Gold Coast Light Rail

[Set in train]

You know what the truly depressing thing is?  With some proper advocacy, they could have secured a station at Paradise Waters without throwing out the average spacing too much.  Now, god only knows how you get there once the system starts running.  Walk from Main Beach or the Golden Gate I guess.

It's the future residents of the suburb that will really suffer, and the supreme irony is the efforts of current residents have likely ensured they will see bugger all return on property values due to the lack of a walkable station.  All the inconvenience with none of the sweeteners.  Karma is indeed a bitch...

Paradise Waters people don't use public transport, they are 'above' that! The mayor lives there for starters! Don't think anyone will be shedding a tear in this enclave about a lack of access to public transport considering they don't use it.

[SurfRail]

You know what the truly depressing thing is?  With some proper advocacy, they could have secured a station at Paradise Waters without throwing out the average spacing too much.  Now, god only knows how you get there once the system starts running.  Walk from Main Beach or the Golden Gate I guess.

It's the future residents of the suburb that will really suffer, and the supreme irony is the efforts of current residents have likely ensured they will see bugger all return on property values due to the lack of a walkable station.  All the inconvenience with none of the sweeteners.  Karma is indeed a bitch...

Paradise Waters people don't use public transport, they are 'above' that! The mayor lives there for starters! Don't think anyone will be shedding a tear in this enclave about a lack of access to public transport considering they don't use it.

There is a bus stop there and people do board and alight there.  They are going to have to walk to the (750 replacement route) somewhere on Narrowneck, walk north to the Main Beach stop or walk south to the North Surfers stop.

[colinw]

Where do you think the infill stations should be?  Sites I can think of where one might work are:

• Yatala - north of Elderslie Road
• North Ormeau - Eggersdorf Road
• Hope Island Road
• Parkwood - Smith St / Napper Rd area
• Merrimac/Worongary - Gold Coast Springbrook Road

Ideally a local service would go right through to Beenleigh.

[SurfRail]

^ List of the preserved sites is in my post here:  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=8972.msg107584#msg107584

I think that is a reasonable list.  The only one which I would like to add is a Carrara station (for purely personal and selfish reasons - it would never make sense and there is virtually no room for it).

[colinw]

Interesting that a station site is preserved at Yawalpah Rd.  I'd have thought that is far too close to Coomera to be sensible.

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson
18/09/2012

Light rail uniform's top of class

Two Gold Coast Institute of TAFE (GCI T) students will see their light rail uniform ideas become a reality.

GoldLinQ has chosen selections from GCIT design students Kelsey Ingram, 31, and Sue Paul, 43, and local industry designer Huski uniform ranges.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson congratulated the students on their winning designs.

"When I met Kelsey and Sue last month to view the shortlist of designs I was impressed with the quality of their work and I'm pleased to see such professional and stylish uniforms for the light rail staff," Mr Emerson.

"This uniform has been designed in Queensland and will be supplied by an Australian company for our Gold Coast light rail operations staff."

GoldLinQ CEO Phil Mumford said the final design reflected the Gold Coast well with bright colours, light fabrics and a relaxed but professional look.

GoldLinQ operations partner KDR Gold Coast Managing Director Vivienne King said it was wonderful to see all student submissions were of a professional standard already competing with industry before they had finished their qualification.

"I commend the students and GCIT for their involvement in this exciting project and hope more companies will engage with education providers like GoldLinQ has done," Ms King said.

Students and industry professionals were provided with a brief, including colours, comfort, budget and a uniform staff could wear with pride.

Ms King said 11 local designs were submitted, including nine from GCIT design students.

"Ms Ingram and Ms Paul's shirt design was chosen because it met a practical yet professional look for the Gold Coast," she said.

"The shirt was quite inspirational in its print design - with blocks of colour to represent the light rail and lines to represent connecting communities and freedom of movement.

"Huski's jumper and soft-shell jacket were chosen as they will work well with Kelsey and Sue's top."

Stage One of the Gold Coast light rail is a $1 billion project, jointly funded by State and Federal Government and Gold Coast City Council.

[ENDS] 18 September 2012

[Gazza]

They couldn't possibly include an image of the uniform, could they 

[SurfRail]

They couldn't possibly include an image of the uniform, could they 

Not enough in the budget for colour paper.  Clearly applies to pixels too...

[nathandavid88]

They've got to find the money for the 9 trip cap somehow I guess... 

[ozbob]

http://goldlinq.com.au/project-updates/resources/

Light Rail Mail October 2 now available ..

