News & Discussion: O-Bahn

[skyliner]

I confess to reading all the above very quickly I and the following may be just a knee jerk reaction with no substance. I want the trams to go down Grenfell and so directly link to the existing line and a much bigger range of suburbs without having to build more o bahn tracks. Better traffic flow user wise. What about the crossing of tram tracks.

SA - STATE ON THE MOVE

[AtD]

Yes, you did read it very quickly.

[monotonehell]

I confess to reading all the above very quickly I and the following may be just a knee jerk reaction with no substance. I want the trams to go down Grenfell and so directly link to the existing line and a much bigger range of suburbs without having to build more o bahn tracks. Better traffic flow user wise. What about the crossing of tram tracks.

SA - STATE ON THE MOVE

I think Adelaide Now are somewhat to blame for their initial poor reporting, making it sound like the plan is to run some tracks down Grenfell and Currie Streets. They've since revised their article by adding a one sentence paragraph in the middle that states there are to be no tracks in the city.

For the people who came in late; this isn't an O-Bahn through the city, this isn't even a change in the route that the buses take. All they are intending to do is redesign the bus lanes that exist, and add new bus lanes to the existing route that buses take from Hackey to West Tce through the city.

From what I've read of the statements coming from the government, it seems that they haven't thought through how it's going to work, or even if it's going to work. They've just stated that they have a wad of budget cash to throw at someone to design such an alteration to the corridor.

Some of it can be done, I've thought a one way bus lane down the middle of Hackney road might help for years, but they'd need to take care or even block the side streets' turning points along the way. My pet idea of realigning Rundle Road so it runs between Rundle Street (Kent Town) and Grenfell Street (Adelaide) would help a LOT. Then Atd's idea in the visions thread for Grenfell street might help, if we can iron out the bugs.

I say again for those who came in extra late; this plan is just to prioritise the route that O'Bahn buses already take through the city. If you read the comments on Adelaide Now people are calling for everything from an underground bus depo (impossible and impractical) to an elevated busway through the CBD (ugly and impractical).

Hey they stole my idea! Get me ATD's lawyer!

Treasurer Kevin Foley says an old tram line through the parklands could be used as a corridor to extend the O-Bahn into the city.

Mr Foley says two options are being considered for the extension - including creating bus corridors from Hackney Road to West Terrace.

"There is also a former rail corridor, a tram corridor in fact through the parklands, which used to be the Norwood tram line into the city, we're looking at that corridor," he said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009 ... 568877.htm

[Bulldozer]

Colour me unsurprised that they don't even have a plan for it. Colour me surprised that it would cost $61 million.

The O-Bahn is the Clayton's railway. Despite the fact that it is well patronised, overall it is a failed experiment as it hasn't expanded beyond the one track and is still the only one in the known universe. Has the government even managed to find new buses capable of running on it properly yet? (I'm a bit out of the loop these days) Can we afford to keep running what is essentially a fourth mode of public transport? Much better off spending the money on planning a railway to replace it.

It just bugs me that we don't have trains running in that direction like they do in virtually every other direction from the city, but then I'm biased towards trains because I find that the smooth and predictable motion, lower level of noise and extra space makes for a more pleasurable journey when compared to buses.

That's not to say that this won't potentially address the problem of the congestion that the buses cause and experience along the route though, but just that I think it comes across as a half-arsed solution to a larger problem much like the Anzac Hwy underpass. (Can't believe that still hasn't been finished!)

[raulduke]

For $61 million, around 4km or more of the southern expressway could have been duplicated. This is a pointless project, what is the $61 million for? Road marking? They arent even running the obahn track, its just a busway, half of the money will be spent on traffic control during construction, its absurd!

[AtD]

Treasurer Kevin Foley says an old tram line through the parklands could be used as a corridor to extend the O-Bahn into the city.

I'm sure the Parklands loony-bin is already scrambling. I hear all Bingo games this month have been cancelled. The corridor goes right past the Adelaide Bowls Club... oh god I dread the editorials.

I wonder if they'll widen the Hackney Road Bridge.

[Waewick]

Why don't they use the old tram line for a new tramline to Norwood.

This Idea seems more absurd as time goes on.

[bm7500]

Treasurer Kevin Foley says an old tram line through the parklands could be used as a corridor to extend the O-Bahn into the city.

I'm sure the Parklands loony-bin is already scrambling. I hear all Bingo games this month have been cancelled. The corridor goes right past the Adelaide Bowls Club... oh god I dread the editorials.

I wonder if they'll widen the Hackney Road Bridge.

Does anyone know where this old tram line is?

