Stillorgan QBC Level of Service Appraisal

Previous studies [1] have analysed the walking catchment area for light rail and metropolitan rail stops in suburban parts of Dublin city’s south-side. The purpose of this paper is to establish the catchment zone of stops on a bus corridor, also within the same sector of Dublin city. The 2012 study looked at stops in four bands across the urban area, including: Urban, Outer Urban, Inner Suburban and Outer Suburban. Public transport users were surveyed at each stop and their street of trip origin identified. This information was then used to identify and approximate the catchment area for public transport at that stop. This study focuses on the Stillorgan Quality Bus Corridor (QBC) from Cabinteely to Leeson Street. Bus stops in each of the respective urban bands were identified and user surveys carried out at each. Across the 4 survey locations over 50% of trip-origins are more than 500m (as the crow flies) from the bus stop. An 85th percentile analysis suggests natural catchment limits of 950m – 1,100m. This equates to a catchment area traditionally associated in the literature with quality rail services. Catchment areas for quality bus corridor appear comparable and often greater than those for LRT or metro rail. Approximately 1 in 7 (14%) of all passengers surveyed transferred either from or to another public transport service as part of their journey. This appears very significant in an urban transport market traditionally associated with low or negligible levels of transferability, especially as it is corroborated by studies in other parts of the city showing even higher levels of transfer [5]. Overall, public transport users seem very satisfied with the Quality of Service provided. The study indicates that bus corridors with sufficiently high levels of service can have comparable or even greater walking catchment areas than light and metropolitan rail corridors. Public transport users, based on surveys of three adjacent modal corridors in the Greater Dublin Area, appear to be more influenced by Level of Service than by modal type.