Is Bus Rapid Transit just an inadequate compromise?

The Hills is a beautiful, tree-filled region of Sydney that’s been booming in population for decades. But there’s one thing that the Hills has long suffered from. A chronic lack of public transport. For decades, the Hills was a public transport desert, with next to no heavy rail access; all it had was a series of bus rapid transit routes linking the area to Parramatta, Blacktown and Sydney CBD. But this was never enough for the booming area; in 2019, the area finally got a heavy rail line in the form of the Sydney Metro Northwest.
Why wasn't bus rapid transit enough? In this video, I'll answer that very question.
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[@serena-yu]

I was much happier taking a bus in China than in Sydney, because the interval between buses was 5-10 min in average, and 2 min during peak hours in China, whereas I often wait for more than 20 min in Australia.

[@carisi2k11]

Then go back to China if it was so good.

[@hoikuenyu770]

I often found the opposite. You could hardly catch any bus on schedule at all, deviated at large that there could hardly be any figure on average to quote.

[@serena-yu]

@@hoikuenyu770 True, time tables were not followed due to delays on the road. Also the buses in China are way overcrowded. Nevertheless, hardly anyone even looked at the schedule. The frequency itself compensated the inaccurate times, because as an average user, it actually didn't matter which bus I caught, as far as I got on one.

[@shaunmckenzie5509]

Frequency is king

[@mangoMango-ck3et]

the bus service in China is great,,,I enjoyed the buses,,they were not always crowded,,maybe in peak hours just wait 2 minutes ,another turns up...

[@alqc7326]

The Hills ticks every box of last century's suburbia planning and is every urban planner's headache. It's form and function was designed around having an insulated sparse low density car centric community and provide the Great Australian dream of a great acre block. Always a challenge for many decades to retrofit it to become compact, sustainable and pt friendly. It's like telling a fish to bark. I really hope the metro would serve as a catalyst and begin to steer away from car centric planning.

[@xr6lad]

And here we have another one that assumes that’s what people want. Ever think they actually want the space and spread out feeling? That the car is attractive and people like it’s convenience? There not all going point to point which Iis all a train will do? And that most don’t work in the CBD. You do understand generations spent years trying to get out of living in high density crowded suburbs?? Will you would if you are old enough.

[@alqc7326]

@@xr6lad What I'm suggesting is that the benefits of having compact, walkable and dense neighbourhoods are not contrary to your points. The issue at hand is that many parts of Sydney is very unwalkable and our post- war low-density car dependent suburbs had led to negative environmental, social and economic impacts (research urban/suburban sprawl). It is also why Western Sydney continuously ranks low in all socio-economic indicators. Everyone wants space but how we use our existing land efficiently and the broader benefit we create for society is important. We already turnovered half of our food bowl to low density development in just 10 years. I am not against suburbs. It's how we design our suburbs is the problem. Having compact neighbourhoods doesn't mean Hong Kong style of density. There are plenty of European examples of well designed suburbs which offers a better alternative albeit denser but still human scale, walkable and vibrant where driving is an option not a necessity. You can search up Houten in the Netherlands as an example of what a good new suburban development can look like. It contains a diversity of housing typology that accommodates different needs of society. Good mix of uses, amenities and infrastructure that are all in walking or cycling distance. Why drive to get a loaf of bread? If you have a look around on google. Most of the single house lots are bigger than the average lot in South West and it's largely due to the fact that they designed the suburb around human needs not car needs. Thereby saving space for many other productive uses rather than roads and large swathes of monocentric single family houses with nowhere to go. There will always be a place for cars for journeys that are difficult to make. But we shouldn't plan our city primarily around cars as it's not spatially efficient and creates soulless places. It's a reason why places like Oran Park or Marsden Park are never highly touted as best case examples. Also. What people want is not always good for them. People like candy. But too much of it is not good. We can still have space and drive your car but it can be done in a better and sustainable model. Over reliance on cars is the main problem.

[@antiwalk]

@@alqc7326 What is it with you people's obsession with walkability specifically?

[@alqc7326]

@@antiwalk not an obsession with walking or being anti-car. It's that many people live in poorly planned areas where they have no choice but to drive long distances to do basic things and its a socioeconmic issue (search up transport poverty). It's about the need for a rebalance where people have access to their daily needs within 15 mins of walking or cycling. Reduces congestion, improves air quality and is more healthy. Meaning reducing unnecessary car trips for short trips and creating more space on roads for people who need to drive.

[@antiwalk]

​@@alqc7326 I haven't said I'm necessarily against disincentivising car use for which there's no beating around the bush - all other transport forms can only gain at the expense of car transport. Car users will not benefit. Being for public transport is categorically being anti-car. Personally I am for having driving as an option. But it is not realistic in Sydney to have both driving and public transport in many spaces, and many commenters in these videos and in other 'urban planning' communities promote restricting cars and private transport as much as possible - it is only when they have to appeal to a car enthusiast that the claim that car users will benefit comes up. I get that development needs to be planned towards encouraging local trips (The suburb of Mascot is a well done example) but it's not the issue I have with walking. Walking should be for your local suburb. Not for a large urban area. Promoting walking sometimes seems like a cop out to solve intra-city transit issues where there may not be enough room for new infrastructure. Bus stops to different places in Sydney are all over the place often with no connection between them. A lot of urban places have narrowed or pedestrianised streets recently without facilities for buses or bicycles. Consequently intra-urban transport becomes inconvenient. In Europe and specifically the Netherlands, which you cite as being a good example of development, dedicated cycleways are the norm. You will be told to get off the road if you walk in a cycleway. Cyclists are given significant consideration in infrastructure and their place on the road is respected. In Australia you will be told to get off the footpath if you are on a bike while cars fly by at 80km/h. Many concessions are being given to pedestrians but significantly less to cyclists, who can travel further and faster and therefore are at a better position to replace car travel. In fact, organisations such as the Pedestrian Council of Australia actively threaten the viability of cycling and its public image. Making things walkable and 'vibrant' (what?) often seems to come first over making things accessible by public transport or cyclable in discussions, and this is reflected in actual implementation. A lot of places have just widened footpaths or pedestrianised the whole thoroughfare with no cycleways. Example being George Street. More than enough room for cycleways, but instead they've put in benches (horizontally at that) where rowdy drunks congregate. The result is you have delivery drivers on their 1000W heavy steel ebikes barreling down the footpath into the crowd. It also encourages people to spill over into the tram tracks resulting in constant honking being heard along Wynyard and Town Hall at all times. Personally I'm not sold on the 'vibrancy' - the less attractive a place is for people to idle around, like mosquitoes to swamps and stagnant water, the better. the less I need to be exposed to antisocial individuals that represent a threat to women or minorities, the better.

