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Media Releases My electorate office distributes information which is important to the Southport electorate in particular, and the Gold Coast in general. This information goes to the print and electronic media, however due to space or time constraints it doesn’t always get printed or broadcast. Through my website however, you can access all news stories which emanate from my office and thus keep up-to-date with State Government issues relating to Southport.
Planning starts for $550m Gold Coast rapid transit system |
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| Posted by Administrator (admin) on Jul 13 2006 |
| Media Releases >> |
Detailed planning has begun on the proposed $550 million Gold Coast Rapid Transit System, Transport and Main Roads Minister Paul Lucas said today.
The Minister said the start of the planning phase marked the beginning of a unique public transport solution for the Gold Coast.
"This is the first step in delivering this project. The planning process will define a corridor for the rapid transit system and provide the basis for a decision on whether to go ahead with a light rail or bus-based transit system," Mr Lucas said.
"That decision will be made in time for construction to begin on the transit system in 2008.
"The rapid transit system is part of the Government's plan to provide fast, frequent and reliable public transport for commuters.
"The new system will link the rail station at either Helensvale or Parkwood with the busy centres of Southport, Surfer's Paradise, Broadbeach, and ultimately Coolangatta.
"During the planning phase we'll work closely with the community and stakeholders to develop an alignment for both light rail and a state of the art bus rapid transit system," he said.
Mr Lucas said the options were:
• A light rail system with low floor air-conditioned vehicles on a standard gauge railway track drawing power from either an embedded rail or overhead wires
• A bus rapid transit system that offers a much higher quality service than an ordinary bus, with specially designed buses running very frequent services and higher speeds than buses operating in mixed traffic.
"I welcome early indications from the Gold Coast City Council that they are supportive of this project being delivered by light rail.
"There are advantages either way. Light rail will most likely be significantly more expensive and is restricted to the corridor only, but has higher capacity than buses.
"The busway option, on the other hand, will be less expensive but have the advantages of allowing many bus routes to hop directly onto the busway, reducing the need for interchange delays.
"I've written to Council indicating that I believe it's best to assess both options but ultimately if we go for the more expensive project then the Council will need to make a significant financial contribution to achieve that," Mr Lucas said.
Mr Lucas said that the State Government had spent $868,000 on extensive feasibility studies.
"The next stage, for which the State Government has allocated $4 million and the Gold Coast City Council has contributed $1 million, will involve:
• developing the terms of reference to shape the planning process
• community consultation to help select a preferred mode - light rail or busway - and an alignment
• planning studies including a concept design and impact management plan which will assess the environmental, social and economic benefits and impacts of a rapid transit system
• presenting outcomes of planning and consultation to government for a decision on how the project advances further
The Minister said TransLink would work closely with the Gold Coast City Council and local communities to deliver the best possible public transport system for the city.
"There will be extensive consultation with residents and businesses, community groups and environmental groups to achieve the best outcomes.
"We want to strike the right balance between meeting the needs of commuters and delivering the best public transport mode for the Gold Coast," he said.
"With the population of Gold Coast City fast approaching 500,000 and rising by 15,000 people every year, it's important to plan now, for the future.
"The State Government, along with council, is upgrading the Coast's road network to keep pace, but we need to do more than just build more roads.
"We need a first-rate public transport system. It'll do more than move people - it will add to the image of the Gold Coast and stimulate ongoing investment along its path," Mr Lucas said.
Last changed: [PUBLISHED_DATE] at 10:28 AM
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