Hale St Bridge Project - Impact on Ipswich line

[ozbob]

From the Brisbane mX 3rd November 2009 page 4

Make extra services permanent

[dwb]

I'm going to throw in that it is rather ugly and dominates the urban landscape too much. A better focus on integration with the hospital and surroung built environment I think would have been a good idea.

[somebody]

I'm really not sure how the CEO of Translink would explain how come he shouldn't be sacked over Translink's handling of the closedown on Coronation Drive.

[O_128]

I'm really not sure how the CEO of Translink would explain how come he shouldn't be sacked over Translink's handling of the closedown on Coronation Drive.

i personally feel that any CEO of a public company should be voted in

[Derwan]

i personally feel that any CEO of a public company should be voted in

As with any public servant, there needs to be some separation from political interest and influence.  While the line becomes rather blurred with senior appointments, it must still remain in place.

Public responsibility remains with the elected representative(s).  Any failure of a CEO they appoint reflects on them - and it is up to them to have it rectified or face the consequences at the next election.

[#Metro]

I agree with Derwan. I think having senior posts put to vote would make them highly politicised, and people could run who have no experience in that position. (But then again, this could be true of our elected reps in Parliament).

It is really up to the gov of the day to enforce the standards, and take action if those are not met.

[awotam]

And this is supposed to be the Smart State?!?!?  God help those who live in the Dumb, Dumber, Ignorant and Dimwitted States   

I vote that as the best line of the blog this week. I laughed so much when I read that lol. 

Thanks 

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Go Between Bridge trip to cost drivers $2.70 to travel 300m

Go Between Bridge trip to cost drivers $2.70 to travel 300m
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Ursula Heger

December 03, 2009 11:00pm

BRISBANE'S newest bridge is set to become one of the most expensive toll roads for its length in Australia when it opens next year.

The last section of the Go Between Bridge, which links South Brisbane and Milton, was poured yesterday, with the project expected to open to traffic in July next year.

But motorists using the 300m Go Between Bridge, formerly known as the Hale St Link, will pay $2.70 each way, or 90? for every 100m travelled on the bridge deck.

By comparison, the toll for the 4.3km Clem7 tunnel will be $4.20, while the 1.7km Gateway bridge will be $2.90.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said the saving in travel time was worth the expense, and motorists still had the option to use free roads.

"I grant you that it does have a toll and it is a seemingly short journey but I say to you that there are very significant time savings and that's what people weigh up," he said.

"The convenience of coming across the bridge, straight off Hale Street, into South Brisbane, saving 7-10 minutes on journeys in peak hour ? those are the projections.

"So in particular people in the northern suburbs, getting out of south Brisbane even late at night, there are perhaps even greater savings when you are going the other way rather than working your way around the William Jolly Bridge and Caxton Street, so I think the value is there."

Cr Newman also said the Coronation Drive off-ramp, which had caused delays for motorists during construction, could be completed as early as the end of this month.

Council Opposition Leader Shayne Sutton said the cost of the bridge was too much for ratepayers.

"The concern that Labor has about Hale Street Link is that the cost of the bridge has continued to blow out during the course of the project," she said.

"I'm not surprised that the tolls are expensive because the story of the Hale Street Link is a story of complete mismanagement by the Lord Mayor.

"Cr Newman claimed it would be revenue generating at first, it then went to $120 million, then $200 million, and finally to $370 million so this project has been mismanaged from start to finish."

She said motorists would not use the bridge, and the council would not meet its own traffic projections of 19,000 cars a day when the bridge opened.

"That means ratepayers will pay the difference," she said.

[ozbob]

Twitter

612brisbane
 
RT @BrissyFAIL: GoBetween bridge will cost $5.33/km initially, raising to $9.96/km after price rise! World's most expensive?

[dwb]

Bob, perhaps a media release proposing shifting those routes that use William Jolly use Go Between. To take advantage of the Lord Mayor's 7-9min saving?

If it is anything like Clem7, then I'm guessing that 7-9mins could be even more if no-one chooses to use it!!

[somebody]

Bob, perhaps a media release proposing shifting those routes that use William Jolly use Go Between. To take advantage of the Lord Mayor's 7-9min saving?

If it is anything like Clem7, then I'm guessing that 7-9mins could be even more if no-one chooses to use it!!

Yes please.

It should already be in the plan, at least for the outbound journey.  The benefit on the inbound is less as you don't have to use Milton Rd.  I've been waiting for this one with baited breath.

If it were anywhere else I would ask the question of Translink as to whether it is the plan, but in QLD they would just tell me to sod off.

RT @BrissyFAIL: GoBetween bridge will cost $5.33/km initially, raising to $9.96/km after price rise! World's most expensive?

I've thought the same thing.

[ozbob]

 

[ozbob]

Media Release 27 May 2010

SEQ:  Bus transit times can be improved

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has said new road infrastructure affords opportunities to improve a number of bus routes to help avoid traffic congestion delays at peak time.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Last evening, TransLink published a service disruption announcing general bus delays which said 'Brisbane Transport advised TransLink that bus services may be delayed up to 15 minutes due to traffic congestion throughout the city and surrounding suburbs.' (1)"

"With the imminent opening of the Go Between Bridge an opportunity has been presented to speed up the express bus routes via Indooroopilly and consolidate the 444 and 443 routes to Moggill with the other express routes via Indooroopilly in Queen St Bus Station.  Currently, all these routes must use Milton Rd and Cribb St outbound which means traversing 9 sets of traffic lights between the Cultural Centre platform and Coronation Drive.  Routing via the Go Between bridge should save at least 2 sets of traffic lights and chop a few hundred metres of congested roads off the trip.  Heading inbound, the expresses currently traverse 3 sets of lights but the Go Between Bridge should be able to reduce this to one.  For the 444 BUZ and 443 rocket the outbound trip still gets an advantage."

"The establishment of bus priority  lanes on the Captain Cook Bridge and Riverside Expressway would also go a long way to easing some CBD bus congestion."

"Brisbane City Council and the State Government has invested in the new assets, let's make use of it for public transport as well as cars. The route 77 bus through the Clem 7 tunnel is very welcome and a great example, but more can be done to improve bus transit times!"

"An overall increase in QR Citytrain frequency will also assist in relieving pressure on the bus system (2).  There is latent capacity in the rail network.  Better utilisation of the new road infrastructure with a ramp up of rail frequency will do much to improve our public transport network overall, and complement the TravelSmart campaign (3) and in so doing maximise the benefit to the economy and community."

References:

1.  http://www.translink.com.au/servicechange.php?1274861341  accessed 6.12pm 26 May 2010

2.  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3812.0

3.  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3805.0

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org