The Albert Hall stop on the State Circle East route. Photo: ACT Government.
Light Rail Stage 2B can enhance the National Triangle’s heritage values and improve connectivity to the home of the nation’s democracy, Parliament House, according to a submission on the project’s draft Environmental Impact Statement.
The Public Transport Association of Canberra (PTCBR) says too much weight has been given to the project’s potential negative impacts through the heritage area. Instead of what a new public transport connection will mean for those wanting to visit the national institutions and Parliament, and those who work there.
The submission also backs the direct State Circle East route, calls for uniform longer platforms to support greater capacity and urges the project managers to focus on passenger experience, comfort, and safety in the design, especially at the grade-separated stops.
It says PTCBR members, as well as many members of the general public, are frustrated by the implicit assumption light rail will have only a negative impact on key heritage sites.
PTCBR argues the National Triangle and areas surrounding Parliament House are unfriendly to those not travelling by private vehicle.
It says public realm improvements will bring much-needed renewal to tired and forgotten areas in the National Triangle, encourage more foot traffic and create new connections between its important destinations.
“It is wrong that Parliament House currently sits removed from the community by wide arterial roads, lacking connected step-free footpaths for pedestrian access and served only by two suburban bus routes,” PTCBR says.
“The immense practical and symbolic significance of frequent, affordable, inclusive, and convenient public transport access to the heart of our democracy must be understood and treated seriously.”
Too exposed: The Kings Avenue stop at Parliament House.
Light rail will also enable Canberra to provide the same level of amenity and access in significant areas found in cities around the world where heritage issues and modern life have to be balanced, such as London, Rome and Washington DC.
“In Melbourne, Parliament House – home to the first Australian Parliament – is easily accessed by a tram stop located directly at the entrance,” PTCBR says.
“There is no suggestion the presence of surrounding transport networks negatively impacts on the significance of any of these buildings and precincts.”
The submission says a route diversion to Barton will negate the strategic intent of the north-south spine, from which other branch lines can run, and which will provide a high-capacity transport mode along a central area.
“For LRS2B [Light Rail Stage 2B] to function as the southern section of a coherent north-south spine, it must offer a service that attracts high ridership, presents a reasonably fast journey time, and supports surrounding amenities and future development.”
PTCBR says the route must also build in capacity but at present the plans show platforms of differing lengths – 45m and 33m – which are problematic for longer Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) that can move more passengers.
It makes sense to accept the need for longer LRVs from the start and build all stops to the length that can accommodate them, the submission says.
PTCBR also supports increasing the frequency of services from 12 services per hour to 15 services per hour, or from every five minutes to every four minutes.
The submission calls for more work to make stops more accessible, safer and comfortable for passengers, saying most stops are located in a road median in busy and/or high-speed road environments.
It recommends redesigning the road and footpath network to eliminate slip lanes where possible; install traffic lights at road crossings; eliminate island waiting areas or where necessary make them larger, create connected footpath networks and provide covered walkways where appropriate.
PTCBR says the current designs show stops that are exposed to weather and passing traffic.
It says the project should consider sound barriers and sound-deadening measures, especially at grade-separated stops; shade and side shelter, covered stairways to stops; covered walkways to and from stops; and ground surfaces that take into account frost, rain and heat.
