Infrastructure Australia confirms need for light rail in Canberra

On 22 May 2015 infrastructure Australia issued a report, in which it analysed the impact of road congestion on Australia's economy. The impact on Canberra is quite staggering. Road congestion is not only a drain on our economy and a drain on our productivity, it also denies us time we can spend with our families. In February 2016 Infrastructure Australia listed Canberras light rail on its list of national priorities.

What is the real cost of simply doing nothing? How many more lanes do we build on Northbourne or Canberra Avenue? Will those extra lanes decrease road congestion?

The drag on our economy from increasing road congestion can be quantified. It is not just the cost of building light rail, it is the cost of not building light rail and enduring increasing road congestion.

When opponents of light rail point to the construction cost, they never talk about the cost of NOT building light rail. The sole focus seems to be on light rail construction costs, not the costs of chronic road congestion and the drain on the ACT economy and the resultant loss of productivity that causes.

The full report and summaries can be downloaded from Infrastructure Australia here.

In May 2015 the Canberra Times reported on the IA report here:

"The ACT government says a new report warning of booming congestion on Canberra's roads has bolstered its case for a light rail line, with gridlock in some places to increase as much as 20 per cent by 2031.
An Infrastructure Australia audit report released on Friday showed Canberra Avenue, the airport-to-city corridor and Northbourne Avenue will all reach 70 per cent or more of morning peak capacity within 15 years.
Growing congestion will cost the territory $700 million by 2031, as Canberra Avenue reaches 72 per cent of its morning capacity on weekdays and drivers around the airport and city roads face 79 per cent capacity between 7 and 9am.
The Barton Highway-Northbourne Avenue corridor - currently expected to see tram services commencing by 2019 or 2020 - will have reached 68 per cent of capacity in morning peak times by 2031.
Other delays on Canberra's top 10 busiest roads include the William Slim Drive and Coulter Drive corridor with 72 per cent capacity traffic and more than 67 per cent capacity across each of the Belconnen Way and Barry Drive corridor; Gungahlin Drive corridor; and the area taking in Macarthur Avenue, Limestone Avenue and Fairburn Avenue.
The report found Canberra Avenue's delays will cost an estimated $1.22 million to the territory economy, followed by Barton Highway and Northbourne Avenue at $1.18 million.
Both sides of ACT politics talked up the figures on Friday. Capital Metro Minister Simon Corbell said the $800 million light rail line to Gungahlin would ease congestion while Opposition transport spokesman Alistair Coe said all of Canberra's busiest roads needed attention, not just Northbourne Avenue.
Bus trips around Canberra will grow markedly as congestion bites, the report said. North Canberra will be the destination for 27,000 bus trips by passenger hours, up from 14,400. Belconnen will increase from 10,535 to 18,061 passenger hours.
Gungahlin bus passenger hours will boom from 4400 in 2011 to 18,800 by 2031. Growth of about 2500 hours will be recorded for south Canberra.
Despite no support from Infrastructure Australia for the $800 million tram line, Mr Corbell said it was an effective response to growing congestion.
"The report confirms doing nothing on Northbourne Avenue is not an option. People on the north side will see commute times of more than an hour to get from Gungahlin into the city and the parliamentary triangle over the next 10 to 15 years," he said.
Mr Coe the opposition believed roadworks on Northbourne Avenue were needed to give buses priority. He wouldn't rule out bus lanes replacing the median strip.
The opposition is yet to release a substantive public transport policy."

Another Canberra Times article "Audit finds Northbourne Avenue delays most expensive in ACT"

"Delays on major Canberra roads are tipped to cost $700 million by 2031 as the population of Gungahlin and Belconnen increases, according to a landmark Infrastructure Australia audit.
The audit, which was published on Friday, found the Northbourne Avenue corridor was the most expensive road in the ACT with delays costing $430,000 per lane kilometre in 2011.
But the audit warned delays on the arterial road could cost $1.1 million in 2031, second only to the Canberra Avenue corridor at an estimated $1.22 million.
"The cost of delay on greater Canberra's urban transport network in 2011 was around $0.2 billion," the report said.
"In the absence of any additional capacity – other than projects already under construction or funded – the cost of delay is projected to grow to around $0.7 billion in 2031."
Public transport use on Northbourne Avenue was also tipped to increase with the greatest population growth predicted in North Canberra, Belconnen and Gungahlin.
"Passenger loadings on Northbourne Avenue in particular are projected to rise substantially through to 2031," the report said."

