>ajwright@ozemail.com.au (Ashley Wright) wrote:
>>On Mon, 16 Feb 1998 22:12:16 +1100, Michael Cuthbert
>
>
>> A lightrail link down Northborne from a terminus just short of
>>London circuit to Gungalhin would be a good start. Added advantages
>>would be the line would serve EPIC (show grounds/racecourse) and a
>>depot could be easily built in Mitchell. Run modern trams (3 car
>>variotram) and suppliment them during the show and other major events
>>with the aformentioned W's from melbourne if they ever release them.
>>Also build a park and ride station somwhere in Mitchell as well.
>>
>
>Interesting that this was the exact route considered by the Rail
>Subcommittee of the Sustainable Tranport Working Group last year as the
>first stage of a Canberra light rail system.
>
>A very basic system, consisting of a single line only (not doubled up)
>and loop would cost around $25m for Civic and Gungahlin.
Remember the Melbourne B2 class that was placed in static display a
few years back. Funny it looked right at home. I wonder what ever
happened to that plan which was being put forward by the developers??
I wouldn't have thought a dual line down Northborne would have been
all that more expensive than the signle line that was suggested
though. But I certanily think that this line should be built, as IMO
if it isn't then the two other options are the John Denman Parkway, or
even worse traffic congestion on Northborne Ave.
A tram running down the centre would be quick, clean, away from
traffic and fair distance from residents. Guess only complaints would
be from 'green' types on visual polution, although I think the line
could be built with little asthetic impact these days. Now if my
suggestion of a big park and ride was implimented in the centre of
Gungahlin or Mitchell then the residents could drive to the free
station and catch the tram and save the congestion time on Northborne
and paying parking fees in the city (tram price should be cheaper then
parking!!). Before anyone berates me for suggesting people drive to
tram rather then catch a bus, I suggest you take a look at maps for
Gungahlin. They way the joint has been designed does not lead itself
to quick or effective bus routes, and as NO road in the area is
suitable for overtaking (so traffic flows as smoth as the slowes
vehicle, which is usually a peice of construction equipment) as it is
all single carrigway and the suburbs are just mazes of small roads,
full of pissy little roundabouts, during peak times the place can be
maddness. And to think only the centre four of twenty or so suburbs
have been built at this stage!!
>A system covering Tuggeranong, Woden, Civic, Belconnen and Gungahlin
>would cost a little over $100m (see Appendix 2 of Canberra at the
>Crossroads - see STWG's web page -
>http://www.pcug.org.au/~parkerp/stwg.htm ).
What does the $100m price include?? That is a long long way between
these places. I cannot see the cost below ($500m), but I cannot see
$100m either. Especialy considering the SLR cost around $60-70m. That
being said though the savings in defering construction of new roads
like the John Denman parkway could be poured into alternatives like
lightrail, and only build the new freways where they really are
neeeded. However I do think the Barton Highway should be duplicated
between Nortbourne and just past Gungalhin Drive, and that road too
should be duplicated to at least near the Ngnuawall shops. The people
of Gungalhin do deserve at least that.
>This is considerably less than the several hundred million ($500m?)
>quoted in the Booz-Allen report of a few years ago. However, politicians
>still say that light rail is too expensive by quoting that report, even
>though we think the costings are excessive, and the Booz-Allen report
>assumes no patronage growth over the current bus-based system.
Not wanting to start a political argument days from an election, but
are these the figures the libs used to dispel the plan Labour had
before the last election???
>> Next run a line from Gungalhin to Belconnen and thence back to the
>>city. With all the congestion that is on Northborne these days a tram
>>with limited stops would have no problem competing time wise with cars
>>and buses.
>
>I'm not sure if a line from Gungahlin-Belconnen would attract as much
>patronage as the lines to Civic.
Nor am I, but it seems to make the link complete! And provide the
inter-town centre traffic that seems to be prolific in Canberra.
>So the cost may not be as prohibitive as some people suggest (though
>still significant), but I'm in two minds as to whether light rail is
>right for Canberra. My main problem is that it would involve as many
>transfers as the current system of 333 express buses and feeders into
>town centres for cross-suburban trips. And, for the uninitiated, to get
>from an outer suburb to most other suburbs would require one to catch
>three buses, and therefore to wait three times. This would be the same
>whether we retain the current route structure or build a light rail
>system.
>
>In contrast, in a city of 300 000, it should be possible to redraw bus
>routes so that many trips can be accommodated by taking one bus (ie
>routes are made longer), and ALL of the remainder be possible by taking
>two buses (ie only one transfer). This is achieved by through routing
>most buses through the CBD and one, two or three other town centres.
Can the busses be really reformed enough without adding so much
capacity and options that it would be too costly? I personaly think
not as it assumes everone wants to go all the way to the city. I think
the 700 series buses (less the double fair) is good for peak commuters
and more qty should be added, but I cannot see any advantage in off
peak services changing all that much. In my many years experiance
catching busses to Belconnen only maybe 4-5 people from each bus (off
peak) went on to catch the 333. The rest all went to other services or
the shopping mall. I think the worst problem is the cost of having to
pay each time you change. A time based system like that used in
Melbourne would be much better for Canberra, or even maybe a distance
one like used in Sydney (though this system doesn't lead itself to
transfers). No although it is a pain to have to change buses the fact
is you cannot run a bus between every two points in the city.
Changeover pionts are needed and to me the centre of each town makes
sense. However (big however too) the buses should go back to the
system before network '88 where every bus used to leave every 30mins
off peak. In Belconnen half left at 18 and 47 minutes past the hour,
the other half at 03 and 33 past. Arriving busses would come in about
4-5 minutes before hand. The advantage is that the most you had to
wait for a bus (at the local interchange), was about 15 minutes. The
current system as buses leaving at either 30, 40 or 60 minutes. So
worst case senario is your bus arrives just after one leaves and you
may have to wait an hour!! Back then the 333 only had a 15 minute
headway, but changing back would be detrimental. So have an artic meet
the incomming busses, and a rigid every off 7.5 minutes to take
straglers or people transfering from shops or work.
>All things considered, I would be inclined to try the bus solution first
>(as is being done and will come into effect in July), and see if that
>works before putting in light rail. If we are trying to reduce transfers
>and waiting, light rail may even be a backward step, depending on how
>through-routed buses work out in practice.
>
Being brought up in Canberra all I knew were busses. However after
living in Sydney for a few years now (and visting Melbourne a few
times), I have come to the conclusion that rail is a much more
civilised form of transport and has many advantages over busses. As I
stated above buses may have worked so far, but that is IMO only
because of the state of the roads they run on. Gungalhin on the other
hand is unique in that it is running into already heavily trafficed
roads, and the government cannot affor to supply the QTY and quality
of roads to this area as they have done in the past to the other parts
of town. To me lightrail is the only way to go for Gungalhin, but the
other parts would be a little harder to justify as nice as it would
be.
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| Ashley Wright, Sydney Australia |
| ajwright@ozemail.com.au or |
| a.wright@student.canberra.edu.au |
| |
| www: http://www.ozemail.com.au/~ajwright |
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