News & Discussion: O-Bahn

[Waewick]

It seems Jay has just found a 1950's street directory- when trams ran down Grenfell St then straight across the parklands (through Rymill park) to Dequetteville Tce and on to Norwood via Rundle St Kent Town. See map at
http://www.trammuseumadelaide.com.au/im ... decity.pdf
So it 's back to the future.

it just makes basic sense to have the busy wide road (Grenfell St) continue through the parklands to Kent Town rather than a narrow little high street (Rundle St) that is trying to discourage car traffic and encourage foot traffic. I have never understood why this ever happened after the tram line was ripped up, its almost moronic. We now have brain dead car drivers clogging up Rundle Street atm because they realise that Rundle St continues onto to be Rundle Road through Kent Town. However all they need to do is drive east along Grenfell, turn left at East tce and the right onto Rundle Rd and they would have saved themselves 15 mins from being stuck in a Rundle Street traffic jam. If Grenfell St was the through Rd to Kent Town and not Rundle Street, you wouldn't have one little bit of traffic build up on Rundle St which is currently what happens, and it will make alfresco dining a little bit nicer without endless car fumes. Who cares if the obahn thing goes ahead, just reroute the road from Kent Town direct to Grenfell St now, as it would make the traffic flow 300% more efficient than the set up currently

funnily enough I count for one of those brain dead drivers.

I usually do the grenfell street, East terrace rundle Street thing too, but a friend of mine raced me and we came out at the same time depending on lights.

[SAR526]

The reason why Rundle Road connected with Rundle rather than Grenfell Street was that it was a busy trolley bus route carrying traffic from Tusmore via Rundle and Hindley Streets and Port Road to Port Adelaide, Semaphore and Largs. Extensions to Beaumont, Erindale and Linden Park (the latter two replacing tramlines) came later. There was a bus layover on the northern side near Dequetteville Terrace.

The reserved track embankment from that road had carried Kensington trams ever since the very first electric ones ran in 1908. When the system was most regrettably abandoned, H class cars were through-routed from Kensington Gardens along The Parade and on to Henley North via Grenfell and Currie Streets. The Kensington horse trams prior to 1908 had run eastwards along Rundle Street and Road, and westwards via Grenfell Street returning via the intervening section of King William Street.

I strongly approve of the present plans for a tunnel and the provision for trams once more to run to Norwood and beyond.

[Maximus]

No doubt others have noticed this, but I don't think anyone has posted it... If this plan goes ahead, it will forever alter the layout of the F1 circuit.

Not that I think F1 will ever return to Adelaide (as much as I would love it to), but there has been some chatter recently that the Clipsal should use the full F1 layout.

Anyway, as you were...

[Nathan]

No doubt others have noticed this, but I don't think anyone has posted it... If this plan goes ahead, it will forever alter the layout of the F1 circuit.

Not that I think F1 will ever return to Adelaide (as much as I would love it to), but there has been some chatter recently that the Clipsal should use the full F1 layout.

Anyway, as you were...

I would love for F1 to return as well, but I'm resigned to fact that it's no longer a possibility. We don't have the runoff areas to meet modern F1 safety standards, and we're in no position to play the money game with Bernie. As such, there's no reason to hang on to Rundle Rd and East Tce in their current configuration.

[SouthAussie94]

No doubt others have noticed this, but I don't think anyone has posted it... If this plan goes ahead, it will forever alter the layout of the F1 circuit.

Not that I think F1 will ever return to Adelaide (as much as I would love it to), but there has been some chatter recently that the Clipsal should use the full F1 layout.

Anyway, as you were...

I would love for F1 to return as well, but I'm resigned to fact that it's no longer a possibility. We don't have the runoff areas to meet modern F1 safety standards, and we're in no position to play the money game with Bernie. As such, there's no reason to hang on to Rundle Rd and East Tce in their current configuration.

I agree that there is next to no chance of us getting the F1 back in the foreseeable future. Over the Clipsal weekend I read a number of articles about the future of the street circuit and apparently the South Australian Motorsport Board is scouting other international categories. Formula E and the WEC were mentioned.

Personally, I think the O-Bahn plan is great, although I would be sad to see the Grand Prix circuit go. Surely there is a way to close the road to traffic and to make it a usable space, yet keep the possibility of using the full circuit.

Could pavers be laid at either end of the road on top of the existing tarmac? Could lawn be laid in a similar fashion to a drop-in cricket pitch?

I know these would add to the cost of the project but I still think it would be great if something could be done..

[Nathan]

There's major changes to East Tce too, and a race on the full circuit would block the buses coming out of the tunnel.

WEC would be cool. I missed the LMC race back in 2000 (which we then stupidly threw away because the local press bleated on about nurses).

[fishinajar]

Forgive me if I've missed this, but what is the internal height of the new tunnel sections going to be? Just wondering how future proof the project is incase the double decker bus turns out to be a winner. Presuming they could operate safely as an o-bahn vehicle.

[Brucetiki]

Forgive me if I've missed this, but what is the internal height of the new tunnel sections going to be? Just wondering how future proof the project is incase the double decker bus turns out to be a winner. Presuming they could operate safely as an o-bahn vehicle.

I'd doubt the existing tunnel or some of the underpasses on the existing track could fit a double decker at the moment anyway.

[metro]

Double Deckers will never run on the Obahn

however, Double-Bendy buses might run on the Obahn when the new tunnel is built

[fishinajar]

Forgive me if I've missed this, but what is the internal height of the new tunnel sections going to be? Just wondering how future proof the project is incase the double decker bus turns out to be a winner. Presuming they could operate safely as an o-bahn vehicle.

I'd doubt the existing tunnel or some of the underpasses on the existing track could fit a double decker at the moment anyway.

I wouldn't expect so no. But that is only a short section of "tunnel"/bridge and could be upgraded down the track. No pun intended.

Double Deckers will never run on the Obahn

Fact or opinion Metro?

however, Double-Bendy buses might run on the Obahn when the new tunnel is built

Were you hiding this statement? Also, double-bendy buses, I had to google them to make sure they existed (they do). These would struggle around our streets wouldn't they?

[[Shuz]]

Fact. The bridge clearances on the Obahn are too low for a double decker bus to pass under at all. If anything, it'd clean the second level right up into a mangled twisted carcass of metal.

Understand now?

[fishinajar]

Fact. The bridge clearances on the Obahn are too low for a double decker bus to pass under at all. If anything, it'd clean the second level right up into a mangled twisted carcass of metal.

Understand now?

Yes, that makes sense. I missed that. Thanks Shuz

[Aidan]

No doubt others have noticed this, but I don't think anyone has posted it... If this plan goes ahead, it will forever alter the layout of the F1 circuit.

Not that I think F1 will ever return to Adelaide (as much as I would love it to), but there has been some chatter recently that the Clipsal should use the full F1 layout.

Anyway, as you were...

I would love for F1 to return as well, but I'm resigned to fact that it's no longer a possibility. We don't have the runoff areas to meet modern F1 safety standards, and we're in no position to play the money game with Bernie. As such, there's no reason to hang on to Rundle Rd and East Tce in their current configuration.

What runoff areas would modern safety standards require that we don't have? ISTR our original circuit had good runoff provision.

Melbourne's lost its enthusiasm for the Grand Prix. We should be ready to reclaim it when we can.

[Brucetiki]

Melbourne's lost its enthusiasm for the Grand Prix. We should be ready to reclaim it when we can.

Melbourne never had any passion for the Grand Prix anyway.

[ChillyPhilly]

NSW want to poach it.