24 Feb 2010: SEQ: Rail - light and heavy is the transport solution

[ozbob]

Media Release 24 February 2010

SEQ:  Rail - light and heavy is the transport solution

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has welcomed a report from the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC) which suggests greenhouse gas emissions from transport are likely to increase and blanket Brisbane with smog unless there is a shift to sustainable transport solutions (1).

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"The ASBEC report highlights the looming smog problems in Brisbane unless we move to more sustainable transport solutions.  They way forward is clear, more rail both heavy and light."

"Rather than building more road based transport systems and encouraging yet even more smog, pollution, congestion and mayhem, we need to move forward with the heavy rail extensions and start to put in place light rail systems for a sustainable transport future (2,3)."

"How many harbinger reports of transport and environmental doom does there need to be before Governments finally let loose the shackles of the road transport lobby and get serious about a better future?"

"A transport tragedy is unfolding before our very eyes.  It is not too late to change .."

References:

1.   http://www.asbec.asn.au/

2.   29 Sep 2009: SEQ: Call to accelerate Cross River Rail Project
    http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2805.0

3.  10 Dec 2009: Now is the time for massive rail infrastructure investment ...
    http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3115.0

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[Jon Bryant]

Noticed that our news service did not cover this press release at all.  It might of taken some thought power rather than a reguritation of a press release and a some research to find out the basis for their claims.  Might miss dinner.

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

No end in sight for SEQ's traffic woes: report

No end in sight for SEQ's traffic woes: report
TONY MOORE
February 24, 2010

South-East Queenslanders will drive further for longer and breathe in more vehicle emissions by 2040 despite new tunnels, buses, bridges and bikeways, a report by Australia's leading green business association says.

The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council predicted motorists would spend an extra 14 minutes in the car and drive a further five kilometres each day, producing an extra 19 million tonnes of car emissions year.

The Council's Cities for the Future report predicts the South-East Queensland daily commute will get worse, despite the imminent completion of the Clem7 tunnel and Gateway Bridge duplication and improvements to the Ipswich Motorway.

ASBEC president Tom Roper said one of the problems was reactive governments who refused to fund infrastructure for rail and bridges in anticipation of population growth.

He warned government treasuries had to become more "proactive" in infrastructure spending, otherwise cities would always play catch-up.

"Part of the problem is the treasury model which says, 'Wait until it is all done and then put the capital in'," Mr Roper said.

"Well not only by that stage is the capital more expensive, but quite significant developments have already occurred on the ground.

"What Australia has tended to do, is wait until everyone is there and then design the transport arrangements.

"And that means that people means make alternative arrangements."

Mr Roper cited several examples of large-scale residential developments in Melbourne, which went in ahead of rail and bus lines, prompting some families to buy two cars.

South-East Queensland's largest residential project, Springfield, was forced to approach the State Government to pay to bring forward construction of a highway to the area.

It also argued for a rail line to the Ipswich suburb - a project that was only confirmed last year - to be completed by 2015.

Mr Roper said rising population growth would swamp the impact of new bridges, tunnels and the increasing popularity of public transport.

"All those type of things have been taken into account, all those matters have been announced," he said.

"Just as they have taken into account Commonwealth Government decisions to improve fleet efficiency."

Mr Roper said the main problem was South-East Queensland's rate of population growth.

"Your population is going up at a very rapid rate and that is going to make a significant difference," he said.

"I mean Melbourne's population is going to go up, but not as rapidly as South-East Queensland."

South-East Queensland's population is predicted to almost double to 5.5 million by 2040, the report says.

It predicts that despite the intentions of public transport planners, in South-East Queensland the private vehicle will remain the preferred form of transport (77 per cent), with public transport (4 per cent) merely keeping pace with population.

The only predicted increase was in walking and cycling (up from 15 to 17 per cent).

Good job Brisbanetimes!

[ozbob]

Further discussion see this thread  --> here!