Ministerial Statement: Buses preferred mode for proposed Cairns rapid transit

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport
The Honourable Rachel Nolan

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Buses are preferred mode for proposed Cairns rapid transit project: Transport Minister, Rachel Nolan

The Cairns Transit Network, the first rapid transit project of its kind outside south east Queensland, is on course to revolutionise public transport in the city with a bus-based system of priority lanes or busways.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan today announced the outcome of public consultation on the mode of transport for the city?s proposed rapid transit system.

Speaking in Cairns, Ms Nolan said that buses provided flexibility and the ability to link with the existing road network.

?The initial round of public consultation has been invaluable in helping to plan to meet the needs of existing and future residents and visitors to Cairns,? Ms Nolan said.

?Buses are the mode of choice as they provide wide service coverage by running on the dedicated bus corridors as well as the existing road network.

?Local buses will connect to the bus rapid transit network and take passengers where they want to go quickly and reliably.?

The first phase of consultation for the Cairns Transit Network was conducted from 28 October to 5 December last year.

The project team received more than 370 submissions through feedback forms, telephone enquiries, emails and letters. More than 850 people visited one of the 11 staffed information displays held across Cairns.

?Overall, the feedback from the community was positive with the majority of people supporting improvements to public transport in Cairns,? Ms Nolan said.

The top three issues commented on during phase one of consultation included:

1. Requests to increase the frequency and reliability of current bus services (24.2 per cent).

2. The best places for station locations (16.4 per cent). The most popular were Gordonvale, Smithfield, the Airport, Earlville, Redlynch and Edmonton. These station locations have now been earmarked in the planning.

3. The possibility of rail on the network (10.8 per cent), with 7.9 per cent of responses regarding a new light rail system and 2.9 per cent suggesting using existing heavy rail infrastructure.

Ms Nolan said community information sessions would be held during a second round of consultation, due in mid-2009, focusing on preferred corridors and station locations.

?By planning now we can set aside the land needed for Cairns? future public transport needs, and we will not have to squeeze infrastructure into already fully developed areas,? she said.

?Community feedback has already helped to shape the planning for the Cairns Transit Network project by guiding the location of stations and ensuring cycling provisions remain a key focus within the planning.

?I would like to extend my thanks to the Cairns community for providing feedback in the first phase consultation last year, and encourage everyone to get involved in the next stage of planning.?

For more information on the Cairns Transit Network project please visit www.cairntransitnetwork.com.au.

Media contact: 0404 133 242.

[ozbob]

Bus was always going to be the preferred mode.  The light loadings and traffic densities make BRT very suitable in Cairns.

Not the case in SEQ.  Busways are rapidly becoming saturated, time for the rail solution to take the pressure off!  This is where the needed increase in mass transit capacity will be gained.

[Arnz]

Heavy rail in Cairns would've been a huge overkill.  It was always going to be out of LRT and Buses for such a spread out small city.