First section of track laid at Queen Street
   
The Gold Coast light rail project team has accomplished a major milestone with the first section of rail now placed in Queen Street.

Design and Construction Joint Venture (D&C JV) Project Director, Daryl Young from McConnell Dowell said the track laying is a significant construction achievement for the project with works taking shape along the corridor.

"Construction will continue to progress from preparatory and underground service work to above ground track laying and station foundational work," Mr Young said.

"Segments of rail, 18 metres in length will be welded together on-site with up to 30 metres of progress a day expected across the 13-kilometre route."

Queen Street was chosen as the first area for track laying as the street was prepared by the Queensland Government Early Enabling Works prior to transitioning to GoldLinQ in March 2012.

The 2,800 tonnes of rail arrived by ship at the Port of Brisbane in April 2012 and it took 140 semi-trailer trips to transport the rails to a secure storage site north of the Gold Coast.

Due to the highly specialised expertise and equipment required, the rail was manufactured in Austria by Voestalpine Schienen GmbH, a global leader in the production of grooved rails.

The 55 kilometres of rail will be used for two lines of light rail track – north and south-bound – servicing the Health and Knowledge precinct, the Depot, Southport, Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.
   

[red dragin]

Noticing a few sections of track in place next to the V8 super "demolition derby" (car) start/finish line

[ozbob]

Couriermail -->Gold Coast park and ride stop for light rail isn't within walking distance of public transport

[Golliwog]

Couriermail -->Gold Coast park and ride stop for light rail isn't within walking distance of public transport

I don't know the area, but either way a 6000 space Park n' Ride sounds a bit excessive...

That said, if you read the full article (http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2012/10/22/440257_gold-coast-news.html) they talk about it also being for the possible Parkwood Heavy rail station, and used for a staging point for PT to the Commonwealth Games.

[colinw]

The Gold Coast Bulletin -> Light rail focus on Burleigh Esplanade

BURLEIGH HEADS' beachfront is shaping up as the new battleground for the proposed expansions of the light rail.

A proposal to expand the system along Burleigh Heads' Esplanade is now open for public consultation as part of the council's 2031 draft city transport strategy.

Leading the charge against the plan is former Burleigh councillor Paul Gamin and his wife Judy, herself a former Burleigh MP.

Mr Gamin has filed an official objection stating the development would "totally destroy the amenity of the area".

"Burleigh Heads is an integral part of the Gold Coast tourist industry and the Esplanade houses much of the area's holiday accommodation as well as several hundred permanent residents," he said.

"Damage to the tourist industry would be immense both in terms of access to the beach and accommodation occupancy. So much damage to tourism would hardly be worthwhile in view of huge efforts being made to bolster this industry."

A council spokeswoman was unable to provide figures of how many submissions or objections had been received.

Public consultation began in September for the transport strategy, which includes proposals for spur lines connecting light and heavy rail at Parkwood and Robina Town Centre.

The heavy rail network would also be extended from Varsity Lakes to Elanora under the plans.

The Sun exclusively revealed in September Mayor Tom Tate had already met with State Transport Minister Scott Emerson to discuss proposed expansion of the light rail network.

City planning boss Cameron Caldwell urged residents to have their say.

"The public have generally been pretty positive about us getting out there and consulting with them," he said.

"Submissions have shown they are impressed with ... our willingness to take on board the feedback from the local areas across the Coast.

"Based on feedback already received we are already considering a direct bus link between Paradise Point, Hope Island and the Helensvale and Coomera heavy rail stations."

The 13km first stage of the $1.2 billion light rail system will run from Griffith University to Broadbeach and is expected to come online in mid-2014.

To comment, visit goldcoastcity.com.au/transportstrategy

[Jonno]

How is Light Rail extension going to in anyway impact tourism and the accommodation at Burleigh? It could only do the exact opposite?  Very strange opposition to it?

[SurfRail]

How is Light Rail extension going to in anyway impact tourism and the accommodation at Burleigh? It could only do the exact opposite?  Very strange opposition to it?

Nothing will stop it because it still enjoys overwhelming public support.  Contrast with the other things happening down here where people have significant reservations (eg the cruise ship terminal, something which I am not particularly in favour of myself).

Apparently The Esplanade option involves less build disruption and better suits the corridor which is slightly different (ie narrower GC highway + service road on the west rather than a wide highway only).  What happens once it hits Burleigh, who knows, but I would like to see it cut straight across the highway and have the stop on Connor St in front of the shops, then back onto the highway behind the bowls club on Park Street.  This would enable you in future to run a line to Varsity Lakes via James St and West Burleigh/Reedy Creek Road, and it puts the service right into a pedestrian friendly and activated area instead of dumping you onto the highway like the current bus stops do.