[@MauzyCreations]

I grew up in Baulkham Hills in the 90s and I remember the metro being promised back then. Sadly it didn't happen until only a few years ago. I remember having to get 3 buses to Macaquarie Uni (one down Windsor Rd, one onto the M2, then another to Macquarie Uni). The bus transfers didn't line up nicely either so it took hours. I remember the crammed M2 busses well. Fast forward to the now moment and I live near the Kellyville metro. It takes hubby 25 minutes to get to Macquarie Uni. It makes things so much easier. When I go to the city I still choose the M2 buses over the metro. In fact sometimes I drive to Barclay Road parking and then I have the choice of catching any M2 bus to the city instead of the one or two options to Kellyville.

[@BuildingBeautifully]

Wow...yeah, my girlfriend is in a similar boat to you, once took her a century to get to Macquarie from Kellyville, but the metro really turned things around. The M2 buses are still the winner for getting to the city! I do think the City Metro might change that though, they'll make it faster by metro.

[@jasonwhiteley3612]

Kellyville problem was density was too low for frequent buses & people in the 80s moved there because they wanted to drive & have large houses but the worsening traffic has made public transport a great alternative

[@Visbalalam]

Why not just get the metro? The bus is only faster when there’s no traffic on the road.

[@MauzyCreations]

@@Visbalalam the bus goes to the city. The metro requires that you change trains at chatswood

[@Visbalalam]

@@MauzyCreations it's fine though because once you get off at Chatswood the timetable is set such that there is always a training heading to the city once you get off the metro

[@julianlee4803]

I worked at Preston’s for about 15 yrs and caught the T80 bus from Liverpool to Preston’s each day. It was a convenient service for its frequency and when it did drive on its own lanes. But around Liverpool itself it did share most of the lanes with normal traffic which was a delay in the trip.

[@8888k]

Great point with the BRT being a supplement to the Metro. There’s no point having a Metro station if people can’t easily get there - especially when parking is so in demand (as demonstrated with the existing metro stations). Love you quote that more options is what good PT is all about!

[@cloudyrepublic]

Just a small correction - the Liverpool to Parramatta t-way opened in 2003 :) great video as always!

[@kc3302]

I don't think anyone has mentioned why the M2 bus lanes finish before Beecroft Rd: the government's plan was that all M2 buses were to operate to Epping (via purpose-built ramp/underpass) where passengers transferred to a train to continue their journey to the city. But before the M2 opened, Westbus started operating express buses from the Hills district to the city via Victoria Rd. When the M2 was opened, buses operated via M2 instead of Victoria Rd. Passengers had a choice between a direct bus to the city and a bus to Epping to transfer to a train. They overwhelmingly chose the city direct buses which struggled for years trying to cope with the massive peak hour loadings. The M2 to Epping bus access was removed ~2010 to assist with construction of the Metro. As for T80, much of the reason it goes through an industrial area because the government chose the cheapest way to build the Tway - alongside a water pipeline (through the Wetherill Park industrial area) and using an unrequired road reservation to Hoxton Park Rd, then Hoxton Park Rd itself much of which is industrial. Had they spent more money and built it through (or closer to) the nearby populated areas then its patronage would be considerably higher.

[@BuildingBeautifully]

Thank you for this insight Ken, this is very valuable!

[@edvoon]

Definitely LOVE the Oakes road bus stop. Being the last stop before the city, it has none of the major problems with taking buses - such as windy circuitous routes and frequent stops. Ever since I “discovered” it I’ve used it instead of the Epping railway station and it’s a lot faster to get to the city, not having to go through Strathfield or Macquarie Park. There is no commuter parking though, so often you have to park so far away your walk to the bus stop takes a fair while.

[@jonosimpson3379]

Grew up a 5min walk from the Oakes Rd bus stop and it was incredible (worked and studied in the city), but I always avoided peak hour where I could for the reasons you described. One brilliant part I'd always be thankful for, when I bartended my way through uni, so late night shifts, was the ease to get home on these buses thanks to them running all night on Fridays and Saturdays! A rare all nighter service compared to one packed night rider per hour for normal train lines

[@Techno-Universal]

The current BRT infrastructure could also be utilised by metro rail replacement buses during scenarios when the Sydney Metro line is closed due to major incidents or scheduled works! :)

[@wooltrains]

Woops, check your history dude. The Hills had a railway running from Parramatta to Castle Hill from 1923 to 1932. There's a reason why Baulkham Hills has a Railway Street. The line ran alongside Windsor Road and Old Northern Road, terminating at the the same location the Castle Hill Metro station now uses. It was originally a Steam Tram from 1902 to 1923 before it was upgraded to a train. If you know where to look, you can still find some small traces.

[@Rheilffordd]

Hello from Adelaide! I am a regular commuter on the O-Bahn system which is actually quite a good system that’s proven itself over and over. Definitely make the trip across here one day to experience it

[@Visbalalam]

Because at that point might as well build light rail.

[@getreal4371]

Adelaide O-bahn is a Great way to travel, very fast and scenic.👍👍👍

[@bigtomDW]

i use to work for hilslbus. and the fact EVERYONE on oakes road would try and catch the bus around the same time. arriving at the city 8:45 or so. but they NEVER took it upon themselves to think and actually get to the bus stop 15-30 min earlier, and using the excuse of waking up earlier was redeundent as the people who caught the bus at the start of the route would have to get on the bus up to an hour earlier. and also the ones who generally complained the most would be the passengers who would need to stand on the bus the least amount of time.

