Northern Beaches Bus B-Line
Providing reliable, regular and high capacity public transport options from Sydney’s Northern Beaches to the CBD, the B-Line bus program is a signature infrastructure project. The program includes improvements to the 30km road corridor as well as new and upgraded carparks, bus shelters, a pedestrian bridge, a new amenity building and landscaping. Coupled with new bus priority measures, the reliability of bus services has increased and resulted in increased patronage. Since opening in 2017, public transport usage across the entire Northern Beaches has increased by around 19 per cent.
DesignInc provided integrated urban design, landscape and architecture services throughout. Initially engaged by TfNSW for feasibility, planning and design approvals, we then worked with Fulton Hogan to complete design documentation and oversee delivery.
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CLIENT
Transport for NSW, Fulton Hogan
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LOCATION
Sydney, NSW
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YEAR
2015-2020
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SCALE
30km corridor
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VALUE
$2.3M
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PROJECT LEADERSHIP
Mary Anne McGirr Stewart Bradley Miriam Enoch -
COLLABORATORS
TfNSW: Station Precincts and Urban Design Group and RMS Centre for Urban Design
Junglefy: Manly Vale Carpark
KI Studio: Brookvale Bridge Concept Design Only
Architectus with Jan Gehl: Strategic Design
AECOM: Corridor Tree Planting and isk Assessment
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Brett Boardman, Francesco Camillo
Key features of DesignInc’s work on the project include:
- nine bespoke, architecturally designed bus shelters including seats, bins, paving, lighting, and wayfinding signage;
- integrated hardscape and softscape landscaping throughout the corridor;
- five pedestrian plazas incorporating planting, paving and provision for public art;
- three carparks (Manly Vale, Narrabeen and Warriewood), providing 900 new car spaces for commuters and encouraging commuters to ‘park and ride’, including the ‘green carpark’ at Manly-Vale;
- a pedestrian bridge at Brookvale linking to the town centre; and
- an amenities building at Narrabeen Plaza.
Balancing safety, efficiency and durability with a positive user experience was a key driver. The DesignInc team applied place-making principles to create a series of welcoming human-scaled environments, ensuring a positive experience for patrons viewing the corridor whilst on the bus as well as when using the new shelters and facilities. An individual flavour is achieved at key locations through site-specific public art and bespoke design solutions. Consistent lighting, wayfinding and landscaping solutions create a familiar experience across the corridor and distinguish the B-Line from other bus services in the area.
Landscaping along the program successfully establishes a sense of place for new and reinvigorated areasenhancing visual and shade amenity, creating microclimates and extending green corridors. Water sensitive urban design (WSUD) initiatives - such as raingardens - have been integrated at key nodes. In an effort to retain the biodiversity along the corridor, wherever possible, trees deemed for removal have been relocated nearby, and new trees have been planted to extend the tree canopy in the roadside corridor and beyond into adjacent neighbourhoods.
Rob Stokes, NSW Member for Pittwater, Minister for Planning and Public SpacesThe Narrabeen commuter precinct has undergone a major transformation as part of the B-Line project.
New infrastructure includes modern amenities, pedestrian plaza, landscaping, installation of CCTV, undercover bicycle storage, extra lighting and additional car parking. The changes have revitalised the area and converted it into a modern, safer and more user- friendly space for the whole community.
Town centres have been revitalised through the upgrading of streetscapes, new carparks, new plaza landscapes and attractive landmark architectural elements in the form of new community amenities, including the Brookvale pedestrian bridge. DesignInc designed three commuter carparks – Manly Vale, Narrabeen and Warriewood. The highly innovative Manly Vale carpark incorporates a breathing green wall on its façade: developed by Junglefy in association with UTS, the green wall cleans air that moves through it, reducing pollution.
To meet the tight delivery timeframe the project was staged, with initial opening of key infrastructure such as the road corridor, shelters and seating in November 2017, with carparks and a new pedestrian bridge in Brookvale opening subsequently.
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