Brisbane: Bus Electric Rapid Transit (' Brisbane Metro ')

[verbatim9]

The Hess Light tram is operational in Groningen in the Netherlands.



=====

lighTram® 25 correct name, BUT it is  a bi-articulated bus, not a tram no matter how much marketing try ...   

[BrizCommuter]

The BrizCommuter word on the half-baked changes to the Brisbane Metro.
https://brizcommuter.blogspot.com/2020/06/brisbane-metro-now-half-baked.html

[ozbob]

The BrizCommuter word on the half-baked changes to the Brisbane Metro.
https://brizcommuter.blogspot.com/2020/06/brisbane-metro-now-half-baked.html

Thanks, sent to all outlets and added to the FB post ...

Another Brisbane bus project gets watered down

BrizCommuter: Brisbane Metro - Now Half-Bakedhttps://t.co/gcvydKnC5i#qldpol #bnepol pic.twitter.com/PHOcQ4Evtg

— RAIL_BoT_Forum (@railbotforum) June 9, 2020

[timh]

I actually had an idea how to fix this last night.

Pedestrianise Grey Street between JMC and the QPAC carpark entry.

There's no buildings between there that need car access. Essentially this removes through traffic from Grey Street to the William Jolly Bridge. I think to meet the traffic demand, removing the toll on the Go Between Bridge would mean that not all the traffic would get funneled onto Peel Street. This would still keep car owners happy, and remove the level crossing at Grey Street meaning buses have complete right of way, removing the bottle neck.

I got the idea after seeing Jonathan Sri posting a similar idea about turning the whole of Grey Street around QPAC into a park. While that doesn't work coz you still need to access the loading dock, you can basically just put little roundabouts in either side of the Busway intersection and maintain access to all the buildings there, and improve pedestrian connections from South Brisbane station to Cultural Centre station and QPAC.

You also get a nice little pedestrian area in front of Fish lane which would enhance that little mini area.

Idk though, I would think if this was viable someone smarter than I would have thought of it by now. What are your thoughts?

EDIT: I should add that surely this would be a much cheaper solution than an underground station, but would still provide much of the same benefits for busway traffic.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[nathandavid88]

^^ You would need to do something to accommodate Fish Lane vehicle traffic, as The Austin (corner Fish Lane & Grey Street) has its carpark/servicing entry in there, and only part of the lane accommodates two way traffic.

While discouraging traffic along Grey Street by converting it to a two lane road (matching Grey Street through South Bank) is something I support, I'm not sure whether fully closing part of Grey Street would necessarily be a good thing.

Would well timed traffic light sequences, as mentioned by others, be able to serve as a viable stop gap solution until Council and Qld Government quit their bickering?

[Derwan]

^^ While it looks a little unclear, I think you might be right (someone else picked this up over on the Skyscrapercity discussion as well). It does seem weird to have the stops right up against the traffic lights, but those shelters certainly do look like bus shelters

I was wondering about this too.  But if that's the case, the Busway/West End buses will need to cross at the end if the first platform.  The'll then need to cross again at the tunnel portal.  What a mess!!

If we're stuck with at-grade, build a parallel outbound platform at the Cultural Centre and have the buses only crossing once at the tunnel portal.

Either way, this will do little to solve the current congestion on Victoria Bridge in the afternoons - or the queue in the tunnel in the mornings.  Might as well scrap the whole project!

[timh]

^^ You would need to do something to accommodate Fish Lane vehicle traffic, as The Austin (corner Fish Lane & Grey Street) has its carpark/servicing entry in there, and only part of the lane accommodates two way traffic.

While discouraging traffic along Grey Street by converting it to a two lane road (matching Grey Street through South Bank) is something I support, I'm not sure whether fully closing part of Grey Street would necessarily be a good thing.

Would well timed traffic light sequences, as mentioned by others, be able to serve as a viable stop gap solution until Council and Qld Government quit their bickering?

I thought about that. My idea was that cars going into the Austin carpark could only access it from the southern end of fish lane, with the northern end (the bit between the Austin carpark and Grey Street) becoming fully pedestrianised. I don't know if it would work but I don't think cars should be going through that bit of fish lane anyway.