[@bigtomDW]

the buses would always be busy at the same time. and also not to mention people would not stand on the bus for 20min but would stand in line for 20min to be able to get a seat lol. it was a pet peeve

[@DisgruntledSydneyTrains]

There are still many areas of Sydney where if the whole rail network blows up, there is no viable alternative public transport option with journey times that are competitive with a private motor vehicle, taxi, or share ride until the hourly vomit-filled night ride buses commence overnight. To add insult to injury, Macarthur residents are forced to take all stops trains on the T8 line as early as 7pm on Sundays and their Night Ride service takes the long way round through the Inner West, Bankstown, and Liverpool before they can reach home, might as well sleep at Central Station and wait for the first train (all stops) service to start *Eyeroll*. The Hills District residents have no one but to blame their NIMBYistic neighbours if they are trapped by a malfunctioning or defective Spit Bridge

[@kurtg5405]

Great video Sharath, I appreciate that anything well researched is made clear, and your educated guesses are noted duly as well; I live in Quakers Hill so I do enjoy the flexibility of the BRT's but I do feel like we need better links to Rouse Hill from Quakers Hill with PT.

[@andrewrollason4963]

Why? I live in Marayong. Why would the people who live in places like Cherrybrook and Castle Hill, and especially Epping and Chatswood, want people like me on their trains? By deliberately not building the 2222m from Tallawong to Schofields, the link is deliberately broken so that scum class like me can't infect all the Tarquins and Esmareldas with poverty... eeew.

[@DragonPhlegm]

The M2 busway serves little purpose when it ends before the Epping tunnel and buses are forced back into the rest of the traffic, which is terrible during peak hours. The M2 and Lane Cove Tunnel is a terribly underbuilt motorway with zero future foresight. (the sydney special)

[@zaarpoool]

Very good video. Would love to see one about public transport past and future for the northern beaches. I had high hopes that the Beachlink tunnel would proceed but now looking very doubtful, condemning us to another 50 years of gridlock.

[@michaelcobbin]

The Beaches Link has to happen, no matter what.

[@carisi2k11]

Well you guys don't want a rail line and so you can continue to suffer.

[@michaelcobbin]

@@carisi2k11 This is more to do with the attitude of the Baby Boomers. The younger generation wants better public transport. In ten years, the Baby Boomers will have less influence on public transport decisions.

[@jack2453]

The only solution to northern beaches gridlock will be to stop building roads and build rail.

[@handymanr4729]

will never happen, its like a freeway through the inner city....too many NIMBY! folk

[@lesliebishop3516]

Keep up the great work. Your stories are getting better and better.. Well Done

[@AlexVorstermans]

of course the wider conversations with BRTs in Sydney also has to consider the complete privatisation of the bus companies in Sydney. The government is instead focused on its many metro projects, end of trip travel and heavy rail maintenance. With Sydney Buses just an organisational service rather than a centrally led organisation, I doubt there will be a push in that direction until a change of priorities (with an election in a couple of months of course). Great video as always Sharath, and I'm happy to support you as a subscriber on kofi 😃

[@ojoj7140]

I think BRT systems between Campbelltown, Liverpool and Penrith are a great idea. A BRT system between Campbelltown and Penrith could run well with a few dedicated bus lanes on Narellan Rd/The Northern Road since its a direct road. Currently there are no direct buses between Campbelltown and Penrith and a journey by train takes far too long.

[@JayJayGamerOfficial]

A BRT from Campbelltown to Penrith wouldn't be the best as there is no infrastructure between the two yet (set to change with the new airport) and there are plenty of busses that run from Campbelltown hospital to Liverpool hospital (970, 971, 972) therefore making it pretty well served with trains as well. Once the route between Campbelltown and Penrith fills in that could be a good route although it'll have decently better rail connection with the airport metro possible extending to Macarthur and leppington

[@TheRealBobSmith.]

I honestly never thought about this before. How informative.

[@dashcamfanatics5279]

Another great informative video. Thanks

[@ed_winx]

Great video as always. Will make a public commitment right here that if I pass my osces this week, you will have a new monumental metropolis member ❤

[@bengorst-wright5446]

The queues to get on the 610x to and from castle Hill before the metro opened was always a nightmare back in the 2010s...

[@bocci2936]

I love when you talk about the hills!!

[@elnora1469]

Love your series!

[@DonnyDonnMendoza]

Bangin’ video and interesting take on the public transport issues in the Hills.

[@johnlatham7092]

Great vid ... well done !

[@sydneyinterurbantrainvlogs]

I'm from Baulkham Hills and still use the t-way. You're so right about the lack of transport, even though I lived in Baulkham Hills, the quickest way to get to any station via a bus took over 30 minutes...

[@jcwrekerz1795]

Have you checked out the adelaide obahn, it was the longest guided busway brt corridor in the world, but is similarly facing capacity issues.

[@AndrewW]

There was a train line that went from Westmead to the Hills district but the closed it down sadly in the 1930s.

[@reginalddeleon3801]

It’s worth noting that the long term and operating cost of BRT tend to be higher than that of LRT or heavy rail, the primary contributor being capacity as you mentioned. If we were to bring buses up to the capacity of the metro, that would mean 14 new drivers for a single 6-car metro set (or 15 new drivers for a single 8-car suburban set) with new driver to train and pay, staff being a major factor in operating cost. In addition faster road/tire wear, plus fuel can drive up long term cost. A lecture given by Malcolm Buchanan in 2002 concluded that trams cost 1.2£/passenger-km vs 3£/passenger-km. Modern infrastructure project tend to emphasise and stress over cost, yet we’re not as concerned about how much it cost to build our existing legacy network. If we design and build good infrastructure then sooner or later the cost becomes a thing of the past. A lot of the times, we build BRT with the intention of replacing it with LRT, but that doesn’t really save money and only increases long term cost down the line, with funds that could’ve been spent more wisely had a more suitable mode been built in the first place.

[@carisi2k11]

Wrong. 8 x extra drivers does not overcome the cost of maintaining the rail line, it's stations and the rolling stock over time. Passenger Rail requires subsidies to operate here in Australia and buses not so much. For longer distance journeys then for sure the bus is not as good as a train unless of course it is significantly faster then the train.

