COM: Glenelg Tramline Upgrade

[Froggy]

I'd like to know exactly how this crappy 1.6km extension is meant to bring more people into the city? I am assuming that none of you have to drive through that area in the mornings because I can tell you right now with a tram line through the middle it'll make it one frustrating journey.

How the hell is this meant to bring more people into the city? Getting public consultation from people getting off the train is not accurate, of course they are going to say it's a good idea, but lets face it how is this line going to bring anymore people into the city or encourage people to come in? I could walk quicker to Rundle mall from the train station then catching a tram, I could also walk quicker from vic square to rundle mall then the tram. Then there's the question of how are the people getting off it going to get across the road?

This reeks of someone in parliament (coughjanelomaxsmithcough) wanting to leave their imprint on the city. If you haven't noticed Adelaide isn't the kind of city that suits a light rail system, especially a tram. We flow well with cars and buses. I ask, who is going to use this tram that didn't before? If you haven't notice doesn't exactly go anywhere handy for 99% of the population here.

[Howie]

Welcome to the forums froggy.

I'd like to know exactly how this crappy 1.6km extension is meant to bring more people into the city? I am assuming that none of you have to drive through that area in the mornings because I can tell you right now with a tram line through the middle it'll make it one frustrating journey.

First off, quite a few members here actually do use King William / North Terrace in the mornings to get to work. In fact quite a lot of us are Adelaide city workers/residents. I can't see it delaying my ride anymore than what the 99B/99C already do. We'll still be able to use the tram lane just like in any other major city using tram lines.

How the hell is this meant to bring more people into the city? Getting public consultation from people getting off the train is not accurate, of course they are going to say it's a good idea, but lets face it how is this line going to bring anymore people into the city or encourage people to come in?

True, it might, it might not bring more people into the city. Then again, it might be extended through to port adelaide/north adelaide, nothings for sure right now. I can't see many disadvantages to the idea, especially if they turn it into a city loop in the future. I can see alot of workers/students using it to get to Central Markets, Vic Square, Rundle Mall, City West, and hopefully sometime in the future North Adelaide and the East end. Let's face it, the west end is dead from a decade of underdevelopment and neglect, i'm sure we can all agree on that.

I could walk quicker to Rundle mall from the train station then catching a tram, I could also walk quicker from vic square to rundle mall then the tram. Then there's the question of how are the people getting off it going to get across the road?

You're probably right, you could probably walk to rundle mall to the train station quicker than riding in a tram. But can you get to central markets to city west/north terrace any quicker?

If you haven't noticed Adelaide isn't the kind of city that suits a light rail system, especially a tram.

They probably said the same thing about Melbourne... but hey look how their system turned out? There are equal amounts of people who were against trams when they first ran down King William as there were people for them. So once again, the question is, if adelaide's not the kind of city that suits a light rail system then which city is?

[Howie]

By the way, to the gentleman who responded in this weeks City Messenger to my comments, many thanks.. looks like there's quite a few pro-development guys around, it's time our voices are heard.

[bs]

Good to see work progressing on the extension, it will be a great addition to the city environs

The Advertiser reports preliminary work will start Monday (12th Feb), with road resurfacing taking place over 4 weekends in April

[Howie]

Welcome to the forums bs!

Going by the professionalism and efficiency our track layers demonstrated on the glenelg to vic square upgrade, it comes as no surprise that they will have it knocked off in a matter of weeks. I for one can't wait to see them laying tracks down King William Street once again... hopefully we'll have a bucket load of progress shots too, so i'm really looking forward to that also.

[crawf]

By the way, to the gentleman who responded in this weeks City Messenger to my comments, many thanks.. looks like there's quite a few pro-development guys around, it's time our voices are heard.

Yeah i had a look at your comment the otherday and tottaly agreed with you. Ive been thinking about writing into the tiser or the messanger.

[UrbanSG]

I can't wait to see this one finally get under way. Sick of all the negative bullsh*t comments like Froggy's. I suppose thse NIMBY's will start directing them at the Victoria Park racecourse development instead, that will be the new number one focus for the Advertiser to whip up a storm over. All the 'retirees' will spend their endless time writing in about nothing as usual. We should get these people working to support developments with all their spare time. Developments would occur in no time, instead of the year plus delays we get from all the political bullsh*t in Adelaide.

I am guessing we will get a couple chaining themselves to the North Tce trees too when construction starts. The Advertiser will run daily traffic chaos reports and impacts on tourists. I can see it all now. What is really embarrassing isn't the possible disruptions tourists might see from a small amount of night works. Instead it is the worrying and media beat-up over it, how embarrassing

PS I use King William Street every weekday morning and evening and I doubt you would walk the distance faster unless you are one of those d*ckheads that walks over the lights when they are red and cars are comming in your direction, highly likely I suppose!

[Al]

I think the tram route north of Vic square is going to be free right? If so, I can see a few more people using it just to commute that section. If only just for the novelty factor but I also think there's a lot to be said for the intangible 'touristy' element of trams. No one cares about buses but people will notice a tram because it's different.

For what it's worth, I travel through the city every weekday during peak hour and I'm willing to put up with any delay that might result from this project. If need be, I'll find an alternative route but I just want this to go ahead. I guess you can call me the anti-NIMBY.

[crawf]

I think the tram route north of Vic square is going to be free right? If so, I can see a few more people using it just to commute that section.

Im pretty sure its going to be free from South Terrace to UniSA City West. Now that i travel to the city 3-4 times a week now, i will be certainly using the new tramline.

also think there's a lot to be said for the intangible 'touristy' element of trams. No one cares about buses but people will notice a tram because it's different.

exactly, plus its going to be running every 5-20mins from early in the morning till midnight 7 days a week - which is defiantly going to bring life into the city at night.

