Canberra - Light rail

[ozbob]

Canberra Times --> Airport calls to extend light rail

The proposed light rail service should be significantly extended, looping through the parliamentary triangle and to the airport, to energise central Canberra and greatly boost its population.

This vision of greater concentration of population is the core theme of a proposal to be unveiled on Tuesday by Canberra Airport's managing director, Stephen Byron.

''This is about creating a buzz for our city that goes beyond an individual city block development,'' he said.

The Connecting Canberra by Light Rail proposal will call for debate about building on the ACT government's plan to build the first light rail link between Gungahlin and Civic.

Mr Byron says the number of people living in the heart of Canberra is set to quadruple. ''Within the next 10 years, nearly 100,000 people are predicted to commute to and from work in the heart of Canberra,'' he said.

''In addition to this, there will be visitors arriving on direct international flights and global events with the proposed Australia Forum and new convention facility.

''More than 30,000 people currently travel to and from Canberra Airport to fly, greet, work, do business or shop, every day. These numbers will more than double within the next decade.''

Mr Byron believes the high cost to government of building light rail could be partly offset by revenue from land sales as people flock to live along the route.

"Our view is that a light rail project will bring forward those land sales, cause there to be more of them and to be at a higher price,'' he said. "If the ACT government can capture that, then that goes into the mix of the viability equation.

''If you can drive development of the city, you end up with a more valuable, more exciting heart of the city ...''

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/airport-calls-to-extend-light-rail-20130923-2uajl.html

[ozbob]

ACT Light Rail --> http://www.actlightrail.info/

[ozbob]

ACT Open Government --> Light rail best choice for Canberra's future

[ozbob]

Canberratimes--> Canberra suburbs on track for light rail extension plan: Simon Corbell

[ozbob]

Informa Transport --> ACT rail engineering master plan opened for tender

[ozbob]

Canberratimes --> Light rail will allow Canberrans to rethink their city

[SteelPan]

Canberra Times http://tinyurl.com/k3knrra

[ozbob]

7 News --> Canberra light rail contractors encouraged to employ local workers, businesses

[ozbob]

ACT News --> ACT government eyes Singapore's rapid transport

[colinw]

Capital Metro website -> http://www.capitalmetro.act.gov.au/

[colinw]

Rather odd article in The Canberra Times -> click here 

[colinw]

The Canberra Times -> click here

The tone of the comments seems distressingly familiar after watching the so-called debate about the Gold Coast system.  Seems to happen anywhere that LRT is introduced into a formerly road only system.

[colinw]

Canberra Times -> Canberra firms line up for light rail expert panel

[ozbob]

ABC News --> Light rail supported by majority of Canberrans, survey finds

Just over half of the Territory's population supports the construction of light rail in Canberra, according to an ACT Government-commissioned survey.

The Government is planning to build a 12 kilometre light rail track from the city to Gungahlin.

The project is expected to cost $614 million.

In June, a telephone survey was conducted to ask Canberrans what they thought of the project.

Fifty-five per cent of respondents supported the Government's plans, while 34 per cent did not and 11 per cent were undecided.

Capital Metro Minister Simon Corbell described the results as encouraging, but admitted the Government had more work to do.

"Clearly, though, there are a sizeable number of people who are concerned about the project," he said.

"We'll be using all of the findings of this survey work to further refine our community and public engagement."

The Government was expected to consider the final business case for the project in September.

"We'll be continuing to reach out and engage with people in the community, explain the benefits of the project," Mr Corbell said.

[ozbob]

Canberra Times --> ACT government rezones land for light rail

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Canberra's $750m light rail line gets final go ahead

[pandmaster]

Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and the Gold Coast have trams. Canberra and Newcastle on the way and Perth in the medium-long term. Brisbane is left behind again! It is time to start digging up the old tracks I think.  

[ozbob]

The Canberra Times --> Light Rail to deliver $1 billion in benefits: ACT Government

[ozbob]

The Canberra Times --> All aboard: what will Canberra's light rail look like?

[ozbob]

ABC News --> New map reveals light rail could extend as far as Lanyon in ACT's south

[ozbob]

Twitter

Aust Railway Assoc ‏@AustRail 16 minutes ago

http://tinyurl.com/noopxk2  Extension proposal for Canberra Light Rail welcomed

[ozbob]

Twitter

IRJ ‏@railjournal 1 hour ago

Canberra expands 1st phase of light rail project to include City - Russell link http://bit.ly/1A5LETD 

[colinw]

Canberra Times -> Asset sales reap $60 million from Abbott government for Canberra light rail

[ozbob]

Twitter

Canberra Times ‏@canberratimes 12 minutes ago

Swathe of government buildings and public housing to be sold to help pay for light rail http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/asset-sales-reap-60-million-from-abbott-government-for-canberra-light-rail-20150219-13j3hg.html ...

[ozbob]

Canberratimes --> Gungahlin residents will use light rail: community council survey

[colinw]

Canberra Times -> Canberra Liberals move closer to canceling Capital Metro if elected in 2016

I don't know Canberra well enough to comment on the merits of this project, although my one experience of Canberra buses was not good.

