Canberra Public Transport 50 Year Plan-Part 1 Light Rail

Started by Bus 400, March 28, 2009, 05:38:53 PM

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Bus 400

This is a start to my Plan.

001 Lanyon Market Place/Tuggeranong Interchange via Kambah Village
Lanyon Market Place-Tharwa Drive-Drakeford Drive-Athllon Drive-Anketell Street-Athllon Drive-Drakeford Drive-Tuggeranong Parkway-Parkes Way-City West Transfer Station-City Interchange (London Circuit Loop).
Stops
-Tuggeranong Interchange (Anketell Street)
-Kambah Transfer Station (Drakeford Drive/Marconi Crescent)
-City West Transfer Station
-City Interchange (London Circuit)

002 Weston Creek via Woden Interchange
Brierly Street-Hindmarsh Drive-Callam Street-Tram Way-Yarra Glen-Adelaide Avenue-Commonwealth Avenue-London Circuit
Stops
-Weston Creek Interchange (Brierly Street)
-Woden Interchange (Callam Street)
-Albert Hall Transfer Station (Albert Hall)
-Commonwealth Park Transfer Station (Commonwealth Park)
-City Interchange (London Circuit)

003 Tuggeranong Interchange/Erindale Centre via Woden Interchange
Anketell Street-Soward Way-Erindale Drive-Sulwood Drive Tramway-Athllon Drive-Callam Street-Callam Street Tram Way-Yarra Glen-Adelaide Avenue-Commonwealth Avenue-London Circuit
Stops
-Tuggeranong Interchange (Anketell Street)
-Erindale Centre (Erindale Drive/Ashley Drive)
-Southlands (Athllon Drive/Mawson Drive)
-Woden Interchange (Callam Street)
-Albert Hall Transfer Station (Albert Hall)
-Commonwealth Park Transfer Station (Commonwealth Park)
-City Interchange (London Circuit)

004 Kippax Centre/Belconnen Town Centre/Bruce Precinct via Universities
Starke Street-Southern Cross Drive-Luxton Street-Cohen Street-Aikman Drive-Belconnen Tramway-Barry Drive-Northbourne Avenue-London Circuit
Stops
-Kippax Interchange (Starke Street)
-West Belconnen Interchange (Cohen Street)
-Belconnen Interchange (Luxton Street/Cohen Street)
-ABS Interchange (Cohen Street)
-UC (UC/Tramway)
-Canberra Stadium (Special Events Diversion)
-ANU (Tramway/ANU)
-City Interchange (London Circuit)

005 Belconnen Town Centre/Gungahlin Interchange via Northbourne Avenue
Cohen Street-Aikman Drive-Lawson Tramway-Crace Tramway-Nudurr Drive-Flemington Road-Northbourne Avenue-London Circuit

*MORE TO COME*

Irisbus Rider

Not a bad idea you've got there. But you've got firm competition from the Light Rail lobby group here in the ACT who have done thorough studies into this.

Bus 400

Well by having quite a few interconnecting tram ways, it would be more viable. I am partly setting it up similar to Perth's Southern Suburbs Railway Network. But as Canberra isn't big enough for heavy rail, trams are the next best answer.

Irisbus Rider

Bus Transitways? I have learnt from a certain driver that Bus Transitways (correctly applied) do the job just as well, if not better.
They allow for flexibility (i.e. if a tram breaks down, you're stuffed. If a bus breaks down, you pull to the side of the road and get a replacement vehicle out).
They allow for more capacity (If a route is suffering overcrowding, you place on spare buses. Try finding spare trams).
Much much cheaper.

And done correctly, can me more effective than trams. Put special liveried artics to service it and stations with real time info and create a safe and secure environment at these stations).

Sorry, have not been bitten by the Light Rail bug.....

Bus 400

The full plan will be that lanes will be removed from main roads & carparks expanded at Transfer Station & Interchanges. That way people who don't wish to walk a big distance. Will go to the main centre, catch the tram to work, then do the same home & do their shopping at the local shops & drive home.

Maybe another option may be for the main roads (Parkway/Yarra Glen/Flemington/Gungahlin/William Slim) to become toll roads (after tram ways complete) that way the Government/contractor will get their money back (eventually) & will force more people onto public transport.

To account for tram breakdowns, cross overs will be put in place with people just walking to the cross over & catching the next tram.

The main tram problem is, where do I store the trams?