"In October, Capital Metro Minister Simon Corbell​ said an increase in bus services along Northbourne Avenue was not an acceptable option for Canberra.
"We know that putting buses down Northbourne Avenue means either taking away two lanes of traffic or building a roadway down the middle of the median strip," he said.
"Neither of those options are acceptable for the city."

"Without action road travel time in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Canberra are expected to increase by at least 20 per cent in the most congested corridors by 2031."
"Major reforms are needed to improve the way we, finance and operate infrastructure to ensure it can underpin gains in Australia's productivity and employment growth in decades ahead."

This discussion did not go unnoticed, and research is ongoing.  Although light rail had not previously been listed on teh Infrastructure Australia priority list, changing conditions saw that change. In February 2016 Infrastructure Australia listed Canberras light rail on its list of national priorities.

"A federal government agency has included Canberra's light rail project on its infrastructure priority list due to increasing congestion costs, limited public transport options and projected population growth. The project was not included on previous Infrastructure Australia lists due to concerns there was not enough traffic congestion to warrant federal funding for light rail or rapid buses. ...it found the problems associated with Canberra's main arterial road were of national significance and demanded attention."

This upgrading in priorities was flagged in May 2015. Modelling released in late 2015 found

• the cost of congestion on Canberra roads will double to $400 million by 2030 unless major projects are completed
• total kilometres travelled on ACT roads could increase from 3.9 billion to 5.2 billion by 2030.
• the cost of congestion in Canberra has increased from $54 million in 1990 to $200 million in 2015, largely due to an increasing population in Gungahlin and Belconnen.
• nationally the total cost of congestion is tipped to reach $30 billion in 2030. 
• the costs have increased from $12.8 billion in 2010 to $16.5 billion in 2016.

Light rail in Canberra is an important planning tool as well as a tool to resolve road congestion and increase public transport usage. The advantages of light rail over bus only transport are proven and will lead to a change in transport pattern usage and land pattern usage as Canberra matures.

Win Canberra report May 22 2015

ABC Canberra report May 22 2015

Media release from MLA Simon Corbell from May 22 2015 here.

A report into traffic congestion in Canberra has confirmed the need for light rail between City and Gungahlin, Minister for Capital Metro Simon Corbell said today. The report by Infrastructure Australia shows that business as usual will result in a loss of $700 million due to congestion each year by 2031.

The report also highlights Northbourne Avenue as the transport corridor of major concern because much of Canberra growth will happen in Gungahlin and Canberra’s north.

“This report confirms that light rail is the right choice for Canberra and it confirms that City to Gungahlin is the right place to start,” Mr Corbell said.
“Business as usual, or relying on putting more vehicles on our roads, is not a solution and will do nothing to prevent or reduce the loss of $700 million annually from the ACT economy.

“Previous modelling done by the Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics had put the cost of congestion in Canberra at $200 million a year by 2020.  This new work by IA shows that congestion will get even worse than previously predicted if we don’t take action now.

“Light rail will get people out of their cars and into a comfortable, reliable, high-capacity mode of public transport that is separate from general traffic.
“Not only is light rail capable of carrying large numbers of commuters as we head towards a population of 600,000 but it can also integrate into the landscape in a way that lets us maintain the character of Northbourne Avenue as the gateway to Canberra.”

The IA report also said that public transport use was expected to increase, with passenger loadings expected to grow substantially on Northbourne Avenue by 2031.

“The Liberals have no plan to deal with this looming transport crisis except to increase congestion by putting more cars on the road,” Mr Corbell said.
“The Liberals’ blind opposition to a project that will create $1 billion in economic benefits, more than 3500 jobs and helps prevent the loss of $700 million a year from our economy is fiscally irresponsible.

“Putting more buses in among the traffic on Northbourne Avenue won’t solve the problem, even if you give them priority at traffic lights. The only way to make buses work would be to give them their own lane.  To do this you would need to remove a lane of general traffic in both directions.  This would make congestion worse for private commuters.

“A transport plan for Canberra’s future needs to make transport better for all commuters, those in their cars as well as those on public transport.  Light rail achieves this.
“Light rail will deliver transport benefits, social benefits, health benefits and significant economic benefits while changing the way we use one of our most important corridors.”

A separate report from the ANU School of Sociology by Dr David Bissell has also highlighted the social cost of congestion and extended commutes. Dr Bissell said commuter stress would lead to “tipping points” that could lead people to change their route, mode of travel or move house. He said light rail in Canberra would “change the very atmosphere of Canberra and lend a sense of vitality to the city”

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

500 car spaces, 5 storeys, 17 million dollars - Park and Ride?

