Perth Transport Plan - Transport@3.5 million

[ozbob]

Transport Minister @DeanNalder launches the long-awaited Perth #TransportPlan @ceda_news #perthnews pic.twitter.com/elLuTIpDil

— Cyndi Lavrencic (@cyndilavrencic) July 29, 2016

[ozbob]

ABC News --> Long-awaited Perth transport blueprint to be released by WA Government

The WA Government will unveil the long-awaited details of its transport blueprint for Perth this morning.

Senior Ministers are hoping the plan is a winner with the public, with transport set to be a key battleground at next year's state election.

The ABC has already revealed the plan includes new tunnels, extra bridges across the Swan River and new train lines.

The plan, known as Transport@3.5 million, provides a long-term vision to guide development of WA's transport network for Perth and Peel, with an expected 800,000 new homes required over the next 35 to 40 years.

Transport planners believe that would nearly double the number of trips made every day in and around Perth, leading to more than 12 million trips a day.

The plan also confirmed the Government had axed its 2013 election promise to build the Max Light Rail line out to Mirrabooka.

The Government has come under fire for dumping the MAX light rail, three years after it went to the 2013 election promising a "fully-cost, fully-funded" MAX Light Rail to Mirrabooka.

But State Development Minister Bill Marmion said he did not believe the Government would have a problem convincing the public it was serious about public transport.

"Look I'm sure they've got it right; I've obviously seen an advance copy of it," he said.

"It's a terrific plan and I'm sure the public of Western Australia will like it when the minister releases it."
Labor calls plan release a 'pre-election stunt'

However, Opposition leader Mark McGowan has questioned the timing of the release.

"It's a pre-election stunt to try and get the Government re-elected and to lift Mr Nalder's standing versus Mr Barnett, that's all it is," he said.

Mr McGowan said the Government was appalling when it came to delivery, but great at making glossy documents.

"When they release their plan tomorrow, everyone needs to look at it through the historical record, and the historical record is they break their word when it comes to transport plans," he said.

[ozbob]

As far as I can tell at this stage plans for light rail have been shelved for BRT.  Some more heavy rail planned.

[ozbob]

ABC News --> Perth transport plan unveiled with little detail on timeframe, cost

The West Australian Government has released its highly anticipated long-term transport blueprint, unveiling plans for a series of roads and train lines it wants built over more than four decades.

But there is little detail in the plan about the expected timeframes for specific projects or their projected cost.

Much of the plan had been leaked prior to its announcement but further details unveiled by Transport Minister Dean Nalder included a long-term proposal for a heavy rail line from Stirling to Murdoch via the QEII Medical Centre in Nedlands and Booragoon.

As revealed by the ABC last month, the plan includes an East-West city link - featuring a tunnel between the CBD and Mounts Bay Road - an inner city subway, rail links to Morley and East Wanneroo and rapid bus systems.

There is also a proposal for a series of bridges reserved for cyclists and pedestrians, including a 'three points bridge' linking North Fremantle, Point Walter and Dalkeith.

"It will be up to successive governments to select which projects it wants to prioritise," Premier Colin Barnett said.

"This is a framework for a long-term transport plan for Perth."

The Transport Minister rejected suggestions the Government should not be trusted to deliver any of those projects because of its record of public transport.

"We like to consider this plan to be well beyond political cycles. In an ideal world we would take a bipartisan approach to transport planning," Mr Nalder said.

He said the draft document should not be seen as a commitment to all of the projects by the Government.

"This isn't a commitment to all of the projects in the document by the Government, this is a professional view," he said.

The plan is broken down into projects the Government believes should be built by 2031, others between then and 2050 and finally ones to be built beyond that timeframe.

^ gee,  sounding very much like the nonsensical successive iterations of ' plans ' we suffer in banana-land ... 

[ozbob]

The West Australian --> Transport plan for Perth with 3.5m people


Light rail in this map:

[ozbob]

Whoa, a subway!   

[ozbob]

ABC News --> Heavy rail to Morley priority in Perth transport plan

A heavy rail tunnel to Morley appears to have emerged as the Western Australian Government's next top mass transit priority, following the release of its long-awaited transport plan.

While the long-term transport plan gave only broad timeframes and no details of costings, Transport Minister Dean Nalder said he wanted to see a Perth to Morley rail option looked at quickly.

