#FutureSEQ What will Queensland look like in 2043?

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> The missing link for Brisbane's public transport system

LIGHT RAIL remains the missing link from Brisbane's long-term public transport strategy, says one of the state's leading urban visionaries.

As a member of Peter Beattie's Smart State Council, architect Michael Rayner was largely responsible for a 2007 blueprint of the city as a series of connected "super-precincts" of urban renewal hubs and knowledge clusters which has guided much of Brisbane's development.

But one key element of his report — proposing a light rail system through the inner-city — has been ignored in repeated state and council transport planning strategies since.

Under his plan, an initial route would run east-west from New Farm through Newstead, along Wickham Street, into the city centre via Adelaide St, across Victoria Bridge into South Brisbane and West End.

Possible alternative or future routes would include James St in Fortitude Valley, Bowen Hills and a circuit of the RNA Showgrounds precinct.

Eventually, a line crossing the Eleanor Schonell green bridge linking Dutton Park to the University of Queensland campus in St Lucia would be an option, along with a bridge from New Farm/Newstead to Hawthorne/Bulimba.
Michael Rayner.

"It still has massive potential," said Mr Rayner, whose previous work includes the Kurilpa and Goodwill bridges over the Brisbane River.

"It hasn't been rigorously studied. It deserves a better look."

Cross River Rail and Brisbane Metro would be effective mass transit means of getting people into the CBD but light rail would serve a different purpose, complementing a more car-free inner-city ring.

"If you are in St Paul's Terrace or Newstead, it's awfully hard to get anything other than an Uber and light rail would solve that.

"It's about creating a connected subtropical city ... an iconic experience," Mr Rayner said.

Brisbane Deputy Mayor Adrian Schrinner said: "Light rail definitely has a place. There is a role for it in southeast Queensland and we've seen it work well on the Gold Coast."

However, he said light rail could be "exorbitantly expensive" to deliver.

"We've seen it in Sydney, where the project has effectively doubled in cost as a result of blowouts, he said.

"But there are some parts of the city where light rail would work and it's something we should continue to explore."

Patronage on the Gold Coast light rail has exceeded all predictions and a business case is being prepared which could see construction of the next $660m stage — a 6.4km stretch from Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads — start next year, with services from 2021.

The eventual aim is to run the network all the way to the airport at Coolangatta.

"It's the smart public transport mode and our city is leading the way," Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson says a rapid rail link to his region is only a half solution, unless it is backed with a $1.5-2 billion light rail system.

It would run 43 kilometres from the airport to Maroochydore, south along Nicklin Way to Caloundra, through the new Aura development to link to heavy rail at Beerwah.

"The powers that be will look at the numbers and say people on the Sunshine Coast don't use public transport and they'd be right but that's because timetables don't suit their needs," he said.
SUNSHINE COAST COMMUTERS RIPPED OFF

SUNSHINE Coast commuters have been ripped off by the State and Federal Government when it comes to public transport, mayor Mark Jamieson says, but a $1.5B light rail project could get travellers out of cars and to home and work quicker.

Cr Jamieson said the coast and Queensland urgently needed the rail "choke point" between Beerwah and Nambour fixed, either with a duplication or fast rail, but they would only do half the job without a light rail connection to where people live.

The bulk of the Sunshine Coast population live to the east of the Bruce Highway, while the traditional North Coast rail route ran to the roadway's west, Cr Jamieson said.

He said a fast rail could open up vast opportunities from the Sunshine Coast north to Bundaberg but simply installing the line and relying on "massive car parks" was not the answer.

"Fast trains by their nature don't stop very often,'' Cr Jamieson said.

"That's the critical thing.

"So where they do stop there will be requirements for either massive car park that we don't have the space for, or it needs integrate and interface with effective domestic public transport model.

"If that was light rail people would arrive by fast train at a point on the Sunshine Coast, they would step off, walk across the platform hop on a light rail and either go south or north to their destination.

"It's a city to city connection linking to a suburb to suburb connection.

"The Federal Government business case around fast rail specifically excluded light rail.

"I think that's a mistake.

"There's no sense in just dumping large numbers of people at one or two locations on the Sunshine Coast and expecting them to make their own way home from there.

"You need a much better system so people are within 800m or a 1km of where they live."

For the bulk of the coast's population - present and projected that is along the 43km long, 60m light rail corridor from the airport to Maroochydore, south along Nicklin Way to Caloundra, Aura then Beerwah.

"Rail is a state government responsibility. All council can do is advocate for our reason for a fair go. I don't believe we have had a fair go," Cr Jamieson said.

"The powers that be will look at the numbers and say people don't on the Sunshine Coast don't use public transport and they'd be right but that's because timetables don't suit their needs.

"The people of Brisbane wouldn't put up with it.

"The light rail network depends on how much kilometres of light rail would be required to successfully

"You are talking circa $1.5 to $2B. It will be cheaper than the Gold Coast.

"We've got the corridors. We will have to move services but generally we are well placed.

"Ultimately it needs to be funded by the State Government and the Federal Government, as they funded the Gold Coast."

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Drivers say what would encourage them to use public transport

COSTS, routes, commuter times and scheduling seem to be holding southeast Queensland drivers back from jumping on public transport, an exclusive poll reveals.

A YouGov Galaxy survey, commissioned by The Courier-Mail as part of our Future SEQ series, found most people would be willing to switch to trains or buses if the system was improved.

Lower fares would be the most effective carrot, the results showed, with 68 per cent of respondents saying that would encourage them to use public transport more often.

The second most important factor was more lines, routes and stations to make services more accessible. Some 63 per cent of people said that would make public transport more appealing.

And nearly six in 10 people said they could be swayed by greater frequency of services or faster travel times on existing routes.

Cleaner carriages and buses were seen as the least important persuasive at 43 per cent.

And 9 per cent said none of the improvements would make them more likely to get aboard.

Robert Dow from public transport advocates Rail Back On Track said it was clear people were not inherently or inextricably wedded to private vehicles but a cultural shift was required.

"People want frequent, connected, affordable services. It's simple — provide that and they will use it."

Mr Dow said TransLink should re-introduce weekly, monthly and annual fare packages, with discounts.

The poll was conducted among 1659 people across southeast Queensland.

It showed that reducing fares was the most attractive option among all ages groups, and particularly strong in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, at 71 per cent.

On the Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba and rest of the region, the key issue was more lines, routes and stations.

Brisbane Deputy Mayor and transport chairman Adrian Schrinner said: "There is no doubt affordability is the number one issue for passengers and the number one complaint.

"A business would adjust their prices if it was stopping people from buying their product. We need to start looking at public transport in the same way."

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said: "The easier we make it to get around, the more people will want to catch public transport."

The Government was investing in Cross River Rail, Gold Coast light rail and duplicating the Sunshine Coast train line.

[SteelPan]

WHAT I find "odd" about SEQ, is there's no real urgency with rail network growth, ie, no current new corridor work.....Singapore, on the other hand, when work is completed on a new rail line...the next one starts! Meanwhile....back in Brissy....zzzzz....zzzzzzz.....zzzzzz......

