Article: Sydney's $180 million light rail plan

[ozbob]

From The Daily Telegraph click here!

Sydney's $180 million light rail plan

Sydney's $180 million light rail plan

   Vikki Campion
   From: The Daily Telegraph
   May 06, 2011 12:00AM

SYDNEY Council has put its money where its mouth is with a $180 million investment to run light rail down the city's spine and clear cars out for good.

Draft budget plans reveal the council will make its single biggest investment in a decade to give George St to the people and run trams down the city heart.

Its bold plan is to pedestrianise up to 1km of George St from Bathurst St, near Town Hall, to Hunter St, near Wynyard Station.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore yesterday promised the changes would make it easier for motorists who had to drive through the city.

"Many international cities have pedestrianised roads in their city centre and these cities continue to thrive - we only have to look at New York's Broadway, London's new West End and our own Pitt St Mall to see evidence of how it works well," Ms Moore said. "George St will flourish if we remove the traffic congestion currently choking it. We want to open up a network of vibrant lanes and small plazas that encourage shops, bars and other small businesses to thrive."

The cash will be on condition the State Government runs light rail down George St, transporting up to 8000 people an hour. "Light rail is the solution to the gridlock in the city," Ms Moore said. "Our investment is dependent on the State Government building light rail down George St, which all our research shows is the optimal route into the city centre."

The council's investment will be spent on streetscaping, signs, laneways, landscaping and traffic management works to redirect vehicles around George St.

"This is about making it easier for people who need to drive to be able to do so," she said.

"While we are looking at pedestrianising a part of George St if light rail is introduced, other easier routes will be found for motorists and buses."

Ms Moore said bold changes were urgently needed to stop the gridlock gripping Sydney, which costs $3.5 billion a year.

"Congestion is crippling our city and it's not going to get any better unless we radically rethink the way our city works and how people move around," she said.

"Congestion costs are expected to more than double to $7.8 billion by 2020 if we do nothing."

The $180 million will be set aside in the new long-term financial plan to be discussed next week.

Read more: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/sydneys-180-million-light-rail-plan/story-e6freuzi-1226050757107#ixzz1LVzR8UPm