Praise and brickbats for revised O-Bahn plan

TRAFFIC congestion on one of the city’s main thoroughfares as a result of the O-Bahn extension has not been fixed despite revised plans, says a former transport boss.

• Backlash forces change of plans for O-Bahn extension
• See what was in the old O-Bahn plan here
• Council refuses to endorse O-Bahn plan

• READ ANALYSIS BELOW

TRAFFIC congestion on one of the city’s main thoroughfares as a result of the O-Bahn extension has not been fixed despite revised plans, says a former transport boss.

The State Government on Wednesday unveiled changes to its $160 million O-Bahn project, which kept Rundle Rd in place and reversed much of the intrusion on Rymill Park.

The changes were widely welcomed by community and business groups, who had campaigned against the project.

But former Transport Department boss Rod Hook said the new design did not appear to fix congestion issues.

As revealed by The Advertiser, the Government has backflipped on the most controversial aspects of the O-Bahn extension.

Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan confirmed, yesterday, the project would keep Rundle Rd in place — but reduce capacity to one lane each way — and extend the bus tunnel under Rymill Park by 140m.

The new plan would also create extra 50 car parking spaces in the East End.

Plans announced by Mr Mullighan in February, to honour an election commitment on the O-Bahn, included putting a four-lane road through Rymill Park to connect with Grenfell St and building a bus tunnel that would surface in the middle of the park to align with the new road.

Mr Mullighan said the Government had always said it would listen to the community throughout the life of this project and that was what it has done.

“We have worked hard to address all of the issues raised during the consultation and while it may not be possible to satisfy everyone, we believe we have struck a balance between all of those interests,” he said.

Mr Hook said it appeared the revised plan did not do anything to fix congestion issues that would result from more buses being directed on to the already busy Grenfell and Currie streets. “I would think the Government still had a problem there. It needs to look at gated stations along Grenfell to allow more efficient loading and unloading of passengers, as well as better policing of the bus lanes because cars too often hold up buses,” he said.

The previous O-Bahn plans attracted criticism from nearby residents, businesses and Adelaide City Council because of the potential impact on the East End and Parklands.

Rymill Park Alliance spokesman Andrew Robertson yesterday said he was cautiously optimistic the new plan would protect Rymill Park. “The key issue is exactly where the bus tunnel comes up,” he said.

Lord Mayor Martin Haese welcomed the changes to the O-Bahn extension but said the design of the bus tunnel would be key to the project receiving community support.

“This is a much better outcome then we would have otherwise had,” he said.

But Opposition Leader Steven Marshall said the State Government’s backflip had produced the fourth O-Bahn plan in as many years.

“Labor have shown time and time again that it cannot be trusted to deliver what it promises,” he said.

“Will this be the final O-Bahn plan? Who knows?”

Property Council SA executive director Daniel Gannon said East End traders would welcome the revised O-Bahn plan because of the 50 extra car parks in the area.

Reverse direction to ‘consult and decide’

By Sheradyn Holderhead

TO eastern suburbs residents, Rymill Park is the “jewel in the crown” of the parklands that surround the city. And after a well-organised campaign, they will keep it — almost — as it is.

Transport Minister StephenMullighan yesterday confirmedThe Advertiser’sreport that Rymill Park would be saved from the State Government’s plan to build a four-lane road through it as part of the $160 million O-Bahn extension.

The announcement was an odd contradiction of Mr Mullighan’s comments less than two weeks ago, which signalled he was willing to announce the Government’s plans then attack, or at least defend against, the community’s opposition.

Transport Minister Stephen Mulligan.

“They enjoy their particular part of the city and they think it should be free from other people enjoying that part of the city,” Mr Mullighan said at a protest over the plans.

He said yesterday that the latest changes to the plan proved that the Government was committed to listening to the community.

But sources in the Government say they are baffled as to why parklands advocates did not support the previous plans, which returned the current Rundle Rd to parklands and made the popular Rundle Park much bigger.

In the end, the Government has ended up with what it believes to be a poorer plan for the parklands to appease critics, rather than fight them.

But many would question why the Government did not simply ask people what they wanted from the project before releasing its revised plans in February.

That would be consult and decide rather than announce and defend.