[ozbob]

Queensland Times 11th October 2018 page 5

Lower fares are needed

[SurfRail]

Trying to get people onto the system with lower fares is irresponsible - all the actual figures (not the woolly social opinion polls) demonstrate people respond more decisively to improved levels of service than discounts.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Ambitious Brisbane Tube plan languishes on drawing board

AN AMBITIOUS plan for Brisbane's own version of the London Tube system is still stuck at the station nearly a decade on.

Connecting SEQ 2031 – the key transport strategy for the region prepared in 2010 and released a year later by then transport minister Annastacia Palaszczuk – included a proposal for an underground rail network in the central city.

The "Brisbane subway'' would run from Toowong to Newstead/Bowen Hills via West End and the CBD. Extensions to Northshore Hamilton, the Airport and Bulimba were flagged as possibilities beyond 2031.

"With an extra 100,000 people forecast to live in inner Brisbane (CBD, Spring Hill, Milton, South Brisbane and Fortitude Valley), and employment numbers doubling by 2031, there will be about 2.4 million trips a day in the inner-city (up from one million in 2006," the report said. "To help distribute these trips across the vibrant inner-city core, an entirely new and separate Brisbane subway is proposed.

"The London Underground and New York City subway are well-known examples of this style of rail operation."

But while other elements of the so-called ''rail revolution'', such as the Cross River Rail initiative and an extension of light rail on the Gold Coast, are proceeding, the inner-city subway system remains a dream.

"We have not looked at that since the Connecting SEQ 2031 report was done some years ago," Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said.

But the recent announcement of a "incredibly smart" $50 billion underground rail loop in Melbourne by the Victorian Government has given pause for thought.

"That's given us a reason to think about it a bit more," Ms Trad said.

"That's how we will move people around in the future."

I was the one who tipped the CM off to this.  Ms Trad is in dreamland as is 'Connecting SEQ 2031' and now the 'Dream 2043' - an updated Connecting SEQ 2031 in effect. Hard to take these clowns seriously when they cannot even manage a basic suburban rail network or sort out the bus networks hey?

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Walking and electric bikes to replace cars in cities

A TECHNOLOGICAL revolution in transport modes and ownership will dramatically reshape the centre of southeast Queensland's cities.

CBD and inner-city roads currently clogged with traffic will give way to leafy boulevards dominated by pedestrians and cyclists, where "FlexKerbs" can alter the width of the road at different times of the day.

Transport experts predict that traditional car ownership will fall in favour of a share or subscription model, and freight deliveries will increasingly take to the skies, carried by drones.

Mass transit services like trains, Brisbane Metro and buses will shuttle commuters in from the suburbs to underground stations, possibly integrated with autonomous vehicle drop-off zones. On the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, light rail will carry passengers in and out of commercial centres.

"Brisbane has what it takes to become one of the world's great walking and cycling cities," says a City Council discussion paper released as part of consultations on the soon-to-be-released transport plan for the next couple of decades.

"We have beautiful riverside walks and bridges, thousands of kilometres of local pathways and a world-class bikeway network that's growing by the day.

"Our city streets must balance traffic with safe, comfortable uninterrupted journeys for walking and cycling, especially around the CBD's retail heart and leading to universities, stadiums and entertainment venues."

Research by professional services firm PwC for The Courier-Mail's Future SEQ series suggests 40 per cent of vehicles on the region's roads are likely to be autonomous within 25 years, with the majority of daily commuter journeys shared with other people.


The series is examining what needs to be done to ensure the region remains efficient and liveable as the population grows by two million to 5.5 million by 2043 and will compile an action plan of ideas. The issues will be discussed by a panel of experts at a major event on October 23.

"In Brisbane and SEQ's satellite hubs, we expect that all buses will be autonomous by the year 2043," the company's infrastructure managing director David Leahy said. "Public transport will be augmented by other personal means of travel including electric scooters, Segways and bicycles.

"Many inner city four-lane roads could be reduced to a single lane of traffic for AVs with nearby lanes acting as drop-off zones and green space, one lane of dedicated cycleway and active transport, and one lane for extended footpaths, pedestrian space, gardens and parking."

"By 2043, Albert St will become a green spine connecting the King George Square with both the Botanical Gardens and Brisbane Live!/Roma St Parklands.

PwC has envisioned a one-way clockwise four-lane ring road for autonomous vehicles around the Brisbane CBD, along Edward, Alice, George and Turbot Streets with regular drop-off/pick-up points.

"Newly pedestrianised Elizabeth Margaret, Mary and Charlotte Streets will be reduced to a single lane to permit vehicular access to drop off your Amazon or UBEReats order, and provide access to existing residential and commercial buildings."

The firm has also proposed a series of "green" pedestrian and bike bridges over the river between Riverhills in the west and Bulimba in the east.

Kylie Nixon, Queensland transport planning leader for international engineering company Arup, said road space feed up by less traffic would become "the hottest property in the future".

The firm is trialling a "FlexKerb" system in London, using coloured LED lights to signal the changing use of lanes.

Vehicle access could be prioritised for early morning deliveries and peak hour AV drop-off and pick-up, switching to a pedestrian/cycle plaza during the day. "It could be closed to traffic at weekends," she said.

RACQ chief communications officer Paul Turner says: "As the CBD continues to intensify, it is just unsustainable to have more and more car traffic pouring in."

"Three 'fundamental' technologically-driven shifts in behaviour will impact.

He agrees autonomous vehicles will be an integral part of the transport system by 2043, but argues that would not necessarily mean fewer cars on the region's roads overall. In fact, the number could swell as driverless vehicles became available to the elderly, infirm and others who cannot currently drive.

However, AVs could drop off and pick up their owners at designated points in the city and then go about their programmed business.

"It can go and pick up my dry cleaning, take the dog to get a bath, maybe pick the kids up from school and go and do my shopping," Mr Turner said.

Many driverless cars in future may be operated as rideshare vehicles. Cities around the world are looking at converting multi-storey carparks into hire hubs to keep them off the streets until ordered.

AEG Ogden chairman Harvey Lister has flagged the idea of using a level below the planned Brisbane Live indoor sports and entertainment arena as a base for parking, cleaning, recharging and servicing autonomous cars, minibuses and coaches.

On-demand – probably privately-operated – minibuses will fill a critical hole in the region's public transport network by providing what's known as the ''first and last mile solution'' – enabling commuters to link seamlessly from between home and mass transit hubs on expanded rail and Metro/light rail routes, Mr Turner said. Eventually these, too, will be driverless.

"But we think the car ownership revolution will come sooner than autonomous vehicles. We will see the Spotify-cation of car ownership – where car companies, or Google or someone else will offer vehicles on a subscription basis.

"Perhaps we don't want to be tied to car ownership – maybe we use public transport or carshare Monday to Friday – but we still want access to one at the weekend to go to the beach. Or perhaps my subscription gives me a Mustang during the week and a Ford Ranger at the weekend."

The introduction of delivery drones will be the other major influence.

