Weston Creek direct bus service and free City Loop bus services announced

Public transport will be a key Assembly election subject and the ACT Government are getting in early by announcing a range of measures to improve bus services for all parts of Canberra. This is in addition to the Capital Metro Stage One light rail (that has already commenced construction) that will when it begins operation in 2019, free up one million bus kilometres that can be used to improve bus services in other parts of Canberra.

Today the Chief Minister Andrew Barr and the Minister for Transport and Municipal Services Meegan Fitzharris announced the following transport improvements for Canberra's bus network:

•  a free City Loop bus service for commuters travelling in Canberra’s CBD;
• $10 million over two years for 20 new buses as part of the ongoing fleet replacement program;
• $3.5 million over four years for improvements to public transport services in Weston Creek and the Molonglo region. 
• A new all-day direct service called the Weston Line providing improved connectivity between Woden, Cooleman Court in Weston and the City.  
• increased bus coverage and frequency in Wright
• Route 83 and Xpresso 783 services will be extended to include Coombs. 
• $1.5 million for the design and construction of a new Park and Ride facility in Wanniassa;
• $300,000 for improvements to the Woden bus interchange to provide a better bus station for the Woden town centre;
• $900,000 for a 12-month trial of up to three electric buses on regular on- and off-peak route services; and
• $775,000 for the design of a new bus depot in Woden to cater for growth in the bus fleet and meet the future needs of bus transport in the ACT.  

These are significant improvements to the public transport network and build upon upgrades in services and fleet modernisation that have been underway for some time. These improvements to a bus service that has been experiencing a  decline in patronage are important.

It is widely expected that when Capital Metro commences services that bus patronage will also rise. This has been the experience in other places where light rail has been introduced (on the Gold Coast bus services saw a 22% rise in patronage after light rail started operations). Our bus fleet must not only be able to cope with an increase in patronage, but offer a compellingly pleasant alternative for people to continue to chose public transport as their primary mode of travel to and from work.

A bus only public transport network, as the Canberra Liberals would prefer, is not the best way for Canberra to progress as we are simply to large and are continuing to grow, but it is important that we make our buses operate as efficiently and attractively as possible. Buses will always be a vital part of an integrated transport network that has light rail as its primary mass transit backbone, more frequent local bus services, a strong active travel (cycling and walking) focus and ample Park and Ride facilities.

free City Loop bus service route

Weston Line and Molonglo services

WIN TV Canberra covered the announcement here

ABC TV Canberra covered the announcement here

The Canberra Times reported on the announcement here and followed up in its next edition with this editorial praising the move.

ABC Online covered the announcement here.

Full media release below.

Light Rail Master Plan released for comment

The long awaited Light Rail Master Plan has been released in draft form, with comment open until December. It is a visionary document, setting the public transport future for Canberra as one firmly relying on a light rail backbone that an expanded bus service can be built around. 

You can read the ACT Governments Light Rail Network plans on this page. 

All the maps from the plan are on this page. 

This is exactly what ACT Light Rail have been lobbying the ACT Government for, for over 15 years. We applaud the ACT Government for this example of long term vision for Canberra. 

The Light Rail Master Plan seeks to link the key urban areas of Canberra with major employment zones. Park and Ride transport hubs will be near major roads.  

A major break with previous ACT Government transport papers is the move away from the 'Town centre to Civic' hub and spoke model. This plan shows routes running out of town centres as far as Kippax and deep into Tuggeranong. 

It is clear that light rail will be used to attract infrastructure and greater development along transport corridors, which is consistent with the 'Territory Plan' and the 'Transport for Canberra' plan. 

Looking at the 'rapid' routes identified in the' Transport for Canberra' plan (with 2031 as the goal) the only major difference is the addition of the Airport, and Molonglo, and expanding the routes out from the Town Centres. All good additions. The 2012 plans for rapid routes can be seen here. 

Queanbeyan does not appear on the Light Rail Master Plan (it did in the 'Transport for Canberra' plan), but it may be part of an expanded bus service and the work along Canberra Avenue is consistent with this goal. Integrated bus/light rail/active transport is the way that the plans all tie together. 

  

There are seven new proposed sections of the light rail network to connect to the Gungahlin to Civic Stage One (construction commencing in 2016):

• Parliamentary Triangle 
• Fyshwick 
• Canberra Airport 
• Woden to Civic
• Tuggeranong to Woden, 
• Belconnen to Civic  
• Molonglo to Civic

All the maps of the seven new proposed sections are on this page. 

There has been no indication of timing for construction of a second stage although the Parliamentary Triangle, Woden and Fyshwick and Airport links have been identified as high priority.  The Russell extension is almost certain to be built in 2019.

The Canberra Times have reported on it here.

ABC News Online have reported on it here. 

ABC Canberra news report 26 October 2015

WIN Canberra news report 26 October 2015

Capital Metro Minister Simon Corbell said the public now had an important role to play to help determine where the Government's priorities should lie.
"What will now inform future decision making about relative priority, will be business case development for one or a number of those corridors," he said.
"And the Government will be looking at that once we've had feedback from the community."
Canberra Liberals Jeremy Hanson said this kind of high-level planning should have been completed before a decision was made on stage one of the plan.
"Why are they now doing this sort of planning process after the fact?" he said.
"They've already picked their winner, the Northbourne route through Mr Rattenbury's electorate. It's odd that they're now doing this sort of detailed process and retrofitting a plan to try to justify the first stage."

Comments on the draft Light Rail Master Plan close in December.

For more frequent updates on Capital Metro and light rail related news, please visit our Facebook page 'Light Rail for Canberra'.  

