Maybe I have been too optimistic.

Currently the atmospheric change of transport infrastructure in NSW over the past five years have changed from the beaming transport solutions that were first promised in the 2012 Transport Masterplan. Currently not all but most major projects now been either over-budget, loaded with scope creep or are becoming political hotcakes completely distancing itself from what made the project high priority to start with from the initial independent infrastructure advisors and business cases.

It’s easy for me to focus on WestConnex, the Sydney Light Rail or Sydney Metro but instead going to turn my focus on more smaller project; the Northern Beaches B-line project. What seemed to be simple, a bus rapid transit system for the Northern Beaches with a few civil works here and there has been littered with ‘nimbyism’, bureaucracy and scope creep turning a bus rapid transit project into just another bus route slapped with a new livery. Who saw that coming?

Before I begin the events of yet another clusterfuck, an executive summary. The Northern Beaches region comprising of TfNSW Region 8 is one of the many places of Sydney without railways with the earliest proposal for a branch line included within the Sydney Area Transportation Study dated 1974, the former co-ordinator General of Rail, Ron Christie also proposed a branch line in 2001. Even recently former premier Mike Baird threw his support down but in the long term.

“Clearly density would be a consideration for the northern beaches as we consider the timing for a metro rail. There is no doubt in the long term, that is something that needs to be considered.” – – Mike Baird to the Manly Daily September 17, 2016.

Despite growing local support for the rail extension remains the real risk of a safe conservative heartland and an older demographic which acts as the driver for the isolationism the Northern Beaches plays in the urban landscape. Former Transport Minister John Watkins hinted this in 2006.

“Given the strong patronage growth in Manly and Pittwater, where the local members support public transport, imagine what will happen when an Independent knocks off the honorable member for Wakehurst and the Independents get that whole northern beaches corridor for themselves. That is when we will really see patronage growth along the northern beaches.” – John Watkins Legislative Assembly Hansard – 23 May 2006

With the growing need for public transport in the west during the 1990s and 2000s, the Northern Beaches was put on the back-foot until 2012 when transport minister at the time Gladys Berejiklian released the first hint of a major transport improvement package for the corridor, the Northern Beaches Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Pre-Feasibility Study. The study found major problems with on time running and the need for bus priority and put forward six BRT options with all options proposing a dedicated 24 hour bus lane in each direction and dedicated stops. The BRT was included in both the Transport Masterplan in 2012 and Sydney’s Bus Future Plan in 2013. (Both documents including the BRT study have since been removed from the Transport for NSW website.)

“The Northern Beaches region is shown in Figure 1.1. Its population of 263,000 is forecast to increase by 45,000 by 2036 and employment of 97,000 is expected to grow by 25,500 over the same period. Already 128,000 commute trips and 900,000 non-commute trips are made in the region each weekday.” – Northern Beaches Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Pre-Feasibility Study



“The overall travel time of a peak period bus trip between Mona Vale and the Sydney CBD could be reduced from 74 to 57 minutes under the bus tunnel option.” – Northern Beaches Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Pre-Feasibility Study

With the support of the government for BRT the plan seemed to pose little risk but during the planning stages the nimbyist culture of the region began removing the mentions of bus rapid transit and focused less on improving on-time running for buses but instead included road packages to cure the growing congestion. Today, the signature policy was solely erased over time. Even the main project site no longer calls B-line a “bus rapid transit”. In summary here is a list of where the project went to shit:

“The NSW Government is taking action to deliver transport improvements for the Northern Beaches, including an integrated program of service and infrastructure improvements to deliver a new B-Line bus service.” – B-Line website, 2017

B-line is not a BRT

We here about it a lot so what is a bus rapid transit system? The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy’s BRT standard would be a good starting point. ITDP states the standard is:

“the centerpiece of a global effort by leaders in bus transportation design to establish a common definition of bus rapid transit (BRT) and ensure that BRT systems more uniformly deliver world-class passenger experiences, significant economic benefits, and positive environmental impacts.” – BRT Standard, ITDP

The BRT Standard has numerous checks but under the basics of bus rapid transit lists the following:

– Busway alignment

– Dedicated right of way

– Off board fare collection

– Instersection treatments

– Platform-level boarding

And to no surprise, B-line does NONE of the things above. B-line runs along time-based bus lanes in situations where it needs to share with traffic. B-line stops are situated on footpaths, not elevated platforms and the route will still sell tickets despite the popularity of Opal.