[monotonehell]

Colour me unsurprised that they don't even have a plan for it. Colour me surprised that it would cost $61 million.

This I agree with. I was wondering where the M$61 was going.

The O-Bahn is the Clayton's railway. Despite the fact that it is well patronised, overall it is a failed experiment as it hasn't expanded beyond the one track and is still the only one in the known universe. Has the government even managed to find new buses capable of running on it properly yet? (I'm a bit out of the loop these days) Can we afford to keep running what is essentially a fourth mode of public transport? Much better off spending the money on planning a railway to replace it.

I have to pick you up (and several people who have posted similar things earlier)
How is it a failed experiment? It works and works well.
There's many OBahns in the World, there's several in the UK and one currently under construction that will be double the length of ours.
It's not a fourth mode of transport - it's a shortcut for buses. Having a short railway out to the NE and then transferring to feeder buses would add 5 to 15 minute to what are currently very short door to door journeys.
Railways belong on long transport corridors where they are more efficient, and where the construction and running costs don't outweigh their benefits. The Gawler and Southern lines are the correct places to run rail with feeder buses.

Does anyone know where this old tram line is?

Runs between Rundle Street (Kent Town) and Grenfell Street (Adelaide) across the parklands.

[crawf]

Why don't they use the old tram line for a new tramline to Norwood.

This Idea seems more absurd as time goes on.

I guess you have never caught a bus along Grenfell/Currie St during peak hour?. Even if the O'Bahn is eventually replaced with a train line, this project is still needed for the large number of buses that use this route daily.

Plus this $61m could include a upgrade to Grenfell/Currie St including resurfacing of the road, new street lights.

[Norman]

Runs between Rundle Street (Kent Town) and Grenfell Street (Adelaide) across the parklands.

Like this? http://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?ie=UT ... 09656&z=17

[Waewick]

Why don't they use the old tram line for a new tramline to Norwood.

This Idea seems more absurd as time goes on.

I guess you have never caught a bus along Grenfell/Currie St during peak hour?. Even if the O'Bahn is eventually replaced with a train line, this project is still needed for the large number of buses that use this route daily.

Plus this $61m could include a upgrade to Grenfell/Currie St including resurfacing of the road, new street lights.

Oh I have had to drive down the road, plenty of "stupid #*%^!&* buses!" being screamed by me .You will get nothing but agreeance on anything that will reduce the congestion on the CDB roads, but filling up potential tram space with a bus seems slightly shot sighted given the current push for trams

[rhino]

filling up potential tram space with a bus seems slightly shot sighted given the current push for trams

From the descriptions I have read of this busway, it seems to me that if, in the future, a tram was to go down Grenfell/Currie Streets, there is no reason that tracks could not be laid in the busway. Trams and busses would share the same stops, it would be a Public Transport corridor. For all intents and purposes they would be doing the same speed along the city streets anyway, so they wouldn't need to pass one another.

[monotonehell]

filling up potential tram space with a bus seems slightly shot sighted given the current push for trams

From the descriptions I have read of this busway, it seems to me that if, in the future, a tram was to go down Grenfell/Currie Streets, there is no reason that tracks could not be laid in the busway. Trams and busses would share the same stops, it would be a Public Transport corridor. For all intents and purposes they would be doing the same speed along the city streets anyway, so they wouldn't need to pass one another.

Supposedly the busway was built to accommodate light rail if needed. With provision for overheads to power either electric bus or tram. Not sure if the measurements of the 1980s fit modern rail sizes, though.

But remember the OBahn is only 12ish Km and feeds into slums, I mean suburban sprawl. Light rail would never work out that direction as the area is too spread out. Short route feeder buses to a short rail line is a waste of time. You need medium to high density for trams, and distant centres for trains.

[Brando]

filling up potential tram space with a bus seems slightly shot sighted given the current push for trams

From the descriptions I have read of this busway, it seems to me that if, in the future, a tram was to go down Grenfell/Currie Streets, there is no reason that tracks could not be laid in the busway. Trams and busses would share the same stops, it would be a Public Transport corridor. For all intents and purposes they would be doing the same speed along the city streets anyway, so they wouldn't need to pass one another.

Supposedly the busway was built to accommodate light rail if needed. With provision for overheads to power either electric bus or tram. Not sure if the measurements of the 1980s fit modern rail sizes, though.

But remember the OBahn is only 12ish Km and feeds into slums, I mean suburban sprawl. Light rail would never work out that direction as the area is too spread out. Short route feeder buses to a short rail line is a waste of time. You need medium to high density for trams, and distant centres for trains.

12kms, slums, suburban sprawl....You for real. You seriously think 12kms is suburban sprawl and slum land is Modbury..?