2015-04-07 Item 2 - Attachment 1 - Pre feasibility Study of Electric Bus Routes

  The average speed and therefore travel time does not need to be adjusted to
  accommodate the electric bus technology

Disadvantages
  Since Route 627 only operates every 30 minutes, a high frequency service of every 15
  minutes would not operate between Tewantin and Noosa Junction even if multiple electric
  buses were available for the trial
  Vehicle block is linked to other routes so there will be some de-optimisation of the Sunbus
  network to have a separate fleet and driver shifts designated to Route 627

3.3    Assessment of the route options for the electric bus trial
A high-level assessment of the three route options for the electric bus trial was conducted
using a Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) approach with the following key criteria:
  Potential to maximise service coverage and patronage on the electric bus
  A range of operating environments with different terrains, street types and speed limits to
  test the physical capacity of the electric bus
  Operational efficiency with suitable locations for recharging stations and layovers
  Minimise network changes and implementation costs without community consultation
  Ease of implementation for the bus operator with driver training and for the electric bus
  supplier to install the recharging infrastructure
The results of the assessment are provided in Table 3. Option 3 has the most criteria scored
as Good and Option 1 is the least desirable.
Table 3        Assessment of the Routes for the Electric Bus Trial

                                        Option 1 Network         Option 2 Routes          Option 3 Route
Key Criteria
                                            Redesign              626 and 627               627 Only
Service coverage and patronage
Range of operating environments
Operational efficiency
Minimise network change
Ease of implementation

Legend

  Score        Description of Scoring
               Good
               Average
               Poor or not acceptable


3.4    Recommended bus route for the electric bus
Route 627 as shown in Figure 7 is recommended for the electric bus trial because:
  It is an existing route that already services the busy tourist and visitor precincts connecting
   Tewantin, Noosa Heads and Noosa Junction with no requirement for the rest of the
   TransLink bus network to be modified. Community consultation on the route is not
   required as the existing route, bus stops and service frequencies are not affected




                                GHD | Feasibility Study of Electric Bus Routes in Noosa - Planning Report | 15