[SurfRail]

The numbers are not as strongly in favour of it at the Gold Coast one, put it that way.  It is slightly shorter and cheaper to build per km (for now), but the patronage being predicted now is fairly low.  It is also far from Canberra's busiest PT corridor.  The main point of the project is to allow Gungahlin-Civic to be massively densified over time.

I would be disappointed if it died, but not as disappointed as by the impending chop being readied for MAX in Perth.

[aldonius]

The main point of the project is to allow Gungahlin-Civic to be massively densified over time.

So in other words they're building the infrastructure before the development. I... don't see much of a problem here.

[Jonno]

The alternative is to build more roads, mix an inadequate, infrequent and indirect bus service into general traffic and then claim that they are the only team with a plan to fix the traffic. 

[#Metro]

Buy Superbuses. 150 pax per bus.
http://www.action.act.gov.au/About_ACTION/how-were-travelling-page/patronage

The daily PT usage of Canberra is only 70 000 per weekday for the entire city area. The SE Busway handles 150 000 trips per day, more than twice this amount.

Light Rail is sexy, visionary but expensive. There are already bus priority measures for buses within the CBD.

I haven't done an in-depth investigation of the background plans, but I have lived in Canberra and used the network. Blue rapid is around 7-8 minutes frequency between Belconnen and CBD, there are other routes as well. The network converts to a feeder and transfer 900 series on weekends.

Lots more can be done with buses at the moment. 

[SurfRail]

The alternative is to build more roads, mix an inadequate, infrequent and indirect bus service into general traffic and then claim that they are the only team with a plan to fix the traffic.

Are you at all familiar with Canberra? 

Route 200 (the Red Rapid) already does what the tram will do, just with less capacity - certainly won't be noticeably slower.  Put in double the services and bus lanes and you'll still get a good outcome, just not AS good.  It isn't as bipolar as you are suggesting.

Compared with other corridors in Canberra (like from Civic to Woden and further south), at least this corridor is easily developable.  I'm skeptical about its suitability for anywhere too far south of Lake BG - Belconnen, the Airport and Kingston maybe as further routes, but the rest would be much further into the future.

[#Metro]

Canberra has high speed stop spacing. Stops are spaced far apart and there is none of this local stop/express stop thing. Canberra's buses are fast and they don't mind doing a bit of major restructuring from time to time. Unlike Brisbane City Council.

[Old Northern Road]

Buy Superbuses. 150 pax per bus.
http://www.action.act.gov.au/About_ACTION/how-were-travelling-page/patronage

The daily PT usage of Canberra is only 70 000 per weekday for the entire city area. The SE Busway handles 150 000 trips per day, more than twice this amount.

Light Rail is sexy, visionary but expensive. There are already bus priority measures for buses within the CBD.

I haven't done an in-depth investigation of the background plans, but I have lived in Canberra and used the network. Blue rapid is around 7-8 minutes frequency between Belconnen and CBD, there are other routes as well. The network converts to a feeder and transfer 900 series on weekends.

Lots more can be done with buses at the moment.

I don't believe that SE Busway figure for a second.

I'm shocked at that figure for Canberra though. How does that compare to the Gold Coast or the Sunshine Coast? Moreton Bay has a larger population than Canberra and I imagine it would be lucky to get 5000 bus trips per weekday.

[#Metro]

I don't believe that SE Busway figure for a second.

10 years from opening, the busiest section of the South East Busway carries more than 150,000 passengers per day, and in excess of 18,000 passengers in the one-hour morning peak (the equivalent of nine lanes on the adjacent motorway)

http://www.gci.net.au/services/transport-planning-and-project-management/south-east-transit-project/

The South East Busway between Brisbane City
and Eight Mile Plains is a success story – it carries
more than 150 000 passengers per day or 35 million
trips per year. Sections of the busway carry 18 000
passengers per hour. To carry the same number of
an extra nine lanes would have to be built.

http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/Projects/S/South%20east%20busway%20extension/Pdf_sebx_project_guide_intro_overview.pdf

[Old Northern Road]

What do they mean by the busiest section? Victoria Bridge? The amount of people who use actual busway between South Bank and Eight Mile Plains would be a lot lower.

[SurfRail]

What do they mean by the busiest section? Victoria Bridge? The amount of people who use actual busway between South Bank and Eight Mile Plains would be a lot lower.

We've been through the numbers.  There is precisely zero chance any part of the busway is carrying more than 10,000 pphd at any time, let alone 18,000. Even if there is a purely theoretical capacity, it is not borne out by the current timetable and known bus occupancy figures showing only 25-30% total occupancy on average.  The system would not work if the number was 18,000.

If any body intends claiming the Gabba junction as "busway" you may as well be claiming the North Quay / Vic Bridge intersection for all the relevance it has to the carrying capacity of the busway itself (ie the bits with stations).

[ozbob]

Canberratimes --> ACT business welcomes light rail with one important addition

[ozbob]

twitter

Aust Railway Assoc ‏@AustRail now

http://tinyurl.com/ojluscg  @actgovernment has shortlisted 2 consortiums to submit bids to build own and operate the new #Canberratramline.

[ozbob]

Canberra light rail project --> http://www.capitalmetro.act.gov.au/

[ozbob]

Canberratimes --> Infrastructure lobby slams Liberal position on light rail contracts