[@kenoliver8913]

Relatedly to the higher operating cost of BRT its environmental impact per passenger-km is also far greater than rail (either heavy or light). NOx and particulate emissions and noise are all far higher. Then there is the carbon footprint. Believe it or not, environmental impact does affect quality of life in a city.

[@JaseyRae]

The M2 Busway, despite having 4 stops on it is actually quite popular whenever I caught the bus, but the one I used to catch regularly was the now discontinued peak hour only Macquarie Park-Plumpton 740 bus service that was run by Busways Blacktown, as I was notable to the drivers of the route for being the last passenger out due to where I live. To add on to that, I work in Wetherill Park so my work is actually served by the T80 at the Hassall T-Way Stop, albeit a 10-15 minute walk up the hill just to reach it, I only use it whenever my car is in service or when I have those days I don’t want to drive to work.

[@MauzyCreations]

Hubby used to get the 740 to Macquarie

[@MitchellBPYao]

it's like Horsley

[@JaseyRae]

it was an essential bus service for both university students and workers in that area after all, always a full bus vice versa.

[@antiwalk]

Let me guess - Discontinued because of the Metro?

[@JaseyRae]

@@antiwalk yes, replaced by extra peak hour 745 services between Plumpton Marketplace and Bella Vista Station.

[@michaelcobbin]

The North-West T-Way BRT is great for bus trips between Rouse Hill and Parramatta.

[@steve1reg]

Check out the videos of the MetroBus in Mexico City. They really make them as fast as possible. Triple articulated buses, multiple raiised doors, only 10 seconds at each station where fares are collected before you board.

[@cocoacoolness]

The BRTs in Brisbane are not too bad, but a lot of them could definitely be replaced by rail. Recently they've decided to change the routes of lots of our buses because of the congestion, and often I can't get on the bus in the morning because it's too full. Oh - and with the traffic it literally takes the same amount of time to walk to work as it does to catch a bus for me.

[@tazzer9]

The problem with the busways in brisbane is in the inner city area they are fantastic and I think they should be encouraged elsewhere. However, outside of the SE busway to mt gravatt, the eastern busway to UQ and the northern busway to the RBH, they are massively underused for the stupidly cost to build. The northern busway past the royal brisbane hospital is a joke, having to cross a major road at grade twice, then not even having buslanes on the normal road (which the northern transitways project is doing a massively half assed job of fixing), Coupled with fairly low number of buses actually using it. The eastern busway to stones corner has underground subway levels of cost to it, and then only has like 10 buses per hour use it during the day. It also adds to band aid solution which buses are. Because of the busway there isn't a massive drive to build the salisbury to flagstone/jimboomba rail line because theres already buses doing similar. Whilst its also not an issue of the busway itself, but because the council refuses to co-operate with translink, their obsession with sending every bus to the city in the morning congests the busway so much with many near empty buses.

[@thestargateking]

@@tazzer9 from riding the bus to Mt Gravvat and UQ, saying its underused, i dont even know how you could make that conclusion Mt Gravvat has the massive bus station above it with several differnt routes interchanging along with several routes from outside BCC running along the busway the the university one stop down and unless its 10pm these stops have fantastic frequency even 8 miles plains at the very tip, then for UQ, unless its a sunday when no one is going to uni because its a sunday, the buses in and out from there are very busy and very frequent especially with routes 28/29 to link to park road station. Northern transitway is def a joke and the cutting of the northern busway in half is still one of the worst things the state government has done so far, BCC has no impact on the Flagstone line, the flagstone lines biggest issue is having enough people that live along the coridor that would actually use the rail line, when theres far more important projects to spend money on like the line to the Sunshine Coast, extensions to the Gold Coast light rail, Nambour Dupliucation, Quadtracking the Beenleigh line, hell the line from Strathpine to Alderly to the CRR line is a more imporant project than a train line to Beaudessert. The biggest issue right now is seeing buses as a bandaid solution instead of the actual proper mode of transport they are, as otherwise if they arent looked at properly and treated properly, you will always get issues of the underperming outer northern busway, or infrequent buses to Beaudesert or the state government refusing to fix the congestion at Cultrual centre for deacdes and when the council finally steps in, blocks their underground station just as the council were about to sign the contract.

[@damacaroni9911]

First, also keep up the great episodes. As a transport lover this information interests me a lot!

[@mattbartlett5211]

My dude, your drone photography is fire. What are you flying?

[@anguscos4506]

Those drone shots look amazing

[@gamermuffinn1600]

This man is like the Jay Foreman of Sydney and I love it

[@gregessex1851]

The Hills BRT was built in an era when the NSW had very little money thanks to an adversion to private funding of roads and the Sydney Olympics. This was made worse by the terrible decision to build the M5 East without tolls and pays people for their tolls on the M4 and M5. It was a totally dis functional era for transport in NSW.

[@clairemckinley691]

Buses will never be better than trains for me because I loooove to read on the train but always get incredibly motion sick if I try to read on a bus

[@clabood]

I know you just normally make videos on Sydney but Brisbane Busways system is one of the best I have ever used. Would be well worth the research and video.

[@Mars-ev7qg]

Some random thoughts It is possible to achieve BRT electrification. The US city of Indianapolis now uses exclusively battery electric busses on its BRT. Trolley busses can also be used when overhead wires are also installed. Currently, Rio de Janeiro's main international airport has no rail service of any kind. Instead, passengers and airport workers must ride a massive fleet of buses to and from the airport. This can be quite confusing for first-time visitors to the city. I remember how confusing it was to catch the right bus to Dulles airport before the silver line extension was finally completed, and I knew the local language. As an outsider, it's not my place to tell Rio de Janeiro how to spend its money, but given that so many major cities have rail links to their airports it does seem like an idea worth looking into. The main problem is there's a bay between the airport and the city. This will make any rail project to connect to the airport extremely expensive because either an underwater tunnel, a several kilometers long bridge, or a long detour around the bay requiring the purchase of enormous amounts of land to build the right of way will be necessary. Maybe someday this will happen, but for now, anyone hoping to join the party at Copacabana Beach will have to relay on the BRT system to get out of the airport. This probably won't change for at least 10 years, if ever. When Washington dc was building the silver line extension, some leaders in the poor communities of dc were angry that the city was spending so much money building this metro line to serve rich neighborhoods and not improving transportation for poor neighborhoods. However, when the project finally opened, it freed up a massive fleet of buses that had been tied up for a decade on the extremely busy airport routes. These buses allowed dc to improve frequency on many bus routes dramatically, including in the poorest neighborhood in DC. Now I have a question where does light rail fit into the transit mix? Does well planned BRT make light rail obsolete, or is there still a place for light rail going forward?

