Article: The bus, or 10 lanes

[ozbob]

From the Sunshine Coast Daily click here!

The bus, or 10 lanes

The bus, or 10 lanes

Owen Jacques | 9th September 2010

LEARN to take the bus, or ready yourselves for 10-lane highways and our region becoming a concrete jungle.

Transport councillor Vivien Griffin made the grim warning after the controversial Sustainable Transport Strategy and Active Transport Plans were approved to be put out for public comment.

Cr Griffin said action was needed if we wanted to protect our green spaces.

"I think we need to convey to people what the price of business-as-usual is on the Sunshine Coast," she said.

The transport councillor referred to a study by the Queensland Government. It says: "To cater for projected 2032 traffic volumes, the (Sunshine) Motorway would need to be planned for 10 lanes between Mooloolaba and Maroochydore and up to eight lanes in other sections."

The strategies had a blow-torch put to them after it became clear the council would introduce paid parking at Nambour General Hospital car park and one beachside area.

But with the exception of Cr Ted Hungerford, the schemes had the strategy and planning meeting basking in what they saw as the answer to ever-widening roads that cater for our growth.

The goal was to create paid parking in some areas of the Sunshine Coast, especially popular areas under pressure from traffic congestion, and shift beachgoers on to a shuttle bus.

The bus and other transport alternatives would be funded by money raised from the "parking management" plans and the Transport Levy.

"You cannot build sustainable communities without public transport," Cr Griffin said.

"We are risking 10-lane roads on the Sunshine Coast, we have documents showing right now that our reliance on motor vehicles would lead to the Sunshine Motorway being 10 lanes.

"If that's keeping our lifestyle, we're in La La Land."

Mayor Bob Abbot said this plan "pulls the thread" through every green-tinged council plan.

The strategies will go on show in October and November.

[Jonno]

Slowly slowly the tide is turning.  It is becoming politically smart to back public and active transport.  Lot further to go but ....

[ozbob]

See --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4383.0

[Stillwater]

The Sunshine Coast Regional Council is making a fair fist of its public transport strategies, given the resources at hand.  Its latest strategy document seeks to lay the direction, but it will be good to see the practical outcomes as they emerge from this document.  What remains unclear is how the State Government transwport initiatives for the Sunshine Coast will dovetail with the council's thinking.

For instance, people have a right to know just when the NCL will be duplicated to Landsborough and then to Nambour, or just where the CAMCOS corridor will go through Caloundra South, because current planning is for it to pass AROUND Caloundra South, a city the size of Gladstone.  Will it be operated by buses in the first instance before train tracks are laid?

The Connecting SEQ 2031 document spells out a wonderful vision, but the meat needs to be put on the bones so we can see the step-by-step progression towards the vision splendid.  Just saying 'we will do all of this by 2031' asks a great deal of the voting public from a government that the polls show is not to be trusted.  It is precisely because the government fails to take people into its confidence that has got itself into that sad situation.

[#Metro]

I also have the impression that the Sunshine Coast is making an active effort to get PT in their area.
Really, they have the worst PT, the lowest mode share and the greatest proportion of money being spent on motorways IIRC.

CAMCOS will make it so much easier to get around the Sunshine Coast.
Buses are OK, but they get stuck in traffic and take forever. It really needs to have a fast rail trip up and down the Sunshine Coast.

Something all the way to Noosa is required IMHO.
CAMCOS cuts out at Maroochydore, which is not good at all. Either light rail on the street (hmmm???), light rail on its own exclusive alignment (better) or heavy rail on its own exclusive alignment (my preferred option-best) is needed. Not much point in railing up half the Sunshine Coast and forgetting about the other half!!!