Sensational-Adelaide.com

Ijamie briggs speaking today at a infrastructure luncheon
In South Australia we are eager to invest in more projects, especially along the North South Corridor.

This week the South Australian Government released the North South Corridor Planning Study.

We welcome the release of this report, which was suggested and funded by the Australian Government.

Given this is the first time we have seen the final report, I have now sent this to Infrastructure Australia to seek their advice on what sections of the corridor should be prioritised for funding.

The Australian Government is fully committed to delivering the North South Corridor and we look forward to working with the South Australian Government to do so but we will need advice from the South Australian Government about how they intend to fund it.

It is vital, though, that tolling options—especially for heavy vehicles—are considered as a source of funding, and we will keep discussing these options with the South Australian Government.
If a State Government rejects alternative financing—whether it be tolling or asset recycling—that state then becomes wholly reliant on a finite amount of government resources to deliver new infrastructure. And that finite money is competing against other interests such as health and education.
Get ready for a change in policy otherwise this will be a pipe dream like mats and the electrification of the whole network plan from eight years ago

jase111 wrote:Get ready for a change in policy otherwise this will be a pipe dream like mats and the electrification of the whole network plan from eight years ago

Dont hold your breath. It's easier to just blame the Feds for prioritising other states projects....you know, the other states that have had the cods to introduce tolling over the last 50 years or so.

claybro wrote:

jase111 wrote:Get ready for a change in policy otherwise this will be a pipe dream like mats and the electrification of the whole network plan from eight years ago

Dont hold your breath. It's easier to just blame the Feds for prioritising other states projects....you know, the other states that have had the cods to introduce tolling over the last 50 years or so.

There'll be a toll introduced on the northern connector to make it financially viable.
Because 1) the state doesn't have enough money and 2) the feds wont provide all the funding.

It's just a matter of how they will announce it and how much spin.
If I'm not mistaken, the transport industry in this state supports a tolled northern connector.

And don't be surprised if there's tolled lanes for heavy vehicles on the rest of the north-south corridor projects from the Torrens river southwards.

I don't get where politicians think this aversion to tolls comes from? The transport, freight and logistics industries support it, and I'm pretty sure the overwhelming majority of the general population supports it, if it means getting this corridor built sooner rather than later!

[Shuz] wrote:I don't get where politicians think this aversion to tolls comes from? The transport, freight and logistics industries support it, and I'm pretty sure the overwhelming majority of the general population supports it, if it means getting this corridor built sooner rather than later!

people, talk to the vast majority of people who can't see outside their own realm, and they are against it!

I think the anti-toll attitude has become needlessly entrenched here in SA. Both major parties have become locked into one upping each other on the issue. Admittedly, it's driven (fairly) by some of the more egregious deals done in the eastern states which were clearly bad deals for taxpayers.

Recognising SA's lower incomes (and vehicle numbers), I would hope sanity prevails and any tolls reflect:

- an attempt to partially offset the cost of the road rather than make a profit out of it (ie accepting that a fair chunk of the cost should still be funded out of general revenue)
- biased towards charging freight which has a clearer economic gain from more efficient roads; and
- that in SA it's likely there will be few alternatives to the NS Corridor

I would hope that we could get something sensible pricing wise. Off the top of my head, something like 20c per segment of the NS Corridor and maybe only applied during peak hours. It's all possible to do easily now with modern technology and hopefully even AdelaideNow commenters could understand that paying maybe $1 each way to save $2 in fuel and 15m in time is more than worth it...

WA is about to introduce tolling for heavy vehicles on a major new transport route to assist freight travelling from the industrial areas adjacent to the airport to the Ports. SA will then be the only mainland state without some form of tolls. Infrastrucure Australia has made it quite clear for many years, that there is funding available to SA provided it can commit to "alternative" ie tolls revenue to help fund new roads. There is some resentment from the other states, that the poorest state SA, which holds out its hand for the most Federal funding in terms of population, is also the only one with no tolls. Had a state government in the past with bi-partisan support from the opposition allowed tolling, then South road would already be well on the way to nearing completion.

phenom wrote:I think the anti-toll attitude has become needlessly entrenched here in SA. Both major parties have become locked into one upping each other on the issue. Admittedly, it's driven (fairly) by some of the more egregious deals done in the eastern states which were clearly bad deals for taxpayers.