"The aerial aspect of transport will be big," Mr Turner said. Amazon has patented its Prime Air delivery drones, and an in-flight recharging system, Uber Eats is testing flights in San Diego where a drone pilot program is running and Domino's Pizza has its own ambitions.

"It might seems a gimmick now, but much of the freight carried around our cities on trucks and vans will be transported by drones in future,'' he said.

Dr Stefan Hajkowicz from the CSIRO's Data61 division agreed: "We will see widespread growth in drones. Boeing currently has a drone that can carry 220kg of cargo.

"We have to figure out where they will land in urban areas. We'll see drone loading and off-loading spaces appear."

Dr Hajkowicz suggests that an aerial equivalent of "shipping lanes" could be established off the coast. "Once there are large numbers of these operating, they need to be far enough away that you don't see a stream of these flying past or flying overhead.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Shady green streets encourage cyclists and electric bikes

SOUTHEAST Queensland could become an electric bike capital as kilometres of tarmac and asphalt become shady "green streets".

Urban designer Catherine Simpson says roads and pavements occupy 30 to 40 per cent of land space in our cities.

"But they are typically unshaded, incredibly hot, busy with traffic and often unpleasant for pedestrians," she says.

As a result, people are reluctant to walk or cycle, particularly in places like southeast Queensland where summer temperatures regularly top 30 C.

"Brisbane is one of the most car-dominant cities in Australia or the world," she said.

But a future reduction in traffic from autonomous rideshare vehicles, rail, light rail and public transport like Metro on dedicated busways offers the opportunity to "reclaim" the streets.

Cities and suburbs could be retro-fitted by planting dry-tolerant trees and native plant verge gardens to create shadeways that encourage walkers and cyclists. This would boost health, cool the urban landscape and counter pollution.

Brisbane's hills mean cycling is unlikely to reach the popularity levels of some European cities.

"But I think electric bikes will be massive here," she said.

Ms Simpson predicts the rise of electric vehicles and charging stations will see a boom in personal e-bikes and public hubs for their hire.

"You still have to pedal so you get the active benefits, but there's some power to help push when you need it," she said.

Ms Simpson is part of Green the Street, a collaboration of designers and groups which transformed Gregory Terrace and The Old Museum in Bowen Hills into a futuristic linear parkway during this year's Ekka.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1051497371153063939

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1051498929043341312

[#Metro]

The Brisbane Tube was vote bait.

Lots can be done by upgrading the existing rail network, such as trains every 15 min to Springfield and Ipswich. ATP. DOO.

[kram0]

I just got back from Bangkok, and this second world cities public rail system makes ours look 4th world and from the 19th century. A subway from UQ via West End and the city to Northshore should be a priority not a dream.

Why are we so backwards with PT. Bloody frustrating!!

[Stillwater]

These grand schemes pop up just before an election and a few million dollars is tossed at the 'preliminary concept' - usually a glossy brochure, a website and a flythrough video.

We have moved on from SEQ 2031.  We now have 'Shaping SEQ' as today's glossy brochure.  Who knows what tomorrow brings? Until these strategies address the revenue side of things, tubes etc remain pipe dreams (excuse the pun).

Ozbob correct.  Lots of easy stuff to do to make the current train/bus networks work harder and better for all.

[verbatim9]

The Brisbane Tube was vote bait.

Lots can be done by upgrading the existing rail network, such as trains every 15 min to Springfield and Ipswich. ATP. DOO.

That's not going to happen, unless Heavy rail goes to Driver Only Operation. It would be a very expensive unsustainable  solution otherwise.

[verbatim9]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1051497371153063939

These grand schemes pop up just before an election and a few million dollars is tossed at the 'preliminary concept' - usually a glossy brochure, a website and a flythrough video.

We have moved on from SEQ 2031.  We now have 'Shaping SEQ' as today's glossy brochure.  Who knows what tomorrow brings? Until these strategies address the revenue side of things, tubes etc remain pipe dreams (excuse the pun).

Ozbob correct.  Lots of easy stuff to do to make the current train/bus networks work harder and better for all.

The people have wised up knowing that 2030 is the new 2043, yet Governments are very slow to respond. "Plan after plan". No action!

[verbatim9]

https://twitter.com/Alstom/status/1051842140064665602

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Future SEQ: Rapid rail key part of strategy to deliver $20b boost for region

A RAPID rail network would be a game-changer in boosting tourism for southeast Queensland, new research shows.

Better transport links across the region is the biggest single factor in driving future demand among domestic visitors, according to surveys conducted for Tourism and Events Queensland.

The research found that interstate holiday-makers would be 51 per cent more likely to visit attractions in Brisbane, the Gold and Sunshine Coasts during a vacation if they were able to travel easily and quickly between them on public transport.

That jumped to 68 per cent among visitors from other parts of the Sunshine State.

"This research shows that visitors to southeast Queensland are looking for a fast and efficient way to explore our region," Brisbane Lord Mayor and SEQ Council of Mayors chairman Graham Quirk said.

"If stronger regional connectivity has the potential to supercharge our tourism industry, then a southeast Queensland faster rail network is a win-win for commuters as well as our economy and deserves close consideration from all levels of government."

The Council of Mayors last week unveiled a proposal for a faster rail network, connecting Brisbane to the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast or Toowoomba in less than 45 minutes as part of a $70 billion congestion-busting package including other new roads and public transport.

Transport experts estimate the rapid rail network would cost at about $15 billion.

"Being able to travel quickly an enjoyably around SEQ is critical to Queensland's future competitiveness," said Matt Bekier, managing director and CEO of The Star Entertainment Group which is developing multi-billion resort precincts at Queen's Wharf in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast.

The Courier-Mail's Future SEQ series is looking at the infrastructure and other needs of the region over the next 25 years and will deliver an action plan of practical ideas. The series culminates in a major event addressed by leading demographer Bernard Salt and infrastructure leaders on October 23.

The Tourism and Event Queensland research has highlighted the potential to boost the value of international tourism to the state's southeast corner by more than $20 billion over the next decade or so by more strategically marketing the region's attractions as a package rather than individual destinations.

By harnessing "the collective power" of Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, the region could attract more overseas visitors, encourage them to stay longer and spend more – clawing back market share lost over recent years to Sydney and Melbourne.

Overseas tourists spent $3.7 billion in southeast Queensland last year. That would rise to $7.9 billion in 2030 if current market share is maintained.

But surveys by leading tourism consultants BDA Marketing Planning among hundreds of possible travellers in five key markets – China, India, USA, UK and New Zealand – found a "latent" potential which, if exploited, could push that up by $1.7 billion a year.

That would generate an extra $16 billion between now and 2030. The figure was based on existing attractions and industry figures believe the real benefit would be at least $20 billion and up to $30 billion with the addition of Queen's Wharf and other venues such as the proposed Brisbane Live entertainment arena and precinct.

"This shows that when we get the key destination – Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine collaborating in key markets, it has the potential to make a huge impact," TEQ chief executive Leanne Coddington said.

"This is not about rebranding SEQ, this is about playing to our strengths in a targeted way that cuts through to consumers.

"Nature and wildlife experiences and aquatic experiences have appeal across all markets," Ms Coddington said.