Worst comes to worst you just move the car access up to fish lane and put the roundabout in there.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[nathandavid88]

^^ While it looks a little unclear, I think you might be right (someone else picked this up over on the Skyscrapercity discussion as well). It does seem weird to have the stops right up against the traffic lights, but those shelters certainly do look like bus shelters

I was wondering about this too.  But if that's the case, the Busway/West End buses will need to cross at the end if the first platform.  The'll then need to cross again at the tunnel portal.  What a mess!!

If we're stuck with at-grade, build a parallel outbound platform at the Cultural Centre and have the buses only crossing once at the tunnel portal.

Either way, this will do little to solve the current congestion on Victoria Bridge in the afternoons - or the queue in the tunnel in the mornings.  Might as well scrap the whole project!

I don't think I'd consider what occurs at the portal a cross in the same way. Buses in the outside West End Lane will just be held by a red light when busway traffic is coming through. Will they be able to sync the lights to give Metro vehicles a free run through from the portal to the station?

I do agree that buses cutting in front of the main busway stop would be a bit hairy. I wonder whether, operationally, it will still operate as a leading stop arrangement so as to prevent buses cutting off one another, but one where West End Buses will continue to the Grey Street end platform but Metro and Busway services will stop further back to allow them to access the middle lane. If this is the case through, it casts doubt on whether those Grey Street end shelters ARE stops, because such an arrangement is kinda redundant as West End buses may end up held up at the main station by other traffic before getting to the end shelters.

[aldonius]

I'm way less certain about those close-to-the-intersection shelters than I was before. The main shelters have solid roofs, visible PIDs, and classic Busway benches. The others have transparent roofs, no visible PIDs and a different bench type.

Also, yes, on second look that's a horrific merge point there.

[verbatim9]

Facebook Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner--- Brisbane Metro will be.game changer for Brisbane's Public Transport System

[Golliwog]

Facebook Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner--- Brisbane Metro will be.game changer for Brisbane's Public Transport System

Fluff. USB charge ports, free wifi, electric vehicles - nothing special about that.

I've seen zilch on how this changed design compares to the current state in terms of capacity at either end of the Victoria bridge.

What's the tie in like at KGS?

[nathandavid88]

The KGS tie in looks pretty good. It modifies the existing turn-about between KGS and QSBS into a connection.



As a disclaimer, this drawing came from the original Draft Design Report, and that design is the one that saw entry to the QSBS from the Victoria Bridge blocked - that has now been changed, so it's possible they might have removed the right turn lane from the Adelaide Street tunnel as a result. I don't know either way, just a thought I had.

[timh]

The KGS tie in looks pretty good. It modifies the existing turn-about between KGS and QSBS into a connection.



As a disclaimer, this drawing came from the original Draft Design Report, and that design is the one that saw entry to the QSBS from the Victoria Bridge blocked - that has now been changed, so it's possible they might have removed the right turn lane from the Adelaide Street tunnel as a result. I don't know either way, just a thought I had.

Does this design mean that the turnaround on the southern end of KGS is removed, therefore meaning any bus that terminates at KGS from the north (if there are any) would have to go up through Qsbs?

Also what's the go with cultural centre terminators?? Will they now also terminate at KGS/QSBS? Or will they continue through to Woolloongabba to terminate there? Or are they gonna let them turn right out of the station to turn around at GOMA???

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[Cazza]

I assume the current northside services terminating at CC (333, 385 etc.) will move to QSBS and some of the southside QSBS services will run to Roma St instead (stopping at KGS).

[Golliwog]

The KGS tie in looks pretty good. It modifies the existing turn-about between KGS and QSBS into a connection.



As a disclaimer, this drawing came from the original Draft Design Report, and that design is the one that saw entry to the QSBS from the Victoria Bridge blocked - that has now been changed, so it's possible they might have removed the right turn lane from the Adelaide Street tunnel as a result. I don't know either way, just a thought I had.

Does this design mean that the turnaround on the southern end of KGS is removed, therefore meaning any bus that terminates at KGS from the north (if there are any) would have to go up through Qsbs?

Also what's the go with cultural centre terminators?? Will they now also terminate at KGS/QSBS? Or will they continue through to Woolloongabba to terminate there? Or are they gonna let them turn right out of the station to turn around at GOMA???

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Yeah I had recalled that that was their draft design - they haven't really updated anything other than that the tunnel is no longer cut and cover, but bored instead.

That draft design really didn't seem to have much queue space for buses waiting to make a turn either left or right from Adelaide St.