Mr Nalder said that route could be committed to before next year's state election but would take at least two years of planning, making it the Government's apparent top priority after the Forrestfield-Airport rail line.

The transport plan includes a series of proposals for new train lines, a light rail system, rapid bus routes, road projects and pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.

Much of the plan was revealed by the ABC prior to its announcement, including the Morley line - with future spurs to East Wanneroo and Ellenbrook - an inner city subway system and an East-West road link connecting Victoria Park and the western suburbs to the city through a tunnel designed to replace Riverside Drive.

Mr Nalder said the draft document, which took two years to produce, should not be seen as the Government committing to all of the projects in it, but instead should form the basis of bipartisan planning over several decades.

Projects are broken down into those seen as required by 2031, others needed between then and 2050, and those required after the halfway mark of the century.

But Mr Nalder said he identified the Morley route as a key priority and wanted to see it worked on quickly, even before the 2017 election.

    "We need to find a solution for the northern suburbs, we see that as a key component," Mr Nalder said.

"I am keen to get that planning work going now as quickly as possible.

"But the prioritisation around different projects is up for debate and it is a good debate to have."

The Government's proposals feature infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, such as a "three point" no-vehicle bridge linking North Fremantle, Point Walter and Dalkeith.

Its plan contrasts markedly with Labor's Metronet transport policy, which places a much higher priority on projects such as an Ellenbrook train line.

[ozbob]

Here it is:

Perth Transport Plan --> http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/projects/perth-transport-plan-for-3-5-million.asp

[ozbob]

Seems like WA has the QLD disease I think.   Great plan though!   

[SurfRail]

I think they have lost a lot of momentum in the last decade.  The mining downturn does not help.

Factors in their favour:
- Better public administration of their transport system
- Tunnelling is much cheaper in Perth's terrain

[verbatim9]

Seems like WA has the QLD disease I think.   Great plan though!   

I like how they included bikeways into the plan. We need more direct segregated bikeways. Not the ones that bend around creeks and parks. Straight commutter ones to get to A and B efficiently and safely.

[Gazza]

Whoa, a subway!   

[ozbob]

 

[ozbob]

WA Today --> Cyclists win big in new transport plan for WA... but will it be realised?

Perth's rail network, roads and cycle paths will be dramatically beefed-up under the Barnett government's long-awaited transport plan.

The bold and ambitious vision shared on Friday takes into account Perth's population will balloon to 3.5 million people around 2050.

The plan took two years to develop at a cost of $1.3 million and doesn't include the Liberal government's MAX light-rail proposal from Mirrabooka to the CBD.

The government has not specified the cost of the new project.

The Barnett's government $2 billion MAX project was in reality dead in the water when Transport Minister Dean Nalder said last July you get "more bang for your buck" running a transit bus service.

The new plan proposes extending Perth's rail network from 183km to 300km, which will include a Stirling-Murdoch orbital rail servicing Fiona Stanley Hospital and Murdoch University via QEII and The University of Western Australia and a light rail linking UWA and QEII to Canning Bridge, via the Perth CBD, Victoria Park and Curtin University.

Ellenbrook will finally get its long-awaited rail link but the suburb will have to wait 30 years or when the population reaches 3.5 million.

There are also plans to extend rail networks from:
·   the Midland rail line extension to Bellevue
·   the Armadale rail line extension to Byford
·   Forrestfield-Airport Link connecting to the Midland line near Bayswater
·   the Thornlie rail line extension that will connect with the Mandurah line at Cockburn Central

Cyclists are the big winners, with the network of off-road cycling paths growing from 172km to 850km.

The cycle paths will include  "green bridges" and paths from Fremantle to Joondalup to cope with the expected 500,000 cyclists on our roads in 2050.

No Liberal transport plan would be complete without money being poured into roads, so Stock Road will be extended north from Leach Highway linking with Stephenson Avenue at Jon Sanders Drive near Herdsman Lake.

An East-West City Link will result in a new bridge or tunnel connecting Canning Highway at Berwick Street to Riverside Drive at Plain Street in East Perth.

Another tunnel will connect Riverside Drive at Plain Street with the Narrows interchange and Mounts Bay Road.

Upgrades to Reid, Roe and Tonkin highways to "freeway standard" are expected to cope with the 3.6 million cars predicted on Perth roads by 2050.