Park and Ride is a simple idea where enough car parking is provided at a transport node that would encourage people to drive a short distance and then use public transport for the rest of their journey. It is a popular model that is proven to work around the world. In Canberra we have a limited form of Park and Ride that has limited success. It can certainly be done better.

Ideally Park and Ride can act as an interchange for integrated bus and light rail services, as well as providing a safe place for commuters to park their cars while they travel to their place of work or study. In a perfect world they would be located with local shopping centres or other services to enable passive surveillance and safety.

The ACT Government is strongly anticipating that Park and Ride will be a key feature of it attracting new public transport users to Capital Metro Stage One, and not just the existing bus passengers that will transfer from the rapid bus service.

Calvary Hospital in Bruce, Belconnen has had a parking shortage for several years as its facilities have expanded, and surface parking has not met the increasing demand. Despite the hospital being located on the Belconnen to Civic bus route, few workers and patients use that service. Overflow parking has spilled onto the surrounding native bush with cars parked illegally and in less than optimal conditions.

Several years ago the ACT Government approved a project to build a multi-storey carpark with 500 spaces. It has just been completed, two months early and at a cost of $17 million. The building is a fairly straightforward design. It is exactly the type of facility that should be considered for Park and Ride sites along the Capital Metro Stage One route.

For people to choose public transport over their private car, it must be reliable, frequent and attractive. Good parking facilities like the new Calvary facility are far more attractive than an asphalt or gravel surface carpark.

You can read about the Calvary carpark at the ABC Online link here.

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

Canberra Airport and their vision for light rail

Stephen Byron of the Canberra Airport group recently released a concept video of his 'Connecting Canberra by light rail' proposal for an inner Canberra light rail network, servicing mainly the Parliamentary Triangle and areas between it and the Canberra Airport. He proposes construction in three stages, that would link to the (already built by then) Capital Metro running from Gungahlin to Civic. Accompanying this vision was a Canberra Airport run feedback/information gathering process.

As the Canberra Airport have not indicated if they propose to pay for any light rail construction, the plans are more of a conceptual contribution to the light rail discussion, than a shovel ready engineering proposal. What it does show is that there are competing visions and that the airport and Brindabella Business Park must be included in future light rail planning. 

Click here for the Canberra Airport Light Rail page.

View the lovely concept video of the Canberra Airports light rail proposal.

The Canberra Times has reported on the proposal here. 

The ABC have a report 'Airports Light Rail vision to add life to Canberra' 

Here is a map of the full light rail network proposal from the Canberra Airport. It is important to understand that the airport is located at a transport bottleneck where Majura Road, the Monaro Highway, Limestone Avenue and the road to Queanbeyan all merge. Its a road congestion bottleneck, and it is also where the people trying to access the airport and the recently constructed Brindabella Business Park have very few public transport options.  Better transport solutions are needed.

The Airport proposal covers the Parliamentary Triangle and then runs through the suburbs near it and through the industrial area in Fyshwick, to the Airport. It also runs from the Airport, through Russel and along Constitution Avenue to Civic. It also proposes a line out past ANU and taking in the area along the Lake Burley Griffin foreshore where the 'City to Lake' proposal would locate a new Convention Centre and sports stadium. 

Stage 1

The proposed first stage would link the Capital Metro Civic interchange with a line running down Constitution Avenue through Russell, past Duntroon to the Airport. It appears that the Airport see light rail as more tram-like and on-road, rather than the separate reserve model that will be used on the Gungahlin to Civic route. 

This would be a good second line to construct, as both Russell and Brindabella Business park require good public transport connections to resolve parking demand (especially when paid parking is introduced in Russell). Constitution Avenue is also undergoing urban renewal, with a significant residential construction program occurring in Campbell on the Anzac Parade/Constitution Avenue area. 

More residents in high density housing, more office space being constructed and paid parking coming in - it's a trifecta of demand creation for public transport. 

The link out of Civic to the west takes in ANU and a revitalised Civic West area, rapidly filling up with new residential space and refurbished office space. This area is undergoing refurbishment as the stock of mostly 30 year old plus office stock is updated or converted to residential, or pulled down and replaced with a mix of the two. 

Stage 2

Stage 2 proposes a link that runs between a terminal in Russell, across the lake and through the Parliamentary Triangle in Barton, then across the lake again, veering west along the foreshore and connecting to the City West extension from Stage One. 

