Light rail back on the agenda

[ACT Light Rail]

Light rail back on the agenda

BY NOEL TOWELL, CHIEF ASSEMBLY REPORTER

14 Jun, 2011 07:41 AM

Light rail for Canberra is back on the ACT Government's radar, but in
a radically stripped-down form.

The Government has ordered a new study into the concept, but any new
plans will be much more modest than the ambitious, citywide system
covering 54km of track that was ruled out two years ago because of the
estimated $2 billion cost.
Instead, Chief Minister Katy Gallagher and Minister for Territory and
Municipal Services Simon Corbell have told transport planners to look
at options for a 13km route between Civic and Gungahlin with an
initial study of the 8km between the city and Exhibition Park, to be
known as Route A1.

The designers will then move on to planning a route between the
showgrounds and Gungahlin Town Centre, to be known as Route A2.

But Ms Gallagher has indicated that federal money would still be
needed to build even the beginnings of a system.

She has confirmed that the $2.5million Northbourne Avenue transit
study, which was designing vehicular, bus and cycle routes along the
thoroughfare, will be expanded to include plans for a light rail route
to link the growing northern suburbs to Civic.

Light rail has been off the ACT Government's agenda since 2008 when a
feasibility study for a system linking Belconnen, Tuggeranong,
Gungahlin, Kingston, Manuka and Civic flopped with Federal Government
infrastructure planners.

The $200,000 PriceWaterhouse Coopers submission to the Building
Australia fund indicated that the environmental and congestion relief
benefits may not justify the cost of light rail and the idea did not
make the list of Infrastructure Australia's priority projects.

But the new study will look at a more modest beginning of a system for
the city, as favoured by the ACT Greens who want to divert roads
funding to build a light rail network for Canberra, one route at a
time.

The Chief Minister told The Canberra Times that the results of a
feasibility study might be different if it was focused on a narrow
route along one of the capital's most congested roadways.

''Then original work done around costing for light rail by
infrastructure Australia was done around 54km,'' Ms Gallagher said.
''This piece of work is being done only around part of this puzzle.''

Ms Gallagher said the the new study would be an expansion of work that
was already under way to design dedicated transit lanes on Northbourne
Avenue.

''In the 2010-2011 budget, we put in some feasibility money, about
$300,000 for designated transit lanes on Northbourne Avenue and in the
last budget we put in $2.5million for design of whatever comes out of
that feasibility study,'' she said. ''Most of the work has looked at
buses but we just think it's sensible if the designers look at the
possibility of light rail in this and not exclude it.''

Ms Gallagher indicated the territory may make submissions to
Infrastructure Australia.

Light Rail ACT spokesman Damian Haas said his group would welcome the
approach if it was ''fair dinkum.''


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