UQ Icarus Project - Public Transport Double Header

28 April 2017

 

PedBikeTrans members and event attendees were treated to two thought-provoking public transport presentations from the University of Queensland’s Icarus project. Our engaging speakers presented the findings of recent investigations into two interesting and relevant topics; 'Real-time Information System for Spreading Rail Passengers across Train Carriages' and 'Improving CityCat Ferry Ridership'.

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The rail presentation discussed the potential for improvements to rail operations and the customer experience through the provision of real-time carriage capacity information and the implementation of separate doors for boarding and alighting. This potential was further reinforced by pedestrian modelling as well as surveys conducted by the study team which suggested that 76% of people surveyed would redistribute along the platform to get a seat.

 

The ferry presentation identified journey time lengths as the major impediment to increased patronage on Brisbane’s CityCat network. The research also identified a current lack of competition with bus transport despite significantly improved journey time reliability on the ferry service. A case study of the University of Queensland to Regatta link and supporting pedestrian modelling suggested that additional ferry patronage may be possible with the implementation of a limited stop service. The complex nature of ferry services and their dependence on surrounding land uses and transport infrastructure were observed.

 

Both presentations were followed by insightful discussions and contributions from the audience which added a richness to the night. A big thank you to both speakers and all those in attendance.

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