A bus tram transit centre will dump 11,000 people daily in Burleigh
A report has warned Burleigh would see 11,000 people arrive each day at the coastal village if a transport interchange is created for buses. Full details.
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Burleigh would see 11,000 people arrive each day at the coastal village if a transport interchange was created for buses, a report warned.
The finding was made after buses were investigated as an alternative for trams as part of a preliminary business case for light rail Stage Four to the border.
A key insight was buses would only be a stopgap solution, and unlike light rail, be operating at near capacity by 2041. They would still create significant costs and require much space.
Trams were seen as better able to cater for population growth because carriages could be added and service times increased. By having driving booths at both ends, they also do not need to turn around – a key issue with buses.
The Bulletin on Wednesday revealed Mayor Tom Tate said he was “open and persuadable” to buses replacing trams from Burleigh to the airport. However it is understood the Mayor sees them as an interim solution for a fast public transport connection to the Gold Coast Airport before the 2032 Olympic Games.
“Our preferred option is it is light rail all the way but if it’s cost prohibitive – that infrastructure (cost) has gone up so much – I’m open and persuadable. Potentially it is a more value for money solution,” he said.
City sources say a Bus Rapid Transit centre would be “massive”, with the size requiring a central site like the existing popular Burleigh bowls club.
On Wednesday, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said “everything is on the table” in regards to transport modes on the southern Gold Coast. He said details of a review to be conducted by his Department of Infrastructure would be released soon, allowing residents to have their say.
Opposition leader Steven Miles, said: “Tom Tate still wants light rail to go to the Gold Coast Airport, but he knows David Crisafulli and the LNP have never supported it.
“The LNP’s legacy on the Gold Coast – a city they’ve taken for granted for years – will be turning the iconic Burleigh Heads into a bus depot, complete with defacto terminal lounge for the Gold Coast Aiport.
“David Crisafulli will be forever be known as the Premier who built half a rail-line.”
The early business case excluded buses from the future business case because:
* By 2026 there will be three stages of light rail operating along the coastal urban corridor. A Bus Rapid Transit option would introduce a new public transport technology with a need for separate contracting, operating and maintenance requirements.
* The development costs require a stand-alone Bus Rapid Transit depot, stabling and operating system and “significant capital cost” to construct the Bus Rapid Transit pavement for the length of the corridor and the integration of turnaround infrastructure.
* Additional land requirements are needed compared to Light Rail Transit as the Bus Rapid Transit vehicle requires a wider corridor and the station platforms are wider.
*The Bus Rapid Transit is single direction in travel having a driver compartment at the front of the vehicle, whereas the trams are bi-directional with a driver compartment at each end. Vehicles must complete a 180 degree turnaround at the end of the line.
* There will be more forced interchanges at Burleigh Heads and increased complexity of incorporating three forms of public transport (Light Rail Transit, Bus Rapid Transit and standard buses) with “over 11,000 transfers per day forecast in 2041”.
* The interchange at Burleigh Heads would require passengers to walk more than 200 metres and cross two signalised intersections.
* Bus Rapid Transit vehicles have a lower capacity and are forecast to be operating near capacity by 2041 based on the transport modelling outcomes. By comparison, the trams are forecast to still have sufficient capacity to meet ongoing demand growth.
“Light Rail Transit was demonstrated to be a superior solution especially from a customer experience perspective and was chosen as the preferred option in 2009,” the report said.
“Bus Rapid Transit was also reconsidered in the Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 Detailed Business Case, with light rail once again being confirmed as the preferred option.”
Given a “similar range of cost to implement” the Bus Rapid Transit did not present a viable alternative to light rail, the business case study said.
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