Its a good idea, especially the servicing of Russell and Barton and alleviating parking demand in the major government departments in that area. Unless you drive in from Woden or Tuggeranong. It would require significant investment as the construction of bridges across the lake would not be inexpensive. Perhaps parking revenues from the Parliamentary Triangle paid parking could be directed towards this. 

The Canberra Times were particularly interested in the bridge construction angle of this stage. They sought ACT Light Rails views on this and published an article the day after the airport light rail proposal came out, exploring this aspect of the plan. 

Damien Haas, of lobby group ACT Light Rail, praised Canberra Airport managing director Stephen Byron for proposing the light rail extension. Mr Haas said additional bridges might have to be built across Lake Burley Griffin to accommodate light rail.

"Once Civic to Gungahlin is in, I think bridge-to-bridge would be a logical extension,'' Mr Haas said.

"Certainly, probably the major investment would be putting those two bridges in and that would satisfy a lot of public transport issues in the parliamentary triangle.''

Mr Haas said a light rail connection between Civic and the airport would need high rates of usage to be viable.

"The only way that light rail from Civic to the airport would work would be with the commuting volume of both Russell and Brindabella Business Park workers using it,'' Mr Haas said.

Read that article 'Canberras light  rail would need new bridges' here. 

This proposed second stage would require on-road running and not seperate-reserve running. Much of it, for example, the long sections across the lake, would of course be on their own reserve. 

Demand for this stage would come not only from commuters working in Russell, Civic West and Barton, but also from out of peak hour demand from tourists and workers making trips to Civic and back to their office during the day. On weekends and especially at special events around the lake this stage would be used heavily. 

Stage 3

The third stage is the least likely to ever eventuate, and it's doubtful that a version of this exists on even the ACT Governments secret light rail routes file (if it exists). It proposes another loop from the airport, to Fyshwick, along Canberra Avenue and then instead of going all the way along Canberra Avenue to Parliament House, it veers east towards the Kingston Foreshore along then turns west up to Kingston and Manuka before turning again to go to Parliament House and then down Kings Avenue to meet up with the 'Lake Loop' proposed in Stage 2. 

Other aspects of the Canberra Airport light rail plan show a proposed High Speed rail terminal at the Canberra Airport, instead of Ainslie Avenue. 

Conclusions

It is a bold plan from the Canberra Airport, and they should be commended for the effort they have put into their contribution to the debate. The Civic to Airport line has great merit, especially as their are significant demand factors from employees at both Russell and Brindabella Business Park, and also from the redevelopment along Constitution Avenue and the new office and residential demand that will come from that. The introduction in paid parking at Russell will help drive that demand for public transport. 

The second and third stages are more problematic. A line out of Civic across the lake will be required if the true potential of light rail for mass transit is to be realised - by running a line out to Woden and Tuggeranong to take the load off ACTION buses, and enable ACTION to increase local area frequency to light rail stations along that route. 

The odd route of the airports proposed stage 3 western loop section do not seem likely to eventuate. It would be more logical to run a light rail line from the Queanbeyan/Canberra border near HMAS Harman, all the way along Canberra Avenue to Parliament House, and then meet with a line running from Civic to Tuggeranong. These are long term goals.    

Ultimately the role of light rail in Canberra needs to be determined. Do we want light rail to serve as mass transit or as an on road tram-like service that operates in inner Melbourne suburbs? 

We already have a bus service that can perform that role. Canberra would be best served by building light rail where it can serve as a mass transit technology, and allow the flexibility of ACTION Buses to connect to it. We can then leverage both our existing transport infrastructure and new transport infrastructure in the most effective way and increase public transport patronage and access to transport options for urban redevelopment and planned growth of our city over the long term. 

The Canberra Airport proposal has great merit in that it offers the same long term vision, as others in the public transport debate sphere. Like all proposed routes for light rail, some compromises will have to be made, but ultimately it is best to integrate our existing transport options into our new transport options in the way that will best drive patronage.  

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Infrastructure Australia supports Civic to Gungahlin project

Today's release of the 2013 Infrastructure Australia 'COAG Report on National Infrastructure Plan', contains very good news for Canberra's light rail supporters. In the list of infrastructure projects receiving support, there are at least 10 rail submissions (p.98) and 'City to Gungahlin', or what is now known as 'Capital Metro' is one of them. This is a far better response than the previous light rail submission which was rejected as it did not meet the criteria for support or funding.

Confusingly, there is a reference on p.41 to 'Northbourne Avenue bus lanes', but ACT Light Rail believe this reflects ALP policy up until the ALP/Greens 'agreement to govern' following the Assembly election late last year. ACT Light Rail are keen to hear Minister Corbells response though.