The research showed attractions which most appealed to international markets included bushwalking and waterfalls, river and everglade cruises, whale encounters and local produce as well as theme parks and South Bank.

Mr Bekier said the study "recognises that, unless we change the way we go about taking SEQ to international tourism markets, we will continue to lose share".

Victoria has overtaken Queensland as the second most important destination for international tourists, with just one in three visitors to Australia holidaying in the state last year.

"Queensland has a chance to really change the game," Mr Bekier said. "And it needs to take it."

TEQ will talk to local tourism organisations later this week about future strategies.

Brisbane marketing CEO Brett Fraser said there was "an unprecedented opportunity to capture the growing international visitor market ... within a two-hour commute from Brisbane."

Visit Sunshine Coast CEO Simon Latchford said: "To go to that next level, there is all the more reason to pool resources where appropriate so we can offer all these experiences to people."


MOST APPEALING EXPERIENCES

1. Bushwalking, waterfalls and village

2. Driving through Glass House Mountains

3. Gold Coast theme parks

4. South Bank cafes and restaurants

5. Wildlife & marine life encounters

6. River cruise with Brisbane history

7. South Bank beach

8. Sunshine Coast everglades

9. Scenic Rim local produce

10. Surfers Paradise

11. Swim with humpback whales

12. Eumundi market

13. Queen St Mall shopping

14. Hastings St, Noosa

15. Paddock to plate, Maleny/Montville

16. Stand-up paddle boarding

17. Brisbane River kayak tour

18. Surfing/learn to surf, Gold Coast

Source: BDA surveys of potential travellers in China, India, USA, UK and New Zealand

[verbatim9]

Future SEQ: Look to Vancouver for future vision

The Courier-Mail

October 17, 2018 12:00am

A CITY on the other side of the Pacific Ocean may hold many of the answers to the growth challenges facing southeast Queensland.

Vancouver, on Canada's west coast, has developed an urban design approach which is increasingly being studied and adopted by cities globally.

Although its population of just over 600,000 is only about half of the Brisbane City Council area residents, it has been growing at 6 per cent annually – about three times as fast.

https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/future-seq/future-seq-look-to-vancouver-for-future-vision/news-story/d7d392760498286b3ab4990f54c7fd6b

^^Or Seattle, great things happening there as well in reference to mass transit.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Brisbane traffic: RACQ's roadmap to keep southeast Queensland moving

A WISHLIST of road construction to future-proof southeast Queensland from gridlock over the next 25 years includes a new tunnel, more bridges and alternative routes to the M1 and Bruce Highway.

The RACQ's detailed blueprint for the region's struggling transport network calls for major new road links stretching in every direction, streamlining traffic through and around Brisbane.

It is being revealed as part of The Courier-Mail's Future SEQ series, which is exploring opportunities and challenges for the region's growth to 2043 to develop an action plan. It will culminate with a major event featuring an expert panel on Tuesday.


RACQ head of public policy Dr Rebecca Michael said Brisbane's western suburbs would pose one of the biggest challenges to transport planners as average peak hour speeds had already dropped as low as 20km/h on major roads and there was little room for development.

Dr Michael welcomed the State Government's commitment to upgrading the Centenary Motorway, where traffic volumes are predicted to double by 2043.

The other major relief valve for the west would come from a proposed inner orbital tunnel which would provide the "missing link" around the city to the north.

The tunnel, running from the Centenary Motorway at Toowong, would feed into the preserved northwest transport corridor at Stafford Rd, Everton Park, which would become an alternative to Gympie Rd.

"The inner orbital tunnel would catch those people coming off the Centenary Motorway coming into town because the challenge is that not everyone works in the city ... and we need to have those cross-city, radial connections," she said.

The RACQ also wants a Kenmore bypass to relieve congestion on Moggill Rd as well as a duplication of the Walter Taylor Bridge between Indooroopilly and Chelmer.

Dr Michael said other possible bridges linking St Lucia and West End and Kangaroo Point and the CBD were likely to be green bridges.

Another preserved corridor the RACQ wants developed is the north-south urban arterial, which runs parallel to the Bruce Highway through the booming suburbs of North Lakes, Mango Hill and Griffin.

"Where there is expected growth I feel that we have the corridors preserved so it's about getting an appetite to move forward and deciding when to pull the trigger to start developing them," Dr Michael said. "Infrastructure isn't getting any cheaper to build and it's not quick to build so how bad do you let congestion get before you say that you actually need that?"

She said road development on the southside was needed to build extra capacity on already busy roads such as the Logan Motorway and Mt Lindesay Highway.

The Mt Lindesay Highway also needed better connections to the north through a Park Ridge connector road and east through the southern infrastructure corridor, which would link to a Coomera connector. Dr Michael said the Coomera connector would be a major new road providing an alternative corridor to the M1 between Logan and the Gold Coast.

"This is the alternative to the M1 because we can't keep building capacity on the M1, particularly because when we have an incident it just gets cut off so building that resilience and capacity into the network is really key," she said.

The alternate M1 is a key plank of the Opposition's muti-billion-dollar transport plan which includes $250 million to construct a 36.5km corridor stretching from Staplyton to Nerang.

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said her plan would preserve future road corridors and begin planning alternative routes needed over the next two decades.

Transurban Queensland group executive Sue Johnson said none of the state's six toll roads were forecast to reach maximum capacity before at least 2051 but the wider network faced significant challenges. Modelling by the company shows traffic volumes on major routes rising by between 25 and 50 per cent over the next quarter-century.

"You've got radical growth coming so it needs big, bold solutions ... so you need integrated transport, you need active transport, you need public transport and then roads to cope with what's coming," Ms Johnson said.

Port of Brisbane CEO Roy Cummins said current plans to ease road congestion failed to account for the "elephant in the room" – that surging population growth would lead to a surge in freight on the roads.

Last year, 98 per cent of container traffic to the port was carried on heavy vehicles, creating 3.95 million truck movements around the city.

Truck movements are forecast to more than double to 8.79 million in 2038 and Mr Cummins said unless a dedicated freight line was built to the port, roads around Brisbane would become "truck car parks".

"The issue is the window to do something is now," he said.

"We really need somebody to come out with a clear and unambiguous recommendation for the route of a dedicated freight rail corridor and for all the parties to get together to achieve a solution."

[aldonius]

Although its population of just over 600,000 is only about half of the Brisbane City Council area residents, it has been growing at 6 per cent annually – about three times as fast.

Lazy reporting! Just as Brisbane is much more than the BCC area, Vancouver is much more than the City of Vancouver area.

Metro Vancouver and metro Brisbane both have populations of about 2.5 million.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Southeast Queensland backs Olympic bid in hope of fast-tracking infrastructure

SOUTHEAST Queenslanders are backing an Olympic Games bid as a means of accelerating badly-needed new transport, sports facilities and other projects.

An exclusive poll commissioned for The Courier-Mail's Future SEQ series found most residents – 56 per cent – support an application to host the world's biggest sporting event in 2032 if it helped fast-tracked infrastructure.

Only one in three people oppose the idea.