[@alexssydneytrainvlogs9413]

There is also dedicated bus lanes from Windsor Rd to Abbott Rd on the M2

[@tjejojyj]

This a good video. Service frequency is critical to public transport being an alternative. It would have been good to mention the ITDP classification system of gold, silver and bronze for BRT because the term “BRT” has been abused. Also good stations are crucial to good BRT. The best have platform level boarding and capacity that matches all but the best metros with 40,000 pphpd in Bogotá. Keep up the good work.

[@paulmarynissen]

If you ever get to Adelaide, you should do a video on the O-Bahn.

[@griffinrails]

Nah, we need Lasertube Skywalks from Castle Hill to Dural, then an on demand “minibus” from Dural to Cowan, where people can easily get to sydney after only a 5 hour commute.

[@fynnjackson8416]

Could you do a video on the old manly to monavale tram line compared to the current day B-line ?

[@jollyrum]

As a city commuter living in Baulkham Hills (10 minutes from Norwest/Bella Vista Metro, Seven Hills Station and Barclays Road BRT Station), I still choose the BRT. Yeah on a bad morning it might take 40 minutes to get into the City but even when the Metro City/Southwest is complete, I think it will still beat the Metro on average (Bella Vista to Barangaroo is estimated to be 39 minutes). You're also correct though. Post-Covid the buses have been ALOT better in terms of capacity. Pre-Covid and Pre-Metro you would have lines snaking all the way up the ramp and you may miss a bus or two. Now its show up and get on which is a godsend. Overall, we're absolutely spoiled for choice when it comes to public transport in the Hills although I do wish the Metro could have been designed to be a little faster so it was the out and out top public transport choice (more parking at stations would be nice too!).

[@Nico-dt5hu]

Ive lived my whole life in Jakarta which has the largest BRT system in the world. The government in the past 2 decades put all their focus on BRT until recently. Its actually not that bad. Its not too congested in peak hours with usually a 1-2 bus wait (except for corridor 9 i have traumatic experiences from that). The buses itself are frequent with 2-5 minute headway the whole day. Its also pretty consistent and predictable so im able to use it for commute. But again in a few corridors trains are needed and the government knows. An MRT exists below corridor 1 and corridor 9 is getting an LRT.

[@handymanr4729]

I often have to wait at a set of dedicated lights at t wetherill park for the BRT Bus to come through 49/50 Times the bus goes past and its empty. the other 1/50 there is no bus , just a ghost bus. This intersection will often hold up sometimes dozens of cars just to let an empt bus through. Seems like a great system to me

[@lukewood7060]

You almost got it

[@bradgrove9988]

There is BRT the whole length along The Northern Rd, which passes north of the new airport...

[@nicholasdemetriades3480]

I love your videos!

[@peterelvery]

Of course there was once a tram/train service along Windsor Rd between Parramatta and Rogans Hill via Northmead, Baulkham Hills & Castle Hill... now long gone.

[@alexisdespland4939]

do are they brt routes that only use part of the busway section on the expressways.

[@deshe3238]

This place is just like in Victoria, melbourne manningham region, the only metro LGA without a railway (Doncaster rail)

[@angusmorris4154]

Unfortunately, Melbourne is falling into the same trap of providing BRT instead of rail with the planned Eastern express busway

[@joseph221092]

I'd say Brisbane's BRT system is probably the best and most convenient. I much prefer it than the trains. Most often, it takes you all around inner Brisbane, same platform interchange at some areas, very frequent buses and easy access to the bus stations as it's usually on street level.

[@ethans-dk4bk]

I lived in Epping and i still Relied on Trains and Buses. I was going to Propose a Light Rail from Carlingford Station on Lloyds Avenue and get Light Rail to Macquarie Park. But the Problem is that there are no Station next to My School which is Epping Boys High School. I want the Station to be Built next to my School which will be Marsfield and Marsfield is Undevoloped. I was very Upset because the Metro Sucks. The Station wasn't built because of an Indirect Route. We need to make the Line Striaghter. I Keep on Reling on the 288, 291, and 550 to get Home from Epping Boys High School. We need to Redirect the Metro so we can have East-West Platform at Epping so we can have the Northwest Branch to Schofields and the Western Branch to Parramatta. And when you proposed Epping-Parramatta. You Forgot to Add Marsfield Station Next To Epping Boys High School. We need to do Something to Reduce The Congestion on Buses during the School Rush Hours.

[@benkyriazis5541]

As a hills resident, I still choose the M2 busses over the metro every day to the city as it’s much faster!

[@MauzyCreations]

me too

[@jack2453]

Has anyone else noticed that the Hills T-way intersects with the Parramatta light rail and is ripe for conversion?

[@davidpalmer9780]

Yes... agree and when the T-way was being constructed, my father questioned the workmen who said it was being built to easily handle a train in the future. Well... not exactly a train but a light rail system.

[@reddust8649]

What are the patronage levels for NW Metro? These are hard if not impossible to obtain. Metros are meant for frequent I.e. every 3 mins or so runnings with high loadings of 10-15 000 pax/hr with crush capacity of 30000/hr. I’d be surprised if NW Metro gets anywhere close to that. It’s been a hugely expensive exercise and overly politicised. As I recall, alternatives were never properly evaluated. One such could’ve been a high frequency light rail to Epping . A heavy rail spur from Seven hills to an interchange at Castle Hill would’ve provided western line connection. The heavy rail trackage from Epping and Seven Hills would’ve needed augmenting as would trackage into and around cbd. Maybe it wouldn’t have been cheaper but I suspect it would’ve been more useful with higher patronage levels and benefits spreading beyond the Hills.

[@BryanLikesCandy]

BRT is building for today, whereas Trams (Light Rail), Metro, and Heavy Rail are building for the future and induce growth and demand. For that reason BRT is always doomed to fail.

