PRO: Port Adelaide Tramline | $260m

[Waewick]

the south terrace one is embarrassing at best.

[Nathan]

Personally I have no issues with the tram line being raised, I think it's a good safety measure and I have no problem with it aesthetically. The Tram stops on the other hand....

Same opinion and reasoning re (slightly) raised tramlines and I like the landscaping.

The tram stops need urgent action now!
Help from some talented Art and Design students needed (possible authentic assignment/competition?) and a grant to fund implementation of the winning design.
The Fringe Festival has a poster design competition each year and the responses are very creative!

Art and design are genuine professions - any such job should go out to tender for professionals, and not passed off as competition for students (in other words, getting a large number of people to work for free and paying only one with a token gesture). Otherwise, why don't we get engineering students to design the tracks as a competition, and have concreting trainees compete to see who can pour the most in a limited prize to win small trophy?

(sorry to derail the conversation, but it's obviously a sore point)

[rubberman]

Art and design are genuine professions - any such job should go out to tender for professionals, and not passed off as competition for students (in other words, getting a large number of people to work for free and paying only one with a token gesture). Otherwise, why don't we get engineering students to design the tracks as a competition, and have concreting trainees compete to see who can pour the most in a limited prize to win small trophy?

(sorry to derail the conversation, but it's obviously a sore point)

I guess if it were something done all the time, it would be bad.

However, when there is a particular problem that the "professionals" have not been able to address for some reason or other, then maybe opening it up to the wider community is an alternative.

[ChillyPhilly]

In all honesty, I believe taking the tramline straight to the Outer Harbor line is just laziness. It would be better to take it straight down the middle of Port Road. Come on SA, use some imagination.

Also, yes, raising the tramline if it is to be connected just around the corner from its current termination to the Outer Harbor line would be an intelligent move.

[Nathan]

Art and design are genuine professions - any such job should go out to tender for professionals, and not passed off as competition for students (in other words, getting a large number of people to work for free and paying only one with a token gesture). Otherwise, why don't we get engineering students to design the tracks as a competition, and have concreting trainees compete to see who can pour the most in a limited prize to win small trophy?

(sorry to derail the conversation, but it's obviously a sore point)

I guess if it were something done all the time, it would be bad.

However, when there is a particular problem that the "professionals" have not been able to address for some reason or other, then maybe opening it up to the wider community is an alternative.

Unfortunately, it does happen very often. And professional designers can't address a problem they haven't been asked to tackle. If the government aren't putting it out to tender, then there is little that studios around Adelaide can do about it.

Back on topic, I think the problem with the stops is not the design per se, but the choice of materials. The Entertainment Centre stop looks quite nice, with the hanging translucent box. The other Port Rd stops are obviously scaled down versions of the terminus, but are completely solid with a rather uninspiring finish. But at least they're not like the City South stop.

[AtD]

Yet stops like City South are the norm in tram-obsessed Melbourne. I think we're being too harsh on ourselves.

[crawf]

the south terrace one is embarrassing at best.

South Terrace isn't that bad

[Waewick]

but its just a raised concrete bar with some rusting metal poles.

but looking at it, I have no idea what else it could be.

[Nort]

Yet stops like City South are the norm in tram-obsessed Melbourne. I think we're being too harsh on ourselves.

This, a hundred times this. When I first visited Melbourne I was a bit worried about catching the tram a few times because it felt like I was just standing in the middle of the road.

[crawf]

but its just a raised concrete bar with some rusting metal poles.

but looking at it, I have no idea what else it could be.

You are thinking of City South, not South Terrace.

[Waewick]

ah yes good point

sorry for the confusion! the South Terrace on is fine, well even good.

[gumbi]

ah yes good point

sorry for the confusion! the South Terrace on is fine, well even good.

City South needs some serious work. I work at 400 King William and catch the tram in every morning. Patronage is increasing and there isn't enough room! Also there is no shelter for when it's raining.

[Vee]

City South needs some serious work. I work at 400 King William and catch the tram in every morning. Patronage is increasing and there isn't enough room! Also there is no shelter for when it's raining.

City South tram stop caters for an ever increasing number of commuters, especially since the construction of nearby buildings such as 400 KW St. The stop is a safety risk. There is no dedicated tram lane in this section of the route and therefore no buffer for the safety of the patrons standing/waiting in the narrow space that is City South.

It's unfortunate this tram stop was not able to be included in funding for the the highly successful upgrade/extension.

[Nathan]

I used to live on Halifax St up until the end of last year, so I used the City South stop very regularly. Not only is there the shelter and safety issues, the stop doesn't even have timetables on display.

[Waewick]

Given the number of buildings going up or have gone up in the area it would be on the things to do surely.

The problem is, what can they do? the station is already amazingly narrow and difficult to get too.