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The design of the busway and busway stations is a result of a blend of disciplines; civil design, building design, electrical design, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), transportation architecture, graphic design and landscape design. Busway stations are designed to fit in with the local area they serve. Busway stations are architecturally designed with 24-hour security and 'real-time' electronic bus information, and are accessible by everyone. They are designed to be safe, attractive environments for passengers. Glass is used to ensure safety and visibility, and where possible, busway stations will be open to the air to allow natural light. Landscaping around stations will make them attractive. Busway stations incorporate a range of design elements to improve greater accessibility. These include:
Busway stations are visually and functionally similar yet blend with their environments. The stations are designed to be contemporary symbols, achieving a consistent, recognisable look irrespective of location. Each individual station also forms a relationship with and sits comfortably within the pre-existing surroundings. For example, the design and landscaping of Griffith University Station blend with the backdrop of Toohey Forest. This represented a challenge due to the diverse sites of the stations. It required the generic design to be applied to locations ranging from cultural, commercial, medical, educational, environmental and residential contexts. The station design facilitates the movement of people and vehicles simply and logically. This coupled with station consistency enables first time users and the public to gain immediate familiarity with the busway stations in different environments. Busway stations achieve a visual identity for the busway and provide convenience, comfort, safety and accessibility for all customers. Security cameras located throughout the busways and busway stations are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the state of the art Busways Operations Centre (BOC) at Woolloongabba. The busway and busway stations also are patrolled 24 hours a day, seven days a week by Busway Safety Officers. Careful consideration is given to ensure busway station designs blend well with the natural environment. For example, on the South East Busway, seedlings from Toohey Forest were used in the landscaping of the Griffith University busway station. The landscaping at Buranda busway station features palm trees and other Queensland subtropical native plants. Considerable planning is also undertaken to minimise the impact of construction on the surrounding habitat. Ekibin Creek at Holland Park West busway station is an example of such a delicate conservation project. Wherever possible, environmentally friendly products are used in the construction of busways. For example, for the South East Busway, 130,000 m3 of special concrete mix was used to suit Queensland's subtropical climate. The design of busway considers reducing noise pollution by introducing structural barriers and limiting the travelling speed of buses to 90km/hr. The real environmental benefits of busways will be realised in years to come. Busways make it easier for people to use public transport instead of their car and a full bus produces much less pollution per person than a full car. While an empty bus produces more pollution than a single car, it only takes six passengers to make the bus a cleaner option. The TransLink Transit Authority conducts comprehensive air quality studies before new busways are designed or constructed to make sure local air quality, and the health of those people living, working, studying or playing near or alongside the busway, is protected. For more information, view the booklet: take the clean air bus (PDF, 1.09MB). A key goal of the busways is to provide commuters with better and smarter transport options. The art program has contributed to this by helping to create a unique travel experience. back - benefits next - busways  Download Adobe Reader to display and print PDF files. This software is freely distributed by Adobe Systems Inc. While this department has taken every possible precaution with the creation of these files, they are downloaded and used at your own risk. Various tools to enable access to these files for people using screen readers can be found at www.adobe.com/accessibility.
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Busway design