Shadow Transport Minister Alistair Coe has issued a media release titled 'Wheres the Light Rail?'. Instead of searching on the word 'Canberra' in the text, it would perhaps be more profitable to read the full report. Doing this reveals a very different picture that supports light rail in Canberra.

Simply by reading p.34 'Better Use of Urban Networks', you can find the very reasons Canberra needs Light Rail discussed in a broader national context.

Action 1: Better Use of Urban Networks
Capital cities across Australia struggle with under performing, legacy transport and infrastructure networks, many of which were not designed with the needs of a 21st century population and economy in mind.

Better use of urban networks will be critical to lifting infrastructure productivity, optimising network performance, managing limited capital budgets, and deferring costly new investment in ‘mega’ projects.

It recommends actions, that ACT Light Rail support, that can only be achieved with a light rail project, and not a bus only solution. These are:
    ⁃    manage transport demands
    ⁃    integrate bus and light rail
    ⁃    encourage Transit Oriented Development
    ⁃    investment in public transport

P.40 contains even more support for the principles behind the Capital Metro project with an observation about the future uses of government investment in transport being directed toward public transport:

"Although cars are presently the dominant form of private travel, we need to shift the balance of investment and regulation to prioritise higher volume or higher value transport options. This could involve priority for buses, commercial and freight vehicles at peak times and improving the efficiency and convenience of our transport network.

The smarter solutions to our urban transport needs focus on freight, commercial and public transport, and for local trips, cycling and walking.

Public investment in urban transport should focus on public transport, with expansions to the urban road network funded by users, not all taxpayers.

Australia’s cities are growing at different rates. Appropriate public transport solutions depend on the size of our cities.
The national priority list has identified well developed proposals that would support liveability in our cities and benefit growing urban areas."

The report also mentions that 'the project needs to be accompanied by a change in the pricing of parking in Civic and other centers in Canberra.'

By encouraging investment in public transport, Infrastructure Australia send a clear signal to those who would be keen to provide finance to the ACT Governments Capital Metro project, that the Federal Government has a long term plan to invest in public transport infrastructure.

ACT Light Rail are not opposed to further bus lanes in Canberra, we see the full integration of bus and light rail as the only way to service Canberra's public transport needs. We do believe that investment in Capital Metro needs to occur, and the ACT Government has signed an agreement to govern committing to construction commencing prior to the expiry of this current Assembly term.




Northbourne Avenue is Canberra's most congested road, and the Gungahlin to Civic corridor is the first route planned for Capital Metro, as it will alleviate the most urgent road congestion problem in an area that requires urgent attention to public transport infrastructure. 

ACT Light Rail have met with senior ESD staff and are convinced this Government is carefully planning and implementing a program to deliver on that commitment. Avoiding project management debacles such as the GDE are what the Opposition demands, and what the ACT public expect. by proper planning and good management, that can be achieved.

The COAG report sends a clear signal that the project has the support of Infrastructure Australia.



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'Parkland' does not mean 'free parking' in the Parliamentary Triangle

Patrick White 'lawns' not Patrick White 'carpark'

Yet again the long running saga of parking in the Parliamentary Triangle raises its head again. This time prompted by the decision to use some parkland for actual recreation. No Canberrans - parkland does not mean 'park my car free of charge for 9 hours while I work'.

Read the Canberra Times article 'Call to correct appalling parking' here

In this recent article a senior manager of Questacon, Lorraine Neish, attacks the lack of parking in the triangle which she claims impacts upon visitor access to the national attractions. this follows yesterdays NCA announcement to return Patrick White lawns to being a lawn, instead of a public servant carpark.

Nowhere in Ms Neishs claims, or in the CT reportage, is the solution to this problem provided. The solution is better public transport which would lessen the requirement for commuters to park all day, and make more parking available for interstate tourists. Parking, either paid or free, would be a second choice for commuters if a better public transport option was available

If light rail were to service the Parliamentary Triangle, it would also be heavily used by tourists outside of peak hours, unlike the ACTION bus system. An express bus service already provides great frequency during business hours to the parliamentary Triangle, although it does not directly serve the main attractions located along the lake.

The fact that this is not referred to once in the article (or readers comments in the online version) speaks volumes about the impact that the express services have had on the public mindset regarding public transport.

The simple fact is that to be effective public transport must be frequent, reliable and attractive. Provide that and the demand for all-day parking will decrease.

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