When the Federal Government starts promising money for infrastructure projects, you know that a Federal Election is around the corner.
Continue reading “Federal Election in the air: $132.5 million for light rail”Tag Archives: light rail
Australian Infrastructure Audit 2019
The Australian Infrastructure Audit 2019 is published by Infrastructure Australia to model Australia’s infrastructure needs in the coming decade, and includes transport infrastructure. The Austroads’ Australian Cycling Participation 2019 survey showed that cycling has decreased in the last decade in Austalia. The Australian Infrastructure Audit 2019 predicts this is unlikely to change in the next decade in the ACT.
Continue reading “Australian Infrastructure Audit 2019”PTCBR wants explicit mode share targets
The Public Transport Association of Canberra might not be known to you. They are big fans of the light rail. Light rail is seen as a way of moving away from car dependence by providing an alternative. The proportion of the population using public transport is referred to as the mode share. Public Transport is part of the active travel mix.
Continue reading “PTCBR wants explicit mode share targets”Woden light rail could cost $1.9 billion: ACT Budget
The light rail from Civic to Woden has been slowed by the approval process. Central business district projects are always expensive, and this one is no exception. The provisions in the budget have been set at $1.9 billion. Few would claim this is not a big number for the ACT.
Continue reading “Woden light rail could cost $1.9 billion: ACT Budget”“These provisions reflect previous government policy announcements, such as Stage 2A and 2B of the light rail.”
“In the update, it predicts the total cost of the light rail project could be up to $1.9 billion in total.”
“Light rail to Woden could cost about $1.9 billion“, Canberra CityNews, 14/9/2020
More roads and not much else
It is hard to imagine how much money we spend on roads. Here is a comparison of the investment in road improvement (duplications and widening) with other forms of transport. As cyclists, we are interested in bike paths but the light rail is included, too.
Approximately $1 billion has been committed to road duplications and widening in and around Canberra. $336 million for light rail but only $18 million to bicycle infrastructure. The EU would recommend $330 million for bicycle infrastructure in the ACT, based on their recommendation to invest 20% of the transport budget in bike infrastructure. In this week’s $4.9 billion announcement, Andrew Barr unfortunately did not even mention cycling. In other Australian cities, the sums spent on roads is even bigger: “The Australian and NSW Governments are investing $4.1 billion” in the Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan.
Continue reading “More roads and not much else”Opportunities lost in estate development
Estate development is a golden goose for the ACT Government. The ACT Government has limited funds and receives very little funding from the Federal Government for infrastructure. Estate development is a long and complicated process and active travel can be lost in the process, buried under other priorities. Let us get it right. If the active travel infrastructure falls short, it will be expensive to fix. A whole generation of kids will grow up being chauffeured around rather than taking the bikes to school or to visit their mates. This is a real culture change barrier.
Continue reading “Opportunities lost in estate development”Light rail delayed: Money to build bike paths
The light rail is stalling due to the slow approval process. The ACT Government would spend on capital works projects to counter the effects of the recession. If the light rail investment is delayed, building strategic bike paths would be an alternative. Here is the Sulwood Drive option.
Continue reading “Light rail delayed: Money to build bike paths”Flemington Road bike path is finished
The off-road bike path bypassing Mitchell on the Flemington Road has now been completed and opened. It is worth celebrating. The new path closes a missing link and opens interesting possibilities in the north. More about that in the next post. Flemington Road was introduced here.
Continue reading “Flemington Road bike path is finished”John Gorton Drive Bridge update
This bridge over the Molonglo River will be completed by 2024 as the last section of the John Gorton Drive. Information about this bridge is found here. The Butters Bridge was finished close-by in 2016 but is currently closed.
The most recent update on the John Gorton Drive Bridge is found here from 12 February 2021.
Continue reading “John Gorton Drive Bridge update”Have YourSay on cycling: Light Rail Stage 2
Light Rail Stage 2 is coming and open now for the third round of community consultation. Gungahlin light rail taught us that bike paths are forgotten or even destroyed in the light rail construction. The light rail is an opportunity to improve Canberra’s cycling infrastructure.
The ACT Government website shows imagines of the light rail route on the Virtual Light Rail Tour. Cycling infrastructure is noticeably lacking on these images. Although it is an artist’s impression, leaving out the bike paths may mean that none are planned.
Go to the ACT Government YourSay website and suggest they build a bike path.
Continue reading “Have YourSay on cycling: Light Rail Stage 2”