Recognising SA's lower incomes (and vehicle numbers), I would hope sanity prevails and any tolls reflect:

- an attempt to partially offset the cost of the road rather than make a profit out of it (ie accepting that a fair chunk of the cost should still be funded out of general revenue)
- biased towards charging freight which has a clearer economic gain from more efficient roads; and
- that in SA it's likely there will be few alternatives to the NS Corridor

I would hope that we could get something sensible pricing wise. Off the top of my head, something like 20c per segment of the NS Corridor and maybe only applied during peak hours. It's all possible to do easily now with modern technology and hopefully even AdelaideNow commenters could understand that paying maybe $1 each way to save $2 in fuel and 15m in time is more than worth it...

The north south corridor should be built with the clause that tolls will be installed on certain lanes ONLY, and that it will be MANDATORY for heavy vehicles to use those lanes ONLY. That way ordinary motorists do not have to pay a toll. The transport industry SUPPORTS tolled freeways. The public does not. So there's the solution right there.
Ordinary motorists will be happier as well with that situation as they wont have slow truck in front of them.
Tolled lanes can be speed restricted to 90kmh, non-tolled lanes for ordinary motorists can be 100kmh.

So fucking simple. Yet so bloody difficult in this state with all the bullshit politics and arguing and "me me me me" attitude of people in this state.

rev wrote:

phenom wrote:I think the anti-toll attitude has become needlessly entrenched here in SA. Both major parties have become locked into one upping each other on the issue. Admittedly, it's driven (fairly) by some of the more egregious deals done in the eastern states which were clearly bad deals for taxpayers.

Recognising SA's lower incomes (and vehicle numbers), I would hope sanity prevails and any tolls reflect:

- an attempt to partially offset the cost of the road rather than make a profit out of it (ie accepting that a fair chunk of the cost should still be funded out of general revenue)
- biased towards charging freight which has a clearer economic gain from more efficient roads; and
- that in SA it's likely there will be few alternatives to the NS Corridor

I would hope that we could get something sensible pricing wise. Off the top of my head, something like 20c per segment of the NS Corridor and maybe only applied during peak hours. It's all possible to do easily now with modern technology and hopefully even AdelaideNow commenters could understand that paying maybe $1 each way to save $2 in fuel and 15m in time is more than worth it...

The north south corridor should be built with the clause that tolls will be installed on certain lanes ONLY, and that it will be MANDATORY for heavy vehicles to use those lanes ONLY. That way ordinary motorists do not have to pay a toll. The transport industry SUPPORTS tolled freeways. The public does not. So there's the solution right there.
Ordinary motorists will be happier as well with that situation as they wont have slow truck in front of them.
Tolled lanes can be speed restricted to 90kmh, non-tolled lanes for ordinary motorists can be 100kmh.

So fucking simple. Yet so bloody difficult in this state with all the bullshit politics and arguing and "me me me me" attitude of people in this state.

I don't agree with the North South Corridor being tolled - I'm all for tolled roads but only on new roads.

