#Vision: $779 MILLION Western Suburbs Tram network

[Ben]

From The Messenger:

Tram network vision unveiled

by David Goldsmith

A $779 MILLION vision for a tram network across the western suburbs has been unveiled by local councils.

The plan which incorporates routes from the city to Adelaide Airport and along Grange Rd to Grange is the key feature of a report from Melbourne consultants Linqage International.

Jointly commissioned by Port Adelaide Enfield, West Torrens, Charles Sturt, Holdfast Bay and Adelaide councils, the scoping study calls for an extensive network of tracks and 36 trams to be established north and west of the city.

Linqage director Chris LeMarshall, who was scheduled to speak at this week’s West Torrens Council meeting, said trams were an ideal means of public transport for Adelaide.

“And unless you invest in a decent public transport system ... Adelaide is going to be gridlocked in about five years,” he said.

“We’ve calculated that 14 trams will replace 30 buses every peak hour. They’re a much, much more efficient way of moving people and they put out about a quarter of the emissions of buses.”

Mr LeMarshall said a tram route to the Adelaide Airport was “ripe for the picking”. “The airport has something like 22 million people movements a year, which is perfect for trams.

He said the fastest route was down Richmond Rd, avoiding the high traffic density and major intersections on Sir Donald Bradman Drive.

A stretch along Prospect Rd had also been identified as a priority route, while another good prospect was Grange Rd.

“There’s lots of schools down there, the population density is right and you’d reach more passengers as opposed to the current railway line, most of which goes through a golf course.”

SA Major Projects and Infrastructure executive directorRod Hook said Adelaide commuters had “voted with their feet” in support of the 2007 extension from Victoria Square to North Terrace.

The government had since committed to the 2.8km extension from North Tce to the Entertainment Centre and the “coast to coast” network from Glenelg to Semaphore via the city.

“We’ve had a number of local councils in all directions putting their hands up saying we’d love you to come to our area,” he said.

“We may see in the future, trams looping around other roads around the city. There may be instances further down the track where trams go on other roads, but that’s not part of the current government’s decision.”

[Brando]

Tram down Prospect Rd would be awesome and create the same feel as Brunswick St Melb.

[Shuz]

doooooo iiiiiitttt......

[ricecrackers]

well our local car industry is practically dead in the water, so since that conflict of interest will no longer exist lets get on board the public transport revolution.

[adam_stuckey]

Oh yes! This is sensational adelaide! I would love to see a free ring route to encourage non-residents to experience the western suburbs.

This would be so good for that area, and i really think that P/T is the best infrastructure we can invest in at the moment. Get cars off the road, save the environment all that jazz

[omada]

another day, another vision... meh

[Norman]

I'd love to see this happen, but if it does, it probably won't start until after the 2018 extension to Semaphore.

[skyliner]

VERY impressed. They think it is all an outdated mode of transport in Bris.- but how ideal for Adelaide. (nothing outmoded about trams/light rail). unity of vision demonstrated by the councils will add much weight to the venture. Prospect Rd infers Nth Adelaide as well - love it. Great for jobs and is infrastructure - best strategy to take re usage of money in a recession.

SA - STATE ON THE MOVE

[Cruise]

Is there a map somewhere?

[Aidan]

I've not seen the report yet, but having seen Linqage's previous report on the potential of trams in Adelaide, the conclusion's unlikely to be anything to go by. Linqage are not engineers, and it shows.

The reported calculation seems to indicate a rather low quality report. 14 trams would be a good replacement for 30 buses on one route, but spread over many routes it would be a bad thing, as frequent services would be replace with infrequent ones. And while I'd like to eventually see trams serving Adelaide Airport, I don't think it's anything like the best way to improve transport to it. Extending Richmond Road under the runway would be far more effective.

Even so, there are likely to be some good ideas in the body of the report, so I will get a copy of it.

[Norman]

I don't think undergrounding Richmond Road is a good idea, you have to remember that Adelaide Airport is in a floodplain.

[Wayno]

I don't think undergrounding Richmond Road is a good idea, you have to remember that Adelaide Airport is in a floodplain.

and will hopefully incorporate large wetlands in the not too distant future!

[Aidan]

I don't think undergrounding Richmond Road is a good idea,

I'm not proposing to underground the entire road - just to extend it under the runway.

you have to remember that Adelaide Airport is in a floodplain.

I think you'll find it isn't any more!

Any tunnel would of course go under a waterway and through saturated ground, but that's not a problem. The world has thousands of such tunnels. Waterproof concrete is available.

[Waewick]

A brilliant idea that will get so many detractors that it just won't happen.

I'm also unsure if the councils will be able to raise that much capital? You would think there would be some federal and state assistance involved but thats a lot of money.

It would be great if they could start work in the next few years instead of as another poster pointed out waiting until after the semphore extension.

Now one to Unley would be really appreciated

[Wayno]

Now one to Unley would be really appreciated

yes - simply run it up the centre of that expansive boulevard known as Unley Rd! imagine the traffic chaos...