A logic Numbering system for Adelaide's Buses

[Pat28]

Curently, we have hotch-potch approach to numbering in Adelaide, roughly put into a few areas (700-199 down Noarlunga way, 800-899 around Stirling and the Hills, 600-699 around blackwood, and marion), but we have 200-299 going from Clapham to Pt Adelaide out to Paradise and down to Glenelg. 100-199 is another story. So i hereby propose this

metromap.png (249.67 KiB) Viewed 4156 times

it roughly follows the new metroguides.

[Will409]

A good idea in theory but in practice, at the moment atleast, it will fall apart with the large number of routes that cross over from one of the zones to another, the J1 being a classic example going through your 700, 800, 200 and 400 zones). If the bus system is reoriented in a few years to become largely feeder routes to the rail system or serving areas where heavy/light rail can't access, then the system may become more feasible. At the moment, my 224 bus would be travelling through both 100 and 700 zones.

A good idea I have to admit but at the present time, leave the current system inplace until if/when the system is reorientated.

[monotonehell]

When you boil it down, numbers are just numbers. They have no intrinsic information to give unless you have the esoteric knowledge. While I've also had similar thoughts of schemes to zone number by destination, I've abandoned the idea because it's pretty much pointless. The destination plates are the important bits to get right.

[AtD]

monotonehell: Agreed.

[Pat28]

suppose it is then, but it just seems that we need a total reorientation of the system

[monotonehell]

Sorry Pat, I came across as totally dismissive there. It's a good idea, just needs some tweaking.

What I mean is that it wouldn't hurt, and it would appease my sense of order. But in the long run numbers are arbitrary to the uninitiated. What's more helpful is to get info that means something to people without having to look it up in a guide. So in that case a helpful destination plate is better.

[Pat28]

alls a ok, from the views of the uninitiated, numbers do look like numbers and i am sure many driver etc (and not to mention people like myself) had tourists etc ask why eg 200 goes to Clapham, while the 205 heads off to Sailisbury. Lets live in hope that when the Tram extension and other planned projects trigger a complete review of the system and reorientate it towards syphoning people onto the trains instead of away and the triplication of services along the same route (cant think of an appropriate example atm, i am sure theres a few).

[muzzamo]

There would also be a cost in terms of passenger numbers of changing them around. You might even see a drop of 5% or 10% or more over a year if you did this. There are plenty of people who just don't care that much and will not bother re-learning.

[Omicron]

The next time I'm held up on a journey by an impossibly dense passenger asking the bus driver if the bus travels near some obscure street fourteen suburbs away, I'm going to beat them to death with a convenient breadstick or other such useful device. No person is exempt; children, the elderly, families, the poor - public displays of ignorance shall suffer my wrath.

There, I said it.

[Pat28]

The next time I'm held up on a journey by an impossibly dense passenger asking the bus driver if the bus travels near some obscure street fourteen suburbs away, I'm going to beat them to death with a convenient breadstick or other such useful device. No person is exempt; children, the elderly, families, the poor - public displays of ignorance shall suffer my wrath.

There, I said it.

I likes your thinking. sometimes the public are dumb, but then there are the few smart ones like ourselves

[Shuz]

Well, it doesn't help if we have an illiterate bus driver at the helm of the wheel, many a time has a driver gone AWOL on its journeys through the suburbs being directed by passengers. Tsk, tsk.

[Omicron]

Well, it doesn't help if we have an illiterate bus driver at the helm of the wheel, many a time has a driver gone AWOL on its journeys through the suburbs being directed by passengers. Tsk, tsk.

In the days of useful, informative timetables I'd agree with you, but with the dreadful timetables and maps that we must now endure, I have a newfound sympathy for the drivers. I recently had a bus driver (obviously new to the route) attempt to use the map on a 245 timetable to complete his journey, but the utterly disgraceful accompanying map that is meant to represent five different streets with 90 degree corners shows merely a single straight line with stops haphazardly scribbled wherever felt convenient for the artists. Blecch.

[Pat28]

And just a coincidence: AdMet has anew webpol running and it asks questions about Route numbers. Like, should they be 1 number, 2 number, 3 number or 3numbers and a letter or just letters.
http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/webpoll.html

Funny stuff

[Düsseldorfer]

And just a coincidence: AdMet has anew webpol running and it asks questions about Route numbers. Like, should they be 1 number, 2 number, 3 number or 3numbers and a letter or just letters.
http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/webpoll.html

Funny stuff

i think the bus stops on Mawson Lakes Blvd 33A,B and C have about 5 bus routes serving them; 222, 224, 238, 565 and T501 but only the 222 and 224 are shown on the stop with timetable info for only those two bus routes, has lead to confusion with the commuters who use those stops, and no word about transfers or connections to Mawson Lakes Station or other bus routes

IMO the bus system needs some serious fixing after the trains have been upgraded, AdMet could learn a lot from bus operators in countries like Germany, France and Switzerland, here they need to reform all the route numbers, and improve bus stops by giving all of them a name (could be the suburb or name of the nearest side street) and have timetable information and list all the buses that stop at that stop, plus on board the bus they need to have automated "next stop" announcements which could have a chime and they could say the suburb name and the bus stop name...

maybe bus operators could also go one step further and have electronic displays on most buses, either LED or LCD screens to show information like the route number, destination, next stop, date and time, next three stops.....no wait that might actually be too useful for commuters

[Pat28]

IMO the bus system needs some serious fixing after the trains have been upgraded, AdMet could learn a lot from bus operators in countries like Germany, France and Switzerland,

Well if the can doe it in a small provincial city in the middle of Schleswig-Holstein (ie Neumeunster) which only has 80,000 people, 10 bus routes and LED signage on the main stops around Hauptbahnhof.

maybe bus operators could also go one step further and have electronic displays on most buses, either LED or LCD screens to show information like the route number, destination, next stop, date and time, next three stops.....no wait that might actually be too useful for commuters

Maybe, ones like those little one they have at the Tram stops in Melbourne.