perth: a frequent network map

For over four years now, this blog has been encouraging transit agencies to map their high-frequency networks, and encouraging citizens to map them themselves if the transit agency doesn't.  We've featured many over the years, including a rapidly rising number of maps by actual transit agencies.  Just enter "frequent network maps" in our handy new searchbar.  —>

Here's a new citizen entry, from Perth, Western Australia, by a Mr. OC Benz on the Bus Australia discussion board.

Perth frequent network

And zooming in a bit:

Rsz_perth_high_frequency_map_inner_city

Although the definition does not include weekends, when Perth service levels drop sharply, the map is remarkable nonetheless.  Greater Perth is a young and mostly car-oriented area with a population of around 2 million, but it has a lot of frequent bus service — more than Brisbane, its closest peer in both geography and economics, and far more than almost any US city of similar size.  

The bus service is also intended for more than going downtown, indeed, you can also see disciplined efforts to construct a high-frequency grid against overwhelming geographical obstacles: downtown is at the convergence of two squiggly rivers that make it difficult.  (Again, a dramatic contrast to Brisbane, the only big Aussie city with no orbital frequent transit service at all.)

4 Responses to perth: a frequent network map

  1. huh November 25, 2014 at 12:21 am #

    Regarding weekends, while it absolutely is fair to say that the frequencies generally fall right back Perth has been starting to improve over the past few years. Currently, all week 15 minute frequency has been rolled out to the lines from Fremantle to Murdoch (and on to a shopping centre at Willetton, not marked on the map), Perth to Nollamarra just south of Mirrabooka, Morley to Perth and through to a hospital at Crawley, Perth to Maylands, Perth-Victoria Park-Canning Bridge-Fremantle, Perth-Victoria Park-Cannington (but not the actual station – the route continues to Thornlie and beyond at lesser frequency), and most recently Perth to Dianella. Glendalough to Scarborough Beach also runs every 15 during the summer (30 during winter), and the lines from Victoria Park to Redcliffe and Murdoch to Canning Vale (at the left hand turn) are no worse than every 20.
    Of note here is that five of the above services were upgraded over the past few year, either from lower frequencies or from similar frequencies serving less of the route. In particular the Morley line has been acknowledeged as a success story – see http://guardian.inmycommunity.com.au/news-and-views/local-news/Extra-buses-for-busy-route/7658006/
    There are also 4 trains per hour every day to everywhere except the short branch to Thornlie (30 minutes on Sundays). Most run every 15 minutes, though the Armadale Line on Sundays is more complicated, departing either terminus every 15 minutes but having a combination of express and all-stations runs through the inner section (the Thornlie trains cover the skipped stations)
    The above is actually another interesting contrast to Brisbane, which has more buses running frequently all week but the trains there mostly fall back to every 30 minutes on the weekends, and only cover the inner sections of many lines.

  2. Peter November 25, 2014 at 1:33 am #

    A huge change from 25 years ago when there were almost no frequent routes – train or bus. Partly due to the road network and partly due to the existence of adjacent rail lines, there is a difference between north and south, with the south having more frequent circumferential routes feeding into the Mandurah line from either Fremantle or Armadale lines.
    The main gaps in outer suburban coverage are the northern suburbs around Koondoola and Marangaroo (car-based but low income), west of Gosnells (ditto), Forestfield and Maida Vale (car-based and scattered). There’s also a gap in the inner-north (Glendalough – Mt Lawley) which will be filled by the proposed 406.
    Also significant is that Perth is going to 10 minute frequencies on its busier bus corridors. Perth did have 7.5 min interpeak frequencies briefly on trains between Cockburn and Whitfords(?) but these were withdrawn some time ago.

  3. Peter November 27, 2014 at 1:38 am #

    UPDATE: Frequent network maps for peak periods and weekends have now been added to the above link.

  4. Ryan April 25, 2019 at 2:36 am #

    Now, it is 2019, and since 2017, Transperth has been sorta advertising their network of high-frequency routes: https://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/JourneyPlanner/High-Frequency-Bus-Services

    Since 2014, Transperth has been consolidating different routes together to form a high-frequency network centering on the city, and then heading out. The routes seem to be numbered sequentially: If we head in a rough anti-clockwise circle from Fremantle in the South-West, the routes are: 910, 960 (the 960 is a city through-route) 930, 935, 950 (another city through-route – we meet up again with it later), 960, 970, 990, 950 (through-routing), and back to 910.

    As mentioned above in the first paragraph and the top comment, a lot of these routes have been consolidated as an amalgamation of different routes. The 950 was previously Perth-Morley-Embleton 21, Perth-Morley 22, Perth-UWA (University of WA) 78 and the Perth-QE2 Medial Centre 79. Since consolidation, the 950 has been the major patronage booster for the bus network, with over 3 million trips on the 950 alone.

    The rest follow:
    910 – Perth-Fremantle: Amalgamation of Perth-Melville 105 and Perth-Fremantle 106 with added trips from withdrawn 104 Perth-Fremantle following similar route.
    930 – Perth-Thornlie: Amalgamation of Perth-Gosnells 210 and 211 as well as Perth-Huntingdale 212 along inner-city section, where they shared the same route.
    935 – Perth-Airport Terminals T3/T4: Renumbering and frequency upgrade of 37.
    960 – Curtin Uni-Perth-Mirrabooka via Alexander Dr, Mt Lawley: Amalgamation of Perth-Mt Lawley 885 and Perth-Mirrabooka 888, with southward route extension.
    970 – Perth-Mirrabooka via Flinders St, Yokine: Renumbering and frequency upgrade of 870, combined with most 370 trips.
    990 – Perth-Glendalough-Scarborough Beach: Amalgamation of previous Perth-Glendalough-Scarborough Beach 400 and Glendalough-Scarborough Beach 408.

    These routes are now advertised to have a 15-minute frequency most of the day: 7 am – 7 pm on weekdays, 8 am – 7 pm on Saturdays as well as 9 am – 7 pm on Sundays and some public holidays.