alongside the City Council on the need for bus priority measures along Christchurch's main arterial routes, to tackle rising congestion,” says Cr Carole Evans, chair of Environment Canterbury public passenger transport committee. “Making buses faster and more reliable means more people will use them more often, meaning less cars on the road. This benefits bus passengers as well as car users, cyclists and pedestrians. The bus priority measures on Papanui Road are already showing benefits. Metro travel times northward are faster and more reliable."
Queenspark and Colombo St bus priority routes will be the next two projects to get underway. Work on the Queensp
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