[Froggy]

Welcome to the forums froggy.

First off, quite a few members here actually do use King William / North Terrace in the mornings to get to work. In fact quite a lot of us are Adelaide city workers/residents. I can't see it delaying my ride anymore than what the 99B/99C already do. We'll still be able to use the tram lane just like in any other major city using tram lines.

That's all well and good but are the buses going to be running still as well?

True, it might, it might not bring more people into the city. Then again, it might be extended through to port adelaide/north adelaide, nothings for sure right now. I can't see many disadvantages to the idea, especially if they turn it into a city loop in the future. I can see alot of workers/students using it to get to Central Markets, Vic Square, Rundle Mall, City West, and hopefully sometime in the future North Adelaide and the East end. Let's face it, the west end is dead from a decade of underdevelopment and neglect, i'm sure we can all agree on that.

The extensions to Port Adelaide is a long long tram ride and it just won't happen. There is no need with buses being sufficient for this service and also a train service, why would we need a tram on exactly the same route but taking so much longer? It's illogical.

The West End might be dead but I still fail to see the logic in extending a tram a few kilometres that is only going to be used by people coming in from the Glenelg line anyway, it's not going to bring people in from the other sides of town. The West Ends problems are more than getting people there.

You're probably right, you could probably walk to rundle mall to the train station quicker than riding in a tram. But can you get to central markets to city west/north terrace any quicker?

Dunno not sure how many people really bother going from the city centre to rundle mall, it takes me about 5 - 10 minutes to walk to markets.

They probably said the same thing about Melbourne... but hey look how their system turned out? There are equal amounts of people who were against trams when they first ran down King William as there were people for them. So once again, the question is, if adelaide's not the kind of city that suits a light rail system then which city is?

I think Melbourne it has much more use because:

a) it's significantly larger, travelling from one side of the city to the other is not a quick exercise
b) it's not flat, it is hard work walking uphill on some of those streets, as they are long and I tell you, you want to catch a tram when you see it cruising past.

[Froggy]

I can't wait to see this one finally get under way. Sick of all the negative bullsh*t comments like Froggy's. I suppose thse NIMBY's will start directing them at the Victoria Park racecourse development instead, that will be the new number one focus for the Advertiser to whip up a storm over. All the 'retirees' will spend their endless time writing in about nothing as usual. We should get these people working to support developments with all their spare time. Developments would occur in no time, instead of the year plus delays we get from all the political bullsh*t in Adelaide.

Hello to you to. I'm negative because I see the tramline extension as nothing more than a politician wanting to leave their fingerprint on the city, we don't need it and let's face it, when they scraped as unfeasable building it through to o'connell street then how can you argue that what's left is feasable? It quite simply isn't, the way it was rushed through at first reeks of the pollies wanting to sit back after they've done their time and stick their chests out about the tram they put in.

I would rather see a friggin monorail connecting, north, south, east, west and up to o'connell. We have the perfect shape for a great monorail system weaving through buildings etc. It would move people much better and I think would work well.

I am guessing we will get a couple chaining themselves to the North Tce trees too when construction starts. The Advertiser will run daily traffic chaos reports and impacts on tourists. I can see it all now. What is really embarrassing isn't the possible disruptions tourists might see from a small amount of night works. Instead it is the worrying and media beat-up over it, how embarrassing

It will add time to travel along that route, I don't think it's going to be as uninteruptive as you think. Once you see the reports that people movements have not increased due to the extension I'll laugh at you.

PS I use King William Street every weekday morning and evening and I doubt you would walk the distance faster unless you are one of those d*ckheads that walks over the lights when they are red and cars are comming in your direction, highly likely I suppose!

I dunno as a fit 25 year old male I'm not a slow walker.

I ask you this, how is putting a tramline back in which has already been removed progress? It was removed for a reason remember.

[AtD]

Froggy, stop taking your opinions from the Advertiser.

...how are the people getting off it going to get across the road?

Teleporting. As we know, crossing the road is a massive challenge, especially at intersections

I would rather see a friggin monorail

We're talking $30m, not $30b.

Seriously, if Melbourne can run trams down streets just two lanes wide, I think we can fit them down the ten lanes of King William Street with minimum of fuss. You have been south of Victoria square before, right? Parts of King William and North Tce have been closed off for various projects for months now, and there's been no drama.

If you seriously think people would rather walk than catch the free tram, you obviously never tried to get on the Sardines-Express 99B.

Oh but didn't you see in the Advertiser the other day? The trams could run over small children! An angry parent was complaining because a tram took off while their daughter was over the white line. The humanity!

[jk1237]

Roll on November when the anti-tram people will be eating there words. How can anyone with any idea think a monorail should be built? Also does anyone know what happened in Auckland a few years ago. Like Adelaide's tram, their suburban train lines were unlinked and stopped well short of the city centre. They spent $200 million building a rail tunnel that finally went right to the heart of the city (Britomart Centre) and surprise surprise - Aucklands rail usage has gone up by over 120%. They also had extreme oppostion but it still went ahead.

[Tom]

Froggy you clearly only get your facts from the Advertiser.......
Worthwhile opponents at least know a thing or two about what’s happening.

99B bus will be discontined.

[Howie]

The West End might be dead but I still fail to see the logic in extending a tram a few kilometres that is only going to be used by people coming in from the Glenelg line anyway, it's not going to bring people in from the other sides of town. The West Ends problems are more than getting people there.

That's it, it isn't just people coming in from Glenelg. Didn't you get the memo??