Auck’s Bus Service “Worst”

in Auckland Bus Featured General Top Debate Trains by Jon C — September 2, 2011 at 8:49 pm | 13 comments

In a new report, Auckland rates the worst quality of bus service of all the regions  on the 3 attributes that are arguably the most important of those surveyed, ie overall service, service value for money, service reliability.

For train and ferry users, Auckland’s quality ratings were lower than those for Wellington users in almost all cases.

For quality of service, Auckland is well below the figures for the Canadian cities and all the other Australian/NZ cities, and on a par with the typical USA cities.

 

These disturbing conclusions are out of a report which includes a combination of traffic monitoring reports for Auckland and goes before Auckland Council’s Transport Committee next week.

• Average fares (per passenger boarding or per passenger km) were highest in the NZ cities, with Auckland’s average fare/pass km around 50% higher than typical average  fares in the Canadian/USA cities and around double that in the Australian cities.
• Auckland is one of the few cities that  does not have an integrated fares/ticketing system for at least a large proportion, if not all, PT trips.
• On working expenses per Vehicle Km (Cost Efficiency) - For Rail mode, the Auckland cost rate was towards the  top end of the range of the seven Australasian cities (exceeded only by Adelaide and Sydney) and 80% above the Wellington rate.
• For Bus mode, the Auckland cost rate was around the middle of the range for the Australasian cities, but significantly above the corresponding rates for diesel bus services in Wellington (and in other NZ centres)
• The historical performance of Auckland’s public transport system over the last 15 to 20 years has generally been lower than 13 other international cities in a benchmark survey in terms of patronage, mode share and overall service

And we are not growing PT as fast as others.

• Auckland’s PT patronage rate is between 25% and 40% below the rates for the 3 medium-size Australian cities with which Auckland is often compared (Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide)
•  Auckland’s PT patronage rate has grown significantly over the last 10-15 years, with growth averaging around 1.5% - 2.0% pa (and contrasting with its rapidly declining rate in earlier years). However, this growth has been towards the  lower end of the range experienced in other Australian/NZ cities.  (Since the study was done, Auckland’s PT patronage grew 8.5% in the 2010/11 year).

• Auckland’s PT mode share for journeys to work is close to the bottom of the range of all comparator cities.

• Relative to most of the comparator cities, a smaller proportion of Auckland’s PT travel was undertaken on ‘rapid transit’ services.
• Average Vehicle Loadings - For both rail and bus modes, Auckland had the lowest average loadings of all the comparator cities.
• Working Expenses per Passenger Km (Cost Effectiveness) - For all modes combined, the Auckland figure ($0.61) was considerably higher than that for Wellington ($0.33), for all the Australian cities and all the Canadian cities
• Fare Revenue/ Working Expenses - For all modes combined, the Auckland was 39% higher than all the USA cities, higher than all but one of the Australian cities, but lower than all the Canadian cities.

We learn more about Auckland’s travel habits, as recorded in the latest 2011 surveys.

• Auckland’s journey to work mode share was particularly low for trips to the CBD, slightly below the norm for trips to other destinations.
•  Over the most recent 15 year period (1991-2006), Auckland’s PT mode share  increased significantly for trips to the CBD, but declined slightly for trips to other destinations.
•  Auckland’s PT mode share was only ‘substantial’ for trips having one or both trip ends in the CBD.
• Public transport mode share has increased across the isthmus from 13.8 per cent to 14.1 per cent, but decreased slightly across the Central Area  from 47.7 per cent in 2010 to 46.4 per cent in 2011.
• Bus patronage into the Central Area has increased by 3 per cent over 2010 levels.
• Ferry patronage into the Central Area has increased by 12.5 per cent over 2010 levels.
• Train patronage into the Central Area has increased by 14 per cent over 2010 levels.
• The number of people walking into the Central Area has increased 7 per cent over 2010 levels, but the number of cyclists has decreased by 6 per cent.

• Traffic congestion on Auckland’s general road network and the road freight network has generally been decreasing since 2009.  However, congestion in the evening peak period has been increasing since 2009.

