Brisbane’s CityCat Service

Presentation by Alicia Ames

PhD Candidate
School of Geography, Planning, Environmental Management
The University of Queensland
a.ames@uq.edu.au
The role of water-based transport in history
• Many cities have evolved proximate to water bodies

Accelerated
economic
Transporting development
Communication
goods, people,
means (Castonguay &
livestock
Evenden 2012;
Lambert 2010)

“Rivers are a spatial system woven into the geographic fabric

of the city” (Castonguay & Evenden 2012 p. 5).

• Expansion of land-based transport led to the decline of water-

based transport
Bangkok’s khlongs (canals)

Source: Fotograf 2006 Source: Iioilo Wanderer 2013

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khlong_Saen_Saeb#/media/File:Ferrieskhlon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khlong_Saen_Saeb#/media/File:Major_ferr
gsaensaeb0609.jpg y_boat_stop_Bangkok_with_skyscraper.JPG

Khlong Saen Saeb connects the Chao Phraya River to Prachin Buri and
Chachoengsao
Early Brisbane history
• Water-based transport most reliable means for
communication and transport of goods and passengers

• Earliest documented ferry services on the Brisbane River

are in 1843

• Ferries plied the river connecting small settlements

located at Kangaroo Point, South Brisbane and North
Brisbane
TOD is generally described as medium to high density walkable, mixed-
use development focused around high frequency transit stations, stops
or exchanges and featuring quality public spaces (Calthorpe 1993;
Cervero et al. 2004).

Traditional transit-oriented developments (TODs) have been largely

land-based.

There is a growing focus on river-based developments and river-based

transport.
Ferry-oriented development (FOD)
• Waterfront development projects nestled around ferry terminals

• Spur development of waterfront areas, particularly where the

decline of port, industrial and military uses has created
opportunities for redevelopment

• Land value uplift may occur around terminals

Port Imperial Ferry

Terminal, New York
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weehawken_Port_I
mperial#/media/File:Weehawken_Port_Imperial
_Ferry_Terminal_on_Hudson_River.jpg
Ferry-oriented development (FOD)
• Hoboken, New York

• 8-10 minute ferry trip from

Manhattan

• In some areas, rents are half the Source: City of Hoboken 2014
price of midtown Manhattan

• Ranked #11 in the Top 20

‘creative class’ cities in the United
States

Source: City of Hoboken 2014

Are ferries
different?
 9

Waterbody Crossings

• Traditionally used to cross

rivers, lakes, channels,
bays, etc.

• Used to transport people

primarily

• Struggle to compete with

bridges and tunnels Sydney Ferry (cross harbour route)
Source: Nicole Smith 2015
 San Francisco
• Ferries have been
used to cross the
bay since 1850

• Golden Gate Bridge

opened in May
1937

• Ferries declined by
Source: Beautiful Photography Blog n.d.
the late 1950s
 San Francisco
• Serious problems with traffic congestion
on the bridge

• Ferries reintroduced in the late 1960s to Source: Reddit 2015

help ease traffic congestion

• Extension of ferry services to a third

terminal and special event services to
baseball games and concerts at AT&T
Park

Source: Golden Gate Bridge Highway &

Transport District 2015
 Linear Ferry Systems
• Distinct to ferry services that cross water bodies
• Less common to water body crossings, but increasingly being considered
• Characteristics:
• Linear travel
• Operate along a riverfront or shoreline
• Service multiple stops
• Higher speed (22-52 kilometres per hour)
• Passenger focus
• Regular service
 Linear Ferry Systems
• Cities with linear ferry systems:
• Asia – Bangkok, Manila
• Europe – London, Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Hamburg
• Australia – Brisbane, Sydney
• North America – San Francisco, New York

Source: Groupon, Inc 2015 Source: Bangkok Trip n.d. Source: CBS New York 2011
Brisbane Case Study

Source: Steve Parish Nature Connect 2014

 Brisbane’s Ferry Network
Three types of ferry services:
• Cross river ferries
• Cityhopper ferries
• CityCat catamaran ferries
 Cross River Ferries
• Conventional single-hull boats
• Carries between 53-54 passengers
• Fleet of 6 boats
• Top speed of 8-12 knots (14-22 km/h)
• 3 cross river routes
 Cityhopper Ferries
• Conventional single-hull boats
• 8 terminals (2 shared with CityCat service)
• Carries 78 passengers
• Fleet of 3 boats
• Top speed of 8-12 knots (14-22 km/h)
Source: State of Queensland 2015
 When were the CityCats
introduced?
• Introduced catamaran high-speed boats in 1996
• Initially 6 catamarans in fleet, now 21
• Expanded to 18 terminals
• Carry between 149-162 passengers
• Top speed of 25 knots (42km/h)
• Run by private operator (Transdev) under tender
Why were the CityCats introduced?

