$400m central tramline could be viable

[ozbob]

From the West Australian http://www.thewest.com.au/

$400m central tramline could be viable, study finds

$400m central tramline could be viable, study finds
PER, 17th January 2008, 6:30 WST


A tramline linking East Perth, Subiaco and Crawley would cost $400 million to build and $10 million a year to run but was a feasible transport option, according to a report commissioned by the State Government.
The Department of Planning and Infrastructure released the feasibility study by Leederville-based Maunsell Australia this week after sitting on the report since August.

The investigation found a tramline between East Perth and Subiaco could be viable, with a possible extension to Shenton Park, servicing hospitals and the University of WA.

Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said the report showed the service could attract patrons for 46,500 individual trips each weekday, based on current usage of Red CAT services and growth projections for the route. By comparison, 50,000 trips are taken on the northern suburbs rail line each day.
   
The proposed tramline runs from the WACA Ground in East Perth, turns up Barrack Street and then travels up Murray Street through the mall. It weaves back on to Hay Street via Havelock Street before running into Subiaco.
   
The main line would then turn down Rokeby Road and on to Thomas Street, where it would cut through Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre and travel down Hampden Road and Broadway before terminating at Princess Road. Depots would be built in Jolimont and Claisebrook.
   
Ms MacTiernan said she believed the tramline would stimulate commercial and residential development along the route but conceded the State?s transport budget faced strong demands. She said the benefits of the tramline had to be assessed against other projects.
   
?Before any such commitment was seriously considered, there would need to be a thorough examination of alternatives for meeting the transport needs identified in the study and clear signals that the development necessary to justify such infrastructure would be able to proceed,? she said.
   
Curtin University Sustainability Professor Peter Newman, who flew to the US yesterday to investigate light rail technology, said the study?s findings were ?a major step in the right direction?.
   
He said the proposed line linked popular destinations and the trams could carry 33 times as many passengers as existing buses. He said other options, including linking Curtin University to the city, should be considered as that area was the second most intensive employment location in WA after the city centre.
   
City of Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi said trams were an efficient transport medium but there would have to be a trade-off in street space allocation and should be considered as part of a larger regional transport system.
DANIEL HATCH