It comes as International Olympic Committee vice president Juan Antonio Samaranch encouraged the region to launch a bid, saying it would be an "honour and a pleasure'' to bring the Games back to Australia.

The poll of 1660 people by YouGov Galaxy found that support for an Olympic bid rose to two-thirds among Millennials.

"They are clearly excited about this as an opportunity to solve some of the transport and other issues that require investment," said managing director of the polling company David Briggs.

The SEQ Council of Mayors has commissioned a feasibility study into using a bid to drive government and private sector funding for a rapid rail network and other critical infrastructure.

"While we're still in the feasibility process, it's reassuring to see that the majority of southeast Queensland can already see the potential of a cost-effective Games," Council of Mayors chairman and Brisbane Lord mayor Graham Quirk said.

"Our current methods of attracting funding and delivering transport solutions are clearly not keeping pace with the growth of our region.

"We need to explore new ways of focusing the attention of the Federal and State governments to deliver outcomes for southeast Queensland, and an Olympic Games may be one of those options.

"Strong support from southeast Queensland's younger generation is great to see but not surprising. An Olympic Games could transform the region and create future opportunities, much like Expo 88 did for the current generation."

Toowoomba mayor Paul Antonio said: "The community, like me, can see the benefits in pursuing the bold ambition of a regional Olympics."

"The Olympics will just go for a couple of weeks, however it is the legacy projects that will be the real benefit for our region."

An interim report by international consultants Event Knowledge Services, which helped win the Olympics and Paralympics for Rio de Janeiro says the event has had "a profound impact on the cities and regions which have hosted them".

It said Olympics events such as Barcelona in 1992, Sydney in 2000 and London in 2012 "enabled the renewal of major derelict sites and the delivery of transport infrastructure projects that have changed the way people live, work and play".

In order to avoid white elephant building, it was critical to focus on the legacy outcomes of an event and ensure a strong fit with the community's long-term strategic plans.

An audit of venues identified that southeast Queensland currently "faces a number of challenges" including the need to replace ageing infrastructure from previous events, invest in major entertainment and sports venues to secure the region's status as a key events destination and provide more community sports facilities to match rapid growth.

"This is where an Olympic and Paralympic Games can provide a catalyst to address these issues and deliver positive outcomes," it said.

The EKS reports says the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games was a great example of using a major event to deliver ongoing community facilities.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson said 48 per cent support among his local community was "a strong result at this early stage and given there is a considerable amount of work that is yet to be done before a decision is made".

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Southeast Queensland lags behind rival 'new world cities'

SOUTHEAST Queensland is lagging behind other "new world cities" in key areas where it wants to be a global leader, warns an international expert.

Urbanist Professor Greg Clark, chairman of The Business of Cities which advises a host of organisations including the OECD and the World Bank, said: "The region is performing incredibly well in a number of areas."

But his research over several years, including a report benchmarking SEQ against nine other "peer" regions, has also identified serious gaps to achieving its ambition of becoming an innovation powerhouse as well as a lifestyle magnet.

"The region is becoming younger, it's becoming more diverse, it's becoming larger. Everybody wants diverse, young population. This region is getting it, that's really critical," Prof Clark said.

"If the conversation was about population growth, about tourism, about foreign direct investment into real estate, about higher education expansion, about the food system, the potential of the region, its natural assets, its environmental quality, the quality of public services, it would be scoring very high grades.

"These would be As or near As.

"But if you were asking about the level of transport connectivity, the level of digital connectivity, the diversification of the economy, the speed of growth of the innovation economy, the quality of the urban residential experience, you would say it was Cs with a lot of potential.

"I hold the view that this region has the potential to be one of a top 30 trading knowledge regions of the world over the next 50 years. But it's not going to happen just because the potential is there. It's going to require a lot of investment."

The Palaszczuk Government is trying to position the state as a technology start-up and innovation leader, with the $650 million Advance Queensland program a key plank of its economic strategy.

But Prof Clark describes SEQ's level of digital infrastructure as "absolutely terrifying", highlighting slow internet speeds linked to a lack of access to submarine data cables.

He welcomed last month's announcement that Sunshine Coast Regional Council and tech company RTI Connectivity will build a 550km spur from Maroochydore to the fibre optic cable running between Sydney and Guam.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson said it would give southeast Queensland the fastest data and telecommunication connection from Australia to Asia.

Prof Clark said: "That's part of the answer but that's not the whole story, you're going to need probably more than one submarine cable. But even more important is going to be the quality of the fibre within the region in terms of upload and download speeds."

He compared southeast Queensland to Stockholm in Sweden. "It's currently the world champion region for unicorn companies — for $1 billion start-ups.

"One of the reasons its doing so well is massive investment in dark fibre (available fibre optic networks) throughout the city which means they can genuinely claim to offer the best digital connectivity of any region in the world."

Steve Baxter, whose term as government-appointed Chief Entrepreneur ended last week, said the biggest barrier to creating extra bandwidth capacity was the prices charged by state-owned corporations for access to their utilities corridors.

"They are anti-competitive w-----s," he said. "It needs immediate reform. They should stick to delivering power and leave the delivery of telecommunications and data to people who know what they are doing."

Another area for improvement, according to Prof Clark, is in the commercialisation of world-class research.

Southeast Queensland's universities had ambitiously and successfully pursued the international student market.

"In the long term, that's a very good strategy so that region has an alumni class which is the educated, skilled professional workers of many different parts of Asia-Pacific region. That's a really good thing for building soft power, influence, global reach."

But it meant the focus had been taken off commercialisation and growing industry links to build an innovation economy.

"I don't know whether they are tasked and regulated in the right way to achieve that balance of objectives," he said.

The other surprise for Prof Clark was the transport, logistics and export activity.

"I expected to see that with the Australia Trade Coast, the airport, port and everything else that the region was going to come out as an absolute global powerhouse of trade. In fact, in comparison to the other regions, it demonstrated that there's not really that much trade happening.

SEQ ranked eighth of the 10 regions studied for port cargo volume and last for airport cargo.

"That's partly a reflection of the size of the Australian market but also partly suggesting there's an awful lot more that could be done," Prof Clark said.

The other regions were: Metro Vancouver (Canada), San Diego and southeast Florida (US), Rotterdam and South Holland, Barcelona province (Spain), Hamburg (Germany), Cape Town metro (South Africa), Busan region (South Korea) and Fukuoka prefecture (Japan).

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Future SEQ: Action plan to make southeast Queensland a model metropolis

CONGESTION-busting transport, world-leading digital infrastructure and hubs for future industries will be key elements of a bid to secure a 20-year deal to make southeast Queensland a model metropolis.

The State Government and SEQ Council of Mayors are developing a joint proposition for what they hope will be a historic agreement between them and the Federal Government to identify and fund the priorities for the region's successful growth.

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said there had been "amazing co-operation" between the state and councils. She and Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, who chairs the SEQ Council of Mayors, are lobbying federal Cities Minister Alan Tudge to commit.

"We really want an indication from the Federal Government before the end of the year," Ms Trad said.

Mr Tudge yesterday said he was prepared to work with other levels of government on a deal, but warned it could take some time.