B-line is not a rapid route

If you think B-line will be the primary route in the Northern Beaches you have been fooled. In May 2017, TfNSW released the new Northern Beaches bus network which any transit planner at first sight would shake their head in disgust.

In the new network, B-line has to compete with various limited stop and express bus routes to and from the CBD completely throwing any hopes of a sectorised tier bus network out the window. What should be as simple as a bus trip to Dee Why turns into guess work into which bus route to choose and which one has the fewest stops? Spoiler! its not B-line.

Many bus networks have redesigned bus networks with transit orientated hubs with limitless transfers such as Auckland and Dallas, this network just throws everything on its head and works out with no benefit in the long run.

B-line does not hurt the area



I remember this story in LA during the planning stages of an extension of the rapid transit route throughout Westwood and Beverly Hills known as the Purple Line Extension where “noise might be a problem and the vibration from trains could damage buildings and the high school”.

Well, it gets better.

“The D̶a̶i̶l̶y̶ ̶M̶a̶i̶l̶ Northern Beaches leads with the headline “Everything Is Fine: Fear It, Fear It.” – That Mitchell And Webb Look

Some locals are not too happy about the project such as the isolationists who fear a bus route will cause massive increase in apartments (shock).

“We’re up against brutalism here in Mona Vale,” Mr Unsworth told the rally on April 9. “The B-Line is going to cause a lot of destruction along its route.” Ms Bishop, who was in the crowd, then took the stage and made an impromptu 10-minute speech. She avoided the B-Line issue, but said the northern beaches lifestyle was being “threatened” by more people “coming into the electorate”. – B-Line bus battle erupts on Sydney’s northern beaches, Apr 17, 2017



B-line is also causing problems with shopping districts such as Neutral Bay losing off-peak parking, new commuter car parks causing traffic concerns and the removal of green space and tree removals in Mona Vale.

“If we are going to sacrifice more parking for the sake of buses, we are at a big risk,” he said. “I’m passionate about it because it’s not just my living, it’s my community.” – Cafe Owner Gerard Barrios to the Mosman Daily June 30, 2016



“Mr Illingsworth said locals were also concerned about what the B-Line would mean for future development at Mona Vale. “The B-Line bus stops will be seen as transport nodes and Mona Vale will become a place where the State Government feels it can intensify development,” he said. – John Illingsworth to the Manly Daily, March 29, 2017

And my favorite one from all the articles. A garden was saved from a left turn lane.

“We feel the threat of bulldozing our lovely garden, 18 weeks of anxiety and partial compulsory acquisition, was totally unnecessary.” – Gardens in Mosman and Cremorne spared the chop after Transport Minister Andrew Constance listens to B-Line feedback Mosman Daily March 23, 2017



So where does this leave all this.

Overall the Northern Beaches is changing. The younger demographic eagerly want better public transport but an older generation is only delaying the solution. B-line was a short to medium term solution when originally proposed, a bus rapid transit that would provide faster access to the CBD which could have been promoted as a gold project in the BRT Standard. Instead we are left with some double decker buses wrapped in yellow paint.

Instead the transport focus has moved to the Beaches Link, another toll rolled project with its own set of risks and very little political points for the west. It’s pretty sad that Sydney has lost another chance to build a decent bus rapid transit system. It looks now it will take a generation change before anything is done. Till then its locks on the doors, alarms on the houses and gates around the neighborhood safe and secure in the ideological echo chamber.