News & Discussion: O-Bahn

[Wayno]

Hi guys, be sure to provide your online feedback for the O-Bahn tunnel proposal:

http://www.dpti.sa.gov.au/infrastructur ... dback_form

Clearly the government needs a decent volume of positive feedback to counter-balance the opposing vocal minority.

Requesting all S-A members please complete the survey. Literally takes only 2 minutes.

[[Shuz]]

Done.

But if I'm to be completely honest, I mentioned that I was in favour of the whole project, except the actual tunnel itself. I still don't see the need for it when bus lanes painted red and priority at traffic lights simply will suffice.

[Llessur2002]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-01/o ... atenews_sa

O-Bahn bus tunnel plan prompts Adelaide City Council concerns for parklands, residents



The design of a planned bus tunnel under the Adelaide parklands has been questioned by some city councillors.

The council met on Tuesday night to discuss the South Australian Government's plan to have a 500-metre tunnel linking the O-Bahn busway and Hackney Road with Grenfell Street.

It would see Rundle Road closed and already has prompted protest from some city residents and traders about the likely impact on Rymill Park.

The Government needs council approval to proceed with tunnelling under the parklands but Lord Mayor Martin Haese said councillors had expressed a range of concerns about the transport project.

"What we ask the Government to do is have a good look and try and ascertain what this means to traders on Rundle Street, residents in the East End, the future of the Royal Adelaide Hospital site, car parking, events, all of these different types of things, because we believe that this is more than just a transport solution," he said.

Mr Haese said the O-Bahn bus tunnel would affect the residential atmosphere of the city's eastern side and he was concerned for the future of Rymill Park and its lake.

The council will put its concerns in a report to the Government this month.

Design yet to be finalised, Transport Minister says

Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan said he was happy to work through the issues with the council.

"We will make sure we take residents' concerns into consideration in finalising the design," he said.

"We'll sit down with the council, we'll work through all of their issues, we'll make sure we're addressing all the car parking concerns [and] making sure the residents have got good access into and out of their premises," he said.

Mr Mullighan previously conceded about 150 car parking spaces could go from Rundle Road, but said about half that number could be added in East Terrace.

Motoring organisation RAA expressed support for the Government's efforts to deal with what it said was a traffic congestion hotspot in Adelaide.

[rhino]

What a great article to post on April Fools' Day!

[metro]

Done.

But if I'm to be completely honest, I mentioned that I was in favour of the whole project, except the actual tunnel itself. I still don't see the need for it when bus lanes painted red and priority at traffic lights simply will suffice.

also done, I made a similar comment to you Shuz. I said I had concerns about $160m being put into building a tunnel for the buses without trialing if bus lanes and priority lights can achieve the same benefits but much faster and for much less cost without 3 years of roadworks.

[Patrick_27]

Done.

But if I'm to be completely honest, I mentioned that I was in favour of the whole project, except the actual tunnel itself. I still don't see the need for it when bus lanes painted red and priority at traffic lights simply will suffice.

also done, I made a similar comment to you Shuz. I said I had concerns about $160m being put into building a tunnel for the buses without trialing if bus lanes and priority lights can achieve the same benefits but much faster and for much less cost without 3 years of roadworks.

Unless the bus-lanes had a track, I don't see this working. Taxis particularly take advantage of the bus-lanes up and down Grenfell Street as a quick way of getting down that strip.

[Patrick_27]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-01/o ... atenews_sa

O-Bahn bus tunnel plan prompts Adelaide City Council concerns for parklands, residents



The design of a planned bus tunnel under the Adelaide parklands has been questioned by some city councillors.

The council met on Tuesday night to discuss the South Australian Government's plan to have a 500-metre tunnel linking the O-Bahn busway and Hackney Road with Grenfell Street.

It would see Rundle Road closed and already has prompted protest from some city residents and traders about the likely impact on Rymill Park.

The Government needs council approval to proceed with tunnelling under the parklands but Lord Mayor Martin Haese said councillors had expressed a range of concerns about the transport project.

"What we ask the Government to do is have a good look and try and ascertain what this means to traders on Rundle Street, residents in the East End, the future of the Royal Adelaide Hospital site, car parking, events, all of these different types of things, because we believe that this is more than just a transport solution," he said.

Mr Haese said the O-Bahn bus tunnel would affect the residential atmosphere of the city's eastern side and he was concerned for the future of Rymill Park and its lake.

The council will put its concerns in a report to the Government this month.

Design yet to be finalised, Transport Minister says

Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan said he was happy to work through the issues with the council.

"We will make sure we take residents' concerns into consideration in finalising the design," he said.

"We'll sit down with the council, we'll work through all of their issues, we'll make sure we're addressing all the car parking concerns [and] making sure the residents have got good access into and out of their premises," he said.

Mr Mullighan previously conceded about 150 car parking spaces could go from Rundle Road, but said about half that number could be added in East Terrace.