Reorientation of the city Urban renewal agenda

towards the river

Replace some cross-river ferry Tourism

services
Sources : (TL) Australia Trade Coast 2012, (TR) Skyscrapercity 2010, (BL) ABC 2014, (BR) Mactaggarts Place Management 2007.
Why were the CityCats introduced?

University of Queensland Queensland University of Technology

Griffith University at South Bank CBD

Link important activity centres

 Reorientation towards the river
• Economic and commercial uses moved downstream

• Opportunity to redevelop disused industrial, warehousing and port

sites along the riverfront
 Reorientation towards the river
• Brisbane had turned its back on the river

• 1987 Brisbane’s ‘Year of the River’

• Redevelopment of South Bank for World Expo in 1988

 Urban renewal agenda
• Hawke Labor Government introduced $816 million Building Better Cities
Program in 1991

• Urban Renewal Taskforce created with local and state government

support

• Focused on inner city including riverfront

suburbs New Farm, Teneriffe, Newstead

• Redevelopment of brownfield sites into

Source: Brett Gray n.d.
residential, commercial, leisure and cultural
uses
 Powerhouse at New Farm
BEFORE AFTER
 Tourism
• Provide a tourism opportunity

Source: Trip Advisor 2015

 Replace some cross-river ferry services

• Some cross-river ferry services ceased after the introduction

BUT

Go Card data suggests that the CityCats are being used as a linear
service
How were the locations for the CityCat terminals
decided?

• Availability of existing infrastructure

• Existing land ownership

• Topography of proposed sites

• Potential catchment land uses and population size

• Alternate public transport modes in the area

What are the processes
causing change?
Developers show considerable interest in adding terminals to service
large redevelopment sites along the river.

Source: Economic Development

Queensland 2014
A need for flood resiliency
A need for flood resiliency
A need for flood resiliency

Source: Brisbane Inner West Chamber of Commerce 2014

Expansion of the network
Ageing first generation vessels
 What are the impacts of the CityCat service?

• Increase in property values around the ferry terminals particularly

for the Regatta, Bulimba and Hawthorne terminals

• Housing affordability around ferry terminals

• Potential for gentrification

• Can reduce pressure on other modes

What could be next for the
CityCat service?
Different routes and more express services

Thames Clippers

Hamburg
Better coordination and timing of CityCats with other public
transport modes

Source: Brisbane City Council n.d. Source: Foto Fanatic

http://wwwww.everystockphoto.com/photo.php? http://www.yourbrisbanepastandpresent.com/2010/08/n
imageId=16163898 ewstead-air-raid-shelter.html
Better strategic planning

• Need for an endorsed ferry strategy

• More emphasis in transport planning documents
• City Plan 2014
• Transport Plan 2008-2026
• SEQ Regional Plan 2009-2031
Consider the ‘service’ being offered
Investigate alternative financing options for ferry infrastructure such as
value capture

Brisbane City Council and Regatta Hotel shared the cost of the
original Regatta terminal in 2003
Higher residential densities around ferry terminals

Battersea Power Station FOD

Battersea Power Station Redevelopment

Source: Mission 2015
 References
Prado, M 2010, ‘Golden Gate Ferry celebrates 40 years’, Marin Independent Journal, viewed 10 May, http://
www.marinij.com/general-news/20100814/golden-gate-ferry-celebrates-40-years.

Sipe, N & Burke, MI 2011, ‘Can river ferries deliver smart growth? Experience of CityCats in Brisbane, Australia’, Transportation Research
Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board No. 2217, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington
D.C, pp. 79-86.

Soltani, A, Tanko, M, Burke, M & Farid, R 2015, ‘Travel patterns of urban linear ferry passengers: Analysis of smart card fare data for
Brisbane, Australia’, Accepted for publication in Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board.

Thompson, R, Burroughs, R & Smythe, T 2006, ‘Exploring the connections between ferries and urban form: Some considerations before
jumping on board’, Journal of Urban Technology, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 25-52.

Tsai, CH, Mulley, C, Burke, M & Yen, B 2014, ‘Exploring property value effects of ferry terminals: Evidence from Brisbane, Australia’,
Proceedings from the World Society for Transport and Land Use Research, June 24-17, Delft.
Weisbrod, RE & Lawson, CT 2003, ‘Ferry systems: Planning for the revitalization of U.S cities’, Journal of Urban Technology, vol. 10, no. 2,
pp. 47-68.
 Thank you

Any questions?

Alicia Ames
a.ames@uq.edu.au