News & Discussion: Trams

[zippySA]

But, I shall leave on a positive note. I know something you don't know.

C'mon - we won't tell anyone - what option is getting put up in the budget - or don't you truly know???

[metro]

Just a thought. Maybe the SA govt should look at adding a number of trams onto the Melbourne order for trams, which wont be finished until 2018. Maybe to run on an extended tram network here.

[Waewick]

My strategy would be to develop a series of smaller routes which link the very inner city suburbs with the CBD and create a 'culture' first, which in turn attracts more passengers - much like Melbourne has - before going on to do the longer-distance routes.

King William Road, Hyde Park - Melbourne Street, North Adelaide would be one such option - $40/$50m million to extend the line either way ($80-$100m) all up? In addition to opening up a new PT corridor within an existing area, you could then remove the need for the City Shuttle (and offload the shuttle trams onto the new route) but still maintain the 7.5 minute frequency down the KWS spine.

Anyways, this kind of discussion is probably best left for the Visions forum.

But, I shall leave on a positive note. I know something you don't know.

Shuz, can I call you a bastard in a nice way...because that is a real bastard thing to do

[claybro]

Maybe the coast to coast can wait until the AAMI reidential developement takes place, afterall the other areas such as Bowden/St Clair and Woodville West are already service by heavy rail. Perhaps extending a line along KW rd through North Adelaide and Prospect Road might be next as it would enable the existing Glenelg route to directly serve Adelaide Oval on football days, and also allow for some developement of Prospect road North of Regency Road, and allow those in the inner North direct access to Adelaide Oval as well.

[rubberman]

Maybe the coast to coast can wait until the AAMI reidential developement takes place, afterall the other areas such as Bowden/St Clair and Woodville West are already service by heavy rail. Perhaps extending a line along KW rd through North Adelaide and Prospect Road might be next as it would enable the existing Glenelg route to directly serve Adelaide Oval on football days, and also allow for some developement of Prospect road North of Regency Road, and allow those in the inner North direct access to Adelaide Oval as well.

Not sure where the State will get the money for this. There are plenty of higher priority projects.

In addition, there will be some problem getting the trams through North Adelaide. I cannot imagine O'Connell St being feasible without making provision for other vehicles during the peaks. It might work if there were a road tunnel under O'C St perhaps (same might be said for Melbourne St if we wanted trams there). On the other hand, road tunnels too, while being great for bypassing North Adelaide, fiendishly expensive. Would not that money be better spent elsewhere? That is, even if we had the money. What route would you have in mind?

I don't want to sound negative, my fondest memories of childhood are standing on O'Connell St and watching trams go past, and I would certainly like to see them again (and maybe if we could get the powers that be to gee up the speeds a bit they might even go as fast as the old drop-centres). However, I cannot see this happening for less than a couple of hundred mill, and that could go a long way in other needy transport situations.

[Shahkar]

My strategy would be to develop a series of smaller routes which link the very inner city suburbs with the CBD and create a 'culture' first, which in turn attracts more passengers

Agreed.

But, I shall leave on a positive note. I know something you don't know.

I wonder if it's an election promise.

[Waewick]

I would have thought the already densely populated areas such as Norwood and Unley would get a gig?

why are we putting trams to places in the hope they grow and avoiding places that people already live?

Because they go through those other areas on the way to the already populated ones. ie. a tram through Kent Town would continue on to Norwood.

Oh I get that, but what I am trying to say is that the problem in SA is underutilisation by patrons.

to me, the most obvious thing to do to increase patronage is to identify the most densly populated inner suburbs and put a tram line to where they go.

For instance, if it was decided that Unley (which I think it is) is the most densely populated area, and the majority travel to Grenhill Rd and CBD (for work) then you create a spur from the King William line, up Greenhill road and down Unley road(or alternately straight down hutt street) which will provide the start of the loop.

You then create the incentives for it's use (i.e dedicated line) and encourage more users (buses from Mitcham terminate at the Tram ending) by doing this you create critical mass immediately - rather than building a tram to nowhere and artificially creating demand for it by pitting cheap parking and making the tram free (cheapening PT in the process)

[rubberman]

Gotta like this:

http://www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au/pub ... ne_project

[Shahkar]

Gotta like this:

http://www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au/pub ... ne_project

Smart doing this early. Wonder if the extension/city loop is going to pop up soon?

By the way, it says "duplication of 300 metre section of single track." It's barely a 100 metres?

[Patrick_27]

Gotta like this:

http://www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au/pub ... ne_project

Smart doing this early. Wonder if the extension/city loop is going to pop up soon?

By the way, it says "duplication of 300 metre section of single track." It's barely a 100 metres?

Better yet, I wonder if they will budget for a re-alignment of the track at Vic Square when that stage of the project commences, and potentially upgrade the track and station between Vic Square and South Terrace, a vital part of the line that remains un-wheel-chair-friendly.

[Shahkar]

But, I shall leave on a positive note. I know something you don't know.

So Shuz, what was it?

[The Scooter Guy]

North Tce tramway modification works from yesterday. A rare opportunity to see these traffic lights flash yellow!

North Tce tramway modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce tramway modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce tramway modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce tramway modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce tramway modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce tramway modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce tramway modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce tramway modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce tramway modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce tramway modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce tramway modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce tramway modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce tramway modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce tramway modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce tramway modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce tramway modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce tramway modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce tramway modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce Tramway Modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce Tramway Modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce Tramway Modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce Tramway Modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce Tramway Modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce Tramway Modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce Tramway Modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce Tramway Modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr


North Tce Tramway Modifications by The Scooter Guy, on Flickr

[claybro]

I probably missed something way back in some thread somewhere, but can anyone tell me why this section of track was single line in the first place? I have heard the usual raised eyebrow comments again in the last couple of days about them "wasting more money on the trams" you know, the usual stuff from folks that never even venture into the city. But it does seem odd, they have to rip this section up so soon after it was laid.

[dsriggs]

Entrance to the Convention Centre carpark, iirc.

[BillD]

I was in Glenelg this morning and luckily had time to grab my camera as H-Type 351 was crossing Brighton Road.
I didn't see it again on-track so I assume that it was on its way back to Glengowrie depot.