As for the operational aspects, they really haven't announced anything on that front as to which routes might now terminate at outer busway stations / other hubs and which will remain to the CBD.

I would have thought that if you reduce the number of routes, it would make more sense to transition to Gabba terminators rather than CC/GOMA terminators or QSBS terminators - avoid a forced change unless you really are traveling further.

[aldonius]

The old reference design had the northside services terminating in CBD South rather than Cultural Centre, for example. I'm not sure whether that was actually run by the network planners, but I think it makes a decent amount of sense.

[verbatim9]

Brisbane City Council's Flickr Account---> Latest renders for Brisbane Metro

[verbatim9]

CourierMail-----> Two-minute guide to Brisbane City Council budget

BRISBANE METRO
-$300 million cost blowout to $1.24 billion

Blamed on:

-Extra cost of electric buses

-Adelaide St station construction changes

-50 per cent increase in labour costs

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Brisbane Metro cost skyrockets to $1.24b

THE price tag for the Brisbane Metro has jumped to $1.24 billion as skyrocketing labour prices and electrification have forced a 30 per cent blow out in costs.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner had been flagging a possible cost explosion since last year but finally put a number to it when he delivered his second council budget today.

He blamed the $300 million price spike on a decision to switch to fully electric vehicles, a nearly 50 per cent spike in labour costs and construction changes for the Adelaide St section in the CBD.

"The budget has changed but we don't expect further changes in that budget - this a project now that we're getting on with delivering," he said.

Cr Schrinner said he was upfront before the March election that the project faced increasing costs but it had not been possible to update the budget "until recent weeks" when the council and state government reached agreement on the Cultural Centre Station design.

He also took a swipe at the Palaszczuk Government over the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement struck with unions for construction work on the Queen's Wharf project.

"Underlying that is an incredibly high increase in labour costs that have flowed through since the business case was developed," he said.

"Those changes in labour costs have come out through the tender process and are driven solely by the EBA deal struck between the (State) Government and Queens Wharf Brisbane and the unions.

"That project reached a record high EBA agreement and that has set a new benchmark for union worksites and construction flow-on effects across the economy will be felt.

"The labour costs that we projected in the original business case in 2017 are up nearly 50 per cent based on the EBA."

But he said the recent agreement with the State Government on the Cultural Centre Station had been a "fantastic thing because we can get on with creating those jobs".

"The critical thing with Brisbane Metro is, this is such an important project not only for the long-term future of our city public transport (but) it creates those 2600 jobs which are critical right now," he said.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Brisbane Metro jobs: Major transport project on hiring blitz

THE consortium delivering Brisbane Metro will embark on a hiring blitz over the next 12 months as it ramps up work on Brisbane City Council's signature new public transport project.

Council is fast-tracking major infrastructure works like Brisbane Metro and the Kangaroo Point and Breakfast Creek green bridges to stimulate jobs and the economy in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

The first stage of Brisbane Metro – a 21km service connecting 18 stations along dedicated busways between Eight Mile Plains and Roma St – will start in operation in 2023.

Staff are employed on early works at sites in South Brisbane and the Rochedale depot, and the project will generate 2600 jobs throughout planning, design and construction.

Council allocated $79.6 million in the Budget on Wednesday – and also revealed the overall Metro budget had blown out by $300m to $1.24 billion – as the detailed design phase progresses this year.

Brisbane Move is now hiring engineers, environmental and sustainability specialists, contract and procurement officers, communication and stakeholder engagement specialists and administration staff for the design work.

Labourers, leading hands, plant operators and tunnellers will be recruited ahead of planned construction starting in the middle of next year.

Stage 1 of Brisbane Metro will connect the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital through to Victoria Park and University of Queensland, while stages 2 and 3 could see the system expanded to Carindale, Chermside and the Brisbane Airport.

Once fully operational, Brisbane Metro will boast a fleet of up to 60 battery electric vehicles connecting key rail and bus services from the city to the suburbs.

The Courier-Mail, in partnership with Brisbane City Council, is highlighting major infrastructure projects that will drive the economy out of the pandemic crisis.

"With 2600 jobs in play across the project and hundreds of supplier opportunities on the table, Brisbane Metro will be crucial in rebuilding our city's economy as we recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic," Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said.

"Brisbane Metro is a game-changer for our city with turn-up-and-go services, more travel options, and using clean and green energy to future-proof our beautiful city."