All parties agreed "infrastructure was the most important element".

It is understood the main elements of any so-called City Deal proposal will be transport networks, digital connectivity and creating export-oriented knowledge economy jobs.

The push comes as The Courier-Mail today publishes its Future SEQ action plan — a blueprint of practical measures to help guide the region's development over the next quarter of a century.

The 20-point plan has been compiled from ideas which flowed during the two-week series investigating the challenges and exploring the opportunities ahead as the southeast corner's population soars from 3.5 million to a forecast 5.5 million by 2043.

Striking a critical agreement between the three levels of government is top of the list — and many other highlighted initiatives are expected to feature in an agreement.

They could include a proposal from the Council of Mayors for a rapid rail network of trains travelling up to 250km/h carrying passengers to Brisbane from the Gold and Sunshine coasts or Toowoomba in under 45 minutes.

The action plan also includes new and upgraded roads and rail corridors to counter the congestion projected to choke major routes with traffic volumes beyond their capacity.

And it backs a potential bid to host the 2032 Olympic Games — being investigated as a potential catalyst for accelerating expenditure to deliver essential infrastructure a decade earlier than would otherwise be possible.

With almost 800,000 additional homes needed over 25 years, the action plan urges more medium-density development such as townhouses, low-rise apartment blocks and granny flats in the suburbs.

And it promotes the creation of good employment opportunities, education, health and other facilities in new city-sized masterplanned communities in greenfield areas to enable residents to live, work and play close to home.

Technology will transform the workforce and the action plan calls for a clear focus on nurturing those industries where southeast Queensland can become a global leader, such as robotics, advanced manufacturing and agribusiness. Powering up the commercialisation of top-quality scientific and medical research must also be a priority.

And those measures will require world-class, high-speed digital connectivity.

Tourism could enjoy a $20 billion-plus boost if industry leaders refocus overseas marketing efforts on promoting southeast Queensland's attractions as a package. That will be bolstered by supporting the growth of the region's four international airports.

Cr Quirk said the Future SEQ series was "really valuable" in engaging the public and providing an opportunity to "stop and think and plan what we need for our future".

"There needs to be a shared vision to produce the best outcomes. We have enormous potential as a region to improve our economic opportunities while maintaining the great lifestyle we enjoy," he said.

Leading demographer and social commentator Bernard Salt urged more than 600 business leaders at a sold-out Future SEQ lunch yesterday: "We should not be modest in our ambitions ... we should be outrageously ambitious."

He said a bigger southeast Queensland could be "a more efficient city offering a better quality of life by 2043 than equivalent cities of Melbourne and Sydney today at five million".

To do so, it would need multiple urban centres.

"This is a different model, a better model that delivers a better quality of life," he said.

News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller told the event that next year's federal election was a chance to put the region's future on the national radar.

"Southeast Queensland needs infrastructure that will bust congestion, boost liveability and lovability and better connect the region. To achieve that, we need vision matched by outcomes. This is not something we can put off for the next five years," he said.

"We need it now."

An SEQ City Deal would be the nation's biggest yet. But there is concern that any significant delay would not allow enough time for the detail to be worked through before 2020 when a state election and local council elections are due.

International cities expert Professor Greg Clark told The Courier-Mail that southeast Queensland's flexibility as a multi-city urban area gave it an advantage in how it grew.

"But this region needs to be connected by rapid rail in order to make the most of its potential," he said.

ACTION PLAN

1. A SHARED STRATEGY

Federal and State Governments and the SEQ Council of Mayors to reach agreement on a clear set of infrastructure and economic development priorities for the next 15 to 20 years, including time frames for delivery and funding models.

2. RAPID RAIL

Construct a rapid rail network to ensure passengers can travel between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba in 45 minutes or less.

3. GO FOR GOLD

Prepare a southeast Queensland regional bid to host the 2032 Olympic Games, as the catalyst to bring forward transport and other essential infrastructure spending by at least a decade.

4. REGIONAL AUTHORITY

Investigate the benefit of establishing an independent body tasked with co-ordinating regional planning and delivery of major infrastructure.

5. BUST CONGESTION

Develop a prioritised timeline and funding program for new and upgraded major roads and set traffic volume benchmarks to trigger the commencement of construction

6. RAIL PRIORITIES

Protect corridors for priority future rail routes including new lines to high population growth areas such as Greater Flagstone, Ripley and the Sunshine Coast; and a freight line from Acacia Ridge to the Port of Brisbane — and set out a funding and delivery timeline.

7. MORE METRO

Commit to extending the Brisbane Metro network north to Bracken Ridge, south to Springwood, east to Capalaba and west to Kenmore and Centenary Suburbs, with a funding and delivery timeline.

8. PLAN FOR GROWTH

Ensure masterplanned residential communities in outer urban areas have clear strategies for access to public transport, employment creation, and access to local health, education and community facilities to raise live, work and play levels to those enjoyed by inner-city suburbs.

9. FIND THE MISSING MIDDLE

Encourage the development of ''missing middle'' dwellings including duplexes, terraces, townhouses and apartment blocks up to six storeys in medium-density suburbs, and remove planning rule barriers to granny flats and Fonzie flats on existing house lots to provide a diversity of home types and sizes. Require designs to reflect the subtropical climate and character of the neighbourhood.

10. PRIORITISE PRECINCTS

Use public transport corridors and new stations to prioritise the development of high-density residential/commercial/knowledge and education/health hubs

11. FUTURE INDUSTRIES

Fast-track the establishment of a robotics cluster and the development of dedicated future industry hubs in sectors where the region has identified potential to become a world leader: Advanced manufacturing (including defence), agribusiness, international health and education services, transport and logistics, and tourism and creative (including screen production).

12. DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Invest heavily in improving digital infrastructure such as additional high-speed fibre optic cable networks, and submarine data cables, to attract and support hi-tech industries.

13. COMMERCIALISE RESEARCH

Support universities and research institutions to forge better links with industry and attract venture capital to commercialise more of the world-leading research happening here.

14. SELL THE SOUTHEAST

Re-focus tourism marketing to promote the attractions across the region as a collective package, rather than concentrating on individual destinations, to increase our share of overseas visitors and spending.

15. BAY WATCH

Develop a comprehensive plan to encourage tourism in Moreton Bay and its islands.

16. UP, UP AND AWAY

Increase investments and incentives to attract new airlines and new international routes to Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba Wellcamp Airports.

17. LIGHT RAIL

Commit to constructing a light rail network on the Sunshine Coast and investigate the cost/benefits of a light rail system from New Farm through the CBD to West End, with the option of future expansions.

18. GOING UNDERGROUND

Undertake a feasibility study of the benefits of a Brisbane subway inner-city underground rail system.

19. FUTURE VEHICLES

Urgently develop strategies and regulatory frameworks for the introduction of connected and autonomous vehicles. Invest in autonomous bus technology to replace existing services such as City Loop and add 'first and last mile'' connections to mass transit stations.

20. FLYING CARS

State and federal government to begin collaborating on regulations to open up air space and allow trials of technology as soon as available.