I have knocked up an interpretation of what I think they were looking at, from what I remember reading in the early works documents, which is attached.

[colinw]

Mr Gamin has filed an official objection stating the development would "totally destroy the amenity of the area".

I think it is telling that yet another (former) politician, who purports to represent the interests of his community, seems to think that installing high quality public transport of a standard not seen before in the area will "totally destroy the amenity of the area".

Think carefully before voting is all I can say!

[nathandavid88]

While I'm absolutely in favour of extending the light rail down to Burleigh and beyond, having a look at the Esplanade on Google Maps, I am a bit concerned about that alignment. Would the light rail fit along there with both lanes and the carparking retained? I'm slightly doubtful of that from the look of it. Or are we talking about making the road one way? If so it's not a bad plan, run the Esplanade one way in a Northern direction, with the southbound traffic running along the GC Highway. That said, there would be a lot of traffic crossovers from traffic coming out of the apartment complexes along there, and then to access the parking along the beach. There's not really any way of having a proper grade-separated light rail along there without losing the carparking, something I would not support because then it would create a very real problem to the amenity of the local area (i.e. beachgoers parking in local streets).

[Gazza]

Why would you need as much parking if you had an LRT system to make up for it?

I'd use that rather than parking there.

[colinw]

Looking at the area, I see no reason why a lot of carparking couldn't be retained by offsetting it a little toward the beach in places, similar to how it is configured near the North Burleigh SLSC.

Then again, this is QLD so you couldn't possibly let a nasty old public transport system interfere with our worship of the holy motor car.

[nathandavid88]

Yeah, I guess it could be done in places, but the catch there is that you would lose some of the nice foreshore park areas to do so, which I would hate to see.

Why would you need as much parking if you had an LRT system to make up for it?

I'd use that rather than parking there.

You could have run maglevs with 60 second frequencies along there and a decent number of people would still drive to the beach for various reasons –  families of 4-5 with small kids and who don't live locally for example. For them, dragging the whole family plus all the beach equipment and the picnic hampers on public transport (with two or three mode changes at least) just isn't a practical option. The light rail gives an option of leaving the car at home and taking a fast, frequent PT option, and will be greatly used by at lot of people (myself included because i'm single and don't have kids – perfect for me), but you can't force it on everyone as the only option. Remove the parking and people will either come here and park in the suburban streets west of the Highway, or they will go to other beaches with parking.

[Jonno]

Why go along the Esplanade at all?

[SurfRail]

While I'm absolutely in favour of extending the light rail down to Burleigh and beyond, having a look at the Esplanade on Google Maps, I am a bit concerned about that alignment. Would the light rail fit along there with both lanes and the carparking retained? I'm slightly doubtful of that from the look of it. Or are we talking about making the road one way? If so it's not a bad plan, run the Esplanade one way in a Northern direction, with the southbound traffic running along the GC Highway. That said, there would be a lot of traffic crossovers from traffic coming out of the apartment complexes along there, and then to access the parking along the beach. There's not really any way of having a proper grade-separated light rail along there without losing the carparking, something I would not support because then it would create a very real problem to the amenity of the local area (i.e. beachgoers parking in local streets).

I'm not satisfied you can actually install LRT on that stretch of the highway without massively increasing the cost.  If you put stations in, then unless they are off-set platforms and not immediately adjacent to each other, there will not be enough room to retain 2 lanes of traffic in both directions without some very tight engineering.

There is stacks of parking all the way along Burleigh and the surrounding area as it is.  Rarely is the area ever parked out - especially the council car park near the bowls club, which is still basically spitting distance from the beach.  On top of that, most of the building already have parking provision.  LRT should put a dent in all of this anyway.

Even if The Esplanade needs to go to one-way, that is hardly without precedent - either along other stretches of the LRT line (eg middle of Surfers where it is a much bigger imposition), or the most prominent example which currently exists, at Hedges Avenue.

[SurfRail]

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2012/12/04/443011_daniel-meers-opinion.html

Yesterday's ridiculous opinion piece.

[red dragin]

I hope the author isn't a reporter by trade, what a poorly written collection of random statements.

Looking forward to riding this, and taking my son on it to show him what brisbane had when his grandad was a teenager.

[colinw]

SENIOR reporter no less.