Caroline Stalker, design director at Arup which is part of the Brisbane Move consortium appointed to deliver the project, said design work on Brisbane Metro would focus on enhancing the city's liveability.

"We look forward to working with council to incorporate wider footpaths, more shade trees and integrated art and architecture – all designed to celebrate and enhance enjoyment of our beautiful subtropical climate," she said.

JOBS ON BRISBANE METRO

Architects

Landscape Architects

Urban Designers

Civil, Structural, Geotechnical, Transport, Building Services and Traffic Engineers

Environmental and Sustainability Specialists

Communication and Stakeholder Engagement Specialists

Human Resources

Contracts and Procurement Officers

Health and Safety Officers

Quality Advisors

Administration

Accountants

3D Digital Modellers

Project Management

Foreman and Leading Hands

Tunnellers

Plant operators

Labourers

Visit the Brisbane Metro website for more information.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1273285441962164224

[ozbob]

Completed an interview with 9 News re Brisbane Metro costs and project changes.

Might be something on the bulletin this evening.

[ozbob]

 

Not much made the cut.  I did comment on the decision to not proceed with the underground Cultural Centre bus station at length and the impacts short and long term. 

'Such is life'  said Ned ..

https://twitter.com/9NewsQueensland/status/1273530750395179010

[Jonno]

If the underground station is being dropped indefinitely how can the price now be $1.2B?  What in the lords name is costing so much?  The depot has gold toilets and individual baristas?

[timh]

If the underground station is being dropped indefinitely how can the price now be $1.2B?  What in the lords name is costing so much?  The depot has gold toilets and individual baristas?

They spent a bunch more money redesigning cultural centre. But the biggest cost increase was the electrification of the fleet. $300m extra was the figure I think

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[Gazza]

Even with the cost of the electric buses, the station would have been costing more than $300m likely, so it should have gone down overall right?

[timh]

Even with the cost of the electric buses, the station would have been costing more than $300m likely, so it should have gone down overall right?

Ooh good point, hadn't thought of that. Worrying :/

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[Jonno]

Even with the cost of the electric buses, the station would have been costing more than $300m likely, so it should have gone down overall right?

Ooh good point, hadn't thought of that. Worrying :/

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Any solution that does not fix the Melbourne St Portal is just a waste of money. 

[verbatim9]

When they do decide to go underground? The tunnel should extend to Mollison and Boundary streets. Two new underground bus stations could be built. One called West Village at Boundary and Mollison where buses first dive and the other being the Cultural Centre Station further towards the Convention Centre. It could be connected with a underground passage with two travelators to South Brisbane station. A spur tunnel could also be built to Goma where the current turnaround for Buz buses are. That means buses coming from the South and West could transfer passengers to Metro at the Cultural Centre Station then turnaround at Goma for an outbound run.

I would also like it to be extended to the bottom of Caxton street outside the stadium. It could dive underground just before the rail and go under The Barracks and Caxton Street. Then surface just past the Caxton hotel and cross the inner city bypass with a small bridge, with the station just outside the stadium. It could be used as a transfer point for bus to metro to bus. This depends on the overall network model once decided?

[timh]

When they do decide to go underground? The tunnel should extend to Mollison and Boundary streets. Two new underground bus stations could be built. One called West Village at Boundary and Mollison where buses first dive and the other being the Cultural Centre Station further towards the Convention Centre. It could be connected with a underground passage with two travelators to South Brisbane station. A spur tunnel could also be built to Goma where the current turnaround for Buz buses are. That means buses coming from the South and West could transfer passengers to Metro at the Cultural Centre Station then turnaround at Goma for an outbound run.

I would also like it to be extended to the bottom of Caxton street outside the stadium. It could dive underground just before the rail and go under The Barracks and Caxton Street. Then surface just past the Caxton hotel and cross the inner city bypass with a small bridge, with the station just outside the stadium. It could be used as a transfer point for bus to metro to bus. This depends on the overall network model once decided?

I'd go for a link to the tunnel near GOMA for west end buses but the rest? No way for me sorry. Way too expensive for very limited benefit. Much higher priorities. Sorry

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Labor questions Brisbane Metro's $380,000 marketing budget

Brisbane City Council expects to spend more than $380,000 on marketing for its key transport project, the $1.2 billion Brisbane Metro, in the coming financial year.

