COM: Glenelg Tramline Upgrade

[BillD]

Hi Adamo,

From the official announcement:

"Free tram rides for around 9 000 passengers will start at 12 noon and run continuously between Victoria Square and City West until 5 pm and a family fun day will be held near the City West stop to celebrate the opening of the tramline extension. The Lion Arts Centre will come alive with entertainment for everyone, as well as things to do and see at Holy Trinity Church, UniSA and the City Sk8 Park"

There will be H and Flexity rides but I haven't seen a timetable.

Bill

[Will409]

This is a little bit OT but for those interested, I have the new Glenelg timetable beside me and it has the new 'heritage tram' timetable included for weekends. While there are two tables listed for Saturday and Sunday, the times on both are identical. Hope that these help for anyone who is interested in seeing the H class down King William Street and North Terrace for the first time in 50 years. Just a shame that this isn't for this weekend.

Glenelg - City West
10:30am
1:45pm
3:15pm

City West - Glenelg
11:00am
2:30pm
4:00pm

The new Glenelg timetable in full is available from the AdelaideMetro centre on Currie Street where I got mine from. Our public transport system may not be the best but atleast with the extension and the fully rebuilt Glenelg line, we atleast have something to be very proud of.

[Ben]

What a backflip:

From The Advertiser:

Poor idea, but we're on board tram

October 07, 2007 12:15am

A MISCHIEVOUS Pat Conlon sent LOVE YOUR TRAMS badges to our office a few weeks ago. With the $31 million CBD tram extension opening within days, it's no wonder the Transport Minister thinks he can grin at our expense.

The Sunday Mail has opposed the tram extension from day one, consistently arguing the Government should have invested more in the project to take the tram around the CBD and/or into North Adelaide and beyond.

This should have been part of an integrated public transport plan which addressed our creaking bus and rail system, which is one step away from a spectacular implosion.

And while the Government would argue they are getting a good deal for $31 million, it is money that should have been spent elsewhere first – such as repairing the disgraceful state of some wards at the Women's and Children's Hospital.

Some in the Government have also had their doubts. We know first-hand of two cabinet ministers who have described the tram extension in unflattering terms, while other Government officials admit they botched the message when the plan was conceived.

Having said that, we now believe it's time to move on and accept what has been built. To do otherwise would be churlish.

We urge all South Australians to use the extension at every opportunity. Trams add character to a city; they are also an efficient – and largely clean – form of public transport.

The tram extension will soon grow into a cherished part of the CBD for workers and tourists. In time, with the Government aggressively promoting patronage, we hope its success convinces future governments to extend the line.

The extension is here to stay and deserves our support.

[Will409]

Thanks for pointing me to that article beamer. I hope you don't mind but I have cross posted that to railsa, railpage and railmedia. I have already seen the response on railpage and they are cracking up laughing. I have just sent this reply to the article on the AdelaideNow website.

This article is full of contradictions. You had it beaten up during all stages of work and now want it to be successful. You wanted the line to be longer (meaning more money to be spent) and yet you all said that the money could have gone else where anyway so you would have got what you wanted and would have thrown it back, in theory anyway. Does this newspaper even know what it wants?

$31million, it is only small drop in the ocean really. South Australia is not so poor that it means bankrupting the state. Rather then an 'either/or' situation, why can't it be both?

[Ben]

Go for it i thought it was funny, but very much like the advertiser.

[Tom]

Its not so funny as when Rex Jory backflipped and had the artical "I was Wrong" (re: trams) in the Advertiser in April. It made me laugh, stupid Advertiser .

[Norman]

I went to the Morphetville Depot today (asking about getting a job) and picked up a very interesting cardboard brochure about the tram extension. It explains scramble crossings and how to use the Tram Platforms, etc., as well as tips for road users travelling on KW Street and North Terrace.

[sam]

Well no photos still to post, so I thought I'd post this instead...



I go to a church just 100m from the City South stop, so we setup a display in the foyer which includes the above mentioned cardboard brochure, timetables, a small pamphlet about the free extension (similar to the one the 99B/99C have) and the DTEI Launch party PDF. The above image is a powerpoint slide I whacked together. (which if you look closely enough you will see me... heh)

[rogue]

Skydiver or driver?

[sam]

Skydiver

[Ben]

From the Advertiser:

Tramline shelters produce power

CLARE PEDDIE, ENVIRONMENT REPORTER

October 12, 2007 02:15am

SUNSHINE beating down on the new tram shelters in King William St and North Tce is being turned into electricity by hi-tech solar panels that double as roofs.

The roofs of each of the five new tram-stop shelters at Victoria Square, Pirie St, Rundle Mall, Adelaide Railway Station and City West comprise 40 solar panels, which are 1m square and 10.5mm deep.

Transport, Energy and Infrastructure Department spokesman Ross Stargatt said the panels would feed converted energy into the electricity grid but would also be able to let some sunlight through.

"The panels are transparent, so you can see the sky but still provide shade, removing 90 per cent of heat and 98.5 per cent of UV," Mr Stargatt said.

In bright sunlight, each shelter would produce an average of 7kW-hours of electricity a day, which is around half that used by an average small household.

Transport Department project team member Lisa Alexander said the shelters were a "sign of the times".

"I love the shelters, they look great," she said.

Solar Shop Australia supplied the "Kaneka" see-through integrated solar panels. Managing director Adrian Ferraretto said it was a very exciting project.

"The installation is exciting on many counts, not least as this is the first installation of its type in SA and we think the first on a public transport structure outside of Japan anywhere in the world," he said.

[duke]

Wow, thats awesome.
Its not much power, but its a positive step. I wonder why none of this was mentioned earlier.
Think of all the open skylights in shopping centres, this is something they should all consider also.
I wonder what they are worth.

[bdm]

Wow, thats awesome.
Its not much power, but its a positive step. I wonder why none of this was mentioned earlier.
Think of all the open skylights in shopping centres, this is something they should all consider also.
I wonder what they are worth.

No, we should have more skylights, not solar panel glass. If shopping centres are dark from an absence of natural light, we simply use up more power putting lights in.

[rubberman]

It is not an either or proposition. With a little thought in the design one can mix and match the solar and 'glass/acrylic' panels to provide both light and solar power. It would mean some clear panels removed and a larger number of translucent solar panels installed. However, any architect/engineer worth their salt could do it easily methinks.

[duke]

Wow, thats awesome.
Its not much power, but its a positive step. I wonder why none of this was mentioned earlier.
Think of all the open skylights in shopping centres, this is something they should all consider also.
I wonder what they are worth.

No, we should have more skylights, not solar panel glass. If shopping centres are dark from an absence of natural light, we simply use up more power putting lights in.

Tea Tree Plaza has shade cloth over one of its big skylights because it gets too hot and bright. If they could replace that with solar panel glass it would give some shade, UV protection and still let light in.