Journalistic standards have left the building.

Not even worth commenting on that site any more.  It is just Don Magin, Andrew of Sorrento and a few other disaffected losers, vs. our own SurfRail flying the flag for the good guys.

The facts (which the Bulletin & sundry whingers are unacquainted with) are that the Broadbeach to Uni/Hospital bus route accounts for something like 25% of all bus journeys on the Gold Coast.  The LRT only has to capture the existing public transport users in the corridor and it will have more daily journeys on it than any QR line in South East QLD.  From there it only gets better.

And all the buses serving this highly popular core route can now go off to do other things on the Gold Coast, increasing the span & frequency of the rest of the system.

All quite logical, and is why LRT was chosen for this core route. Such reasoning is beyond the intellectual capacity of the numptys writing articles down there, except for possibly Shannon Willoughby who appears to actually have a brain.

[nathandavid88]

Shannon Willoughby is the only good thing the GC Bulletin has going for it I swear! My free Quest Newspaper provides better reporting in it than the GCB, and you have to pay for the GCB!

The Light Rail will, from day one, prove all the "White Elephant" naysayers wrong, and I've going to delight in seeing the look on their faces when packed units are running down the corridor!

[SurfRail]

http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/15567138/surfboard-trek-to-put-gold-coast-tram-plans-on-track/

Surfboard trek to put Gold Coast tram plans on track
By Charmaine Kane, ABC
Updated December 6, 2012, 12:03 pm

A surfboard is on its way to Germany to help ensure surfers will be able to take their gear on Queensland Gold Coast's new light rail network.

The symbol of fun in the sun will be carried through snow half a world away to the factory where the first of 14 Gold Coast trams is nearing completion.

Phil Mumford, the chief executive of the consortium, Goldlinq that is responsible for building and operating the network, says the inaugural light rail journey will be from Parklands to Broadbeach from 2014.

"In Germany they don't have too many surfboards so what they are going to do is ensure the facilities that are built on the trams for the surfboards make sense," he said.

"The first 42-metre tram will be tested in Germany next month, shipped to Brisbane and trucked to the Gold Coast by the middle of next year."

Mr Mumford says trams should eventually run from Parkwood to the Coolangatta airport.

He says the group has a broader vision.

"The people that make up the company Goldlinq are investors from throughout the world who have chosen to invest here on the Gold Coast," he said.

"[They] certainly have a vision that this form of transport will be a success here on the Gold Coast and in fact they are very much wanting to be a part of future extensions going forward."

He says tram travel will cost no more than other forms of public transport.

Mr Mumford says TransLink will set the prices and commuters will be able to buy tickets or pay with Go Cards.

"The Gold Coast will have a number of zones that you will travel in," he said.

"If you travel in one zone you pay a particular fare, if you travel in up to two, three or four zones you will pay a different fare again.

"If you hop on a bus and then straight on a tram it will be fully integrated with the Go Card system."

[huddo45]

Another milestone of sorts, Goldlinq lays their first curve. This picture was taken just over an hour ago by Richard Youl, who joined us on the GCLR visit, on the corner of Queen and Nerang Sts, Southport.

[ozbob]

 

[colinw]

Looking good! 

Meanwhile, that buffoon Meers strikes again in the Bulletin.  Appears he doesn't want anything, be it trams or bicycles, getting in the way of his car. 

[huddo45]

Looking good! 

Meanwhile, that buffoon Meers strikes again in the Bulletin.  Appears he doesn't want anything, be it trams or bicycles, getting in the way of his car. 

Some people just don't get it. What will he write in 18 months' time when the trams are carrying full loads?  If you liked that photo, you'll just love this one of the Smith St Motorway bridge, taken by Richard today 12.12.12.

[ozbob]

From GoldCoast.com.au click here!

Green building to help revive Surfers

Green building to help revive Surfers

Shannon Willoughby, chief reporter   |  12:01am December 14, 2012

A RUSSIAN-backed $22 million "green" building is being constructed in the heart of Surfers Paradise -- the first commercial development since 50 Cavill.

The construction of the building was brought forward following Gold Coast City Council's Kickstart program -- an incentivised project to revive development-- and will be built in time for the light rail.

The building, which has applied for green status, will include showers and storage areas for bikes.

Maylake Pty Ltd, a Gold Coast based company whose directors are from Russia, has begun the demolition to make way for a $22 million, nine-storey office building across two blocks on Elkhorn Ave.

The building, made up of a new development and a refit of an existing building, will be one of the first five-star, green, privately-owned developments on the Gold Coast.

