Page 387 - Week 01 - Thursday, 16 February 2012
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The AECOM report has identified a list of candidate corridors to consider transit lane facilities. The study notes that the bus/transit lanes could be considered on a range of rapid bus transit corridors in line with transport for Canberra, and on any other road that is experiencing peak hour congestion and meets the established conditions. The report also includes traffic counts and analysis of roads that have existing bus lanes.
While a bus lane may look empty at a particular time, existing bus lanes in fact carry the equivalent of or more passengers than adjacent traffic lanes, with the benefit of a free flowing lane for these passengers. An example of this is on Flemington Road, where buses constitute only 1.8 per cent of the vehicles but carry almost half of all persons in the corridor in the morning peak. Similarly, on Adelaide Avenue, buses constitute one per cent of vehicles but carry 34 per cent of all persons in the corridor in the evening peak. The bus lane currently carries as many people as each of the traffic lanes.
The government is examining road safety issues on the Adelaide Avenue T2 lane. AECOM’s report notes that the Australian road rules allow traffic to legally enter at any location along a T2, even though they cross an unbroken line. The report notes that, from a safety perspective, this is an undesirable and confusing feature of the road rules. The report also notes that, during the morning peak, conflicts arise between slow-moving vehicles merging with buses and other T2 traffic travelling at 80 kilometres per hour. This is a particular problem at the slowest points, where traffic merges onto Adelaide Avenue from Kent Street and Hopetoun Circuit.
The Transport Workers Union has raised concerns on behalf of bus drivers about this safety issue—that vehicles are cutting off faster-moving buses, with the potential for crashes. The situation is likely to become more severe as the development of the Molonglo valley further increases the traffic flows. If Adelaide Avenue continues with a T2 lane, the AECOM report recommends that traffic be prevented from entering and leaving the T2 lanes at Hopetoun Circuit and Kent Street.
AECOM’s survey in peak periods shows that the T2 lane provides minimal journey-time savings for cars—eight seconds in the morning and 14 seconds in the afternoon. In examining the advantages and disadvantages of T2, T3, T4 and bus-only options for the Adelaide Avenue transit lane, the report does not recommend a T4 lane because national road rules do not provide for T4 lanes.
Adelaide Avenue is on a current rapid public transport corridor. The current bus passenger numbers of over 3,000 persons in the afternoon peak period reflect potential for a bus lane. A bus lane would also reduce the merging conflicts. As the AECOM report notes, a bus lane will often look empty, despite carrying an equal number of people as the adjacent congested traffic lanes, or a greater number. However, if looked at another way, the single bus lane moves more passengers, without congestion, than the other two traffic lanes do.
The government is currently undertaking a feasibility study into freeway-style bus stops on Adelaide Avenue. As part of the implementation of transport for Canberra, the feasibility study along Adelaide Avenue and Yarra Glen will identify the best
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