News & Discussion: Trams

[The Scooter Guy]

Monorails don't seem to be popular. We don't have any in Australia - the one in Sydney closed
down last year. I would imagine that it's a lot cheaper to build a tram line or train line.

Didn't the Sydney one get sent to Hobart?

Nope, the Sydney Monorail is nothing but SCRAP METAL!
But we still have two monorails in Queensland though!

[rogue]

Monorails don't seem to be popular. We don't have any in Australia - the one in Sydney closed
down last year. I would imagine that it's a lot cheaper to build a tram line or train line.

Didn't the Sydney one get sent to Hobart?

Nope, the Sydney Monorail is nothing but SCRAP METAL!
But we still have two monorails in Queensland though!

When did the Broadbeach monorail last run?

[pushbutton]

The broadbeach monorail reopened last week, and is free of charge until Australia Day.

That particular monorail system is not so much for transportation as a pleasure ride. There's ample demand for that sort of thing in Queensland.

There's also a monorail system with3 stations in Sea World. That serves a genuine guest transportation need in addition to being fun.

[notmichaeljfox]

State Government confirms parts of tram network to be rebuilt as secret report reveals threat of damage to major power cable
News.com.au, January 02, 2015 12:30AM
ADELAIDE’S $20 million tram extension from Victoria Square to Morphett St is riddled with serious defects that can only be fixed by major reconstruction, it can be revealed.

A secret report commissioned for the State Government last June, and sighted by The Advertiser, details hundreds of faults with the conduits that carry an underground power cable supplying the trams — as well as dozens of errors with other building works on the project.

In a written response to questions yesterday, the Government confirmed that a full reconstruction of all faulty underground works identified in the report would now be undertaken.

The upgrade was approved in 2007 as the first stage of an extension to the Entertainment Centre, but has since been struck by several power outages that stranded commuters.

It can also be revealed the Government launched Supreme Court action against the builder, Coleman Rail, in September 2013 and remains in a protracted legal battle over compensation.

The Government has emphasised there is “currently no impact” on services and some urgent repair works had already been performed from within existing budgets.

More major repairs in the future would not require line closure and would be timed to avoid commuter disruption.

Read the rest at: http://www.news.com.au/national/south-a ... 7173153209

[Llessur2002]

Does anyone know if there has been a change to CBD traffic signal priority for trams recently?

Yesterday I was cycling south along King William Street and and the light turned red ahead of me at the junction of Pirie Street and KWS. I quite often get stopped here and generally the traffic and pedestrian light cycle is pretty regular. From memory, the cycle is KWS, pedestrians, Pirie St.

However, after the pedestrian cycle but before the Pirie St cycle, southbound traffic on KWS was treated to a 5-10ish second burst of green light - enough to let me, two or three cars and a tram through. It then turned red again for the Pirie St cycle to take place (quickly enough for me to notice the light change before I'd reached the other side of the junction).

I've never seen this happen here before - I cycle this route every day, nearly always get stopped at this light, and this is the first time this has happened to me. The only thing I can think of is that a southbound tram pulled up at the red light at the same time I did.

Is there finally some sort of work happening around traffic signal priority for trams in the CBD, or has this always happened and I've just never noticed?

[adelaide transport]

There has been some work going on in the CBD to allow trams to get priority at Traffic Lights.Eventually when it is fully operational it is expected to cut several minutes from the CBD running times.

[Llessur2002]

Cheers for the quick reply!

This is awesome news - I regularly travel on the tram and it's so frustrating that the trip from Greenhill Road to Rundle Mall takes pretty much the same length of time as the trip from Glengowrie to Greenhill Road. This will make life so much better!

[jk1237]

There has been some work going on in the CBD to allow trams to get priority at Traffic Lights.Eventually when it is fully operational it is expected to cut several minutes from the CBD running times.

maybe they should start at the worst intersection, and that is a tram coming from Glenelg, at the corner of South Tce, waiting to go north into K W street. Its excrutiating, and made worse because they let the traffic flow from Peacock Tce/K W Rd heading north into K W Street just before the tram, who then block the tram at the Gilles/Gilbert St corner because they are waiting to turn right into Gilles St. I reckon a 5 year old knows that something is not right with this set up.

Still adamant that DPTI have a weekly meeting on how to make city trams as slow as possible, they're very successful at it too

[adelaide transport]

City traffic lights come under the control of Adelaide City Council not DTPI.