[Old Northern Road]

Flying Cars 
Did 10 year olds come up with that?

[ozbob]

Flying Cars 
Did 10 year olds come up with that?

It is difficult to have faith in a jurisdiction that struggles to make a suburban railway run properly and open the back doors of buses for loading.  We all have seen it many times before, eg. the ' Rail Revolution ', Connecting SEQ 2031, the Queensland Plan and so forth.

Some solid stuff in FutureSEQ, but as would be reasonably expected much dribble ...

[Stillwater]

In the story she authored, Jackie Trad said that it was important that there be a plan and that everybody sticks to it. 
Connecting SEQ 2031???  That was a good plan.   

[ozbob]

Segway Scotty had a ripper.  Trams running in the Brisbane River!  I WANT THAT! Beats flying cars anyday!





Bring. it. on ...  FLYING TRAMS !!

[Jonno]

No talk of walkable, cycle-able, mixed-use communities. Major road upgrades still last century thinking!!! Flying cars in there make the whole thing laughable!!

Flying Cars 
Did 10 year olds come up with that?

It is difficult to have faith in a jurisdiction that struggles to make a suburban railway run properly and open the back doors of buses for loading.  We all have seen it many times before, eg. the ' Rail Revolution ', Connecting SEQ 2031, the Queensland Plan and so forth.

Some solid stuff in FutureSEQ, but as would be reasonably expected much dribble ...

[ozbob]

Back to reality ..

Couriermail --> Greater Brisbane's public transport worst in the nation

GREATER Brisbane's public transport is the worst of any Australian capital city, with one million people missing out on good services, a damning new report reveals.

Research by Infrastructure Australia found that a huge swath of outer suburbs is being left behind, creating a divided city of haves and have-nots.

"While existing transport infrastructure serves inner city areas well, people living on the outskirts of our major cities are being disadvantaged by a lack of access to frequent public transport services," executive director of policy and research Peter Colacino said.

"This impacts their ability to access jobs, education and other opportunities to get ahead.

"And whether it is a young mum at home or an older Australian, access to transport for social interaction is crucial in life."

The report says 1.2 million people — half of the region's 2.4 million population — live 20km or more from the Brisbane city centre.

But four in five of those do not have access to frequent public transport services within walking distance — defined as 800 metres for rail and 400m to a bus stop.

By comparison, 93 per cent of inner-city dwellers within 10km of the CBD can walk to rail, bus or ferry stops, and just under three-quarters of residents in the middle zone 10 to 20km from the centre.

"We've known for quite some time that there is a gap in access to public transport ... this report quantifies it for the first time," Mr Colacino said.

Brisbane was the nation's worst, with 80 per cent of outer suburban residents missing out, compared to 62 per cent in Melbourne and 42 per cent in Sydney.

"Our public transport networks are designed so that routes merge closer to the city centre,"' the report says. "As a result, the further away a passenger is from the centre, the more likely they have poor frequencies."

Mr Colacino said Brisbane's outer suburbs — like those of other state capitals — were caught in a vicious cycle.

Poor access and frequency meant low public transport use, which led to poor fare revenue which meant little investment in services, which resulted in low patronage.

So residents were forced to own cars, battling and adding to traffic congestion and pollution, and faced higher travel costs.

"They shoulder the burden of additional vehicle operating costs, leaving less money for other household expenses compared to commuters in inner suburbs," Mr Colacino said.

Some 63 per cent of outer suburban households own two or more private vehicles, compared to just 42 per cent in inner suburbs.

The report calls for governments to consider new transport models as cities face ''unprecedented population growth in coming years".

Greater Brisbane's population is forecast to reach 3.3 million in the next 20 years.

Mr Colacino said transport systems needed to be flexible, changing or adding routes and services for new housing, employment and shopping and recreational areas.

The Infrastructure Australia report recommends more on-demand mini-buses or shuttles, such as one now being trialled in Logan City, should be used in outer suburban areas to link between people's homes and transport hubs.

And it urges bringing rideshare services such as Uber into the public transport system for ''first and last mile'' trips between home and mass transit and extending the Go Card to include them.

"Subsidising Uber could be more cost-effective than running a bus," Mr Colacino said.

And it says planning should be better integrated to encourage more residential and employment development adjacent to public transport.

"We also want governments and transport operators to do more to encourage people to transfer between public transport services," Mr Colacino said.

"This includes investing in well-designed interchanges, extending integrated ticketing systems to new modes and introducing fare incentives that actively encourage people to transfer between modes to get to their destination."

The report follows an exclusive poll during The Courier-Mail's Future SEQ series which showed that 90 per cent of people would be encouraged to use public transport more often with lower fares, access to more routes and stations, faster travel times and greater
frequency.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1055476262381117440

Couriermail --> Public transport needs new direction to keep Brisbane livable

THERE'S no doubt we need innovative and imaginative solutions for the public transport demands of a modern metropolis like Greater Brisbane.

New research by Infrastructure Australia puts the problem we face in stark relief, saying this region has the worst access to public transport of any capital city in the country.

When distance to public transport, affordability and other factors are considered, about one million people in Greater Brisbane are missing out. It's alarming.

How southeast will become a model metropolis

SEQ must create 'multi-CBDs' to cope with population boom

Video gaming on steroids to hit stadiums

This report tells a story of two metropolitan regions – an inner city which has ready access to all types of public transport and those in the outer suburbs who cannot rely on readily available service or get to the ones that are there with any ease.

About half of the population of Greater Brisbane – 1.2 million – live 20km or more from the CBD and 80 per cent of those people do not have access to frequent public transport within walking distance, which is defined as walking 800m to a train station or 400m to a bus stop.

In the other world of Greater Brisbane, 93 per cent of those who live in the inner city – that is within 10km of the CBD – can walk to a train, bus or ferry while almost 75 per cent in the 10-20km middle zone have the same access. This is a two-class transport system.

The report names Brisbane as the worst metropolitan centre in the country.

Here four in five people have poor access in the outer suburbs, while in Melbourne it is three in five and in Sydney just two in five. We need to do better.

There are a variety of suggestions in the Infrastructure Australia report, such as on-demand minibuses, similar to those being trialled in Logan, and greater flexibility of transport systems, with routes being added and changed to match needs.

We also need well-designed interchanges, more integrated ticketing systems (beyond the popular GoCard) and having new modes.

Fare incentives should be examined and people need to be encouraged to switch between transport modes – from buses to trains, for example – to take pressure off the roads.

All of this must be considered as planners and politicians look to the future.

The Courier-Mail's Future SEQ series has highlighted the needs of our region and the specific requirements for transport services.

We need not just more bus and train services for the outer suburbs, but also more integrated and flexible schedules for everyone who lives outside those inner-city and second-ring suburbs.

A better transport system is important for so many reasons.

It makes us more productive, we save money through less pressure on our roads and we give people more employment opportunities by allowing them easier access to work possibilities.

Not only do we need investment, as important as that is, we also need campaigns that promote public transport and inform people about what services are available and how they can be accessed.