Motoring organisation RAA expressed support for the Government's efforts to deal with what it said was a traffic congestion hotspot in Adelaide.

You can never win with the ACC, it's residents and park-land preservationists. This plan will remove a relatively dead roadway in-favour of more park-land, the new roadway will have a far smaller footprint, it'll take noise off East Terrace - which will be good for both residents and local business... And yet, they want to complain that Rymill Park will lose space (despite Rundle Park gaining space) and that car-parking spaces will be lost (despite spaces being gained along East Terrace).

What is the obsession with car-parks in this city? We have no shortage, the various ugly parking building blocks are a reminder of that, in-fact; last I read we have more city parking available than any other city in Australia. This city is way too dependent on personal vehicles - I get it our PT system is for the most part shit, but how does one expect that to change if we constantly prioritise the luxury of our own vehicle over public transport projects and even cyclist and pedestrian projects?

I get the feeling that if Stephen Yarwood were still Mayor, he'd be looking at this with an enthusiastic approach which would be far more encouraging for those complaining than Martin Haese who based on his comments above seems to have already become a political road-block to this kind of progression.

[Llessur2002]

I get it our PT system is for the most part shit, but how does one expect that to change if we constantly prioritise the luxury of our own vehicle over public transport projects and even cyclist and pedestrian projects?

I've been using public transport most days since I arrived in Adelaide nearly 3 years ago and I can honestly say it is comparable to, and in some cases better than, most cities I've lived in. I'm still amazed at how cheap it is - I could get on a train in Adelaide after 9am and ride 40+km to Gawler and pay $1.86 on my Metrocard. $1.86! A similar journey in the UK would cost about $40. Even a single stop journey in the UK costs in the region of $3-4. A lesson, if ever there was one, in not letting the railways out of public hands.

Yes, the network's not as far-reaching and there are still people who live in the outer suburbs who are far better served by private car use, but for the majority of people living in the inner suburbs and working in the CBD or city-fringe it's a perfectly viable and cost-effective alternative. Plus in my experience punctuality has been great too.

I have a funny feeling the car dependency in many cases (but not all) is not so much about public transport not being a viable option but more about laziness and an attitude where people think getting on a bus is somehow beneath them.

[rhino]

I have a funny feeling the car dependency in many cases (but not all) is not so much about public transport not being a viable option but more about laziness and an attitude where people think getting on a bus is somehow beneath them.

Soooo true! (I use public transport daily, it's quicker and a lot cheaper than using my car)

[Will]

I have a funny feeling the car dependency in many cases (but not all) is not so much about public transport not being a viable option but more about laziness and an attitude where people think getting on a bus is somehow beneath them.

As a private car user, I avoid public transport, not because I feel it is beneath me per se, but because there are too many unsavoury types that use it.

[rev]

While I don't use public transport, I did the survey. Agreed with the lot.
Why? Because I think the vocal minority fringe groups need to be put in their place, and if enough people give positive feedback through the survey like most of us here will, then the government can turn around and tell these lunatics that the majority are in favor and therefore it is going ahead so deal with it.

[Llessur2002]

As a private car user, I avoid public transport, not because I feel it is beneath me per se, but because there are too many unsavoury types that use it.

I've used public transport in Adelaide most days for three years (day and night) and I can genuinely say that I've not once been worried about 'unsavory types'.

[rhino]

I must admit that when I returned to public transport, after many years of driving (someone T-boned my car so I had no choice for a while) I felt like I was travelling to work in a petrie dish - I felt like every germ under the sun was in that bus. That feeling didn't last long (a couple of weeks), and I never went back to driving the car to work. I met a friendly group of people on the bus, and the obvious cost saving meant that public transport made heaps more sense. Also my time was my own to read a book, watch a movie, answer emails, facebook - heaps better than driving in traffic!

[Torrens_5022]

Some people seem very confused on bus lanes. A bus lane can be used by public buses, taxi's and emergency service vehicles. A bus only lane is different http://mylicence.sa.gov.au/road-rules/t ... book/lanes
Taxi's have the right to use a bus lane and seriously this link should not have obahn track - signs about use of lane and penalties and multiple cameras will stop people and is a justified source of revenue. No tracks means an ambulance, fire truck etc can use it too.

[Waewick]

Some people seem very confused on bus lanes. A bus lane can be used by public buses, taxi's and emergency service vehicles. A bus only lane is different http://mylicence.sa.gov.au/road-rules/t ... book/lanes
Taxi's have the right to use a bus lane and seriously this link should not have obahn track - signs about use of lane and penalties and multiple cameras will stop people and is a justified source of revenue. No tracks means an ambulance, fire truck etc can use it too.

this may seem like a stupid question.
but if we are keeping the O-bahn, why not extend it...and put the guides on our emergency services vechiles? I mean how much faster would it be for an ambo to go to the NE on the O-bahn?