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| Belconnen, Woden, Parliamentary Triangle or the Airport are possible Stage Two routes |
As well as commencing work on
Capital Metro Stage One light rail, the ACT Government has undertaken consultation on an all of Canberra public transport network, comprised of light rail, buses and active transport. A major part of this was the
2015 draft Light Rail Master Plan (or Network Plan). That report identified possible extensions to the light rail network.
People that responded to the consultation process identified the corridors that they favoured, based on those identified in the draft 2015 Light Rail Network plan. The report identified four possible extensions for Stage Two of the light rail network:
- Airport
- Belconnen
- Parliamentary Zone
- Woden
The primary reason people gave for supporting their preferred corridor was to improve the integration and efficiency of the transport network and to better service employment centres. There was also support for Civic to be a central transport hub.
"The ACT Government has announced four possible extensions for
Canberra's tramline, and says it will announce its preferred route
before the election.
Transport Minister Meegan Fitzharris said Labor
would commit to build the second stage before the October election,
with contracts expected to be signed and work to begin before the 2020
election. Labor would start construction on stage two as work on stage
one finished, to keep the employment pipeline going and to move directly
from one route to the next."
"One of the big questions is
how to get over the lake, with Planning
Minister Mick Gentleman saying Commonwealth Avenue bridge had the
avenue of three lanes in each direction, compared with two lanes for
Kings Avenue.
Both options would require bridge strengthening
work and both needed the involvement of the National Capital Authority,
with the authority already indicating that
trams in the Parliamentary Triangle should operate without overhead wires.
Mr Gentleman said
the ACT would also want federal funding for a Parliamentary Triangle route."
The full report is worth reading. It steps through peoples reasons for using public transport and what they want from it. It is apparent that people want better public transport, and that they want light rail. More than 6000 people provided input to the consultation process in the form of comments or submissions.
"The top reason people gave for how government should prioritise making decisions on light rail expansion was to reduce dependency on cars and increase public transport use. Other popular reasons included serving broader parts of Canberra and improving transport in major business, government, employment centres and tourist areas."
Feedback received from the public has informed the selection of four possible routes that may be considered for Stage Two of the light rail network. It is important to remember that each possible route would be subject to a robust business case being performed before it was selected.
Minister Gentleman said:
“Canberrans
identified four routes – Woden to the City, Belconnen to the City, the
Airport and the Parliamentary Zone as priority routes for the next
stage of Canberra’s light rail network,”
“The Woden corridor provides the opportunity to create a north-south ‘spine’ for the city’s transport, and plans released today
will look at extending this corridor to the Mawson Group Centre.
“While
community consultation examined the corridor to Woden, a short
extension to Mawson would provide a great link for the Tuggeranong
community to utilise the popular Mawson Park and Ride facility on their
daily commute.
“Community
consultation also looked at a potential network extension from the city
to Kippax. At present the Government
is investigating the City to the Belconnen Town Centre section of that
corridor, in response to strong support for a route linking two
universities, CIT and two hospitals. There is an opportunity to extend
light rail to Kippax over the longer term, especially
when demand in the area grows through developments in West Belconnen.
“The
ACT Government will now move to undertake more detailed analysis of all
four preferred routes, before making
an announcement later this year on the next steps in developing a
city-wide light rail network, with the community’s chosen routes at its
core,”
A joint press release was issued by the Minister for Planning Mick Gentleman and Minister for Transport Canberra and City Service Meegan Fitzharris today:
Canberrans have their say on future of public transport
More than 6,000 Canberrans have had their say on the future of public transport in the ACT, calling for a network that is quicker and more frequent and identifying their priorities for the next stages of light rail.
Minister for Transport and City Services Meegan Fitzharris and Minister for Planning and Land Management Mick Gentleman today released Keeping Canberra Moving: What you have told us, a report from new transport agency Transport Canberra that highlights key improvements that could be made to public transport to ensure Canberra remains the most liveable city in the world and encourage Canberrans to leave the car at home.
“It’s clear that people want public transport to be quicker and more frequent, and that’s exactly what Transport Canberra’s integrated network of light rail and rapid buses will deliver. The clear message from Canberrans is that an expanded light rail network integrated with more frequent buses and our walking and cycling network will make public transport a genuine alternative to driving,” said Minister Fitzharris.
“Whether they’re taking the bus, riding their bike or hopping on the light rail network, every Canberran on public transport takes one more car off the road. This eases congestion and means we don’t become gridlocked like Sydney.
“By the end of this year there will be 400,000 living in Canberra, and in the next 20 years our population is set to increase by a third, with almost 500,000 people to call Canberra home by 2035. We need to start planning now for that future growth, which is why now is the right time to start our light rail network, and look to where it can go next.
“Transport Canberra has now been established to integrate our public transport system. The agency will consider the findings from this report and work with the community to ensure our public transport system meets the needs of our growing city.”
Minister Gentleman said the community had considered the light rail network and identified the four priority routes for the next stage of the network.
“Canberrans identified four routes – Woden to the City, Belconnen to the City, the Airport and the Parliamentary Zone as priority routes for the next stage of Canberra’s light rail network,” Minister Gentleman said.
“All four routes would take advantage of key landmarks, cultural institutions, education and health services and increased tourism from international flights, which start in September.”
“The Woden corridor provides the opportunity to create a north-south ‘spine’ for the city’s transport, and plans released today will look at extending this corridor to the Mawson Group Centre.
“While community consultation examined the corridor to Woden, a short extension to Mawson would provide a great link for the Tuggeranong community to utilise the popular Mawson Park and Ride facility on their daily commute.
“Community consultation also looked at a potential network extension from the city to Kippax. At present the Government is investigating the City to the Belconnen Town Centre section of that corridor, in response to strong support for a route linking two universities, CIT and two hospitals. There is an opportunity to extend light rail to Kippax over the longer term, especially when demand in the area grows through developments in West Belconnen.
“The ACT Government will now move to undertake more detailed analysis of all four preferred routes, before making an announcement later this year on the next steps in developing a city-wide light rail network, with the community’s chosen routes at its core,” concluded Minister Gentleman.
The report combines consultation on the future light rail network and the recent public transport survey.
Integrating buses and light rail with improved walking and cycling infrastructure is all part of Transport Canberra’s plan to keep Canberrans moving quickly and easily across the city.
Statement ends
As well as this website, the facebook group 'Light Rail for Canberra' carries frequent updates on Capital Metro and light rail related news.
