Article: MAX light rail plan set to be dumped for $1.2 billion bus service

[950]

From Perthnow
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/perths-max-light-rail-plan-set-to-be-dumped-for-12-billion-bus-service/story-fnhocxo3-1227251842778

THE Barnett Government's $2.5 billion light rail election promise would be dumped and replaced with a rapid bus transit system, under a plan set to go before Cabinet next year.

PerthNow can reveal that Transport Minister Dean Nalder is now considering using buses – rather than trains – to ease congestion along a 22km route through the Perth metropolitan area.

Mr Nalder said a preliminary investigation, commissioned by the Department of Transport and undertaken by an "external party" last year, had shown the light rail route could be mirrored by using air-conditioned, bullet-like buses that could carry several hundred people at a time.

Mr Nalder said initial costings showed that the rapid bus transit service could be done for about $1.25 billion – half the cost of the government's stalled light rail project, which was first promised in 2012 and a major component of the 2013 re-election strategy.

...

[SurfRail]

Lame.  This is the kind of thing that would be good for Ellenbrook, not the inner north.

[ozbob]

ABC News  --> Light rail crucial in a liveable city, Melbourne Lord Mayor tells Perth leaders

Light rail crucial in a liveable city, Melbourne Lord Mayor tells Perth leaders
By Andrew O'Connor

Perth will need an effective inner city public transport system if it is to rival some of the most liveable cities in the world, the Lord Mayor of Melbourne has told the city's leaders.

Robert Doyle addressed civic leaders in Perth on Melbourne's transformation over two decades into a vital, thriving CBD with a growing population of inner-city dwellers.

Melbourne has been named by the Economist Intelligence Unit's liveability survey as the world's most liveable city for the past four years.

Mr Doyle was in WA at the invitation of the Committee of Perth to offer lessons for the city.

In a wide-ranging address, he sketched a broad picture of how Melbourne had fostered urban renewal, encouraged culture and hospitality, revitalised retail and encourage people to live in the heart of Melbourne.

He focused heavily on the importance of making the city accessible for people as pedestrians, rather than as drivers.

"I don't think any great city in the world is trying to bring more cars into the centre," he said.

Discouraging or banning private vehicles from certain streets had created more pedestrian traffic and greater returns for retailers.

"And Swanston Street, since we closed it to private vehicles, is up 14 per cent in pedestrian activity on weekdays and 20 per cent on the weekends," he said.

"And that means revenue, not just vitality in the streets, but revenue for those retailers and those hospitality businesses."

Mr Doyle highlighted the importance of Melbourne's trams to drawing people into Melbourne's centre.

"I don't think we would be as liveable, without that tram network, because transport and moving people and connectivity is so important to liveability," he said.

Mr Doyle said trams had their limitations, but in a city like Melbourne they were indispensable.

"Tram networks won't move large numbers of people great distances, but as shuttle transport in and around a core city and a few radial lines, it's unbeatable," he said.

WA Premier says light rail still on the agenda

The WA Government campaigned at the last election on public transport, promising a Max Light Rail system to the northern suburbs.

But with increasing costs, rising debt and declining mining royalties, the project has been shelved for the foreseeable future.

Mr Doyle said that the form of the pubic transport network was less important than its effectiveness in moving people.

He said a light rail or similar type of service was crucial to improving the city experience in Perth.

"I think there are ways around it. I don't think you have to have a tram network, but I think you do have to have a highly efficient shuttle inner service," he said.

Premier Colin Barnett agreed public transport was vital, but said it was a matter of timing.

"Light rail is a feature of most major cities. We have delayed the light rail project but we are still looking at it," Mr Barnett said.

"I think he [Mr Doyle] also made the point that you need an inner-city mass transit system, whichever form it takes. So light rail is still on the agenda."

[colinw]

W.A. Government would appear to want to try and make soup from a rock.

[ozbob]

WA Today --> Mark McGowan touts 'metro hubs' plan for Perth

[ozbob]

The West Australian --> Transport study backs light rail

Light rail is more convenient, more comfortable and quieter than buses, according to a comparison study done for the Barnett Government in 2013.

The Department of Transport study also found buses would be unable to meet Perth's future transport needs effectively.

It said each light-rail vehicle could carry up to 300 passengers and it would take three articulated buses to carry the same number.

The comparison also found light rail used less energy.