Mr Nalder said the plan would accommodate Perth's booming population.

"Improved road and freight networks, tunnels and river crossings will also play a part in our future network, keeping the city vibrant, connected and productive," he said.

"For the road network... the Reid/Roe ring will connect to Tonkin Highway, creating a strategic freight route serving Perth Airport, key industrial areas and link businesses in the Hills to regional and interstate destinations.

"While this is a plan prepared by transport planning experts, everyone has a right to have a say on what we aspire our city to look like.

"The Liberal government will be consulting with local governments, industry and the community during the next three months."

WA Greens senator Scott Ludlam said the Barnett government's transport plan again failed to deliver on past election promises.

"With the state election on the horizon, the Barnett Government is finally panicking at the reality of eight years of failure to deal with Perth's desperate need for public transport," he said.

"Today's plan comes without any costings or any sense of urgency, and continues the Barnett Government's peculiar obsession with tunnels at the expense of service delivery.

"The government continues to talk about light rail without any clear plan to deliver it, and this must feel like Groundhog Day for residents of Ellenbrook."

[ozbob]

A good plan needs a good song ... 

[ozbob]

WA is starting to resemble Queensland a bit.  Both states are now broke (WA is worse than QLD).  It is is almost as if the broker the state the more grandiose become the transport plans hey.  Queensland (SEQ) has jumped the shark with the Olympics and fast rail between the Coasts and Brisbane - while still trying to work out if they can conjure a way to build CRR!



We are seeing oscillations in policy from one political side to the next and in the case of WA within the same side, there is an overall lack of constancy and in the end nothing gets done of substance, other than isolated projects here and there.

Righto then. 

[verbatim9]

Both states can still shift money from road budget to Public transport budget + Federal money ☺

[ozbob]

Kent Acott offers a reality check on the Government's transport plan. Great coverage in today's @westaustralian pic.twitter.com/Q7CQeNch4D

— Dylan Caporn (@Dylan_Caporn) July 30, 2016

[ozbob]

The West Australian --> Long-term view of transport a welcome plan for the future

EDITORIAL - The West Australian on July 30, 2016, 6:47 pm

Frequent complaint about Australian politics is the lack of long-term planning. Voters and interest groups understandably get frustrated that politicians only look as far as the next electoral cycle, which is four years in WA.

So it was a positive step yesterday when the State Government launched its master plan for future transport needs in Perth.

It involves three tranches of projects — those required before the city's population gets to 2.7 million (about 2030), those needed before the population hits 3.5 million (about 2050) and those needed beyond that.

Public comment is being sought and it will be finalised by the end of the year.

The plan includes an integrated combination of road, rail, cycleways and walkways and was well received yesterday by both the cycling lobby and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Of course, not everything in the plan will eventually be built exactly as it is set out in the document. But it provides a road map for the future as the city grows and becomes more populated.

Funding is already committed for some of the projects but there are no time frames connected to much of the plan.

Transport Minister Dean Nalder hopes the document will survive changes of government and that different administrations will choose which projects to prioritise but not alter the overall vision.

The plan is the result of two years' work by government and independent experts and extensive modelling and research has been done.

Mr Nalder has an uphill battle to earn the public's trust. Before he took over the portfolio, the Barnett Government made promises they failed to keep and disappointed voters.

This master plan should provide a basis for rebuilding some faith with a public that has become weary of policy flip-flopping in the transport area.

[ozbob]

The West Australian --> Transport plan valuable but the politics are tricky

There is no disputing the Perth Transport Plan at 3.5 million people and beyond is a valuable piece of work. It is rigorous, it looks beyond the next four-year electoral cycle, and it is balanced, giving consideration to road, rail, buses, cycling and freight.

It has regard for innovations just over the horizon, discussing trends including automated vehicles and the so-called "internet of things", which will increasingly feed real-time traffic information from vehicles, allowing road network managers and passengers better information about prevailing conditions.

So that's all good stuff, as far as it goes. But the politics are tricky.

Launching the plan at a business breakfast yesterday, Transport Minister Dean Nalder described it as "aspirational" and said that, in an ideal world, transport planning would be a bipartisan exercise based on the best available advice (he also conceded that wasn't going to happen seven months out from a State election).

