r/BrisbaneMetro

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I've been pondering a bit on how we might deliver something great for the city's busway/metro network, while dealing with the challenges of little time and little funding from state and federal governments.

The following plan is comprised of several smaller stages, all aimed at being something that the council, if willing, could feasibly fund and build prior to 2032?

1. Windsor to Lutwyche Link:
   • One of the most obvious, and relatively short, missing links in the busway network that could solve a lot of problems in one go? This would involve a new underground station beneath Windsor rail station.
   • To try to make it cheaper and more feasible, I propose using Truro St and Federation St as the dive sites for the tunnel. It would be a shame to lose these stops/stations, but it isn't like the nearest bus stop/station is far away from either. I believe Windsor War Memorial Park and Windsor rail station could also be used as sites for ventilation shafts rather cheapily.
2. New "M3" route:
   • With the newly completed link from above, and turn-around facilities already available at Kedron Brook station, I would have a new metro route that ran from Kedron Brook to Woolloongabba, essentially "replacing" the busway-portion of the 333.
   • A possible variation on this route, though one that would need an upgrade to the Woolloongabba Y-Junction, would be to have it turn around after Woolloongabba and continue on towards Buranda, Stones Corner and Langlands Park? Personally I wouldn't really bother with this, but it could be handy if Woolloongabba proved too busy to allow for holding up for a frequent metro route.
3. Extend the M1 to Springwood:
   • From what I can tell, this is reasonably easy? Perhaps an intersection upgrade or squeezing in more bus holding zones? Maybe a slight review of bus routes in the local area?
4. Replace the 169 with the "M4":
   • Running from (now) Springwood to UQ Lakes, it would provide invaluable support to the M1 (that now has to cater for much more Logan patronage) as well as dealing with the massive headache that is how unequiped the 169 is to deal with its own peak patronage.
   • To ease up congestion at UQ Lakes station, alongside the now "deleted" 169 route I would also cull the 139 route (as this new M4 could easily cater for the transferees from the 130/140). I would then shift the other routes around (29, 179, 192, 209) to allow platforms 1F and 1E to be vacant for the M4.
   • This route would probably be rather quiet on uni holiday weekends, but hey, it isn't like we base our train routes off if they have super-high patronage all times of the day/year?
5. Finally increase to 3-minute frequencies:
   • This would almost most certainly require the expansion of Rochedale depot and the building of Fitzgerald depot if we were adding 2 new metro routes.
6. Expand 24-hour service to 365 days a year:
   • Seems like an obvious home-run with little reason besides extra wage bills that it couldn't be done. It would be really cool if late-night workers finally had a guaranteed form of public transit to and from work.

Personally, I feel this entire plan should be do-able for <$2B, which leaves it in a price range that the council could probably take out the loans for if no one else is looking to assist.

Interested to hear all your thoughts on this.