News & Discussion: Adelaide City Council

[crawf]

But wasn't it the State Government DAC that approved the Franklin St carpark, against the wishes of the council?

yeah good point. So basically one state govt department is going against the policies of another state govt department, but thought theyd blame the ACC instead. Oh gawd

That is so true!

As much as I agree with Rod Hook, you can't blame people for wanting to drive into the city rather than catch public transport. Sadly the words 'Adelaide Metro' have an appalling reputation at the moment due to infrequency, transport running late, wrong timetable information, security issues, dodgy drivers, third-world train stations and a ticket system that belongs in the stone ages. Plenty of complaints have been forwarded to Adelaide Metro, but it seems like they seriously don't give a damn.

If the State Government is serious about improving public transport, than it should give 'Adelaide Metro' a huge overhaul. Things like a brand new modern logo/slogan, user-friendly website, major revamp of the whole Adelaide Metro department/system and a brand new marketing campaign to entice people to catch P.T into the city, rather than drive. Thankfully however the train and tram network is starting to see some major improvements which is great to see, the new trains look fantastic!

[metro]

With the parking in the city, we do kind of need it at the moment. Once we have a decent public transport service with underground rail at all of the squares and trams down most streets, plus much higher density residential in the centre, then most of the parking stations should be closed down.

And yes the Adelaide Metro brand is getting a bit old, they can keep the name 'Adelaide Metro', the logo just needs updating. Like the CityRail L7 logo before they blured it.

If I can create this kind of logo in 5min on photoshop, just imagine what a skilled graphic designer could do

[AtD]

More car parks => more cars => more traffic => slower buses => worse public transport => more demand for car parks.

It's a feedback loop that needs government intervention in one form or another.

People don't give a toss about the logo on the bus. It's more important to make them fast, reliable, frequent and safe.

[Nathan]

No, it's not about the logo on the bus. But an overhaul of Adelaide Metro's branding is certainly needed (and the logo is just a part of the brand, it's not the brand). The current branding strategy is incredibly wishy washy, and does little to inspire confidence (which you could argue, means it does an admirable job of representing them).

Of course, it would be best to make such a change at the same time the company itself is overhauled. There's no use unveiling a confident and strong brand if the service doesn't match. Get the service up to scratch, and use a new brand to draw the line between the "old" Adelaide Metro and the "new" Adelaide Metro in commuters minds. Rebranding and improving the service are not mutually exclusive — they should go hand in hand.

edit:
And a *good* rebrand would be a positive for the actual service itself. Adelaide Metro's communications are poor - be it signage, timetables, and advertising. This has an adverse effect on people trying to understand and use the system, and any changes to the service are not being communicated effectively to commuters. A full and proper rebrand would most certainly look at addressing all areas of Adelaide Metro's communications. Just applying a lick of paint on the logo and the bus liveries would be the half-arsed penny pinching option.

[mattblack]

The problem is also that the system that has been created is a very closed one. Do most people know where their nearest train station is, do people realise when they're driving if there is a train station 1 minute down a side road or how long a train takes to travel into the city rather than sitting in congestion. A perfect point is the tram to the park n ride to the entertainment centre, people could see trams and how much quicker they are than cars so it was popular straight away. 200m away is a train line where people could of done exactally the same for years and yet they didnt. More signage of stations, better education of services and travel times would go a long way. Train services will double in frequency in the next few years, then we will see some real change.

Anyway back to the ACC ...............

[jk1237]

must admit, I personally dont think our current public transport system is that bad at all. Problem is the lazy fat middle class from the suburbs that have little encouragement to use it (caus of cheap CBD parking) and then belittle it for silly reasons. Infact if it wasn't for the large increase in Asian students (that tend to use our PT frequently) over the past few years I would reckon we would have had major decreases in PT usage.

However a similar city to us - Edmonton that I recently went to, has also high car usage but its underground train through the CBD is marvellous. Can we dream to have 1 also. I think were slightly bigger and growing faster that Edmonton, and our CBD has much more activity

[crawf]

I guess it also comes down to a lack of funding aswell. Not only the cheap branding but a decline in services, which is destroying the 'Adelaide Metro' brand.

Though not all their problems can be blamed on lack of $$$, our recently upgraded tram network is still plagued with problems and gaining a reputation of being very slow and unreliable. I personally think an major audit needs to be done on the entire Adelaide Metro department and network asap.

[[Shuz]]

I attended 5000+ Vibrant Cities forum yesterday and some of the issues and concerns relating to public transport that people have mentioned were echoed by industry figures in yesterday's discussion. I sincerely hope that people don't think that the government and industry representatives are completely out of touch with people like us and that they're cooking up their own ideas/living in a fantasy world of their own. Just about everyone identified exactly the same faults, but as Crawf mentioned; it quite literally and simply comes down to funding.