414 residents = 414 new cars on Molonglos roads

A developer today announced construction of 212 new apartments in Molonglo - so lets say 414 people and their cars will be moving in and looking around for non-existent public transport. Unless this development is right next to a bus stop with a sign on it, that will be 414 people driving to work every day. 


ACT Light Rail recommended in a submission to the ACT Government in 2008, that light rail be constructed between Molonglo and Civic to cope with growing new demand. It wasn't. This government can barely construct adequate roads. 


Molonglo, Canberras new Gungahlin (when one transport planning disaster isn't enough!)


Build Light Rail Now.


Keep up to date with our frequent updates on our facebook page

Corbell assures Molonglo residents they will experience road congestion due to poor planning by his government

'Yes we will see more congestion on roads here in Weston Creek and around the city' Simon Corbell.

The local ABC ran an item on its '7.30 report' on Friday Night looking at the new suburbs of Molonglo and the inadequate infrastructure in place to deal with a population expected to grow by a minimum of 15,000 within 5 years. It also looked at the concurrent infrastructure demands that would be felt by Weston Creek, as residents of Molonglo lacking any infrastructure of their own, sought access to services. 

These include: schooling, shopping, recreation (sport, swimming) and of course - transport. Tom Anderson, of the Weston Creek Community Council articulated clearly the lack of existing infrastructure in Weston Creek, and how his area will be expected to shoulder the burden. 

Clearly this government has learnt nothing from 20 years of serious problems arising from a lack of infrastructure in Gungahlin at its inception. ACT Light Rail have previously called for better public transport to be in place before residents begin to move into Molonglo. 

After looking at the lack of public transport infrastructure, the ABC report concluded with the following:

Reporter: "perhaps what Weston Creek needs is Light Rail ?"
Corbell "(nervous giggle)... I'll take that as a comment"

Molonglo residents moving in - prepare for decades of road congestion

Last week the Canberra Times carried a story on residents preparing to move into the new residential developments in Molonglo. I think It is important to note that there is no adequate public transport infrastructure ready to cater for these residents. ACTION Buses have released 'network 2012' and no Molonglo routes are mentioned. The 'Network 2012 route map' does not even show Molonglo. A massive public transport failure. 

This ACT Government planning failure dooms Molonglo residents to having to use cars to travel around Canberra. It means that a family MUST have two cars or be socially isolated. it means that commuters have no choice but to drive to work. 

Affordable housing is not so affordable when the costs of an extra car are added to the family budget. The NRMA estimate this extra cost to be a minimum of ten thousand dollars a year. 

ACT Light Rail made a submission in 2007 recommending that prior to residents moving in, that  light rail be built between Molonglo and Civic, or Molonglo, Weston Creek, Woden and Civic. This would ensure that the decades of lost productivity, road congestion and bickering over access would not be repeated. 

It of course, did not occur. The ACT Government are road focussed and the NCA really have no power over such a decision. 

Ironically, even though the ACT Government love building roads, they always skimp on that building with a single lane road one year, a dual lane road a few years later, then a dual carriageway ten years on, then after another five or so years a dual carriageway with an extra lane added, which they will then come along and mark oddly to cater for recumbent bicycle fanciers. Pleasing no one, and tripling the cost of the road construction. I present Flemington Road and Gungahlin Drive as prime examples of this bizarre enthusiasm.  

The NCA and ACT Governments own reports on Molonglo development already pointed out that road access into and out of the new development would experience road congestion. Each of the future projections indicated more and more roads would need to be built and expanded. There was no mention of BRT or LRT. ACT Light Rail proposed light rail and a design that favoured public transport access.  

This was the finding of the NCA in May 2008, on these issues:

Report on Consultation National Capital Plan Draft Amendment 63 – Molonglo and North Weston National Capital Authority 

1.17 Transport and Traffic 

Issues 

Twelve (12) submissions raised issues with planning for sustainable transport infrastructure and implications of new urban development on existing roads. 

A number of submissions raised concern that relevant traffic studies and modelling have not been undertaken, or objected to traffic flow projections produced in the Preliminary Assessment. It was generally established that integrated transport planning needs to be given a high priority, and that any sustainability scenario would envisage a greater provision for public transport initiatives. 

Of note were those submissions that advocated the need to investigate light rail as an alternative to buses for public transport, and to increase public transport patronage. These submissions noted that the existing public transport system in Canberra does not cope with demands placed on it, and is not attractive in its current form and service level. 

Suggestions included a light rail link from Molonglo to Woden and/or Civic to aid in reducing congestion on roads; reducing travel times; and providing an opportunity to increase density along major public transport routes. 

A number of submissions commented on the potential pressures that may be placed on existing roads with the increase in population, and noted the need to upgrade existing major roads such as Cotter Road and Lady Denman Drive. It was noted that Tuggeranong Parkway needs to remain the major transport connection between Molonglo and Woden. 

NCA Consideration 

The detailed design, including the provision of services and infrastructure is the responsibility of the ACT Government, including the investigation and development of transport infrastructure throughout the Molonglo and North Weston area. DA63 identifies a proposed Inter-Town Public Transport Route, however this is only indicative. In this case it aligns with options presented in DV281 and the Preliminary Assessment. 

The indicative route does not specify the mode of transport, and therefore does not preclude light rail. The mode of transport will be determined by the ACT Government. 

Light rail as a public transport option has not been investigated significantly by the ACT Government for the Molonglo and North Weston development. Instead, development of the area is considered an opportunity to expand and strengthen the inter-town bus network by creating an orbital system in additional to the existing line haul system. 

Recommended Changes 

No change.