PRO: CBD Tram Loop

[monotonehell]

Poor old Hindmarsh Sq misses out

Right past my place (Frome Street) DING DING!

[AdelaideAlive]

Poor old Hindmarsh Sq misses out

Right past my place (Frome Street) DING DING!

i thought it went ding a ling

[Nort]

Am I alone in thinking that proposed route actually is really good? It does a good job of ensuring that most of the CBD will be within five minutes walk of the tram line. If we are looking for the tram line to both be well used, as well as encourage development you couldn't pick a better route.

[monotonehell]

Am I alone in thinking that proposed route actually is really good? It does a good job of ensuring that most of the CBD will be within five minutes walk of the tram line. If we are looking for the tram line to both be well used, as well as encourage development you couldn't pick a better route.

You're not alone at all. I'm just too lazy to argue with those above. The route is almost the same as the one I proposed a couple years ago. Except I pushed it out to Hutt Street for a couple blocks.

[crawf]

Personally, I think the tram route needs a rethink.

[Waewick]

Am I alone in thinking that proposed route actually is really good? It does a good job of ensuring that most of the CBD will be within five minutes walk of the tram line. If we are looking for the tram line to both be well used, as well as encourage development you couldn't pick a better route.

you do have a good point in that relation.

I'm just lazy

[rhino]

Am I alone in thinking that proposed route actually is really good? It does a good job of ensuring that most of the CBD will be within five minutes walk of the tram line. If we are looking for the tram line to both be well used, as well as encourage development you couldn't pick a better route.

I'm with you, although I would take it further along Halifax, then up Regent St South and through the little park to Regent St North.

Bit of a shame about the landscaping on Halifax getting ripped up. The street looks really good ATM.

And I think Grey St would have been a better choice than West Tce, simply from a traffic disruption point of view. A tram for 2 blocks on West Tce seems like more of a nuisance than it's worth. Same deal with the proposed 1 block of Pulteney and Carrington Streets, hence my first comment.

[Nort]

Am I alone in thinking that proposed route actually is really good? It does a good job of ensuring that most of the CBD will be within five minutes walk of the tram line. If we are looking for the tram line to both be well used, as well as encourage development you couldn't pick a better route.

I'm with you, although I would take it further along Halifax, then up Regent St South and through the little park to Regent St North.

Bit of a shame about the landscaping on Halifax getting ripped up. The street looks really good ATM.

And I think Grey St would have been a better choice than West Tce, simply from a traffic disruption point of view. A tram for 2 blocks on West Tce seems like more of a nuisance than it's worth. Same deal with the proposed 1 block of Pulteney and Carrington Streets, hence my first comment.

Tram on West Terrace could be good if rather than going to the middle of the road the Tramline hugs along the eastern most side of West Terrace. That way it would be easier to get to tram stops, not as much traffic would have to cross it, and it would provide a buffer space to encourage pedestrian friendly development on the side of the road.

[Wayno]

Right past my place (Frome Street) DING DING!

Mono, you moved into the city! how very cosmopolitan of you suffering any o'bahn withdrawal symptoms yet?

[monotonehell]

Right past my place (Frome Street) DING DING!

Mono, you moved into the city! how very cosmopolitan of you suffering any o'bahn withdrawal symptoms yet?

No the new bus contractors have taken all the love from it. They hardly run on time, unpredictable as a bull in a cactus field.

[ChillyPhilly]

I'm not against the idea of a City Loop in any way - but I don't think the CBD has the traffic to justify splashing millions and millions on such a layout. It's not quite justified, logically speaking. Why?

* You need to get people into the CBD via tram, first. So this means constructing tramlines from outside of the city leading in, i.e. build a tramline to and from Norwood - for example - first.
* To cater for movements around the CBD like this, it would be far more cost-effective to triple the frequency of 99C services. The routes of the 99C and the City Loop imagined here aren't all that different.
* Walk?

Again, I am NOT against the idea, nor am I calling it illogical as such. Just trying to throw out there a logical perspective. But I do have ideas different to this where we should plot a few new tramlines.

[MessiahAndrw]

The image above, which was released earlier today, shows the State Government's preferred route for a future city tram loop.

From the West Terrace tram stop, the route will travel along West Terrace, Currie Street, Morphett Street, Sturt Street, Halifax Street, Carrington Street, Regent Street, Frome Street, and North Terrace, where it will connect to the existing line.

When will this be complete? 2013? 2014?

[ml69]

The image above, which was released earlier today, shows the State Government's preferred route for a future city tram loop.

From the West Terrace tram stop, the route will travel along West Terrace, Currie Street, Morphett Street, Sturt Street, Halifax Street, Carrington Street, Regent Street, Frome Street, and North Terrace, where it will connect to the existing line.

When will this be complete? 2013? 2014?

The press release says that the city tram loop is unfunded, its just the government's preferred route.

If we even get a funding commitment by 2014 (maybe a state election promise?), we'll be doing well!

[metro]

I agree the route has too many bends in it, but otherwise it's got pretty good coverage. But like has been said already, it seems like a very expensive item for just a city tram loop only, it really should be the central part of a larger Light-rail network with further possible routes shown on a map and indicate which of these routes will get priority. Obviously the Semaphore/West lakes lines are the priority, but then what? Airport? Norwood? Flinders University? I think they need to have a vision to return Light-Rail to parts of greater Adelaide. A good start would be to replace the busiest go-zone bus routes, which would free up buses for other services.

and yeah i can see an election issue out of this. Labor will be promoting its usual "lets build a tram loop and western suburbs light rail" and the Liberals will probably either say "No! we cant afford it!" or "No! we cant afford it! but we will promise to build a monorail or equally as useless piece of infrastructure instead".

[ml69]

I'm not against the idea of a City Loop in any way - but I don't think the CBD has the traffic to justify splashing millions and millions on such a layout. It's not quite justified, logically speaking. Why?

* You need to get people into the CBD via tram, first. So this means constructing tramlines from outside of the city leading in, i.e. build a tramline to and from Norwood - for example - first.
* To cater for movements around the CBD like this, it would be far more cost-effective to triple the frequency of 99C services. The routes of the 99C and the City Loop imagined here aren't all that different.
* Walk?

Again, I am NOT against the idea, nor am I calling it illogical as such. Just trying to throw out there a logical perspective. But I do have ideas different to this where we should plot a few new tramlines.

From purely a public transport perspective, yeah I would agree that the expense of a CBD tram loop may not be currently justified. However, we may all be surprised at the passenger numbers using the service once the route is operating - look what happened with the initial tram extension from Vic Sq to City West.

However there is a bigger overarching reason for a CBD tram loop. It is a pivotal, critical piece of infrastructure that can drive the revitalization of the entire CBD by facilitating building redevelopment and improved connections for workers, residents, shoppers and visitors. But by far the most compelling reason is the residential demand that could be generated as a result of the tram loop, helping create the vibrant CBD desired by all of us.