The figure is on top of $432,622 spent on marketing for the high-frequency turn-up-and-go public transport project in 2018-2019.

During the council's budget debate on Wednesday, public and active transport committee chairman Ryan Murphy confirmed the spend.

By July 2021 the council expects to have spent $812,622 in just two years promoting the Metro.

Cr Murphy said the cost covered promotions including drone footage, graphic design and letterbox drops informing residents about Brisbane Metro.

"We hear a lot about the $5.7 billion Cross River Rail project, but never forget it's actually the bus network that performs 66 per cent of the public transport task here in Brisbane," Cr Murphy told the chamber.

"Unlocking the congestion on the Victoria Bridge and unleashing the potential of our network is critical. This is Brisbane's most important public transport project."

In budget announcements last week, lord mayor Adrian Schrinner confirmed the Metro had skyrocketed from its original $944 million budget to $1.2 billion, blaming delays to its construction, the decision to electrify the Metro buses and labour costs.

The council's decision to switch the Adelaide Street tunnel construction method from cut-and-cover to boring will also cost an extra $25 million but reduce the impact on traffic.

Cr Murphy said the council had also purchased more land at Rochedale to accommodate future expansion of the Metro depot currently under construction.

But the advertising funds prompted criticisms from opposition councillors, who questioned the high cost of marketing a project that had been delayed for a year and already seen a total budget hike of $300 million.

Opposition leader Jared Cassidy said the Metro was "one big marketing project" that "only exists on glossy brochures".

"We will have seen over $1 million spent on Metro advertising in the last three years and still have nothing to show for it," Cr Cassidy told Brisbane Times.

"No wonder people are confused about what Metro is. Council spends hundreds of thousands of dollars each year telling them it's one project, then the following year changes it, then advertises that."

Independent councillor Nicole Johnston also criticised the cost of marketing, saying "council has prioritised selling a botched project rather than delivering a reliable bus solution for Brisbane".

"It's a triumph of spin over substance and all Brisbane ratepayers are paying," she said.

Last year the council and the state government had a long-term disagreement over the size and location of the Metro's flagship underground Cultural Centre station.

Cr Schrinner finally announced weeks before the 2020-21 budget that the council and state had agreed to delay the Cultural Centre station indefinitely, with the lord mayor saying upgrades to the existing bus station would sustain Brisbane's travel needs for up to 10 years.

[Gazza]

We hear a lot about the $5.7 billion Cross River Rail project, but never forget it's actually the bus network that performs 66 per cent of the public transport task here in Brisbane.
Unlocking the congestion on the Victoria Bridge and unleashing the potential of our network is critical. This is Brisbane's most important public transport project

OK But does the Victoria Bridge carry 66% of all public transport passengers in Brisbane?

[SurfRail]

"We hear a lot about the $5.7 billion Cross River Rail project, but never forget it's actually the bus network that performs 66 per cent of the public transport task here in Brisbane," Cr Murphy told the chamber.

This is not something to be proud of in a region with over 150 railway stations, most of which are inside their council boundaries.

"Unlocking the congestion on the Victoria Bridge and unleashing the potential of our network is critical. This is Brisbane's most important public transport project."

No it isn't.

I truly detest BCC.

[Jonno]

"We hear a lot about the $5.7 billion Cross River Rail project, but never forget it's actually the bus network that performs 66 per cent of the public transport task here in Brisbane," Cr Murphy told the chamber.

This is not something to be proud of in a region with over 150 railway stations, most of which are inside their council boundaries.

"Unlocking the congestion on the Victoria Bridge and unleashing the potential of our network is critical. This is Brisbane's most important public transport project."

No it isn't.

I truly detest BCC.

It is not a competition!! This is the heart of the problem! 

The poor design of the network and the MelbourneSt portal are their two biggest problems!!

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

29th June 2020

Transport Arguments Continue to Fail SEQ

RAIL Back On Track members again express their extreme disappointment that the ongoing arguments over the Brisbane Metro Project and disagreements between Brisbane City Council and the State Government mean key "best practice" changes in the SEQ Public Transport Network are not being delivered and/or watered down.

Cr Murphy has said unlocking the congestion on the Victoria Bridge and unleashing the potential of our network is critical.  RAIL Back On Track notes that the Brisbane Metro without an underground station at the Cultural Centre/South Brisbane is unlikely to reduce congestion significantly on the Victoria Bridge and the potential of the network will remain leashed.  The removal of the Melbourne St busway portal remains the key bottleneck in the system and it is not being removed.

