$200m plaza upgrade — now for a bus to it: Traders, commuters call for O-Bahn link to Tea Tree Plaza
TRADERS and commuters have wasted no time in calling to link the O-Bahn to Tea Tree Plaza, on the back of news $200 million will be spent revamping the dated shopping centre.
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TRADERS and commuters have backed calls to connect the O-Bahn with Tea Tea Plaza, following the announcement Westfield will spend $200 million on a redevelopment of the shopping centre.
Many want Westfield and the State Government to create an enclosed link from the centre to bus terminals as part of the mall’s upgrade, considering the Parklands tunnel at the CBD end of the track is expected to be completed next year.
Tea Tree Gully Mayor Kevin Knight outlined a vision last year when the $160 million O-Bahn tunnel project was announced to enclose the Modbury interchange so commuters could travel between terminals and the shopping centre without having to go outside.
Mr Knight repeated his calls this week, saying connecting the centre and interchange would create more foot traffic and boost business in the area.
“The O-Bahn carries more passengers than any other public transport system in SA and it just makes common sense to me that you would make it easy for people to get in,” Mr Knight said.
“With all these people on the bus … you’d want to tempt them to get off at the plaza.”
Premier Jay Weatherill last week said Tea Tree Plaza and the O-Bahn should “absolutely” be better connected to allow commuters to move “quickly and easily” in the area.
He made the comments during a press conference announcing $500 million in upgrades to Westfield Marion and Tea Tree Plaza.
At present, commuters at Modbury can access one of the Plaza’s entries via a 2m wide sheltered ramp, which is not connected to the bus terminal.
A Transport Department spokeswoman said it was “willing to work with Westfield to see if there are any opportunities to improve existing connectivity and the interchange at Tea Tree Plaza”.
Westfield did not respond before presstime.
John Croucher, of Modbury, said connecting Tea Tree Plaza with Modbury Interchange would pave the way for more business in the district.
“It should be an enclosed bus terminal with small coffee shops in the middle, parking above linking to the existing Park’n’Ride, along with commercial and/or residential above,” Mr Croucher said.
Lyn Petrie, of Salisbury Heights, shops at the centre and is a frequent O-Bahn user.
“It would be good to be able to enter the shopping centre from the O-Bahn other than via the carpark, especially in winter,” Ms Petrie said.
Adam Johnson, of Fairview Park, said the interchange needed to be enclosed.
“In addition to being physically linked with the mall, it should incorporate elements of the mall itself ... for example, a concierge desk,” Mr Johnson said.
However, Sonia Blackwell, of Golden Grove, was not sold on the idea.
“If the State Government has to fork out funds for an O-Bahn track then I would say they are already wasting a lot of money for projects we don’t really need,” she said.
Blackeby’s Old Sweet Shop employee Jackie Hunt welcomed the idea.
“I think it’s a great idea because I often go from a shift here to one in our city store so I have to jump on the O-Bahn and it’s a pain if it’s raining,” Ms Hunt said.
Just Cuts manager Ivana Macurova said a link between the two would boost business.