ACT Light Rail on 'Transport Canberra' single public transport agency announcement

ACT Light Rail today announced its support for the ACT Governments decision to create a single agency to oversee the ACT's public transport operators. When advised of the decision to create a single agency, ACT Light Rail Chair Damien Haas said:

"ACT Light Rail welcome the establishment of a single agency to oversee public transport in Canberra. As light rail starts construction in 2016, it is sensible that the territory's government bus operator and the light rail private operator would fall under the same agency. One of the key aspects regarding the success of light rail in other cities is the establishment of a single coordinating body for public transport."

"How a private operator would deal with the government public transport operator is a task that is handled at many different public transport agencies around Australia. This integration and liaison can work well or poorly depending upon the approach taken. That the ACT Government has taken this step so far out from light rail operations commencing is a positive sign."

Ticketing and fares had been seen as an area of confusion that the announcement would address. On ticketing, Mr Haas said that:
"This announcement will end confusion in peoples minds that there would be separate ticketing for light rail and buses, or a different fare structure. Canberra has one public transport ticket zone and one ticketing system that works very well."

"Canberra is probably unique in that the MyWay card ticketing system has been introduced with none of the problems that occurred in other states. People will  travel in confidence between light rail and bus, using the same MyWay card."

On the integration of services between light rail and buses, Mr Haas said:
"A single agency also ensures that timetable integration between buses and light rail will occur with greater efficiency. Getting those connections between people arriving by bus for a light rail journey, and the service running on time will be crucial."

"An integration of bus and light rail public transport has the potential to create a network effect, without multiple changes, meaning better convenience for travellers."

"A reliable, frequent and attractive public transport is the key to encouraging Canberrans to use public transport. Light rail is a modal change proven to draw people onto public transport who otherwise would not use it."

ACT Light Rail expects that the commencement of light rail operations in 2019 will see a dramatic increase in bus patronage as people use the bus feeder services. Mr Haas observes that:
"The bus service on the Gold Coast has seen a patronage increase of 22% since Gold Coast light rail started operations. ACTION will see a similar boost in patronage as public transport becomes peoples preference. Planning for these improvements is good governance."

On ACTION services generally, Mr Haas said that:
"Minister Rattenbury said earlier this year that he wanted ACTION to improve and that nothing was off the table. ACTION certainly need to lift their game. Light rail will start to do the heavy lifting on the mass transit side and ACTION need to focus on improving its local services and increasing its frequency in the suburbs. A bus once an hour just isn't sufficient for people in the suburbs wanting to get to light rail that will run every ten minutes."

"The ACTION drivers do their job very well, it is time for ACTION Managers to step up and show the improvements that the government needs them to make. Light rail will give them that opportunity, but they need to have the skill set to realise it."

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

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'.  

Strong support for light rail reflected in polling

Community support for light rail and Capital Metro Stage One continues to be reflected in two recently conducted polls. One by the ACT Government showing support for light rail at 56% and one by the Canberra Times showing support at 49%.

In the Canberra times poll support for light rail was at 49%, with opposition at 47%. Support for light rail had increased by 5% since the last poll was conducted a year ago.

Tom Mcilroy of the Canberra Times discussing the CT poll results

WIN News reporting on the light rail poll results

In a poll conducted by Piazza Research on behalf of the ACT Government, support for light rail was at 56% with only 34% opposing light rail. The same questions have been asked over several polling periods now, with some trends beginning to occur.

"Support for light rail grew to 67 per cent in August 2015 after participants were told development "was part of a wider plan to connect the whole city with an integrated transport system". 

The report said 43 per cent of participants believed the government was "investing in light rail to upgrade or improve transport options", while 29 per cent thought it was "to reduce or prevent traffic congestion" and 24 per cent believed it was for political reasons. 

Asked if "traffic congestion will be problem for Canberra in the future", 69 per cent said "yes" in August. The result was down from 79 per cent in December 2014. 

Asked if  they would be "more likely to use public transport if it involved a light rail system within easy walking distance or was accessible via other means", 61 per cent of participants said "yes". Thirty per cent of participants said "no" and nine per cent were unsure. "

Full details of the Canberra Times poll can be found here.
Full details of the Piazza research poll can be found here.
Report carried by ABC Online can be found here.

Bizarrely the Canberra Liberals looked at the results and selected the statistics they preferred with MLA Alistair Coe issuing a press release titled 'Majority against light rail despite $50 Million in spending'.

This is not accurate as the survey showed 49% support for light rail, and 47% against.
Demonstrating further difficulty with maths, the Canberra Liberals release continues:

“The poll also shows that the majority of Canberrans would rather see investment in buses over light rail, with 52 percent of Canberrans believing that taxpayers’ money would be better spent on improving the bus network. This is compared to the 41 percent who support building light rail over investing in the bus network.
“The Canberra Liberals believe that investment in our bus network is the best way to improve public transport in Canberra. Buses provide a sensible low-cost option which will improve public transport services for all Canberrans."

The problem with that statement is that the Canberra Times poll shows only 29% support for Bus Rapid Transit as opposed to 49% support for light rail.

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