RAIL Back On Track calls on the Brisbane City Council and State Government to immediately re-instate the original Cultural Centre State concept, integrate it better with South Brisbane railway station and connect West-end buses to the busway via a portal under the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.  This would also allow the existing Melbourne Street portal to be used as another entrance to the busway station. 

We also heard Cr Murphy boasting that it is the bus network that performs 66 per cent of the public transport task here in Brisbane.  It is this combative approach to public transport in Brisbane, rather than cooperative integration, that scuttled the 2013 Bus Network Redesign (second biggest bottleneck to unleashing network potential) and sees buses still not working with the rail network trains as one.  The lack of collaboration also sees buses frequently stuck in congested traffic as separated bus lanes are removed or watered down to peak-hour priority measures.

In a post-COVID world with Government budgets under stress, the lack of collaboration and cooperation between Brisbane City Council and the State Government is failing the people of Queensland.  Every trip made by car and not public transport is costing tax payers 6 times more in subsidies (1). World leaders in active/public transport have upward of 60% of trips by active/public transport.  SEQ is languishing around 25% at best.  Our budgets can simply not afford this behaviour to continue. That money is urgently needed to support our communities and create jobs.

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track https://backontrack.org

1. https://thediscourse.ca/scarborough/full-cost-commute

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1277264366589509632

[ozbob]

Facebook ...

[verbatim9]

Couriermail ---> 165 jobs up for grabs as Metro Depot tender enters final stage

165
More than 160 jobs are expected to open up next year, as the tender for the two-year construction of the depot for the new Brisbane Metro enters its final stage.

More than 150 local construction jobs are expected to open up as the tender process for the Brisbane Metro depot enters its final stage.

The two-year, 10-hectare construction of Brisbane Metro Depot is expected to begin next year with council today releasing a request for tender for the construction project.

Four construction companies, each with "a presence in Brisbane", have been selected for the project shortlist for the development.

The two-year construction of the depot is expected to create some 165 jobs with the 10ha site at School Rd in Rochedale reshaped into a site "unlike any other in the country".

"The Brisbane Metro depot will be one of the largest and most technologically advanced in Australia, housing 60 state-of-the-art electric Metro vehicles and world-class charging infrastructure," Mr Schrinner said.

Early works at the site commenced last year with workers excavating some "200,000 cubic metres of soil" to prepare the site for construction, according Councillor Ryan Murphy.

Major works are expected to begin mid-2021 after the tender is finalised, with the project scheduled for completion in 2023.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Tolls to be scrapped on Go Between Bridge during metro construction

Tolls will be removed on Brisbane's Go Between Bridge when work begins to make the Victoria Bridge car-free in mid-2021.

The announcement came as the state government finally reached agreement with Brisbane City Council over the $1.2 billion Brisbane Metro busway project.

The council and toll company Transurban will share the toll expense while construction of the Brisbane Metro Cultural Centre bus station gets under way at South Brisbane and the changes to the Victoria Bridge begin.

The tolls will be scrapped for South Brisbane residents and details, most likely using vehicle registration plate camera technology, are now being discussed.

The tolls will be wiped because the Go Between Bridge from South Brisbane to Milton will be used more heavily used by motorists while construction is ongoing.

Cars now pay a $3.29 toll while light commercial vehicles pay $4.94 on the 300-metre Go Between Bridge.

The toll waiver will begin when the work to remove traffic from the Victoria Bridge starts in 2021, much to the delight of South Brisbane MP Jackie Trad.

"My community shouldn't be disadvantaged by Brisbane Metro. The toll relief is critical for local motorists who want to access the city," she said.

Ms Trad said she was pleased approval had been given to provide shade on the Victoria Bridge, an issue she raised in August.

"I'm excited we've finally locked in a solution that will make those trips across the river more comfortable, particularly in summer," she said.

A tunnel will also being built under Adelaide Street to connect Brisbane Metro to King George Square after it crosses the Victoria Bridge.

The Queensland government argued in June 2019 that major changes were needed to the location of the underground bus station at the Cultural Centre at South Brisbane.

Fifteen months later, and with days to go before the Queensland government slips into election caretaker mode, it has come to an agreement with the council.