Do keep in mind that the current State Labor Government is already spending $2-$3 billion dollars just so that we can get our rail network up to scratch. This is the single biggest investment ever in public transport infrastructure upgrades by any government in South Australia's history, and that's something to be commended for.

The systematic and infrastructure changes to the network have to and need to happen first before we can worry about the cosmetic stuff.

This is a process which takes time, and we just need to be patient.

I know that this is off topic of the ACC; but it does relate to them - as the tramline, most of the buses and the city's main train station comes within their council boundaries, so they too have a part in contributing to the discussion.

[cruel_world00]

If any of the councillors who frequent this forum read this, I would like to know when the South Tce tram stop is going to get a long overdue upgrade?

It seems to be the one blight on the service. Why hasn't anything been done about this windswept stop? Surely it can't be too far off getting an upgrade?



On a side note, I've tweeted to Yarwood regarding the state of the Regent Theatre on Angas St. and understandably he said it's not really his (or the councils) responsibility.... but damn that theatre is looking tired and gross. Wonder if the owners have any plans to restore, or even just fix up the appearance.

[mattblack]

As per the discussion on public transport the spring edition of New Connections is out now. C infrastructure thread for link.

[Nathan]

Adelaide City Activation Program Given Go Ahead
http://www.glamadelaide.com.au/main/ade ... -go-ahead/

Adelaide City Council has given the go ahead to a new “City Activation” program, allowing experimental projects such as pop-up cultural events and pedestrian plazas to be trialled around the city.

Endorsed at tonight’s Council meeting, the program will run for six months from October 2011 and will aim to deliver projects quickly, economically and in collaboration with businesses, property owners and other community partners.

“We need to give this a go – by initiating pilot projects we will be able to learn about what works and what doesn’t,” Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood said.

“By trialling an idea or a new approach for a short-period of time, we will be able to test the waters, evaluate outcomes and survey public opinion before investing significant resources.”

Ideas submitted by the community as part of Council’s Picture Adelaide consultation will be used as a starting point and Council has set aside funding to help projects get off the ground.

Discussions with some stakeholders are already underway and the first-round of projects may include activities such as art fairs, community gardens, temporary food vendors in the Park Lands, more public art installations and free performances in Victoria Square including busker concerts on Friday nights and classical recitals by the State Opera Company of South Australia.

“It would be great to see these kinds of activities appearing all over the city,” Councillor Megan Hender said.

“It’s a logical mechanism to experiment and learn and a sign of Council’s commitment to reducing red-tape.”

Businesses and community groups will be able to submit their own proposals via Council’s website. Approvals will be given to business proposals that can be safely implemented by the owners and in some cases Council will fund activation projects that have a strong level of community support.

Projects will need to bring vibrancy and activity to the city as well as being flexible, safe, simple to install and, if necessary, easy to reverse.

Council staff will continue to identify potential locations, in consultation with businesses and stakeholders, and a specific focus will be on areas that currently experience or are capable of generating high levels of pedestrian traffic.

“Pedestrian-friendly spaces attract more street life and in-turn, bring in more customers,” Stephen said.

“This will really benefit small business and priority will be given to projects that have the strongest level of commitment from surrounding traders and property owners.”

The model is based on a similar approach by New Your City Council where a number of projects focused on transforming public areas have been implemented as a trial. The most prominent example has been the closure of parts of iconic Broadway to traffic in favour for outdoor dining areas, wider footpaths and dedicated cycling lanes.

“If it’s good enough for the great cities of the world, surely Adelaide is ready for change in a street near you!”

“We won’t know until we give it a go – if something doesn’t work, we can move on and try something else.”

http://www.capcity.adelaide.sa.gov.au/i ... activation

[metro]

The council should look at retractable bollards, which can block off streets to cars traffic, but still allows service and delivery vehicles access.

[jk1237]

The council should look at retractable bollards, which can block off streets to cars traffic, but still allows service and delivery vehicles access.

ah haha, is anyone able to find the youtube clip of somewhere in Britain that has retractable bollards for buses only. It shows all the bloopers of cars trying to sneak just behind a bus and the car being bollarded into the air. I almost weed myself it was so funny

[david]

Notes from Councillor David Plumridge's Desk - Issue 69

- The Pendulum Swings
- What is Affordable Housing?

Recent decisions of the DAP and the Council.

(Incidentally, the South Tce tramstop is on the program for an upgrade this year)

David Plumridge
Deputy Lord Mayor

Notes from Councillor Issue 69.pdf

(90.24 KiB) Downloaded 158 times

[bm7500]

Notes from Councillor David Plumridge's Desk - Issue 69

- The Pendulum Swings
- What is Affordable Housing?

Recent decisions of the DAP and the Council.

(Incidentally, the South Tce tramstop is on the program for an upgrade this year)

David Plumridge
Deputy Lord Mayor

Notes from Councillor Issue 69.pdf

Hi David,

Can i ask what the ammendment was to the 'Major Development Status' of the former Le Cornu site in North Adelaide?