500 Adelaide bus stops axed in State Government plan to overhaul public transport in SA
Hundreds of bus stops across Adelaide will be scrapped in a massive overhaul of the city’s public transport network. Search our database to see how your bus route will be affected.
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Adelaide residents can expect to see bus routes and hundreds of stops disappear from suburban streets as part of the boldest changes to the state’s public transport system in decades.
The State Government will today release a consultation process to sell its new strategy aimed at getting more people on to public transport.
As revealed by The Advertiser in March, more frequent, direct and faster bus routes – known as GoZones – on main roads will be a centrepiece of the strategy.
Details released today will show there will be 1089 more GoZone bus stops.
But analysis of new maps shows that bus routes and stops across the entire network will need to be scrapped or overhauled to pave the way for the new scheme, which Transport Minister Stephan Knoll had previously stressed would require a change in thinking from Adelaide commuters.
In total, 500 bus stops will disappear.
SEARCH FOR YOUR BUS ROUTE TO SEE PROPOSED CHANGES
The new maps, put out today for the public to scrutinise, will propose scrapping duplicate services in many areas including Collinswood, Walkerville, North Adelaide, Dulwich, Glenunga, Glen Osmond and Seacombe Gardens.
Major roads subject to some changes include Marion Rd, Port Rd, Golden Grove Rd, Anzac Highway and Brighton Rd.
Bus services that are being duplicated by trams along North Tce and trains at Alberton and Lynton will be removed.
Services to be removed without replacement include some at the West Lakes, Port Adelaide and Marion interchanges.
GoZone services operate approximately every 15 minutes between 6.30am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday (every 10 minutes or more in peak time) and every 30 minutes at night, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays until 10pm.
“These proposed changes mean almost a quarter of a million more people will live within 800m of a GoZone – that’s a massive boost in frequency for a lot of people,” Mr Knoll said.
Mr Knoll said frequency was the number one issues for public transport commuters.
“That’s why we are also creating an extra 10 GoZones and extending a further 20 GoZones so people will have buses coming every 15 minutes or less during that period when previously they had to wait much longer,” he said.
“This is being achieved by simplifying routes, so more buses run more frequently down main and arterial roads and some buses spend less time weaving through side streets.
“By simplifying routes and increasing frequency, the vast majority of people will get into the city or home faster … some people may have to walk a couple of hundred metres further to their bus stop, but they will still have a faster journey and save time overall.”
Mr Knoll said the new plans would mean some commuters will have to walk a bit further to a more frequent bus service but over 200,000 will now have a new GoZone service close by bringing the total to around 700,000.
Statistics provided to the Advertiser show almost half (46 per cent) of the stops to be scrapped are used by one person or less each day.
More than eight in ten (82 per cent) of stops are used by ten people or less.
Opposition transport spokesman Tom Koutsantonis said scrapping services to encourage more patronage did not make sense.
As part of the overhaul, other aspects being considered include:
■ Uber-style on-demand services in Seacombe Gardens and Seaview Downs, Blackwood, Le Fevre Peninsula and upgraded in Gawler.
■ Bus timetables designed to facilitate connections with train and tram networks
■ Simplified route numbering.
In November 2018, The Advertiser revealed public transport users would be forced to hop between buses, trains and trams to get to their destination quicker under an ambitious plan.
At the time, Mr Knoll asked the State Government’s then new South Australian Public Transport Authority to draw influence from other cities, where using multiple forms of transport for one commute are common.