On Saturday, The Weekend West revealed Transport Minister Dean Nalder was looking to replace the proposed $2 billion MAX light-rail system from Mirrabooka to the city with high-capacity buses using dedicated bus lanes ...

[ozbob]

Twitter

Prof. Peter Newman ‏@PeterNewmanCUSP

#Bus plan is blueprint for soulless #carpark - #Perth #lightrail The West Australian http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/26580091/bus-plan-is-blueprint-for-soulless-carpark/ ... via @Yahoo7 @CurtinMedia

The Barnett Government should seek private cash to build a light-rail system, a leading infrastructure expert has urged.

Peter Newman, Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University, also lambasted plans for a network of large and fast buses across Perth.

He said the city would be consigned to a bitumen and carpark future that would make Perth more like Las Vegas if the Government picked mega-buses over a tram system.

Professor Newman said the benefits of rail were evident in the way the city had developed and shed its "dullsville" title as more than 100,000 people entered Perth every day.

He said rail and light rail delivered much more in terms of people movement, land values and development than buses ever could. The same groups backing buses had backed replacing the Fremantle rail line with buses in the 1970s.

He said abandoning light rail would lock Perth into becoming a soulless city like Las Vegas.

"If you want a city like Las Vegas, which has no real centre, has an economy based on frivolous consumption and has none of the new knowledge economy, then go for buses," he said.

Professor Newman said the money earmarked for the fast-bus system could contribute to a private-public partnership to build a light-rail system.

He said the Transport Department had failed Perth by not looking at other options and only backing those over which it had total control.

He said suggestions the bus system could be replaced by light rail in the future did not stand up.

"You can't build the busway and then expect to remove it and upgrade to light rail after," Professor Newman said.

[SurfRail]

^ Sad as it sounds, I think I have less and less respect for Peter Newman as time goes on.

First he carries on with ridiculous claims about capital costings (eg Doncaster rail line for less than $1bn), then he claims that buses will reduce Perth to a useless speck.

Too much hyperbole.

[#Metro]

The West Australian --> Transport study backs light rail

Light Rail is also unaffordable and has long lead times, plus this would probably require money-chasing from Canberra, which would blow out lead times. This would not happen if States had their own taxing powers.

Buses can be done now - use ordinary existing buses plus some new ones and start with bus priority measures, the sytem can evolve from there with vehicle upgrades etc. LRT planning/lobbying can be pursued at the same time as the bus upgrade is taking effect.

[#Metro]

You can't build the busway and then expect to remove it and upgrade to light rail after," Professor Newman said.

What a load of nonsense. What is this then? Replaces a busway!

Confederation Line
Ottawa's Light Rail
http://www.octranspo1.com/routes/o_train_new_stations

Ottawa Light Rail

[verbatim9]

Why is Colin Barnett talking down our light rail on The Gold Coast?

[SurfRail]

So he can find whatever excuse he can not to build it other than "we can't afford it and Canberra won't help" would be my guess.

[SurfRail]

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/28802690/nalder-tries-to-undo-light-rail-pitches/

"...Premier Colin Barnett admitted his claim that Gold Coast's light rail had not been successful was based on a discussion over lunch with former Queensland premier Campbell Newman at a Council of Australian Governments meeting, not patronage or performance data."

[ozbob]

 

[verbatim9]

Does the Government realise by going down this path that they will be reliant on diesel fuels for many years to come. At least light rail can run from renewable energy (Solar and Wind). Electric low floor articulated busses are still a long way from being commercialised for use in this country   

[SurfRail]

They can always go back to gas.

https://www.facebook.com/9NewsPerth/posts/1057649350913891

[verbatim9]

Gas still a finite resource like diesel  but I guess emission wise a bit cleaner Controversial methods of mining the gas though 😵

[#Metro]

The method of propulsion is independent of the mode chosen.

Buses can run on electricity just like light rail can. Either with or without wires.
Gas is renewable in the sense that you can make it from rubbish/sewerage.

Depends really on how the numbers stack up. Brisbane City Council has a nice big sewerage works at Pinkenba, it would be interesting to see if gas/power could be produced from that.

Sewage Could Provide Fuel of the Future
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1193169/Human-waste-heat-thousands-homes-4m-plan-recycle-gas.html

Power networks face the problem that demand for power is falling, using electricity to power buses might be an option.