"When we take independent research, what would be ideal is that we argue over priorities of projects, rather than the creation of a project itself," he said.

"The creation of a project during an election cycle, there is that risk that it hasn't been properly thought through, properly planned and properly researched."

Observers of the last State election campaign can probably connect the dots on this score, but suffice to say a rail line to the airport that the Government's transport experts said wasn't needed until 2031 is now under construction; and the MAX light rail that was also promised will never be built. Whatever its merits, this plan has not emerged in a vacuum.

The other problem is that it makes it harder for the Liberals to attack Labor on the merits of Metronet. Yes, the Government can say Labor is too focused on rail. But the substance of Metronet itself — the new rail lines to be built — are all included in Nalder's plan.

With is one exception. Labor differs with the Government on how to get to Ellenbrook. The Government won't build rail there until after 2050. Labor will promise a line within six years, while reminding voters what was previously promised.

[ozbob]

^
"The creation of a project during an election cycle, there is that risk that it hasn't been properly thought through, properly planned and properly researched."

^ Gold!

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

31st July 2016

Lessons from the West!

Good Morning,

The West Australian State Government has recently launched a transport plan for Perth.

Perth Transport Plan --> http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/projects/perth-transport-plan-for-3-5-million.asp

Largely aspirational and full of hope, nevertheless the WA Transport Minister Dean Nalder made some very interesting and relevant comments at the plan launch.

As reported by The West Australian --> Transport plan valuable but the politics are tricky

Launching the plan at a business breakfast yesterday, Transport Minister Dean Nalder described it as "aspirational" and said that, in an ideal world, transport planning would be a bipartisan exercise based on the best available advice (he also conceded that wasn't going to happen seven months out from a State election).

"When we take independent research, what would be ideal is that we argue over priorities of projects, rather than the creation of a project itself," he said.

"The creation of a project during an election cycle, there is that risk that it hasn't been properly thought through, properly planned and properly researched."

Minister Nalder has nailed the problem with much of our transport planning and implementation not only in WA but also in QLD.  Projects and priorities for these projects changes constantly and the end nothing much of substance is achieved.  Just isolated projects here and there, the priority generally being more political than actual need and merit and based on sound transport sense.

For example Cross River Rail was born as version 1 under the former Bligh Labor Government.  When the Newman LNP  Government was elected, this morphed into a new version CRR #2,  then the ' Cleveland Solution ' and then the Bus and Train (BaT) tunnel. When the Palaszczuk Labor Government was returned to Office, Cross River Rail #3 was born.  Project is still in limbo.

Lord Mayor Quirk's ' Metro' proposal is an example of a project that has been thought up during an election and has not been properly thought through, nor properly planned and not properly researched.  It is nonsense!

Will we ever mature into a society that can actually plan and implement big picture transport projects that are the right thing to do and not political whims and ' pork barrels '?

Fair question don't you think?

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ Attached:  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2034.msg176530#msg176530  ]

[ozbob]

LOL, and away they go ...   

ABC News --> Perth transport plan: Liberal MP eyeing WA election wants Morley rail fast-tracked

A Western Australian Liberal MP has called on the State Government to fast-track plans for a rail tunnel to Morley, saying it is a better project than the dumped MAX Light Rail.

When the Transport Minister Dean Nalder unveiled the Government's transport blueprint, he identified an underground rail tunnel from the Perth CBD out through Mount Lawley and on to Morley as a priority.

Member for Mount Lawley Michael Sutherland said he wanted work started before the election.

"I think it's a very good idea indeed and I hope it comes to fruition in the very short term," he said.

"I think this is a better option than MAX Light Rail — and it'll make sure that Fitzgerald Street still operates at a premium while there's transport underneath.

"I'd encourage the Minister to get cracking."

Mr Sutherland said while he knew finances were tight, the tunnel may lead to the revitalisation of parts of Dianella, Bedford and the Galleria.

He rejected suggestions the Government would have a credibility issue running on the tunnel concept in the wake of the dumping of the MAX Light Rail project.

"Most of our promises had been kept, one of them was the airport link, that's come to fruition," he said.

"When people sit down and look at it sensibly people would say it wouldn't be a bad thing to take MAX off and replace it with this, because we are going to have high-speed buses coming down from Mirrabooka that'll pick up the people that are along Alexander Drive and Dianella." ...