[@christopherharmon9336]

Excellent video! Thank you. What I see in the USA, "transit projects" are effectively designed by and for developers, large, influential construction companies and politicians to maximize short-term economic benefit and growth. Creating a useful transit network is very low on the priority list. What we the taxpayers receive for billions of dollars are stations which are difficult and inconvenient to get to, with trains that don't go where people need to go. Something else that happens, rail projects are built on existing or inactive rail lines to save money. Yes, I understand the reasoning behind that, but an inactive or active rail line may not necessarily be the best transit line if the purpose of the train is to move people. An inexpesive to build train line which goes where people don't need to go has little value.

[@SirGregory]

Why did it take so long to get good public transport to The Hills? There have long been rumours that the secret contract between the state government and the builders of the M2 included a clause that prohibited any competition from public transport for the first 15 or 20 years.

[@PhillBellic]

Something to "thank" the Greiner LNP Government for.

[@simonabunker]

Do any of the buses that use the dedicated bus road down the side of Anzac Parade count as BRT?

[@kenoliver8913]

Of course that dedicated bus road only exists at all because it was once a tram line. It probably should be again.

[@CockatooTransit]

Mmmmmmm… BRT in Sydney is just not like the BRTs in even Brisbane and Adelaide. Sure, they have their own specialised busways that had massive budgets, but why can’t Sydney have a higher budget the next time we build, say, a t-way?

[@tng2057]

There used to be a NSW Premier called Bob Carr who loved to be seen as a great visionary but all his great transport visions turned out to be water downed cheapies. The Bus Transitway, like the huge fleet of diesel buses, a M5 Wast which always had westbound congestions (due to cost savings by having steep ramps obliging all big trucks to go slow), the cancelled Chatswood to Parramatta rail, are a few of the numerous examples.

[@dylanpotato8739]

i definitely prefer MRTs over BRTs

[@jacobvardy]

Great video. And nice to see some familiar locations. One little nitpick. "... BRT is spreading to America..." Wasn't it invented in Brazil?

[@isaiah513623]

Very interesting

[@tld8102]

How'd you get the permit to fly your drone? It's so hard to get casa approval for comercial usage

[@MisterKN]

Its actually not hard. You need to register the drone and get a licence. Small

[@jace888au]

Shout out to my 620 brothers and those from the OG Harris Park days

[@akashkonduru2138]

I wanted to comment on the M2 busway as it runs double decker buses and previously bendy buses which have an increased capacity

[@bluechipcoach]

I have to say that the Sydney North West metro is also quite shaky and I can't hold my phone still in some sections but definitely with aircon I'd prefer travelling a full train/metro in summer to a full bus with the exception of some old trains. The modern rolling stock are more comfy

[@CitiesForTheFuture2030]

Hi - I'm new. Are you onĺy focussing on transit? As an urbanist I am interested in the full spectrum of urban development - successes & challenges - from blue green & grey infrastructure, food & energy security, water management, affordable & other housing, waste management, urban mobility, social services & support, awa amenities etc. We've been hearing (& seeing) all the rain you have been having. How is Sydney coping and what are the challenges? Has Sydney implemented water natural management strategies e.g. WSUD or SUDS & sponge cities? If so, is it working (successes & challenges)? Look forward to learning about your city.

[@sebastian.wilson]

Brisbane City Council needs to hear this

[@EverGreen4810]

Another thumbs up for Oakes Rd "interchange". Living between Cherrybrook Metro and Oakes Rd exposes the grim reality of actually getting to the Metro by bus or finding a parking spot within a reasonable walk that is not up all the steep hills. After peak hour the BRT from Oakes Rd is an easy decision for me although mostly involves a 20 min walk to get there - but then a much quicker trip to the city than by metro. I expect it to still be the 1st choice even after the Metro is extended to the city. The big problem is the Oakes rd interchange does not interchange with anything and badly needs some feeder bus routes to intersect. This would also help with the congested parking around the area.

[@antiwalk]

This is a very reasonable concern in a sea of anti-bus metro worshippers most of which probably don't even live in the hills or live 2 minutes from a metro station, unfortunately people living in areas like yours will be neglected and thrown under the bus pun intended so to speak as a 'necessary sacrifice' (these urban transit types' philosophy is heavily collectivist and love the concept of being for the 'greater good') once the metro is extended to the city, you probably will not even have an option to take an M2 bus to the city anymore, adding 30 to 50 minutes to your journey with a likely frequency of 15 minutes during peak and 30 during off-peak.

[@manankaushik4966]

How about building metro and train lines to enable cross circumferential travel and allow the commuters to go from anywhere to anywhere in Sydney using heavy rail and building BRT and light rail to address first and last mile connectivity?? Buisness centers and market where car travel is high can be pedestrianised with frequent connectivity to other transport alternatives

[@tazmoir]

This channel is bound to blow up. However maybe make content not just confined to Sydney (though I’m not complaining cos I live in Sydney)

[@BuildingBeautifully]

Thank you! Yeah, many people have told me that. I think I just feel more comfortable making mainly Sydney content, kinda like how Jay Foreman focuses on London. I don't really have much to say about other cities! I'll give it a think once I'm done with the big ideas I have remaining for Sydney.

[@tepidtuna7450]

As a long time Hills resident I loved this video. One thing that always struck me as dumb is our road design. The main trunk routes (non-motorway) are low bandwidth and there's few of them. All traffic is squeezed through them to avoid the ridiculous tolls. It's like trying to get an Olympic Pool's worth of water out of a garden hose. Having lived in the UK for a few years (regional towns and cities), they grade separate their major trunk routes and don't need to build as many motorways. What would happen in Sydney if we grade separated the main intersections on our main trunk routes - not all intersections. Take Old Windsor Road from North Parramatta. Old Northern Road and Old Windsor Rd is a prime candidate. No major lights all the way to Box Hill??? Up around Castle Hill commercial area too. Boundary Rd from Chatswood to Dee Why (partially done but with an expensive and over the top design). Woodville Rd, Cumberland Hwy, complete the Parramatta ring road, and more. The cost surely must be cheaper than new motorways and immediately doable, incrementally, intersection by intersection. It would make a great video but would need modelling. Standardised designs would allow scales of economy by mass producing the same components for build piers and girders. Similar designs would have crews knocking them out fast. Utility inter-connect terminations standardised and easily cutover. China does this on most of its infrastructure. In the UK they replace bridges in a weekend. Careful planning and preparation. They've done it here too. Middleborough Rd railway grade separation in Eastern Melbourne was done in less than a month over 13 years ago. A rail bridge in Penrith recently done in a weekend (I believe). It's just a lack of political understanding and will.

