Port Road ideas

[Ho Really]

Wayno started this idea of bi-directional protected bike lanes on Port Road's median strip (see: Port Road - Protected Bicycle Lane). Are there other visionary ideas out there? I think the median strip on Port Road has a lot of potential. A protected bicycle lane isn't a bad idea. Footpaths on each side (like a running track) could also be added. Could we car parks for park and ride, maybe with shuttles to the Outer Harbor line? Is wetlands a good idea, and what about a canal, even if it is only for small vessels (low headroom under bridges)? Any other ideas?

Cheers

[raulduke]

canals? for god sake look at the size of it, make it a freeway to link with the port river expressway

[Wayno]

how wide is Port Rd at its slimmest section? it would be good to know exactly how much space we have to play with. For example, if the overall width is equivalent to 16 car lanes, then it could be divided as follows:

* 6 lanes - city bound cars (3 lanes) + port bound cars (3 lanes)
* 2 lanes - parking on side of road (1 lane eahc way)
* 1.5 lanes - city bound protected bike path (0.75 lanes wide) + port bound protected bike path (0.75 lanes wide)
* 2 lanes - tram lines (one in each direction) - please don't crucify me here - i know this is not the govts plan
* 4.5 lanes - green median strip/wetlands/whatever

Jeez, it really is a wide road!

[Shuz]

Raulduke - that was the intention of the 1968 MATS plan. I'm glad it never eventuated, because then we wouldn't have it as it is today, being one of the last few majestic boulevards of this city.

I'm all for protected bike lanes, trams and a canal - all providing an alternative form of transport between the CBD and Port Adelaide.

I don't mind the idea of the tram/trains sharing the corridor, but in light of the TOD plans released, I think it would make more sense to run trams down Port Road, and designate the area between the train corridor and Port Road a TOD. This way, trams would service the short trips, while trains would service the long trips between locations. Ferries could operate along the canal as a express - similar to how the O-Bahn works, with 2 or 3 stops.

Water from the Torrens would simply be diverted into the canal, which in turn would allow for the existing waterway to be filled in and utilised as a heavy rail corridor to service the western suburbs.

[Norman]

I don't think the median strip on Port Road is wide enough for a canal, let alone ferry services.

And aren't we trying to get away from polluting Public Transport?

[AtD]

as it is today, being one of the last few majestic boulevards of this city.

That made me laugh.

[raulduke]

tell me about it, it is no wonder this place is stuck in the eighties - people complain about transport, but refuse to make compromises. Adelaide has a pointless system of freeways, one that goes through the hills and stops fifteen minutes from the city, one that goes in one direction only depending on the time of day and once again stops several kilometres from the city, leaving those that use it to battle upteen traffic lights to get anywhere and now the northern expressway, which will end at Port Wakefield road and do nothing for motorists running the Main North Road gauntlet every morning. It really is insane that in a linear city, there is no north south corridor.

And dont get me started about making South Road a nonstop road - it is NEVER going to work!

[mattblack]

Raulduke - that was the intention of the 1968 MATS plan. I'm glad it never eventuated, because then we wouldn't have it as it is today, being one of the last few majestic boulevards of this city.

I'm all for protected bike lanes, trams and a canal - all providing an alternative form of transport between the CBD and Port Adelaide.

I don't mind the idea of the tram/trains sharing the corridor, but in light of the TOD plans released, I think it would make more sense to run trams down Port Road, and designate the area between the train corridor and Port Road a TOD. This way, trams would service the short trips, while trains would service the long trips between locations. Ferries could operate along the canal as a express - similar to how the O-Bahn works, with 2 or 3 stops.

Water from the Torrens would simply be diverted into the canal, which in turn would allow for the existing waterway to be filled in and utilised as a heavy rail corridor to service the western suburbs.

SIMPLY !! Diverting a natural waterway doesnt seem like a simple matter, then again Im not an engineer Did you notice by the way that the Torrens was bone dry below the wier for much of the summer? When this happens maybe we can put little wheels on the bottom of our canal boats and get them pulled along by horses. How much PT do we want around Port rd? Trains, Trams, Buses canal Boats. Why dont we get a free commuter plane and helicopters to fly out there as well !!

[raulduke]

its gone from one extreme to the other

[raulduke]

SIMPLY !! Diverting a natural waterway doesnt seem like a simple matter, then again Im not an engineer Did you notice by the way that the Torrens was bone dry below the wier for much of the summer? When this happens maybe we can put little wheels on the bottom of our canal boats and get them pulled along by horses. How much PT do we want around Port rd? Trains, Trams, Buses canal Boats. Why dont we get a free commuter plane and helicopters to fly out there as well !!

gold!

[rhino]

Ferries could operate along the canal as a express - similar to how the O-Bahn works, with 2 or 3 stops.

Express canal ferries? What would they be quicker than? Walking?

[AG]

Raulduke - that was the intention of the 1968 MATS plan. I'm glad it never eventuated, because then we wouldn't have it as it is today, being one of the last few majestic boulevards of this city.

I'm all for protected bike lanes, trams and a canal - all providing an alternative form of transport between the CBD and Port Adelaide.

I don't mind the idea of the tram/trains sharing the corridor, but in light of the TOD plans released, I think it would make more sense to run trams down Port Road, and designate the area between the train corridor and Port Road a TOD. This way, trams would service the short trips, while trains would service the long trips between locations. Ferries could operate along the canal as a express - similar to how the O-Bahn works, with 2 or 3 stops.

Water from the Torrens would simply be diverted into the canal, which in turn would allow for the existing waterway to be filled in and utilised as a heavy rail corridor to service the western suburbs.

I hope you realise that having a canal in that space won't actually allow for ferry services that travel at any sort of decent speed, particularly when you require them to run through systems of locks to get them to be able to run uphill towards the city. Water doesn't flow wherever you want it to, it flows naturally under a force called gravity. When you can provide a higher capacity and faster service on land, why would you even consider spending huge amounts on an artificial waterway?

[Ho Really]

The idea about a canal is not really a serious one, however it would be good for leisure activities more than anything to do with (fast) transport. We've mentioned wet lands, but could it be used as a reservoir if it was covered?

Cheers

[omada]

We could have ferries like in Sydney Harbour - but along Port Rd, how awesome, then you could mansions beside the canal, it would be just like Sydney then!!!

[rogue]

....then you could mansions beside the canal, it would be just like Sydney then!!!

Or the red light district in Amsterdam