Barriers to Rail and PT

[#Metro]

O_128 raised some good points in the Petrie-Kippa ring thread.

Why does it take so long to build things, and why are they so costly. Perhaps we can brainstorm.
More importantly, what can be done (if anything) about it. There doesn't seem to be so many barriers to building roads (given the unthinkable amount of tunneling etc that had to go on).

look forward to your constructive replies

[O_128]

If the the houghton highway bridge had been a rail/bus bridge (which it should have been) it most likely would have been late and there would have been complaints from everyone about enviromental impacts.

[Jon Bryant]

The key is that our planners are not planning for it nor are our developments.  Almpost all strategic or transport plans will have an assumption that PT can only increase to 15-18%.  It then jumps straight into identifying the roads needed to cater for the rest (which will include a good margin of error - usually +15-18%). Next is car parking provision for the 100% of trips.  Then they build a PT system to cater for the rest..just.   Thus there is always more than ample road space, infrequent PT and ample parking available.  Thus people drive.

If they actually built PT to cater for the 75% of all trips that can be made using PT then the road would be much smaller and no parking at the other end.  PT would be frequent and all over the city and people would catch it.

[#Metro]

Hmm. The way I see it, there are 2 main ways to approach the problem.
Others are welcome to post their ideas.

1. More money to build more things
2. Use less money on any individual project so that you have more left over to do something else

I'm dealing with point 2 in this thread.

Some of the newer stations are great, but with all the design and that they are also very expensive ($26.5 million/2007 dollars for Indro station).

On the other hand we are still stuck with 1960s boxes and wooden (wooden!) uncovered bridges for stations in many parts of the city. If the cost of the station building could be reduced (bulk purchasing, pre-fabrication of buildings, IKEA-like design, modularisation) money could be saved.  Buying land around the rail station, putting a TOD and then a) collecting the rent or b) leasing it or c) selling it could also feature.

Cheap electricity sources are also important.

[Mozz]

$26.0M for Indooroopilly? .......... and still no bus interchange........ but nice yellow and blue deco

[#Metro]

Reference: http://www.citytrain.com.au/indooroopilly/

Hmm. If they had developed over the station, they might have offset the cost of construction even more...
Though this is not appropriate in all situations..

[mufreight]

Does a 44cm (17 inches for the oldtimers) step up off the platform into the train at Indoorpilly (no doubt constructed in accordance with the Zero Harm policies of QR Network) where the Government has spent $26.5 million count as a barrier to using Public Transport and a bus interchange could have easily been built over the station as part of the reconstruction, why not, well ask Transport Minister Nolan no doubt she will welcome your question.      

[O_128]

Does a 44cm (17 inches for the oldtimers) step up off the platform into the train at Indoorpilly (no doubt constructed in accordance with the Zero Harm policies of QR Network) where the Government has spent $26.5 million count as a barrier to using Public Transport and a bus interchange could have easily been built over the station as part of the reconstruction, why not, well ask Transport Minister Nolan no doubt she will welcome your question.      

]

Im surprised no one though of that building a bus interchange on top would have been perfect. Where did th 26million cost come from???, Varsity lakes cost 25 million

[ozbob]

A number of groups did put cases for a bus interchange.  This was prior to the formation of RAIL Back On Track. Experts decided otherwise.

Nice colours though ...  


Old threads --> http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=300.0  and

--> http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=1473.0

[somebody]

Does a 44cm (17 inches for the oldtimers) step up off the platform into the train at Indoorpilly (no doubt constructed in accordance with the Zero Harm policies of QR Network) where the Government has spent $26.5 million count as a barrier to using Public Transport and a bus interchange could have easily been built over the station as part of the reconstruction, why not, well ask Transport Minister Nolan no doubt she will welcome your question.      

Where are you thinking of, and what about the road access for the buses?  Only thing I can see is an elevated roadway/station parrallel to Coonan St, with an entrance from Coonan St and an exit at Lambert Rd.  Is that what you are thinking of?

An Indooroopilly bus interchange would make feeder buses make sense rather than buses which run along the train line, but I would like 6tph minimum, and 8tph is better, on the corridor to provide frequency as well as enough seats.  I do think it has some difficulties to build the interchange.

[Jon Bryant]

Hmm. The way I see it, there are 2 main ways to approach the problem.
Others are welcome to post their ideas.

1. More money to build more things
2. Use less money on any individual project so that you have more left over to do something else

I'm dealing with point 2 in this thread.

Some of the newer stations are great, but with all the design and that they are also very expensive ($26.5 million/2007 dollars for Indro station).

On the other hand we are still stuck with 1960s boxes and wooden (wooden!) uncovered bridges for stations in many parts of the city. If the cost of the station building could be reduced (bulk purchasing, pre-fabrication of buildings, IKEA-like design, modularisation) money could be saved.  Buying land around the rail station, putting a TOD and then a) collecting the rent or b) leasing it or c) selling it could also feature.

Cheap electricity sources are also important.

Step 1. Stop wasting billions on freeways and tunnels as it only increases car usage and encourages the traffic to make it congested;
Step 1a. Sell any government land with a car park on it for development.
Step 2. Redirect all funds towards rolling stock and signal upgrades to allow maximim peak and off-peak services
Step 3. Use any left over funding to immediate build more river crossings.
Step 4. Open up all station sites for TOD proposals including the development of a consistent styling/branding (not Indooroopilly more like Varsity Lakes).  Yes more expensive but it is branding and a professional looking service that will help get people out of thier cars.  More frequent service is No. 1 reason of course;
Step 5. Reinvest money made from TOD proposals/land sale/air space lease/rent or surrounding development levy into more rolling stock and more lines.
Step 6. Re-allocate saving in health, public saftey and other associated costs and invest in more rolling stock and lines.
Step 7.  Go to Step 4 for new lines.