[@antiwalk]

What you are suggesting is fundamentally against what these people believe. They WANT to keep traffic bandwidth as low as possible to discourage car use. If Sydney's traffic infrastructure was planned for the long term and big picture, then maybe we would have the things you mentioned, and the capacity can then be converted to public transport, cycleways, etc for mass transit. Instead we have neither mass transit nor traffic capacity, and no room to upgrade because the land has all been bought up by high density developers like it's a developing country. The only way to go from this channel's community's perspective is to downgrade, to cut down and restrict. Inconvenience is explicitly seen as a goal. Walking is seen as the highest form of transport.

[@thomascocks9136]

The metro does 1100 people every 4 minutes in peak hours. It takes 14 busses to move the same number. Meaning you'd need a bus every 17 seconds. Which simply isn't possible for a lot of stops

[@hardly.rivai_YT]

Just because the Sydney Metro is a better solution to bringing public transportation to the masses, doesn't mean that bus rapid transit isn't important in improving the accessibility of commuters who would rather use public transport than taking a car because they want to get away from peak-hour traffic, or that cars are bad for the environment (although that is the case with buses too). Clearly, the Sydney BRT system will grow with the addition of Western Sydney Airport services - as well as many others mentioned in the NSW Government's future transport plan - and the use of high-capacity, zero-emissions buses will go a long towards removing dirty diesel buses off the road. Services will be more frequent and become "turn-up-and-go", encouraging commuters to use public transport as Sydney grows, especially as Parramatta is transforming into a second CBD. However - like light rail / tram - the BRT is only justified by capacity, time, and cost. Too long commuters in the Hills District are relegated to using buses that are often packed in peak hours and that the government did a half-decent job trying to turn the M2 busways into a dedicated BRT line, which they didn't as buses would still had to contend with traffic, increasing trip time (unlike Sydney Metro). If too many people use BRTs to go anywhere, more buses - and therefore drivers - will be needed and this will drive up the cost. It would have been better if super high demand routes - like the 333 to Bondi Beach - would have been served by light rail or metro (better if automated) instead. Nevertheless, the BRT has and will be an integral part of Sydney's transport network. If cities around the world use some form of BRT - including Sydney - that is cheap, faster, and more convenient and flexible, it will go a long way towards reducing their car dependency and improve how people travel to work or recreation. If people think that BRT is not as important as other mass transport forms, then clearly they don't get the idea. *FACT:* The Northern Beaches is the only region in Sydney where the only mode of public transportation - aside from Manly ferries - are buses. A metro or railway line there is way overdue. *SIDENOTE:* Your aerial shots of the T-Way and M2 Busway looks cool. I think there are some ways why you should better off use a drone to film things, such as filming a busy highway that you can only access by bus...

[@MitchellBPYao]

thought they have double decker

[@hardly.rivai_YT]

@@MitchellBPYao Sydney Trains uses double decker trains. Sydney Metro - the one I'm talking about - has automated single decker Alstom trains. These are heavy rail mass transit solutions, but they have different ways in how they move commuters; they're not alike.

[@lorenzostransportvlogs]

also have to remember operating costs of rail can be cheaper in some ways. for example, if a standard bus on the hills m2 city routes has room for about 100 people, but metro has 1100, you'd have to pay 11 drivers vs none for the metro (even if it wasn't driverless 1 driver is still less than 11). fuel is also a big factor, one vehicle that runs on electricity vs 22 running on diesel. also, very few of the buses hillsbus has are rated euro 5, none are euro 6. the most common ones used on m2 routes are euro 4, which means they're not as efficient as some of the euro 6 buses around sydney (take transit systems' mercedes o500le)

[@qjtvaddict]

I wonder if the LRT can replace some of the BRTs?

[@ivanoffw]

The startup cost of BRT is far less than rail alternatives, but long term, BRT is much more expensive as you need more operators of the buses, and there is much more maintenance on buses with their engines. Plus a rubber tire on pavement is less efficient than the steel wheel on rails.

[@CitiesForTheFuture2030]

I first became aware of sustainable urban development when I saw a doccie on Curitiba (Brazil) & their excellent BRT system - which is very impressive. What I like about the BRT system is that it's adaptable - buses can be deployed anywhere while trains can't. I did see a video on trackless trams that don't need tracks, which could be a game changer. What I don't like about buses are the seating arrangements. If buses could be built a bit more like trains or planes, with a place for a laptop or where passengers can work or "play" comfortably then people wouldn't be so hesitant to use buses. I heard a quote that says something like: development is when rich people are also happy to use public transport (because it's that good). It's not so nice being on a bus that's crammed and you have to stand for the duration of the trip because all the seats are full.

[@mariusdufour9186]

Sorry to break your bubble but 'trackless trams' are just busses, they might be fancy bi-articulated trolley-busses but they are still busses. Trams are more energy-efficient and cheaper to run than busses at the high capacities that BRTs are generally built for. BRT is cheaper to build, but the vehicles have a shorter lifespan, higher maintenance costs (tyre-wear, diesel motors etc.), more energy consumption (busses, especially battery-electric ones, are heavier per passenger and rubber tires have more friction than steel on steel), and higher staffing costs. (a modern tram will carry many more people than even those new-fangled 'trackless trams' for the same number of drivers (1) ). BRT is, at best, a temporary solution until a more permanent and efficient system is buit to do the same job. When building BRT lanes and stops, a future conversion to light-rail should be planned for from the outset, and it needs to be clearly understood that the only reason to build BRT is because there is an urgent need and not enough capital to build lightrail from the outset. If not, this conversion can often be almost as expensive as building a tramway line from scratch, leaving the transit agencies with a system that is too expensive to run and too expensive to convert. That said, busses are still an integral part of a transit network, bringing people to more high-capacity and higher-speed lines, and bus lanes are a useful tool to allow busses to bypass traffic at chokepoints and were several routes overlap, but they should really operate only on routes where there isn't the demand for the higher capacity of high frequency BRT, lightrail, or heavy rail. There are some exceptions, like the fact that busses can deal with slightly steeper slopes than tramways can, but these are really edge-cases, for which there also exist more specialised rail-based alternatives.

