Bus stops for Adelaide Ave?

[Buzz Killington]

Simon Corbell MLA Media Release
The ACT Labor Government is investigating options for several new bus stops along Adelaide Avenue which would make public transport more available to residents of Canberra's inner south, including Deakin, Yarralumla and Curtin, Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Simon Corbell announced today.

"Currently residents in the suburbs along Adelaide Avenue, between Woden and Civic, see regular bus services pass through, but there are no stops that allow passengers to join services into the Civic and Woden Town Centres and this study will look at options to fix this problem," Mr Corbell said.

"There is no reason why residents in Curtin, Deakin and Yarralumla should have to travel to the Civic and Woden Town Centres on a suburban service, before taking a further journey, which can often take a lot longer than a direct service up Adelaide Avenue."

Mr Corbell said the government's plan with this investigation is to make public transport more accessible on one of Canberra's busiest transport corridors in and out of the city centre.

"The investigation is looking at three locations along Adelaide Avenue, including Hopetoun Circuit in Deakin/Yarralumla, Kent/Novar Street in Deakin and Carruthers Street in Curtin," Mr Corbell said.

"The government has allocated $200,000 for a feasibility study into the new stops and is seeking community input to better understand public transport expectations along Adelaide Avenue."

The feasibility study along Adelaide Avenue – Yarra Glen will identify the best location for the bus stops between Deakin and Curtin. It will develop functional planning, design and operational requirements and concept plans for the bus stops and associated infrastructure considering transit lane access, traffic flow, landscape, surrounding land-use and future change.

"The investigation will also consider different options for bus stop designs including kerbside stops, ramp stops – which would see buses take exits and drop off at designated stops before rejoining Adelaide Avenue, and median stops which would allow buses to continue to use median strip bus lanes," Mr Corbell added.

"Canberra is a growing and vibrant city, and it is the responsibility of the government to provide a public transport network that serves the needs of all Canberrans, and makes proper use of major transport corridors," Mr Corbell said.

"This project to provide new stops along a key transport link is the latest in a suite of changes to make public transport more appealing, and encourage more people out of their cars and onto buses."

"Having more bus stops in locations such as these along Adelaide Avenue will simply mean more frequent bus services for more Canberra residents.

"The only way we will see increased patronage on our bus network is to provide a system that works efficiently between suburbs and town centres, and a network that is reliable, and this announcement is evidence that the government is acting to make this a reality."

The Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate has commissioned SMEC to undertake the feasibility study. The first public consultation will be undertaken in late February 2012.

For more information on the feasibility study, visit www.transport.act.gov.au

[Buzz Killington]

Media Release - Alistair Coe MLA

Simon Corbell's announcement that the Labor Government will spend $200,000 on a feasibility study to 'better understand public transport expectations along Adelaide Avenue' shows how much money this government is prepared to waste, said Alistair Coe, Shadow Minister for Transport Services.

"This is yet another example of the Labor Government wasting taxpayers' money, with absolutely nothing to show for it," Mr Coe said.

"For $200,000, we're not getting any more routes, we're not getting any more buses, we're not getting any more stops and we're not getting any more drivers. What we are getting is a $200,000 piece of paper.

"It's another sham announcement from a government that has realised, after 11 years, that local services do matter. Unfortunately, 11 years have also proved that they are unable to actually deliver.

"While the question of bus stops and public transport is worth asking, surely ACTION and TAMS have the capability in-house to consider such options.

"Wasting money on consultancies is becoming core business for the ACT Labor Government. Between the abandoned Government office building, abandoned Hawker shops proposal and this proposal, around $10m has been wasted.

"Simon Corbell is spending taxpayers' money on a consultant so he can hide behind the report if it's popular or distance himself if he doesn't like it," concluded Mr Coe.

[Bus 400]

If they want to go along with extra bus stops on the Blue Rapid run, then we are going to need limited stop blue rapid services. Otherwise they may as well just call it the blue line.


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[smitho]

References incorrectly refer to Adelaide Ave at Curtin....in fact, the road which passes under Carruthers St, Curtin, is known as Yarra Glen; Adelaide Ave becomes Yarra Glen at the Cotter Rd overpass.

[Miss busalot]

Not sure about the $200k for a report but a couple of stops would be good. The distance from Yarra Glen and Adelaide Avenue to places like Curtin, Deakin and Yarralumla  shops, medical specialists and John James Hospital and businesses like the Mint and the business park in Deakin would be about the same as from Alinga St to the Canberra Centre. If they put too many stops in though, that will just create pressure for the Government to limit the number of buses that actually stop.

[smitho]

Not sure about the $200k for a report but a couple of stops would be good. The distance from Yarra Glen and Adelaide Avenue to places like Curtin, Deakin and Yarralumla  shops, medical specialists and John James Hospital and businesses like the Mint and the business park in Deakin would be about the same as from Alinga St to the Canberra Centre. If they put too many stops in though, that will just create pressure for the Government to limit the number of buses that actually stop.

Agree. Puts spotlight back on the long debated issue about the need to restore express services to the intertown route along the lines of the 333.

[Barry Drive]

The presentation about this (from the Curtin information session) can be found here: http://www.transport.act.gov.au/studies_projects/AdelaideAveBusStop-posters.pdf (We pay these consultants mega-bucks and they can't even read a map: it calls Yarra Glen at Carruthers St "Adelaide Ave" )

A feedback form can be found here: http://www.transport.act.gov.au/studies_projects/Adelaide%20Ave%20Bus%20Stops%20Feedback%20Form.pdf

The consultation period closes 10 April 2012.

[Bus 400]

The report is now available to view at http://www.transport.act.gov.au/studies_projects/Adelaide-Ave-Preliminary-Consultation-Report-17-04-12.pdf

One thing to note in the report is that one of the trees on the median strip near Carruthers Street is the last remnant of the Yarra Glen Homestead.

[smitho]

I think they're referring to the large conifer which stands close to the supports of the Carruthers St overpass; there is a large deciduous tree (possibly a London plane tree) adjoining the Yarra Glen southbound carriageway, just across from the overpass. I reckon thaT PROBABLY DATES BACK TO THE HOMESTEAD GROUNDS AS WELL.

Re the so-called 'Adelaide Ave bus stops study' . ACT Govt is seeking community feedback on its preferred bus stop options (for Curtin, Yarralumla and Deakin) at an INFORMATION SESSION to be held ON SATURDAY week,  25th AUGUST, outside Coles, Curtin Centre, from 1100 to 1300.

Yes, you'd think by now that the penny would've dropped that Adelaide Ave doesn't go through Curtin, it's Yarra Glen beyond the Cotter Rd overpass.