15 Jan 2024: Why the Gympie Road Tunnel Does Not Make Basic Sense!

[ozbob]

Why the Gympie Road Tunnel Does Not Make Basic Sense!

15th January 2024

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web-based community group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers has called for Transport Minister Bart Mellish and the Queensland Government to drop plans for a Gympie Road tunnel in favour of constructing a Northern Busway tunnel and Brisbane Metro to Chermside (1, 2).

We estimate that a two lane Gympie Road tunnel will have a maximum people moving capacity of around 4320 persons/direction/hour during peak (3). This is a similar capacity to adding 4.3 trains to the train network during peak hour. Not very 'congestion busting' in our view.

Why not build the Gympie Road tunnel as a busway tunnel? By the Queensland Government's own figures, capacity for up to 18,000 people/direction/hour would be added during peak (4). Could QIC fund and construct a busway tunnel and recover the money over time from the Queensland Government if funds are not available now?

'Car Rapid Transport' (CRT) is the wrong mode for South East Queensland. Its alluring fantasy vision of Sunday afternoon traffic congestion levels for everyone on surface roads like Gympie Road during the middle of weekday peak cannot be delivered or sustained. Roads are inherently low capacity, and any congestion gains will quickly be lost. Busways and Fast Rail are better investment choices.

Toll road tunnels are also presented as if there is no future cost to the government's own budget. This is not necessarily true. Once a toll road monopolist has major control over a large portion of Brisbane's motorway network, there will be enormous pressure to put in a daily cap on tolls and have the Queensland Government pay for it with taxpayer subsidies.

The NSW Government, for example, is now paying motorists an average of $389.58 per year to drive under toll capping. Residents of the Sydney suburb of Kellyville are some of the largest beneficiaries, even though their suburb has a metro station with services every few minutes. Subsidising car dependency is the exact opposite of good transport policy.

Can the Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick or Transport Minister Bart Mellish explain why they are promoting a low-capacity toll tunnel with four times less capacity in preference to their own stalled Northern Busway plans?

We do not believe that there is a 'missing link' in the motorway network. What is missing though is a sensible transport plan for SEQ in the Government offices at 1 William Street.

References:

(1) Plan revealed for new northside road tunnel
https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/97905

(2) Brisbane on track for change with 'strategic removal' of level crossings
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/brisbane-on-track-for-change-with-strategic-removal-of-level-crossings-20240113-p5ex0c.html

(3) Calculation - Car Toll Tunnel Maximum Theoretical Capacity
1,800 vehicles/hr per lane x 2 lanes peak flow x 1.2 passengers/vehicle = 4,320 people/hr/direction
Train Equivalent - 4,320 people/1000 pax train = 4.3 trains.

(4) Motorists to get $561 million cash back under toll cap
https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/news/motorists-to-get-561-million-cash-back-under-toll-cap#

(5) RBOT: A Gympie Road Toll Tunnel Will Monetise Congestion, Not Bust It
https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=15295.0

(6) Reality Check: No, More Roads Won't Give us a Congestion-Free Future
https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=15327.0

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

[ozbob]

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