What a load of rubbish, Mt Barker isn't a PT planners nightmare its a town planners nightmare as Mt Barker was designed to be a little village, not a fast growing regional centre. In fact Mt Barker is nearly as old as Adelaide. The council has spent thousands on new footpaths and a walking/bicycle path from the main town park to the wetlands.
The council's efforts with the linear park and wetland area are highly commendable however they have allowed short term private interests to dictate the future layout of the town. Mt Barker had the potential to be a great hills town but you're pushing it uphill to get there now.
To be honest If we did have a train service I would not use it, as the train station is 55km from the Adelaide CBD (via the trainline), while the town centre is just 34km from the CBD (via the freeway). While I love trains and hate buses, the bus is the most quickest way to the city.
Fair point.
I've been through that estate and I don't see any problem with it at all, its actually helping Mt Barker surge as it has large affordable rural allotments which is very hard to find these days, especially this close to the city.
Apart from being an ecological disaster devoid of architectural, planning or landscape merit
Anyway most of those people who live in that area wouldn't bother using public transport, as its becoming a rich area. Though if they wanted too, they could just walk down to Springs Road and catch the 838 to the interchange or drive a few kilometers to the interchange.
What's being rich got to do with public transport. The glenelg tram is always packed, friends in London own a ferrari & a 7 series BMW but still catch the tube to work because it's the easiest way to travel.
Once people start having to drive to the interchange they're more likely to keep driving, you've already purchased the car, opened and closed the garage, backed out the driveway then you still have to find a carpark. The easy part is driving down the Freeway. Thieves love interchanges because the owners are likely to be away for a long period of time and there is poor passive surveillance.
That is just a ridiculous comment, what has a bus service got to do with a towns design. Yes the town centre is a disgrace at the moment, but in 5-10 years it will be unrecognisable with so many major projects set to start soon or are underway and the town will be finally getting a decent entertainment venue with the Barker Hotel undergoing a major redevelopment.
The town's centre isn't the problem, it's the edge. The Government has a limited number of buses and has to make the most efficient use of them possible. There is a maximum distance people will walk before it all becomes too hard. A bus traveling around Mt Barker has to travel a long way for a relatively small catchment of passengers. Then has to travel 34kms to Adelaide or the passengers have to switch. A bus could do 2 return trips between Adelaide and Marion in the same time. Which bus would you choose to run?
The Mt Barker region will soon have a bulky goods centre/4st office building (Harvey Norman, Spotlight etc...) with construction going well. And it looks like finally there is some activity for a new Big W store which is where that current bare eyesore in the town centre is.
The town centre would be 5-10 years ahead of where it is now if the previous subdivisions had been even partially connected to the town centre. Wasteful town planning is holding Adelaide and it's satellite towns back.
Council can do so much, there spending quite a bit on fixing the town up from upgrading the main street 'Gawler St' to pushing for a second freeway exit.
The work directly controlled by the Council is good. The council needs to set the bench higher for the developers before Mt Barker drowns in a sea of mediocrity like Golden Grove did and Mawson Lakes is about to.