Sir Pompously

In something called a Depot normally. You find a spare parcel of land located close to but not in a residential part of a Town Centre like the current bus depots. All tram lines should connect with each other to achieve this.



Bus 400

But where abouts could the depot be? I suspect Canberra would have atleast 15 2 car trams. The best bit of free land I can think of is between Phillip, Swinger Hill, Mawson & Woden

Buzz Killington

if the piece of land you are thinking of is the one bordered by Mawson, Hindmarsh and Athllon Drives, then that has been reserved for residential development.

Bus 400


Bus 400

Just like my Lawson, Crace & Woden Tramways would be classified as open space or residential

Barry Drive

At the risk of encouraging this further - that's not a plan (yet), it's just a list. A Canberra Light Rail has been on a wish list of transport lobbyists for possibly the last 50 years, and may still be in the next 50.

Light Rail is expensive to set up and once it's built you are stuck with it. So for starters any light rail route MUST be able to attract a high number of passengers with a regular frequency. This means that the route(s) chosen have to service areas of above-average population density, major employment centres and other places which large volumes people want to get to (or leave).

Let's start with population density. Some areas of Canberra which do (or will) have the desired density include Kingston, North Watson, Gungahlin, Harrison, Palmerston.

If I were to propose a light rail route (and I'm still not convinced that it's the best option for Canberra), the first route would be City to Watson as follows:

City (Garema Place/City Walk) - Northbourne Ave (stops at Ipima St, Macarthur Ave and Visitors Info Centre) - turn off near Morphett St, follow storm drain alignment to Dickson Shops station - continue along storm drain alignment to Phillip Ave (stop at Dickson College) - then beside Antill St to Stirling Av/Monash Dr, along Stirling Av reservation and terminate near Roma Mitchell Cr/Negus Cr.

The line would continue between SC Ten and the Carotel, along/beside Zelling St and cross the Federal Highway to the depot/workshop.

The Dickson Shops 'station' could become a transport hub which feeds bus services to North Canberra and Gungahlin suburbs.

If you have a look at the ACT Light Rail's 'concept map', they suggest a line up Northbourne Ave, but not into Dickson. From my experience with route 39, both Dickson Shops and North Watson should be serviced.

The controversial second route would involve an express line beween City and Gungahlin along Monash Drive (possibly alongside a bus way).

seat cover

THey should learn for other capitals and built the dedicated routes as bus ways then as demand grows you can then put in light rail. Bus ways move nearly as many people as light rail for a fraction of the cost

Bus 400

I was considering giving the tramways the ability to have buses. So that during off peak periods only buses would run on the Parkway Tramway (from Tuggeranong to City) every 60 minutes or so.

But this plan is to be completed in 50 years & by then Canberra should have the population.

Barry Drive

Like I said before, I'm not convinced about light rail. Statements such as the following make me less convinced.

Quote from: TP 3000 on March 31, 2009, 07:31:28 PM
So that during off peak periods only buses would run on the Parkway Tramway (from Tuggeranong to City) every 60 minutes or so.

To justify the cost of light rail it needs to run frequently - as in every 15 minutes or more often. You cannot build a light rail network and then only operate it during peak hours!

Just thinking about having a dedicated public transport route on Northbourne Ave (which a few years ago I was not in favour of) makes me realise that only buses can properly utilise it now and for the next 20 - 30 years.

Both Adelaide and Brisbane have proved that dedicated bus ways can attract passengers.

Bus 400

My plan is to force people onto trams, so Adelaide Avenue would be brought down to 2 lanes & most roads into City would become toll roads (this would help pay for tramway). Now if you see how many cars are on Adelaide Avenue during peak hour & remember that trams can carry just under 250 people.

I am stubborn & will get my tram.

Buzz Killington


route56

The government report says 71 trams in the network.

Ideally the network should go from the population centres to the employment centres.

I like Tuggeranong Woden Parlt Russell Civic Epic Mitchell Gungahlin as the first line.

Irisbus Rider

That seems like the best way, but possibly direct from Woden to City, otherwise, it'd take too long. Russell could be part of a Belconnen to Airport line.

route56

the sunday times had an article on a light rail line from civic to the airport and then to queanbeyan.

i cant find it online.

it would have to go along constitution avenue and russell.

i like the idea of a tram every 15 minutes. no more need for timetables. as long as the buses were matching the trams.