PRO: Port Adelaide Tramline | $260m

[bay transit]

If you actually spend time travelling on the trams (as I do)-delays ARE NOT caused by ticketing problems.Between Entertainment Centre and South Terrace travel is free,also along Jetty Road Glenelg.The conductor does not move around the tram whilst traversing these sections.
Some people validate their tickets as they board,however this does not delay services.Problems are often caused because people hang around doorways rather than move inside tram.

[AtD]

I agree. You rarely see the queue for the tram being held up by the ticket machine. Namely because:
- A lot of people don't validate
- Most of the hold up is due to people crowding the doors
- Queues to use the validation are generally only seen in PM peak in the city. Any time lost would have otherwise been spent at the next red light anyway.

[JamesXander]

Friday - preparing to connect the new track at City West:

Hey mate, perhaps my sharp eye, but I believe you were on Channel Ten news, on a story about the first day of the new Tram Line?



I am not a stalker btw, trust me haha

[JamesXander]

I must repeat my frustration at the pace of some of the work done on this project.


i have witnessed one tiny peice of gutter require 4 workers around it constantly all day for the past week. And yet no new gutter has been put in. They just seem to walk around, and put up traffic signage.


It has choked port road for nearly one whole year. I am no NIMBY, but it has made me lose even further faith in the construction industry.





I really wonder if they inspect or audit just how these construction companies are run, and their efficiency in regards to how our money is spent.

[deano91]

Problems are often caused because people hang around doorways rather than move inside tram.

And you sometimes just get plain idiots holding up the tram like what happened todayw. This lady with her kids had requested to stop at Wayville. They didn't bother getting up until well AFTER the tram had stopped and so they pretty much ambled down to the pram, buckled in the kids and then wondered why the hell the tram had not left them with enough time to get off. So then the lady and her 2 kids proceeded to scream STOP!! STOP!! at the top of their lungs as if something had actually gone wrong (OMG!! Imagine that!! Having to actually WALK back to your stop ) until the tram stopped halfway between Stops 1 and 2. She started complaining to the driver and conductor about how she hadn't had enough time to get off the tram (even though she didn't bother getting up until well after the tram had stopped; and if anything, the tram probably stopped longer than usual) and demanded that the tram driver reverse back to her stop so she could get off!! After a couple of minutes of creating a racket and whinging and moaning to the driver, someone told her to shut the hell up ( ) and so she started asking the driver if she could be let off where we were, which created another argument about how completely unsafe this was. Finally she agreed to shut the hell up and get off at the next stop. So all in all, that delayed the tram by about 10 minutes! The absolute idiotness of some people astounds me sometimes... Apparently this has happened a couple of times to her, so that explains a few days worth of delays for you

[Straze]

Buses are very hard to and can become unsafe to walk along whilst it is moving like when you get on most drivers just take off straight causing you sometime to lose your balance or you have try to balance. A few years ago i was carrying a box on a TransitPlus in Adelaide Hills it was one of the Scania 3 axle buses and i had to sit down because of the risk of falling or tripping. I dont know about trams though, are trams usually easy to walk along whilst its moving that may explain why the lady and her children waited until the tram stop to get up.

[Xaragmata]

Friday - preparing to connect the new track at City West:

Hey mate, perhaps my sharp eye, but I believe you were on Channel Ten news, on a story about the first day of the new Tram Line?

I am not a stalker btw, trust me haha

I was there on the first day, & there was one news camera apparently being operated remotely, but I didn't notice any one filming me.
Anyone stalking me probably only wants to whack me with a rolled up magazine :)

[deano91]

I dont know about trams though, are trams usually easy to walk along whilst its moving that may explain why the lady and her children waited until the tram stop to get up.

The trams are simple to walk along, there's not really any issue. The thing is that she's said it has happened to her a few times before so surely you'd think she might have the brains to get up at the stop before so that she has time to buckle in her kids and everything. Obviously not...and that's the sort of thing that can cause delays on services. I guess my point is that while yes there may be issues with our ticketing system and overcrowding and other problems, for a large part delays just come down to a sheer lack of forethought from some people.

[skyliner]

Have'nt people on this forum spoken of overcrowding on the trams as well + bigger patronage (as well as that woman in the last few posts) - these things would help delay the trams - esp when there are seemingly not enough trams. However, having said this, I don't know about current speed restiction as against past times re delays - may be another issue. We might have to get used to it. If there are accidents etc trams cant pass each other like buses do - one is late, several are late scenario. Overall I'm still supportive of the tram extensions and plans.

SA - STATE ON THE MOVE

[jk1237]

I find that the main reason why trams are late are the silly traffic lights in the city, which give the last priority to trams. Trams that can fluke all traffic lights from South Tce to West Tce will be atleast 10 minutes faster than a tram that has to wait at every light for ages. The turning arrow to the right for cars at K W St and Grote, and K W St and Flinders, should definitely not go before the trams. Its ridiculous. It can sometimes be so painfull taking a tram through the city because of how long the trams are stopped at lights for a couple of cars

[Vee]

I find that the main reason why trams are late are the silly traffic lights in the city, which give the last priority to trams. Trams that can fluke all traffic lights from South Tce to West Tce will be atleast 10 minutes faster than a tram that has to wait at every light for ages. The turning arrow to the right for cars at K W St and Grote, and K W St and Flinders, should definitely not go before the trams. Its ridiculous. It can sometimes be so painfull taking a tram through the city because of how long the trams are stopped at lights for a couple of cars

It's elementary! As suggested here, give priority to trams and ban right turns for vehicles along King Wm St south.
In fact, give priority to public transport via dedicated lanes in the CBD, eliminate the shared lane for trams and vehicles in King Wm St south, give public transport priority at lights, ban right turns in major city public transport routes.
The travel time and services for public transport must be made more attractive and efficient in comparison with other options. And use technology (not just phone apps) to indicate estimated time to the next tram at each stop.

The government (and Council) needs to make a serious statement about supporting public transport as above and discouraging development of ever more car parks in the CBD.

The park (at the Ent Centre) and tram ride to/from the city is an important step in reducing some of the congestion in the CBD but more needs to be done to overcome the problems as identified here.
I'm looking forward to an extension (the loop?) of the tram services within the city. Is this realistic within the next 5 years?

[The Scooter Guy]

Went to HQ complex for my 1st ever 'nightclubbing' and saw the trams running perfectly along the new extension from the balcony!
Will the second tramline extension either eventually go all the way down Port Road, or merge into the Port Adelaide line?

[Aidan]

Will the second tramline extension either eventually go all the way down Port Road, or merge into the Port Adelaide line?

It was planned to merge into the railway, but the plan was badly thought out and what will happen eventually is anyone's guess!

[Vee]

I love the new trams. They look great and are more functional and user friendly.

But - today I saw one in Victoria Sq. plastered with advertising the full length of the tram, with only the front and rear ends showing the bright red colour that's so distinctive.
It looked horrible from a distance and must have been even more hideous closeup.

Why do the trams need to look like a moving graffiti billboard?

[shiftaling]

Will the second tramline extension either eventually go all the way down Port Road, or merge into the Port Adelaide line?

It was planned to merge into the railway, but the plan was badly thought out and what will happen eventually is anyone's guess!

Yes. Does anyone know what is meant to be going on with that?