SmartBus

This article is about a series of bus routes in Melbourne, Australia. For the mass transit system in suburban Detroit, see Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation.
SmartBus

Ventura Bus Lines DesignLine bodied MAN 16.240 on route 903 in August 2009
Overview
Locale Melbourne
Transit type Bus
Number of lines 9[1] (including 3 Orbital and 4 DART)
Website SmartBus at PTV
Operation
Operator(s) CDC Melbourne
Transdev Melbourne
Ventura Bus Lines
System map

SmartBus map and routes at Public Transport Victoria

SmartBus is a network of bus services in the city of Melbourne, Australia. Overseen by Public Transport Victoria, the network comprises nine key cross-town and orbital bus routes around Melbourne. Key aspects of the service include more frequent services, extended hours of operation to include late evening and Sunday services, improved timetable information at bus stops, roadspace priority along certain routes and priority at particular traffic lights.[2] The SmartBus network was expected to reach 370 kilometres by 2012.[3]

History

Transdev Melbourne Custom Coaches bodied MAN 18.310 on Lonsdale Street in August 2013

SmartBus was originally a policy initiative of the Kennett State Government in the late 1990s, but was slowly implemented under the Bracks and Brumby governments.

The first stage of the trial was implemented on 5 August 2002, with the following services being chosen as pilot routes: 703 Middle Brighton to Blackburn and 888/889 Nunawading to Chelsea. These two routes received extra funding for more services, services on 703 increased by 20% and on 888/889 by up to 50%. Sunday services were also added to 888/889. The aim was to find out whether increased services and better reliability would increase patronage. The project was deemed successful when in 2003, on the 1st anniversary of SmartBus, the Victorian Government released a media statement that the SmartBus program increased patronage by 25%.[4]

Three orbital bus lines operate in Melbourne as part of the SmartBus network, they provide cross city links connecting railway and tram lines and other bus routes. The first orbital route started as route 700 running between Mordialloc and Box Hill, it opened on 14 June 2005. On 20 April 2009 it was extended to Altona, becoming the Red Orbital 903, it connects to 11 railway stations and nine tram lines, and is 86 kilometres in length. This was followed by the Yellow Orbital 901 on 24 March 2008 operating between Frankston and Ringwood. It was extended to Melbourne Airport 26 September 2010, it is Melbourne's longest bus route at 115 kilometres with a journey time of four and a half hours[5] and connects with nine railway stations and over 100 bus routes. Lastly in April 2010 the Green Orbital 902 commenced operations, assuming the operations of route 888/889, it runs between Chelsea and Airport West connecting to nine railway stations, three tram routes and over 60 local lines, spanning 76 kilometres.[6] A Blue Orbital (route 904), was proposed in the 2006 Meeting our Transport Challenges publication, which proposed to service the inner city from Sandringham to Williamstown, however this proposed route was cut from the 2008 Victorian Transport Plan, with the route not mentioned in text or maps.

Doncaster Area Rapid Transit (DART) Routes commenced operation on 4 October 2010. These routes were designed to provide a public transport connection between the Doncaster area and Melbourne City Centre.[6] All were originally operated by National Bus Company, but have been operated by Transdev Melbourne from August 2013 as a result of Transdev's awarding of the Melbourne Metropolitan Bus Franchise.[7]

Routes

The SmartBus network consists of three orbital routes, the radial Doncaster Area Rapid Transit (DART) route group and two shorter non-orbital routes.

Route From To Via Operator Notes
703 Blackburn railway station Middle Brighton Forest Hill Shopping Centre, Monash University & Monash Medical Centre Ventura Bus Lines Official SmartBus section is only north of Clayton, although PIDs are installed at Bentleigh. Service levels are not as high as on other SmartBus routes, especially along Centre Rd segment.
900 Rowville Caulfield Waverley Park, Monash University & Chadstone Shopping Centre CDC Melbourne and Ventura Bus Lines Limited stops service
901 Frankston station Melbourne Airport Dandenong station, Westfield Knox, Ringwood station, Blackburn railway station, Greensborough station, Epping station Roxburgh Park station & Broadmeadows station Transdev Melbourne Orbital - Yellow
902 Chelsea station Westfield Airport West Springvale Shopping Centre, Glen Waverley station, Nunawading station, Doncaster Shoppingtown, Eltham Station, Greensborough Plaza, Campbellfield, Broadmeadows Station & Gladstone Park Orbital - Green
903 Altona station Mordialloc station Sunshine station, Essendon station, Preston station, Heidelberg station, Doncaster Shoppingtown, Box Hill, Chadstone Shopping Centre & Mentone station Orbital - Red
905 City (Lonsdale St) The Pines Shopping Centre Eastern Freeway exiting it at Bulleen Road, via Templestowe Doncaster Area Rapid Transit (DART)
906 City (Lonsdale St) Warrandyte Bridge Eastern Freeway, exiting it at Blackburn Road, The Pines Shopping Centre
907 City (Lonsdale St) Mitcham Eastern Freeway, exiting it at Doncaster Road, Doncaster Park and Ride
908 City (Lonsdale St) The Pines Shopping Centre Eastern Freeway, exiting it at Doncaster Road, Doncaster Park and Ride, King Street

Features

A SmartBus route 703 PID at Bentleigh
 A SmartBus Stop, featuring route service indication and connecting bus services, a printed timetable and live PID
A SmartBus totem style stop
A "next stop" display in a Ventura SmartBus

SmartBus aims to provide a premium bus service to commuters with quality stops and tram-like frequencies. Service improvements include the following:

SmartBus patronage growth

Several reviews have been conducted of patronage growth on SmartBus routes. A review of routes 703, 903 (formerly route 700) and 902 (formerly 888/889) found that boardings increased between 15% and 60%, five years after the services were upgraded.[11]

In 2010 the Bus Association of Victoria found that SmartBus patronage on routes 703 and 902 (formerly 888/889) increased 15% over two years. This increase was higher than other upgraded (but non-SmartBus) bus routes in Melbourne (13%) and significantly higher than non-upgraded routes (6-7%).[12]

See also

References

  1. "Network statistics". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  2. http://ptv.vic.gov.au/projects/buses/smartbus/
  3. Lucas, Clay (2008-07-14). "SmartBus plan 'will not work in current form'". The Age. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  4. Media release: Outstanding performance marks first anniversary of SmartBus
  5. Carey, Adam (27 October 2013). "901 bus service 'flawed'". The Age. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  6. 1 2 "SmartBus map and routes". Department of Transport. 2 April 2011. Archived from the original on 23 April 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  7. "Preferred tenderer announced for the Melbourne Metropolitan Bus Franchise". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  8. Public Transport Victoria (2009). "Fact Sheet: What is SmartBus?" (PDF).
  9. 1 2 Public Transport Victoria (2009). "Fact Sheet: SmartBus Technology" (PDF).
  10. Public Transport Victoria (2009). "Fact Sheet: SmartBus Bus Stops" (PDF).
  11. C Loader & J Stanley (2009). "Growing bus patronage and addressing transport disadvantage — The Melbourne experience". Transport Policy 16: 106–114. doi:10.1016/j.tranpol.2009.02.001.
  12. BusVic (2010). "Bus Solutions" (PDF).

External links

Media related to SmartBus at Wikimedia Commons

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