My Adelaide Road & Rail Plan

[Straze]

Gday members i am a person who has lived in Adelaide all my life, i am no expert or worker of any industry but know my city quite well. I regularly travel on public transport and depend on it so i observe where the good and bad parts are and have ideas of how to improve the network to make it better for everyone. If you have any questions or comments simply reply, my proposals will be up on this topic soon in more detail.

[Pat28]

Welcome to Sensational Adelaide!

Just as friendly suggestion, before posting anymore idea about any improvments to the system, sift through the many many many different threads already on this topic - there are numerous. This will give a foundation to work off of and before any criticism occurs, especially about being ignorant etc. Sensational Adelaide, has many different people, from many different backgrounds, some are also employed within the current Public Transport system and other have got a wealth of knowledge regarding it.

[Straze]

South Road is one of Adelaide's busiest roads and a important freight route the State Government has stated that 88,000 motorists use the corridor everyday and predicts that it will rise 6% per year to 2020. I have researched bus priority systems all over the world and found that in most cases when there is good investment in public transport road costs and traffic volumes are reduced. I propose a bus priority project named the South Road Busway Project which includes a continuous bus lane in each direction between the City & Bedford Park running along King William Road, King William Street, Victoria Square, Grote Street, Sir Donald Bradman Drive & South Road, bus sequences at the corridors major intersection and bus stop upgrades. The project will improve traffic, safety, freight, bus service frequency and travel times. If you have any questions or comments simply reply.

[Aidan]

South Road is one of Adelaides busiest roads and a important freight route the State Government has stated that 88,000 motorists use the corridor everyday and predicts that it will rise 6% per year to 2020. I have researched bus priority systems all over the world and found that in most cases when there is good investment in public transport road costs and traffic volumes are reduced. I propose a bus priority project named the South Road Busway Project which includes a continuous bus lane in each direction between the City & Bedford Park running along King William Road, King William Street, Victoria Square, Grote Street, Sir Donald Bradman Drive & South Road, bus sequences at the corridors major intersection and bus stop upgrades. The project will improve traffic, safety, freight, bus service frequency and travel times. If you have any questions or comments simply reply. I am working on other similar transport projects including The North Road Busway Project, stay tuned.

What exactly are you proposing? Constructing new lanes or redesignating existing lanes? Buses only or buses and turning traffic?

Which bus routes are you trying to improve? Given the proximity of Bedford Park to Tonsley, you might be able to get better results with train services.

And why not go via James Congdon Road?

[Straze]

Aidan, i am proposing a continuous bus lane which will run in each direction between the City & Bedford Park it would be done by turning the left lanes into a bus lane restricted to buses only, other vehicles must give way when turning left. All bus routes that use the South Road corridor will benefit. This project will be to tackle the South Road corridor by encouraging people to park their cars and take the bus. Last week when i pass the Adelaide Rail Yards there was no railcars left so to increase the Tonsley Line services you may have to take railcars from the other lines.

[mattblack]

Aidan, i am proposing a continuous bus lane which will run in each direction between the City & Bedford Park it would be done by turning the left lanes into a bus lane restricted to buses only, other vehicles must give way when turning left. All bus routes that use the South Road corridor will benefit. This project will be to tackle the South Road corridor by encouraging people to park their cars and take the bus. Last week when i pass the Adelaide Rail Yards there was no railcars left so to increase the Tonsley Line services you may have to take railcars from the other lines.

Why not allow buses to utilise the tram corridor/stops through the busy part of town like King William and Nth Tce and maybe others to come in the future? There would be a few issues regarding traffic light signalling but nothing significant, platforms for the heavy traffic zones might have to be extended for extra capasity. I know they do this in places such as Amsterdam where space is a premium.

[AtD]

Why not allow buses to utilise the tram corridor/stops through the busy part of town like King William and Nth Tce and maybe others to come in the future? There would be a few issues regarding traffic light signalling but nothing significant, platforms for the heavy traffic zones might have to be extended for extra capasity. I know they do this in places such as Amsterdam where space is a premium.

Because bus doors are on the left and the platforms are on the right.

[Aidan]

Aidan, i am proposing a continuous bus lane which will run in each direction between the City & Bedford Park it would be done by turning the left lanes into a bus lane restricted to buses only, other vehicles must give way when turning left.

So you're proposing to halve the capacity of South Road, and require traffic turning left to stay in the right lane until they reach the place they want to turn into, then if there's a bus in the left lane, coming to a complete stop and forcing all other vehicles to do likewise?

Do you yet see why it's not a good plan?

All bus routes that use the South Road corridor will benefit. This project will be to tackle the South Road corridor by encouraging people to park their cars and take the bus.

Except that a lot of the traffic on South Road is going to places not on the bus route. And more importantly, it's not all cars. Commercial vehicles make up 4.5% of the traffic at Bedford Park, and the figure gets higher the further N you go. It's over 10% at Richmond, and the journey time matters to the state economy.

There are a lot of sensible things we can do to attract people out of cars. Making our best road less effective isn't one of them.

Last week when i pass the Adelaide Rail Yards there was no railcars left so to increase the Tonsley Line services you may have to take railcars from the other lines.

No, there's the alternative of buying new trains, which is what's officially planned after the line is electrified.

As for the Adelaide Rail Yards, their function is being superseded by the Lonsdale and Gawler railyards.

[mattblack]

Why not allow buses to utilise the tram corridor/stops through the busy part of town like King William and Nth Tce and maybe others to come in the future? There would be a few issues regarding traffic light signalling but nothing significant, platforms for the heavy traffic zones might have to be extended for extra capasity. I know they do this in places such as Amsterdam where space is a premium.

Because bus doors are on the left and the platforms are on the right.

Good point

[Straze]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_rapid_transit If you are interested in where i got some of my information for the South Road Busway Project, there is some good information and examples of bus rapid transit systems all over the world, click the link above you and you shall find.

[jk1237]

Id rather upgrade the Gawler and Noarlunga rail lines, than doubling up and building busways

[Straze]

This is my transport plan for Adelaide - Heavy Rail : Stage 1 (2010-2018) resleeper all metropolitan lines, electricify all metropolitan lines, refurbish and electrify existing 3000/3100 railcars and buy new Comeng railcars. I would put it off until 2010 as this will allow Adelaide to investigate new railcars. Bus: Retire all non-mobility buses and replace with new mobility buses (e.g. Scania & MAN) & upgrade bus interchanges. Light Rail: No extensions at this stage, buy new trams.

[Shuz]

Straze, by the time you refurbish and electrify the 3000/3100 railcars for use in 2018 at the end of the "electrification" process, they will be 30 years old. Need to buy new ones completely at this point.

[fabricator]

Straze, by the time you refurbish and electrify the 3000/3100 railcars for use in 2018 at the end of the "electrification" process, they will be 30 years old. Need to buy new ones completely at this point.

This also applies to the government's plans. Mind you the first 3000/3100 was built in 1987 but the last in 1996. Which means the last one needs replacement in 2026.

[Straze]

Timeline for my heavy rail plan: 2010-2013 Resleeper all lines, electrify all lines, refurbish and electrify 3000/3100 class railcars (built 1990-1996), retire 2000 class railcars, once the selected railcars are put back in service the others built prior to 1990 will be retired. Stage 2 2014-2018 will be posted soon, stay tuned.