I'm not a fan of splitting it, sure we have the technology by why add the headache, the SA public needs to be educated that if you want to keep using your car the you need to pay for it

what we also need is a state government that can roll out PT to cover areas where the car is the only option, give we are all but broke, can't see that happening.

rev wrote:The north south corridor should be built with the clause that tolls will be installed on certain lanes ONLY, and that it will be MANDATORY for heavy vehicles to use those lanes ONLY

So much simpler if we are to toll only heavy vehicles- to toll the heavy vehicle on any part of the road, otherwise the single heavy vehicle lane will become completely blocked. We have the technology already with vehicle recognition cameras, and even the police are equiped with cameras that alert them to out of registration licence plates. Transport companys can be billed monthly based on how many times their vehicle passes certain toll points on the motorway-these could be spaced every 5km or whatever. That way, any vehicle can use whatever lane suits depending on traffic conditions.

claybro wrote:

rev wrote:The north south corridor should be built with the clause that tolls will be installed on certain lanes ONLY, and that it will be MANDATORY for heavy vehicles to use those lanes ONLY

So much simpler if we are to toll only heavy vehicles- to toll the heavy vehicle on any part of the road, otherwise the single heavy vehicle lane will become completely blocked. We have the technology already with vehicle recognition cameras, and even the police are equiped with cameras that alert them to out of registration licence plates. Transport companys can be billed monthly based on how many times their vehicle passes certain toll points on the motorway-these could be spaced every 5km or whatever. That way, any vehicle can use whatever lane suits depending on traffic conditions.

Or just toll everyone.

claybro wrote:

rev wrote:The north south corridor should be built with the clause that tolls will be installed on certain lanes ONLY, and that it will be MANDATORY for heavy vehicles to use those lanes ONLY

So much simpler if we are to toll only heavy vehicles- to toll the heavy vehicle on any part of the road, otherwise the single heavy vehicle lane will become completely blocked. We have the technology already with vehicle recognition cameras, and even the police are equiped with cameras that alert them to out of registration licence plates. Transport companys can be billed monthly based on how many times their vehicle passes certain toll points on the motorway-these could be spaced every 5km or whatever. That way, any vehicle can use whatever lane suits depending on traffic conditions.

Or that, I didn't think of that. But my idea is to separate heavy vehicles and ordinary vehicles as much as possible when practical.
Depending on the design of the rest of the corridor, you could have only the far left hand lanes in each direction tolled for heavy vehicles, as they will eventually have to get off the freeway. Of course cars would as well, but in the mean time, cars can travel in the other lanes at a faster speed. Trucks wouldn't be impeded as often by cars and vice versa.

rev wrote:
It's just a matter of how they will announce it and how much spin.
If I'm not mistaken, the transport industry in this state supports a tolled northern connector.

Would tolling the Northern connector work though? I use Port Wakefield road frequently and would not pay a toll to use the Northern connector considering Port Wakefield road is right next to it.

Unless they did a scumbag move and make Northern connector 110 kmph and drop Port Wakefield road to 60 kmph or something like that. Not that I can see the government getting away with that anyway.

Hooligan wrote:

rev wrote:
It's just a matter of how they will announce it and how much spin.
If I'm not mistaken, the transport industry in this state supports a tolled northern connector.

Would tolling the Northern connector work though? I use Port Wakefield road frequently and would not pay a toll to use the Northern connector considering Port Wakefield road is right next to it.

Unless they did a scumbag move and make Northern connector 110 kmph and drop Port Wakefield road to 60 kmph or something like that. Not that I can see the government getting away with that anyway.

It depends how much time improvement there is.

Port Wakefield has plenty of traffic lights if the Northern connector gets you onto South Road quicker plenty people will use it.

Hooligan wrote:

rev wrote:
It's just a matter of how they will announce it and how much spin.
If I'm not mistaken, the transport industry in this state supports a tolled northern connector.

Would tolling the Northern connector work though? I use Port Wakefield road frequently and would not pay a toll to use the Northern connector considering Port Wakefield road is right next to it.

Unless they did a scumbag move and make Northern connector 110 kmph and drop Port Wakefield road to 60 kmph or something like that. Not that I can see the government getting away with that anyway.

It would work because it would be quicker and more efficient to use the Northern Connector then Port Wakefield. Of course it all depends on where you need to go.
If you are headed to the city or north western/western/southern suburbs..why would you stay on Port Wakefield road and put up with delays at traffic lights and idiots trying to merge, when you can get on the north-south freeway and not worry about any of that?