In the major change for the public, the Victoria Bridge will become a "green bridge" catering for pedestrians, buses and bicycles only.

The small parcel of land beside South Brisbane train station will become a park.

Agreement was reached in an exchange of letters between lord mayor Adrian Schrinner and Transport Minister Mark Bailey last week.

Mr Bailey said the lengthy negotiations with the council meant the project could cater for future growth.

"The state government has worked with council on several conditions to the approval that supports better community outcomes," he said.

Brisbane City Council's Public Transport chairman Ryan Murphy said the agreement also meant a cycleway would be built down Melbourne Street in 2021.

Cr Murphy said the Cultural Centre busway station would be built at ground level and the Adelaide Street tunnel would be "bored underground" to connect with the King George Square Busway to reduce the impact on traffic of a major excavation project.

Patronage on the Go Between Bridge has declined to 11,000 vehicles per day since 2018, with the RACQ describing it as a "ghost town" in February 2020.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Brisbane Metro budget blowout costs ratepayers $64 million

Delays to Brisbane Metro have cost ratepayers $64 million, as the council blames the state government's slow processes for stalling a project that has already blown its budget by $300 million.

The project hit a wall in June last year, when lord mayor Adrian Schrinner came out swinging against the state government, blaming it for additional costs and delays.

But it was all smiles by June this year, when a peace deal was reached that removed the sticky topic of the $1.2 billion transport project's centrepiece station — a proposal to put all buses and metro vehicles underground at the Cultural Centre in South Brisbane.

With the council and state agreeing to postpone the planned underground station in favour of smaller changes to the existing above-ground station at the south end of the Victoria Bridge, progress was suddenly back on the table.

But on Tuesday, the council's public and active transport committee heard the year-long delay had cost the council $64 million, and will likely cost more.

"We've been project-ready for about a year, so we've had about a year's delay," Brisbane Metro project director Stephen Hammer told councillors.

"That's extra people, extra time, design effort, tender costs, all those types of things.

"... That has required, in particular, quite a financial burden on construction companies for the cost of disposing of waste."

The council and state have now signed several agreements to begin work, requiring a "collaborative process" to design the Cultural Centre station, and the council to install shade structures on Victoria Bridge. A park at 125 Grey Street, next to the train station, will also be installed under the agreement.

South Brisbane residents will also have free tolls on the Go Between Bridge during construction.

The council will also be required to develop more strategies to manage fare evasion. The metro vehicles are expected to have all-door boarding with tap-on card readers, which Mr Hammer said "potentially" created an increased risk of fare evasion.

"We are also required to reimburse the cost of [Transport and Main Roads'] interactions with Brisbane City Council as part of delivering the project," he said.

"So a cost reimbursement will be put in place for that, and an agreed process for network planning and service changes, which is quite a significant part of the project."

Public transport committee chairman Ryan Murphy told Brisbane Times the "onerous" state-imposed condition required the council to reimburse the wages of TMR employees working with the Metro project.

A full figure for those employee costs is not yet available, but the new requirements from TMR will need to go before the council again in the future for approval.

Cr Murphy also questioned the timing of the state government's sign-off on the Metro approvals, days before election caretaker mode began.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the Metro project covered a "significant portion of inner Brisbane, so getting the design of public spaces around it right is critical too".

"Many of the changes requested by the state were to reinstate elements at King George Square, Buranda and Griffith University stations," he said.

"These elements were cut out of the Metro plans by Brisbane City Council in 2020 when they proposed to delay undergrounding of the Cultural Centre station.

"These elements needed to be reinstated to stop the busway clogging up when the longer metro vehicles go into service."

Mr Bailey said the council was "warned" not to go to tender in 2019 without the state's approvals, but those issues had been resolved.

In the committee, opposition leader Jared Cassidy asked how much of the final transport network would be underground as originally proposed.

Mr Hammer said the Adelaide Street tunnel would bring about 300 metres of underground travel to Metro, while about 200 metres of planned underground tunnel at the Cultural Centre would not go ahead.

Cr Murphy suggested the Brisbane Metro project was never specifically about putting buses underground, but rather about "addressing a strategic transport infrastructure concern".

" ... Public transport committee chairman Ryan Murphy told Brisbane Times the "onerous" state-imposed condition required the council to reimburse the wages of TMR employees working with the Metro project. ... "