[@CitiesForTheFuture2030]

@@mariusdufour9186So what makes a tram a tram - the tracks or the layout of the carriage or... ? Whatever "it" is, having to lay tracks is expensive and "cuts" the city into pieces. Perhaps trams are easier to interact with other road users than trains? Anyway, whether it's a train, tram or bus or whatever else, the carriages - I think - need to facilitate long trips and allow commuters to work or use their computer etc.

[@mariusdufour9186]

@@CitiesForTheFuture2030 Steel wheels on steel rails, low floors, small minimum turning radius, and overhead wires. That's what makes a tram. Creature comforts and interior layouts are very important for the consumer experience and for maximising ridership, but they have relatively little impact on the running costs. (unless they are deliberately made in a way that requires lots of maintenance). There's of course a balance to be found between the number of people that can be inside a given vehicle and the amount of space each rider gets. On very busy routes that operate at or near maximum capacity over short distances, longitudinal seating and lots of standing room makes sense (it's better not having to wait for another train than it is being comfortable and late). On longer less saturated routes, tables, transversal seating, plugs for laptops etc. are a must. Depending on the service pattern and route length, a mix of both can be a reasonable compromise. But the point is that these principals can be applied to any category of transit vehicle. Of course, the transit authority still has to order the right interiors and use the right vehicles on the right routes...

[@CitiesForTheFuture2030]

@@mariusdufour9186 Thank you for the info. The amount of people one carriage - whether that be tram, train, trolley or bus etc - will need to be offset my the number & frequency of the service. So that means more whatever more often during peak times. Curitiba uses normal (70 people?), articulated (140 people?) & bi-articulated buses (up to around 400 people?) depending on the route being serviced. I think the city transports around 2.3 million people per day - similar the the London underground, but at the fraction of the cost. Surely rerouting anything that needs to run on a track and requires overhead or other wiring will be more expensive than rerouting a BRT?

[@mariusdufour9186]

@@CitiesForTheFuture2030 That all depends on how much of a network you have. Sure, if you have only one tramline, and you need to reroute, you're going to have to build a bunch of temporary track and overhead wire, but that's why you shouldn't have just one isolated tramline. Here in Brussels there are lots of tramlines, and lots of connections points, so when they need to reroute part of a line for construction they often have the trams take a detour on another line and have articulated busses run on the part of the original route the tram isn't serving, if at all possible. There are also lots of crossovers, so they can also run part of a line on a single track with minimal disruption. This isn't particularly expensive as they already have quite a few articulated busses for other lines which have too much demand for regular busses but not enough for a full on tramway, and of course those lines where they haven't found the money to build out the tramway yet. The London underground is a heavy rail system which provides very fast connections in a very densely built area where there isn't the space to even build proper BRT. Those aren't really comparable. A tramway can be built at grade on approximately the same footprint of a BRT and is significantly cheaper to run, though it is more expensive to build. (though still way cheaper than full-on metro or even grade-separated light-rail). Running costs and vehicle lifetime are more important metrics in the long term. A bi-articulated bus has a capacity of ca. 250 passengers, there are tramways which have a capacity of over 500 passengers. But even if the capacities were comparable you still have much less wear and tear (rubber tires wear out much faster than steel wheels, trams don't have diesel motors) and a bit less energy consumption with tramways than with busses. Busses do a lot of damage to roadways too, and you need to repair/replace the roadway of a busy BRT corridor much more often than you need to repair/replace the rails on a tramway line.

[@Techno-Universal]

What would be even better is if BRT lines were also electrified and used trolley buses and the trolley buses could still be reasonably flexible if they had super capacitor banks so they could operate for a reasonable range in non electrified areas when necessary! :)

[@hummel_brummel]

Brisbane has a pretty alright system I think

[@ethans-dk4bk]

Metro Carrying 1100 People, that is the same number as Train Drivers in Sydney which is 1100.

[@tomay5197]

Maybe the Sydney BRT would benefit from becoming an obahn like in Adelaide. Rail is definitely the best option though.

[@jasonwhiteley3612]

Another problem for Sydney busses is need to increase space for busses in the city as they are becoming gridlock in the city

[@arokh72]

Also, environmentally, heavy rail is a better solution in terms of emissions per passenger kilometres, especially as both the NSW govt and private bus companies are yet to invest in electric buses. Another BRT alternative, that may or may not improve future services, are those tram buses. If you are unfamiliar with them, they are about the size and length of light rail or tram, but are driven like a bus, and on ordinary roads. In theory they are cheaper to build than any rail based infrastructure, but offer a greater capacity than a traditional bus.

[@spaghettojesusinc]

In south anerica and europe bi articulated buses can move up to 300 people which i think solves the people problem and for the shakiness guided bysways solve it.

[@charlielloyd1080]

You say "Don't build BRT where trains would make more sense." Equally I would say don't build 'light' rail where BRT would make more sense. The key to great bus services is have dedicated road space where the congestion is, on the distributor roads and through the CBD. In those places route capacity can be the same or higher than light rail. Add in the flexibility of destinations and BRT is far more efficient than light rail.

[@ridinginryde]

David Hensher argues that if done well, BRT is almost as competitive as light rail at a fraction of the cost

[@tld8102]

Why does the audio in the inteo sound weird

[@australiasindustrialage689]

Another advantage with BRT regarding cost, there is no elaborate safeworking systems

[@kenoliver8913]

An ADVANTAGE? Those elaborate safeworking systems are the very reason why rail transport is so much safer than road transport. The far lower safety of a BRT compared with a metro is surely a major disadvantage.

[@Qr_snaps]

You should compare the brt in brisbane and sydney. You would find a better system in brisbane because of frequency on major "BUZ" routes i.e the 130 140 and 150