Residents set to rally against O-Bahn project at Rymill Park

THE planned $160 million O-Bahn extension — which involves tunnelling a dedicated track through the Parklands — lacks detail, places pedestrians in danger and could put motorists on a collision course with buses, a submission from the RAA says.

Hackney residents

THE planned $160 million O-Bahn extension — which involves tunnelling a dedicated track through the Parklands — lacks detail, places pedestrians in danger and could put motorists on a collision course with buses, a submission from the RAA says.

Adelaide City Council has also criticised the State Government’s scheme in its submission, saying the plan lacks the detail to prove it is the best option for an integrated transport system.

The concerns come as 11 community and residents’ groups — representing several thousand members — have formed the Rymill Park Alliance and will rally against the State Government’s controversial project this Saturday at Rymill Park.

The RAA supports the O-Bahn scheme in principle and said it had the “potential to reduce congestion at the intersection of Botanic Road/Dequetteville Terrace/Hackney Road’’.

However, it is calling for traffic modelling to “demonstrate the potential impact to both public transport and other vehicles in the area’’ as a result of the proposed scheme.

The state’s largest motoring organisation also raised concerns about “a pedestrian’s ability to safely cross’’ Hackney Rd once the dedicated O-Bahn bus lanes and tunnel are constructed.

The RAA submission also highlighted several other potential problems which include driver safety on the new Rundle Rd.

“It is unclear whether vehicles will have sufficient sight distance of emerging buses in order to safely change from the (Rundle Rd) through lane into the left turn lane at East Terrace without conflicting with westbound buses,’’ the RAA submission obtained by the Sunday Mail said.

As a result the RAA wants a review of the lane merger on the realignment of Rundle Rd.

The council’s submission, yet to be released by the State Government, also raises 36 questions about the Government’s plan.

“These included traffic and parking implications for the East End, the economic costs and benefits, the significant impact on the Park Lands, how the proposal fits in with broader CBD transport planning, and the economic impacts of the relocation of the RAH to the West End combined with the effects of the O-Bahn project’’ the council told the Sunday Mail.

“Council is also concerned that insufficient information has been provided to enable a considered assessment of whether this is the best option to achieve the project objectives.”

Hackney residents will be among those who will be attending next weekend’s protest rally against the O-Bahn project which would see part of Rymill Park excised for the new roadway.

Botanic St resident Serena Coulls said Hackney residents recognised the project would likely go ahead but they did not want to be “landlocked” in their suburbs.

Under the current plans residents north of Botanic Rd, Hackney will not be able to turn right across Hackney Rd

“Hackney Rd is not an easy road to use now and it’s just going to get remarkably worse,” Mrs Coulls said.

Rymill Park Alliance spokesman Andrew Robertson said the O-Bahn was project was “ill-conceived”.

“The real issue is that people still think the Government is proposing a tunnel under the parklands, coming up in the city, however nothing could be further from the truth,” he said.

The tunnel actually comes up at the Dequetteville Terrace end of Rymill Park, and requires a new four-lane dual-carriage highway to be built all the way through Rymill Park, less than 20 metres from the lake, barbecue areas and children’s playground.”

Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan said his department was working to resolve concerns.

“I think people always say $160m for seven minutes is that really worth it? And the other example I give is (Federal Infrastructure Minister) Jamie Briggs and I are spending $620m out at Darlington for a two minute saving,” he said.

“It’s not necessarily about just the point-to-point time saving although that’s important, it’s about improving the reliability of the travel experience.”