Article: Bring back Brisbane's trams, say Greens

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Bring back Brisbane's trams, say Greens

Bring back Brisbane's trams, say Greens
August 17, 2010 - 10:16AM

The Australian Greens say light rail is the future for the nation's major cities.

Greens leader Senator Bob Brown, who is campaigning in Brisbane today, says Australia must improve public transport planning and light rail networks and upgrades.

Senator Brown will outline his plans for Brisbane and other cities later in the day.

Brisbane had a tram service from 1885 until it was scrapped in 1969.

Senator Brown says the Greens will push in the Senate for more federal funding for public transport.

"It is only the Greens who are campaigning for improved public transport right across the nation, beginning with a national inventory and implementation study for light rail in our capital cities," Senator Brown says.

"We know what a difference good quality public transport makes to people's lives, to the climate and for the long-term liveability of our cities."

Queensland's Green Senate candidate Larissa Waters said a mix of light rail, heavy rail extensions and more bus routes was needed to fix air quality and traffic congestion in Brisbane.

"There is a huge demand for more convenient, cheap and carbon-friendly public transport in Queensland, as our over-full buses and trains attest,'' she said.

"It's been 41 years since a tram ran in Brisbane, and now our roads are clogged with cars.

"It's time Infrastructure Australia had a dedicated sustainable transport arm to conduct a $10 million national investigation into light rail."

Ms Waters said bus ways and bus services could be converted to more efficient light rail.

AAP

[#Metro]

How many light rail proposals are we up to now?

Brisbane LRT
Briztram
Brisbane Light Rail
Smart Cities- Rethinking the City Centre LRT
The Greens 2007 Light Rail Proposal

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Light rail answer to Brisbane transport woes: Greens

Light rail answer to Brisbane transport woes: Greens
Tony Moore
August 17, 2010 - 4:52PM

Brisbane's Clem 7 and Airport Link projects should have included light rail options, according to The Greens.

The party today proposed the city's Buz and CityGlider bus routes and busways be progressively converted to light rail to save on fuel costs and reduce carbon emissions.

The former Democrat turned Greens candidate for the seat of Brisbane, Andrew Bartlett, said the $4 billion Airport Link tunnel was a good example of misguided transport infrastructure.
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''The inner northside has been devastated by these massive tunnels," he said.

"Windsor, Lutwyche, Wooloowin, Kedron [and] Kalinga have all had enormous impacts, which involve spending billions of dollars based on a business case which demands increased private car vehicle usage to be profitable."

While both the Airport Link and Clem 7 tunnels are used by buses as well as cars, Mr Bartlett said dedicated light rail was more effective.

The Greens leader Bob Brown and Senate candidate Larissa Waters joined Mr Bartlett today at the party's light rail proposal launch in Brisbane's Anzac Square.

Ms Waters called for Australia's senior infrastructure organisation, Infrastructure Australia, to review south-east Queensland's busways.

She said they should "extend out some of our heavy rail with additional light rail to make sure that some of our outer suburbs have a good public transport service as well".

Ms Waters said commuters in Brisbane's outer metropolitan suburbs faced higher costs to use public transport.

"It is those folk in the outer suburbs that are really being squeezed with cost of living pressures, and they don't have a lot of other options," she said.

Senator Brown said The Greens did not advocate replacing all buses with light rail.

"You will always need to have buses to complement light rail, as with all rail services around the world,'' he said.

The Greens will push for extra funds for public transport via the Senate if they win a majority in Saturday's federal election.