Article: Cost may derail bid for trams (Gold Coast)

[ozbob]

From Gold Coast Bulletin click here!

Cost may derail bid for trams

Peter Gleeson

16Feb08

TRANSPORT Minister John Mickel has told a Surfers Paradise community lobby group that the cost of the rapid transport system will not exceed $650 million, which may stop the light rail option.

It is understood councillors will consider the option of a light rail tax in next year's budget -- possibly $50 a year -- if it gives the go-ahead to light rail.

Mayor Ron Clarke is vehemently opposed to light rail, suggesting it will not work on the city's narrow streets.

Light rail is expected to cost about $1 billion, and it now appears increasingly likely that TransLink will recommend high-powered buses rather than light rail because of the cost.

This is despite claims from planning chief Cr Ted Shepherd and finance boss Cr Rob Molhoek that light rail is 'clearly the best option for the city'.

Friends of Macintosh Island and Narrowneck chairman Don Magin said yesterday he was impressed with Mr Mickel's 'knowledge and polite frankness' during a 60-minute meeting yesterday in Brisbane.

"The meeting with the minister has thrown a whole new light and focus on the rapid transport system that is of extreme bother to our group and should be to the broader Gold Coast community," he said.

"The minister has made it clear that this is a Gold Coast City Council project with partnership from the Queensland Government, but the recommendation for the final submission rests with the Gold Coast City Council.

"The project is being driven by the vision and guiding hand of the Gold Coast City Council -- not the Queensland Government.

"Therefore it is wrong to assume that the Queensland Government, singularly, is determining the issues such as route and resumptions."

According to Mr Magin, the Transport Minister said there would be no further financial commitment from the State Government.

"The second commitment from the Government is the total involvement and support from TransLink to facilitate and operate the transport service, including the provision of all technical services," he said.

"Any problems generated with the proposed route, including resumptions, are the sole responsibility of the council, not the Queensland Government."

Mr Magin said the cost of light rail could be twice the cost of buses.

TransLink is expected to recommend light rail or buses by mid-year. The council will make the final decision by the end of 2008.

[Zoiks]

 
Tards

[SteelPan]

hahahahahahaha...having read the "WORLD CLASS, INCREDIBLE, DYNAMIC, PROGRESSIVE, WORLD CLASS (yeah well, Qld Govt loves that term), "SMART STATE" EMPOWERED Translink Web Site, I thought the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast TRAM System (about 100th the size of a system Brisbane USE TO have) - ohhh, sorry, WORLD CLASS "Light Rail" system, was all signed sealed and half built!  Alas, the Adventure continues!  Report # 7,653,689 Vol 4 of The WORLD CLASS Brisbane (x out) Gold Coast (x out) Sunshine....ohh bloody well ok, Gold Coast TRAM (x out) "WORLD CLASS Light Rail Project" may now need to be REDONE and more STUDIES carried out!  Yep, words just really do fail anyone after 2 DECADES and counting..... 

[SteelPan]

Further to my earlier post, if you take a BILLION dollars, divide it by the kilometre length of the proposed service - you have the cost per km of the project and I'M SORRY, BUT IT DOES NOT COST THAT MUCH $$$$ TO BUILD A TRAM SERVICE.  Me thinks someone, somewhere, is INEFFICIENT times a few hundred million $$.

[mufreight]

Seems Translinks fixation on buses strikes again
Fact.  There is not enough space on roads through Surfers for more buses a point that will be made worse as the numbers of private cars increases then there will be resumptions to get the additional road space, rather costly with real estate prices there.
Fact. Light rail requires less space on a segrated right of way per line than road traffic.  Light rail could with a little imagination run either underground, through buildings on ground, above ground or underground thus taking the commuter traffic of the already overcrowded roads.
Fact a light rail line from Southport/showgrounds/University through Sufers as far as Broadbeach as an initial stage would provide some immediate relief despite being the most costly stage in construction, progressive extension south down the costal strip could be undertaken as could an inland line (which would be less costly to construct than the costal line) as far as Robina to connect with QR's rail.
Perhaps Mayor Ron Clark seems to be under the impression that the Gold Coast Council will supply the buses and the rest of Queensland can pay for the roads and the resumptions ( that will be needed to create the extra road space) that they will need. 
So much for envirinmental concerns and sustainable public transport.
Electricity can be generated by more environmentaly friendly means than fuel for buses in any form.
I can not figure out who gains the most on the bus proposal that the money is so supportive of.
What think you? Please post your thoughts and which concept you support.