Re: Sydney Trams

[matthew@mail.usyd.edu.au (Matthew Geier)]

In article <37364499.719A@REMOVEiprolink.co.nz>,
David McLoughlin  <davemcl@REMOVEiprolink.co.nz> wrote:
>M.G.Smith wrote:
> 
>> I have been told that the retailers along Pitt St. don't want the tram as
>> they claim "business will be lost".
>
>
>Hasn't anyone in Sydney had the nouse to visit the Bourke Street mall in
>Melbourne?
>

Bourke Street mall is about 3 times wider !. Any argument that says
Bourke St is an example gets attacked on that basis.
 This is the reason for the single track loop - there isnt enough space...

 The orginal surveys for the EIS and informal 'polling' by the publishers
of 'Network' appear to claim retailer support.
 But the 'big end' of town (Up market retail, land holders) didn't like the
idea. They have since spent a lot of time working over all the small
retailers in the area.

 I suspect the problem is that the tramway would probably trigger a
revitalization of the southern end of Pitt and Castlereigh Sts, now if
more length of these streets becomes attractive for retailers, the scope
for earnings increase in the mall decreases, as the retailers find other
cheaper space more attractive.
 There is a large amount of money tied up in the arcades off the mall,
and the last thing the owners will want is Pitt St turning into a classic
'strip shopping' centre down towards Central station.