"We would love for our tenants to be able to use the light rail to get to work," said Lorraine Lovatt, Maylake CEO.

"Both the light rail and the construction kickstart was absolutely why we started now," she said.

She said the company had two approvals pending the kickstart incentive.

Kickstart wiped infrastructure charges for projects ready to start within six months, and halved them for those to begin in the following six months.

There have been 165 applications for the program, with 129 approved.

"We would be encouraging people to use alternate transport bike space, I think the light rail system will be brilliant," Ms Lovatt said.

She said this was the company's first building it had developed from ground up.

"We are keeping it and that's why we have gone green star. A lot of developers skimp on things that make a difference to the building, but because we own and manage the building, we know how to keep them to a high standard," she said.

"The features with green star are not only energy-saving but good for maintenance.

"It makes it worth it in the long run but it is more expensive."

Councillor and planning boss Cameron Caldwell said the response to the incentives had been encouraging.

A leasing campaign for the building, which will have a net lettable area of 2449sq m with foot plates up to 460sq m, will be handled by Jim Payne of Ray White Commercial.

[nathandavid88]

^^ So that's the demolition I saw being knocked down when I was in Surfers yesterday! It's right next to the Clock Hotel, opposite Chevron Renaissance!

Having not been down there in a long time, it was so weird seeing Surfers Paradise Blvd reduced to a one-lane one way road! It makes skipping across the road a much easier affair! Also, I did notice the pedestrian overpass between QT Hotel (the old Gold Coast International) and Focus at Staghorn Avenue was in the process of being demolished over the weekend.

[colinw]

The Bulletin -> Footbridge removed to make way for rail

December 19, 2012

AN often derided part of Surfers Paradise history has been demolished to make way for the Gold Coast's $1.2 billion light rail system with workers pulling down the party precinct's last pedestrian overpass yesterday.

The walkway, on the corner of Surfers Paradise Boulevard and Staghorn Avenue next to the QT building, stood for more than 25 years but took just five minutes to bring down.

Gold Coast City Council contractors yesterday removed the 26m bridge, majority of which will be recycled for scrap and sent to China for use in car manufacturing.

The second stage of the project will begin in February with the removal of the stairways on each side of the walkway.

Ratepayers will foot the bill for the work, the first stage of which which will cost $127,420.

Enviro Site destruction manager Myron Lichtnauer was the last person to walk on the bridge before it was cut apart and said he had many good memories of it stretching back to his childhood.

"I used to drive under it all the time when I was a child in the late 1980s and remember seeing it when it was new," he said.

"It took about 20 hours of preparation, an hour of welding and five minutes to pull it down, something I am glad we were able to do.

"The street won't look the same."

The overpass was built in the mid-1980s by the then-Gold Coast International Hotel's developer Daikyo and was the last of the four so-called "bridges to nowhere" to be removed.

The Paradise Centre and Raptis Plaza overpasses on Surfers Paradise's Esplanade were removed in 2009 and 2010.

The infamous Gold Coast Highway bridge to nowhere stood more than a decade after the former Chevron Hotel was demolished.

It was finally removed during construction of the Chevron Renaissance complex.

Area councillor Lex bell said the walkway was built by Daikyo to cater for the large number of Japanese tourists visiting the Gold Coast in the late 1980s.

"The developers gave it to the council for use but it, like the other walkways in Surfers Paradise, were never a success," he said.

"We had a real passion for overpasses at the time but they were almost never used.

"It will be removed to make way for the light rail and also because the cost of repairing it was higher than simply demolishing it."

[O_128]

The light rail is really going now. Most of the track has been laid between pac fair and surfers. Theres still plenty of naysayers having a cry about it though.

[ozbob]

[SurfRail]

More like this:

[Set in train]

Some people just don't get it. What will he write in 18 months' time when the trams are carrying full loads?  If you liked that photo, you'll just love this one of the Smith St Motorway bridge, taken by Richard today 12.12.12.

A great sight to see, grade separated, allowing the light rail vehicles to travel at speed. The project needed more grade separation. 23 km/h average speed. Build it and build it properly.

As for Surfers Paradise Boulevard (former GC Hwy southbound) being one way, it has only been two way for the last 6 to 10 years. The Surfers Paradise Traffic Management Scheme spent just over $30M converting the one way couplet to two way at Council expense rather than wait for light rail.

[colinw]

A baby saltwater croc has been found on the tram tracks in Southport! 

The Bulletin -> Warnings baby croc may not be alone