Bus reform / new network design and implementation: communication successes and pitfalls

Ross Savedge

Veitch Lister Consulting, Victoria

This presentation was delivered at the 2021 Online Conference Series and until October 2022 is only available to registered delegates and Content Access Pass holders via Interchange. For information on accessing this and other presentations please review the Content Access Pass options.

ABSTRACT

This presentation will discuss network reform with a focus on identifying and communicating objectives and benefits to decision-makers and to the public. The first part will cover goals and objectives for network reform, such as better leveraging our existing assets, planning for future growth and development, and using the opportunity to re-evaluate public transport’s role in our changing cities. This will be accompanied by examples from network reform interstate and internationally.

Next it will focus on risk identification and mitigation, including the communication of network benefits, and the use of accessibility mapping to identify areas benefitting from or negatively impacted by network changes. It will discuss how to identify potential risks to implementation, such as impacts on specific customer groups, potential mitigation strategies such as use of data analysis and communication to gain support for reform, as well as the identification of ‘non-negotiables’ versus concessions that may be required to get reforms over the line.

Following will be case studies from across Australia and New Zealand, highlighting the extensive public information campaign in Auckland, where expansion of frequent service and increased investment has resulted in strong patronage growth year over year. It will cover the new network in Canberra, which included delivery of the Territory’s first light rail line and expansion of frequent services and has seen patronage improvement across the network. Finally, it will discuss attempts at network reform in other cities, where challenges resulted in networks that were not implemented or were unable to fully deliver on promised objectives.

The presentation will wrap up with 'lessons learnt' from the case studies and recommendations for how to increase the likelihood of implementing meaningful network reform that improves mobility in our cities, expands the market for public transport, and helps facilitate a more sustainable future.

Author

Ross Savedge | VLC

Based in Melbourne, Ross is a Principal Consultant responsible for leading public transport planning projects in cities across Australia. With 13 years of experience in public transport network and operations planning, Ross has worked on projects throughout Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Recently, he has worked to provide network planning advice as a part of major public transport infrastructure projects in Victoria and Queensland. Over the past few years he has worked with Transport Canberra on the design and implementation of Canberra’s new bus network, as well as with VLC’s modelling team on bus network integration for the next stage of Canberra Light Rail. Previously Ross was engaged to work on several projects in Auckland’s City Centre, aimed at accommodating the new bus network as well as future growth in the public transport service.