This from various surveys. he 2011 Central Area and Isthmus Screenline Transport Survey focuses on bus, train and ferry passengers entering the Auckland Central Area on a single day. The Isthmus Travel Mode Survey counts people in vehicles and people in public transport  crossing particular areas. (see map below)

 

• The central area has shown growth of 1035 PT passengers (3.3% per  cent) and screenline 50 has increased by 636 passengers (10.8 per cent), while the scren 40 declined slightly by 420 passengers (9.8 per cent).  It is uncertain why there was a decrease in public transport trips in the west and officers are investigating this.
• Train patronage into the central city has remained steady between 2008-2010 but in 2011 a total of  5,603 train passengers were observed disembarking at Britomart Rail Station between 7am to 9am on 30 March 2011. An additional 3 train services (10 per cent increase) has helped increase total patronage levels into the Central Area (685 passengers or 14 per cent increase) over 2010 train patronage levels

• More cars are entering the central area. PT mode share decline in the Central Area is attributed to the increase in vehicle occupancy levels (1.31 persons per vehicle) in private cars entering the Central Area in 2011 compared to 2010 levels (1.26 persons per vehicle).
• A total of 32,382 people were counted entering the Auckland Central Area on PT during the morning peak period of 7am to 9am on Wednesday 30 March 2011.  This is 1,035 more PT passengers (3 per cent more) than the 31,347 counted in 2010 This increase reflects the significant investment in PT infrastructure (in the form of the Britomart Transport Centre, rail improvements and the Northern Busway) and the associated provision of additional PT services.
• In 2011, 23,124 bus passengers entered the Auckland Central Area  – a very small reduction of 56 passengers (0.2 per cent) on 2010 levels.
• The 2011 survey showed both increases and decreases in patronage at individual counting stations.  Many of these changes are significant.  Services reaching individual counting stations have fluctuated somewhat this year, as some services have been rationalised while others have been reorganised due to the opening of the Central Transport Corridor.

• Largely because of the Northern Express, Fanshawe Street was identified as the busiest point of entry for bus passengers during the morning peak period into the Auckland Central Area.

• Prior to 2010, Symonds Street was the busiest point of entry during the morning peak period into the Auckland Central Area. In the 2010 survey, the number of bus services along Symonds Street decreased by 13 per cent, resulting in patronage levels falling 25 per cent to 6,919 passengers. In 2011 the bus services decreased by a further 33 per cent, with patronage falling 38 per cent to 4,271 passengers. The decrease in passenger numbers observed at Symonds Street can be largely attributed to the rerouting of buses across Grafton Bridge.
• In 2011, the number of bus services along Grafton road increased by 27 per cent, resulting in patronage levels increasing 38 per cent to 2,305 passengers.
• In 2011, bus services on Karangahape Road and Hopetoun Streets decreased by 16 per cent,  however, passenger numbers increased slightly by 55 passengers (1.6 per cent) to 2010 levels.
• In 2011, bus services on Karangahape Road and Hopetoun Streets decreased by 16 per cent, however, passenger numbers increased slightly by 55 passengers (1.6 per cent) to 2010 levels.
• Ferry patronage into the Auckland Central Area has remained relatively stable between 2008- 2010 however, a total of 3,655 ferry passengers entered the Auckland Central  Area on 30 March 2011.  This is a 12.5 per cent increase (406 additional passengers) from 2010  levels, despite a reduction in ferry services.raffic congestion on Auckland’s general road network and the road freight network has been decreasing since 2009.
• Traffic congestion on Auckland’s general road network and the road freight network has been decreasing since 2009.
• Traffic congestion in the evening peak period has been increasing since 2009, but the all day average has decreased since 2009.
• Variability of travel time for the morning peak and inter peak have decreased for the entire network and for the freight routes, but has increased for the evening peak.

• So overall, the morning peak and inter peak variability have decreased in 2011 for both the entire network and the freight routes. There has consistently been higher variability in the morning and evening peaks than in the inter peak period.  This indicates the effects of peak loading on travel time reliability.
• The highest morning variability was for March 2009, which was influenced by poor weather in the morning peak period for multiple days of surveying.
• The evening peak variability is the highest of all three peak periods and for the all network this has remained consistent relative to March 2010 levels, but for the freight routes, this has increased since 2009. The high variability on the evening peak freight network is due to the motorway network, which is attributed to a number of significant capital works projects on the network:
•  Further analysis has identified that the most significant influence on the evening freight variability is the influence of the southbound congestion on the Southern Motorway, and the increase in congestion on Friday relative to other days of the week.

Tags: patronage