Ministerial Statement: $2 million for Klumpp Road bus priority lane

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
02/02/2009

$2 million for Klumpp Road bus priority lane

Transport Minister John Mickel announced today that TransLink would enhance local bus services in the Upper Mt Gravatt area with the construction of a $2 million bus priority lane on Klumpp Road.

Mr Mickel said the Klumpp Road bus lane project was part of a $242 million funding package for public transport infrastructure across South East Queensland.

"The program, known as the TransLink Station Upgrade Program, will fund new bus stations and bus rail interchanges across the region, as well as upgrade existing facilities," Mr Mickel said.

"The new Klumpp Road bus priority lane will improve bus access, service reliability and travel times along the Klumpp Road corridor and the approach to the South East Busway.

"Currently, buses have no priority along Klumpp Road and are delayed during significant morning peak period traffic congestion when accessing the bus-only access ramp to South East Busway at the Mains Road/Klumpp Road intersection."

Mr Mickel said the TransLink-funded project would be delivered by Brisbane City Works and begin construction on Monday 9 February.

"Upgrading the bus lane is one element of a package of infrastructure enhancement projects along the Klumpp Road corridor that are a priority for TransLink," Mr Mickel said.

"Big ticket transport projects, like Brisbane's world-class busway network, often get most of the attention when we talk about new public transport infrastructure.

"But it is equally important that the local facilities where people go to catch their bus or train, and the routes they travel on are world class as well.

"The first stage of this project involved the construction of a bus lane and indented bus bay on Klumpp Road fronting the Hibiscus Sports Complex.

"The second and final stage of the project will provide an in-bound bus priority lane along Klumpp Road, connecting the existing South East Busway access ramp with the facilities from stage one of the project.

"It is anticipated that stage two of the project will be completed by May 2009," Mr Mickel said.

Mr Mickel said residents in the local area would be kept well-informed during the construction process. For more information about this project, please call the project information line on 1800 199 757.

For more information about public transport and services, visit www.translink.com.au or phone 13 12 30, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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[mufreight]

$5000 for the the Brisbane City Council to carry out the work and pay for the paint and linemarking on the road and $195000 for Translink to consider, examine argue why not, conduct a feasibility study, provide a report, and generally thelay the concept with a further contribution to their media section to attempt to provide more election enhancing publicity for a flawed and failed Translink and an ineffectivual Minister Mickel.
Roll on the election, the next lot might be no better but it would be almost impossible for them to be worse the current government having neglected public transport for too many years and at least a change might improve the perception for a few weeks.

[ozbob]

TransLink Station Upgrade Program mentioned in statement above click here!