By James Robertson
Commuters on the northern beaches will soon be able to throw away their bus timetables after new rapid bus routes to the city take effect, the state government announced on Monday.
A new fleet of 'B-Line' double decker buses will run between Mona Vale and the city centre every 10 minutes from the end of 2017.
An artist's impression shows a new B-Line style bus driving past a new stop at Brookvale. Credit: NSW Government.
The buses will run from about 6am to about 11pm, with services running every five minutes during peak periods.
"This is a landmark day," said Premier Mike Baird unveiling the new routes. "The new buses will be cutting edge in the comfort [they offer] and accessibility and reliability".
An artist's conception of a new B-Line route bus stop at Mona Vale. Credit: NSW State Government.
The new buses, will run along a 27-kilometre route and stop only nine times in the run into the city.
About 900 new parking spaces will be made available in six new car stops adjacent to new bus stops.
The state government said it would be improving the capacity of roads to take buses including road widening projects, general roadworks and some new bus lanes.
The Transport Minister, Andrew Constance, said the bus stops would be "architecturally designed" and include modern facilities.
An artist's impression of a proposed B-Line stop at Collaroy. Credit: NSW Government.
But Mr Constance said about 480 additional weekly services will be added to northern beaches routes next year to fill gaps before the opening of the B-Line.
The state government said it would also consider rolling out B-Line services to other fast-growing areas of Sydney such as its south-west.
Premier Baird said the 250,000 population of the northern beaches did not support a heavy rail line and the state government was investing in buses in the meantime.
"The expectation is that on these initiatives alone we could save 10 per cent in travel times," he said.
But the government would continue to work towards the establishment of a road tunnel connecting the northern beaches and the CBD, the Premier said.
That idea was floated by the state government during the election. The Premier said detailed analysis on the feasibility of a tunnel would not be complete until early next year.
But Mr Baird said early indications suggested "that it makes sense" to connect the area into the new harbour tunnel crossing.
He said the government was looking towards the tunnel option inside the next decade.
Patricia Forsythe, the CEO of the Sydney Business Chamber, said the new routes would help overcome the northern beaches' notorious congestion problems. "Moving to double-decker buses is smart given that the current articulated buses are the cause of many issues at intersections where they are too long to get through on change of lights."