My thoughts on “b.line”

Tomorrow ARTA will launch the next step in improving Auckland’s bus system – their “b.line” project. I first got wind of this concept a few months back, and I did a hopeful post that it seemed as though we were starting to see the rollout of the “Quality Transit Network” that ARTA have been promising for many years now, but haven’t got around to actually implementing. Here’s the media release:

b.line tackles public transport disbelievers

The Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) and bus operator, NZ Bus, with the support of Auckland City Council’s Transport Committee, will officially launch b.line tomorrow. b.line is the first visually identifiable, simple to use, high frequency bus service for Dominion and Mt Eden Roads. The b.line service includes b.line branded buses, bus flags and bus stops. b.line buses are scheduled to run a minimum of every fifteen minutes from 7am to 7pm every week day. Over time, additional, high frequency b.line services will be implemented throughout the region.

ARTA’s General Manager Customer Services, Mark Lambert said, “While public transport in Auckland has achieved very good growth during the past five years we are now focused on public transport making an even greater contribution to moving people around Auckland. This requires a step change in public transport planning and performance by ARTA as outlined in the recently released Auckland Regional Passenger Transport Plan 2010 (RPTP).

“A huge potential target market for public transport exists in Auckland. For many people their perception of public transport is based on an experience from years ago. Although there is still work to be done, a great deal has happened in respect of service levels and infrastructure development during that time which many Aucklanders simply aren’t aware of.

“High frequency bus corridors represent a good starting point for us in our drive to encourage even more people back to public transport. ARTA has identified twenty plus such corridors in the region which will over time and working with our bus operators in the region, be developed to meet the fifteen minutes or less frequency and branded b.line services”.

Mr Lambert said, “Research on bus travel conducted in late 2009 by Colmar Brunton using 504 respondents, both public transport and non public transport users, showed there were a set of key indicators when making a choice, or not, to use public transport.

“In order to make public transport a viable choice, respondents wanted to be able to clearly identify the bus stops, shelters and timetables of high frequency bus services. They also wanted high frequency services to run a minimum of every fifteen minutes and to have real time bus arrival information which we are delivering via web, text messaging and, where available a real time sign at bus stops. Respondents also wanted a percentage of the route to be a bus priority lane at peak times. Simplification of bus routes was also key as many people found the system overly complex.

“Following on from the Colmar Brunton research, ARTA developed the b.line concept working with NZ Bus and tested the concept with a panel of Aucklanders. Fifty nine per cent of respondents said if we satisfied the indicators identified in the research they were likely to increase their public transport usage. Sixty two per cent found the images we proposed using, cheerful, fresh, lively, friendly and fun, making using the service much more appealing.

“While fifteen minute or less service frequency already exists on Dominion and Mt Eden Roads and patronage is very good at peak times, we want to up the ante and encourage those who haven’t considered using public transport before and who might well use services outside of peak times, such as students and families, to realise that, increasingly, public transport is a very viable alternative to car use.

Chief Executive of NZ Bus, Bruce Emson said, “b.line represents a significant step forward for our customers who tell us that one of the biggest barriers to catching a bus in Auckland is the complexity of the public transport system. b.line simplifies the experience and we are confident that Aucklanders will embrace it and our investment in new buses on the b. line, which are now on the road.”

First-off, I think it’s kind of odd to head up the project’s aim as being effectively “to convert nonbelievers” in public transport. Does that mean I’m some crazy public transport religious whack-job believer?

But anyway, turning to the concept itself, I like the idea of identifying in some way “superior” bus routes in Auckland, where there’s some sort of guarantee you’re going to get a good service. I think people are often put off public transport because there’s this fear (generally quite reasonably founded) that you’re going to end up stranded at the stop forever because you’ve just missed the bus and you have no idea when the next one’s coming. B.line seeks to counter this by making it extremely simple: if you see all the designs and logos then you know that you’re on a b.line route and there’s a reasonably good service. That’s a good step in the right direction.

This is the kind of stuff we’re likely to see at b.line stops (I should get out there myself soon and check it out):
And some posters:

The very strange thing about this is that “every 15 minutes or less” statement. The reason this is odd is that currently Dominion Road buses operate every 5 minutes or less, while Mt Eden Road buses operate every 10 minutes or less throughout the “Monday to Friday, 7am-7pm” window that this is advertising. Now I’m not a marketing expert, but surely the first rule of marketing is: “if you have a good product, don’t say it’s a mediocre product to try to sell it”. A bus every 5 minutes (Dominion Road) is a very good product, at least when it comes to public transport in Auckland. Sure, the bus lanes could be a bit longer in terms of their extent and their operating hours – but it’s pretty damn good. The same goes for Mt Eden Road, although to a slightly lesser extent, as the frequencies are every 10 minutes. But still, the service is pretty damn good, and better than what seems to be advertised here.

As I noted in my comment on Jeremy’s post, it’s like advertising some no-name band when actually it’s a U2 concert. Pretty damn odd. The only reason I can comprehend this “under-sell” of implementing b.line for Mt Eden and Dominion Roads is that ARTA hopes to extend the concept to other QTNs in the future – but doesn’t want to commit itself to anything better than 15 minute frequencies on those routes. Which is actually quite disappointing really, as in my mind a bus every 15 minutes (and potentially not even that outside Monday-Friday 7am-7pm) doesn’t really constitute what a QTN should be. I would have thought a minimum 10 minute standard would make a lot more sense.

But anyway, in terms of what I think of the concept as a whole, as I noted above I think it’s a good idea to make a distinction between QTN services and “other” services. Providing some sort of guarantee with the b.line that you’re going to get “the best PT Auckland can offer” makes good sense. However, I do hope that the reality can match the hype. The Dominion Road bus lanes are under attack by Auckland City Council, the Mt Eden Road bus lanes are incredibly patchy, and in some areas only apply between 4.30pm and 5.30pm in the evenings.

I suppose looking from an optimistic angle, identifying various routes as “b.lines” will hopefully give some extra impetus to improve the bus lanes along it, to give buses better priority at traffic lights, to take steps to provide faster boarding times through “off-vehicle” ticketing as busy stations and any other steps that will help the buses run along the corridors faster. If this happens then b.line will actually mean something – it will actually be a higher quality form of public transport. If it doesn’t, then I fear the whole b.line idea will be “all sizzle, no sausage”.

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