It would also be a good idea for governments – state and local – to look at reducing the prohibitive cost of public transport. Investing in public transport is not just a good government press release – it is a serious investment in the economic future and security of our region and our state.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

26th October 2018

' Greater Brisbane's public transport worst in the nation '

Good Morning.

The Couriermail has been running the series #FutureSEQ and today they conclude that " Greater Brisbane's public transport worst in the nation" with the headline " The key indicator our public transport sucks "  https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/future-seq/greater-brisbanes-public-transport-worst-in-the-nation/news-story/466797fa154d1b2ed9f1548801d4f61b

As we have been pointing out for years the basics for public transport are simply neglected in SEQ.  Bus network reform is well overdue, this alone would drive significant gains in patronage and is essentially low cost compared to the billions of dollars being poured into concrete.

Our bus network proposal for Brisbane was launched on the 5th November 2014 ( https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=11047.msg148434#msg148434 - a copy of the media release ).  It is never too late to start to pick up the pieces.

Our rail network is an under performer - gross under performer sadly.  Transperth (Perth WA), a rail network roughly a quarter the size of the SEQ rail network carried 8 million more passengers than the Citytrain network in 2017-18.  There is a lot of latent capacity on rail in SEQ, it needs to be tapped.   Queensland Rail Citytrain should aim for 100 million passengers annually in three years (presently 52 million).

The key issue though is the organisation and administration of public transport in Queensland.  The present structures have delivered failure (rail fail, botched new trains - NGRs, bus network reform fail, fare fail, Brisbane now the nation's worst for public transport) and the structure needs reform.  There needs to be a stand alone public transport authority (a model such as the Public Transport Authority of WA is a good one) with the resources and the will to turnaround the failure.  The present structure of Transport and Main Roads and TransLink will not.  They will just continue to propagate failure.  The Government did task the Citytrain Response Unit to make recommendations with respect to an Integrated Public Transport Model.  They completed the review December 2017 and passed to Government for consideration ( https://www.cru.qld.gov.au/Reports ). Nothing has been heard since.

Do nothing is not an option, it is getting worse by the day ...

Best wishes,

Robert

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

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1055487396127490048

[ozbob]

Facebook ..

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Schrinner/status/1055572551642955776

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Schrinner/status/1055579777292107776

[SteelPan]

How I wish this entire "future stuff" focused more on the glaring and long-past-overdue lack of heavy rail expansion in SEQ - including the lack of underground - and less of distraction focused, noisy and pointless "flying car" nonsense!

Brisbane/SEQ, now well on the way to the worse rail infrastructure in country.

How many years now, has the heavy rail been parked at Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast? It should by now, be well over the border into Tweed Heads.  We're talking here about the BOOMING Brisbane/Gold Coast Corridor and even that's in the supa-slow Qld Govt lane! 

[Stillwater]

Half of all people in the Brisbane conurbation have a very poor public transport service.  Those beyond 20 km from the city centre have more than 2 cars per household.  Car commuting is the preferable and practical form of transport for these people, adding to congestion.  Federal Government is being called upon to add more traffic lanes to major roads.  Instead, the feds should be looking to 'offset funding' of PT as an alternative to extra traffic capacity.  Build it and they will come and they will congest it.  Brisbane will be the most congested city in Australia by 2040, maybe sooner.  SEQ will be 'beautiful one day, smoggy the next'.  Buses don't connect well with trains.  Upgraded and more inter-urban heavy rail is needed.  Even simple things like bicycle paths add to liveability.  (Look at the number of Brisbane residents who use active transport means to get about.)

[#Metro]

One of the more unusual things is that most of the State does not have decent PT services.

It is not like Europe where small towns (e.g. Switzerland) have decent bus and rail connections.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Cities across the world are ditching cars — and Australia should follow suit

Is using steel boxes (read: cars) to get from A to B the best way to use a third of our cities?

Streets can make up roughly 30 per cent of the surface area of our communities.

They consume prime real estate and yet they have just one purpose — moving metal boxes. How could they be more productive?

Many cities are already looking to remove cars from the roads by 2025.

From next month, the only vehicles allowed in Madrid's CBD will be zero-emissions taxis and delivery trucks, buses and cars that belong to locals.

Twenty-four of the city's busiest streets are currently being redesigned to prioritise people.

Oslo is currently replacing more than 50 kilometres of roads dominated by cars with bike lanes, and the city centre will be off limits to private vehicles from 2019.

In Paris, where plans to double the amount of bike lanes is afoot, restrictions on the number of cars allowed in the city's centre drove down pollution levels by 30 per cent.

London has its congestion charge, over half of Copenhagen's population commutes by bike each day and even the city that never sleeps, New York, has made iconic spots like Times Square pedestrian-only zones.

What's driving this? While reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality are part of the story, it's also a tactic to bring more people back to the city centre.

Streets are for people, after all.

This strategy is not about pitching cars against bikes or pedestrians, but about curating a more balanced mix of transport modes and activities along this valuable public space we call the street.

As Queensland's population grows, and as advancing technology reshapes the way we live, our streets will have to work harder than ever before. Picture this: autonomous vehicles and dockless e-bikes whiz along by, drones deliver parcels and people, digital billboards blink directions and bargain deals, and essential telecommunications infrastructure is strung along the street like Christmas lights.

In the future, we'll see our streets not just as a conduit for cars, but as a landscape, a place, an economic catalyst and a net producer of resources.

For a start, our streets will harvest enough energy to power their surrounding community. They'll capture and treat water that will be used to nurture the market gardens that line the sidewalks. The tree canopy cover will be internet-enabled, providing a backbone for art-inspired lighting displays that make our streets safe at night. Efficient public transport will reduce the need for many lanes of traffic, and instead our generous footpaths will be designed for dockless bikes, drove deliveries, Uber drop offs and, of course, pedestrians.

Does this sound far-fetched? Quayside Toronto, currently being developed by Apple's parent company Sidewalk Labs, is already laying the groundwork for self-driving shuttles and intelligent 'pay-as-you-throw' garbage bins. Weather sensors will detect nearing snow storms and heat up the footpaths. Sensors will capture data in real time to analyse and calibrate traffic flows. Asphalt will make way for shapeshifting pavers that mean public space can be reconfigured to suit the morning commute or to accommodate a kids' play space.

This is the future — and it's coming to your street.

Adam Beck is Executive Director, Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand. The Smart Cities Week Australia conference runs from Monday to Wednesday next week.

[Stillwater]

Was talking to a 'futurist' the other day and he said we are about five years away from being offered 'transport packages', in much the same way as we buy telecommunications packages, or private health insurance.  The bog standard safety net is what we have now by way of public transport, but if you are stuck at Nambour station and want to get to Caboolture more quickly than the next train (which might depart in an hour or so), you call up a service similar to Uber to drive you there, maybe picking up a couple of more passengers on the way.  Or, if the train drops you off at the station at 11pm and there is no connecting bus home, you dial up your package provider (or pre-arrange) and get a ride home in a taxi within the envelope of the transport package you might purchase three or four times a year.  The fare would be cheaper than a taxi fare, because the service provider would have the use of your money before you drew down on the sum invested over time.