2014-06-17 Infrastructure and Services Committee Agenda

INFRASTRUCTURE & SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                 17 JUNE 2014


The audit identified no issues with the route that would preclude its use by buses. The audit did
identify some improvements that could be made to existing intersections in terms of signage and
line-marking. TransLink have advised Council staff that they are satisfied that the roads audited
are suitable for use by both urban and school buses.

1.   Background

The 628 bus service use of Creek Road has occurred since 2006. Since 2009 there has been
ongoing community concerns regarding the 628 service travelling along Creek Road. The
concerns have been specifically related to the community perceptions that the road width is not
appropriate for bus services. Since 2001 and 2010 there have been no serious crashes (fatal or
requiring hospitalisation) in Swan Street, Wylah Street or Creek Road.

The 628 service was last modified in 2011 to coincide with the opening of the Noosa Junction
Bus Station. This is the only TransLink urban service to use Creek Road and the service runs
every half hour in each direction between 6am and 6pm. This accounts for 25 daily trips made
up of 12 trips in each direction. Buslink school buses utilise this route six times on an average
weekday in order to drop school children to their homes.

An analysis of the streets used by the buses confirms that Swan Street, Wylah Street and Creek
Road meet the standards to accommodate bus services as per the Transport Planning and Co-
ordination Regulation 2005.

In September 2013 further issues developed due to parts of Creek Road being blocked by
parked cars and the 628 service was withdrawn from Swan Street, Wylah Street and Creek
Road.

In October 2013 an onsite safety review was conducted by TransLink, Sunbus and Sunshine
Coast Council to review the blocked road issues raised by Sunbus drivers. The agreed outcome
from this review was to install line-marking to prevent car parking that created problems with bus
movements through the street. New ‘no stopping’ yellow lines were installed on bends and
intersections of Swan Street and Creek Road in November 2013.

TransLink then reinstated the 628 and school bus services in late November 2013. Opposition to
the recommencement of the service has since been ongoing from some residents in Creek Road,
and in recognition of continuing concerns, a formal road safety audit was conducted in April 2014
by a qualified road safety auditor. Council provided traffic count data to assist with this audit.

The audit findings concluded that bus services are suitable to travel along Swan Street, Wylah
Street and Creek Road, however, suggested amendments to line marking and signage have
been raised with Council for consideration.

Issues of dangerous driving and speeding have been raised with Sunbus, however traffic count
data did not indicate an issue with speeding on the audited streets.

The decision to operate the 628 and school bus services resides with TransLink and their
operators. Their decision is to continue using Swan Street, Wylah Street and Creek Road for bus
services.

Previous Council Consideration
Nil




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