[AG]

Yes, I noticed this as well when I was in Adelaide recently with "override phases" when the trams came to an intersection. Mind you, they don't seem to have got it quite down pat yet like the Gold Coast has with its light rail tram priority signals. Those ones change the lights to green just before the tram arrives rather than when the tram is already there. That has its own downside where the queues on other approaches that cross the tram lines can get rather long.

[MessiahAndrw]

News seems to have died down over the AdeLINK rebuild. A bit disappointing because this rebuild couldn't happen sooner!

[Mountaineer]

Is the WestLINK plan still on the table?

I am curious to see the Henley Beach Road - Henley Square Tram line. Maybe they will finally stop people parking in the left lane.

Then will be a branch to ADL Airport, I assume down Airport Road. Good choice, certainly wide enough.

[PeFe]

From the 'Tiser

Adelaide tram line: New plan for North and East terraces

A NEW tram line could be built along North and East terraces before connecting to the eastern suburbs, under a plan being considered by the State Government.

The new tram route would be an alternative to the State Government’s original $160 million O-Bahn proposal, announced last month, which included room for a future public transport corridor between the eastern suburbs and Grenfell St, along a realigned Rundle Rd.

Under the new proposal being considered by the State Government, trams would travel along North Tce through to East Tce before connecting up with the realigned Rundle Rd, instead of using Grenfell St.

Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan yesterday confirmed the location of the future tram line was under review



Existing tram lines along North Tce. Picture: Mike Burton

“In my ongoing discussions with the Adelaide City Council and other stakeholders, I have given an undertaking to find the best possible solution for future tram routes through the city to arrive at the corridor provided in the O-Bahn project, in particular reviewing future alignment of trams along Grenfell St and looking at North Tce,” he said.

Lord Mayor Martin Haese had previously called on the State Government to consider putting the tram along North Tce and said it would reduce traffic gridlock in the city.

“The major concern for me was putting trams, along with an increased number of buses and also vehicle traffic on Grenfell St would lead to major congestion,” he said.


“And (a tram route) could become a catalyst for further economic development along North Tce including future-proofing the current Royal Adelaide Hospital site, which will be redeveloped in some capacity in future years.”

Mr Mullighan said the review of the O-Bahn proposal was undertaken due to concerns about the impacts of putting trams on Grenfell St.

“We want to retain Grenfell St as a public transport hub for the East-West bus movements and there has been a strong desire by the council and East End traders to consider where the tram would provide uplift and activation benefits to the North Tce and East Tce precincts,” he said.

“The revised O-Bahn proposal allows for a future EastLink tram corridor on the newly realigned Rundle Rd and this will not change.”

The proposed O-Bahn upgrade includes a building a bus tunnel from Hackney Rd through to the realigned Rundle Rd, which would cut across Rymill Park before connecting with Grenfell St.

A community campaign from East End residents has been pushing for the O-Bahn project to be significantly altered and the plan to realign Rundle Rd through Rymill Park to be scrapped.

More than 100 residents packed an upstairs function room of the Belgian Beer Cafe on Monday night, to voice their concerns about the future of Rymill Park directly to Mr Mullighan.

East End resident and city businessman Andrew Robertson said the local community strongly opposed the State Government’s O-Bahn proposal.

“There was not one person who spoke in support of (the O-Bahn) proposal,” he said.

[Wayno]

More than 100 residents packed an upstairs function room of the Belgian Beer Cafe on Monday night, to voice their concerns about the future of Rymill Park directly to Mr Mullighan.

East End resident and city businessman Andrew Robertson said the local community strongly opposed the State Government’s O-Bahn proposal.

“There was not one person who spoke in support of (the O-Bahn) proposal,” he said.

Newsflash: The discontented minority rally. The contented majority shake their heads in disbelief.

[zippySA]

Trying to remain neutral - but I do query whether said "minority" are actually those who will be directly impacted by the re-alignment and project and have most to lose / gain. The so called "majority" are only transient through this area, and provided the outcomes are achieved (providing faster, more efficient transport through this area) then I hope the project takes into consideration the concerns and investigates an optimal outcome.

Just my two cents worth - but I feel often we (those of us who are not living in the back-yard of developments) label people vocal minorities or nimby's - when they probably have a right to be concerned and seek best outcomes from their perspective. If a development stacks up and is truly important (value-adding) - then it will proceed regardless as the positives will far outweigh the negatives - but it is important to explore all those negatives first to try for win-win, that's all.

In my mind, without the tram - this project doesn't stack up and is just spending for spending sake.