Canning Bridge area residents heard on Wednesday night about a new plan for bus movements. Increasing popularity of buses and the train service have meant that the bridge and facilities are often at maximum capacity. Buses are clogging the interchange area and the U-turn arrangements are confusing at best.
Figures show that use of public transport in Perth is growing rapidly, faster than in any other Australian city. Plans to expand Curtin Uni to thirty thousand students will create even more local demand. Freeway and city vehicle congestion continues to make public transport an even more popular option.
In a twenty- year time frame we’ll need a seriously re-planned facility here. Right now, we need a way to handle more buses. South Perth planners, working with Stage agencies, have drawn up a design to take the turn- around off the bridge. A new facility, much- used in Europe, UK and USA, known as a ‘dog- bone roundabout’ is proposed. (Here’s one from Holland.)
The proposed location of this is in the space to the north- west of the current interchange area. Buses would enter the dog- bone, drop off their passengers, turn around and then pick up new passengers on the other straight side of the loop. A short overhead walkway would connect with the rail station. All this would get pedestrians and buses safely out of the bridge interchange, a crowded area today.
The proposed vision for this goes to Council next month; it would then move to design stage for detailed planning.
We need a solution, for now and for later. Buses and trains are increasingly popular. There are way too many cars used every day. Our challenge is to plan our transport system so we don’t even think about using a car for most journeys.
The Mayor of South Perth tells me that there will be time for residents to have a say about this at Council’s briefing night on 21 September. One of my concerns would be about ease and safety of pedestrian access from both South Perth and Melville. If you’d like to contribute, how about talking with your neighbours and contacting the City in advance to get a representative on the agenda list?
3 comments:
This is a great idea! However the congestion at Canning Bridge was pointed out to the planning commission way before the Mandurah line was built and all the warnings have come true and proved even worse that one could imagine at the time. Five intersecting major traffic arteries, no parking either side of the station and inadequate parking in the precinct, no direct pedestrian access.
So just how valid is all this request for information to planning now when it was ignored in the past? Why pay much more to fix the problem now after the event than before? Where's the accountability in the process for the representatives that didn't do their jobs in the first place so more ratepayer and taxpayer dollars are eaten up to pay for gross incompetence?
Surely the Dutch model was available then as it is now for consideration back then?
What about cycles and pedestrian access in all this? The facilities for bikes at Canning Bridge are woeful and pedestrians having to face congested high volume vehicle traffic is completely outrageous and unacceptable. We have the facility for two lifts to each platform, but only one actually provided. As usual... money before people - their convenience and safety! This inhibits rather that attracts rail travel.
Why isn't there straightforward access from streets both sides of the bridge to the platform or over/underpasses so that one doesn't have to wait an age at lights controlling vehicles as a priority over people, with all the attendant safety risks??
Look no further for inspiration - no offence to the Dutch - than at the East Perth Windan Bridge where bikes and people can travel under & at the side of the bridge completely independent of vehicle traffic.
Why not a two tiered bridge for one way traffic at each level with independent cycle ways and walkways at the sides or beneath? Its all band aid treatment until the Canning Bridge is completely rebuilt.... and the time to do that is NOW!
You can see the dog-bone concept is used at many train stations on this railway, including Bullcreek, Murdoch and Cockburn Central. I suspect the main issues will be access into it by buses, and by residents from the surrounding area wanting to catch a bus (rather than transfer to/from train).
Also, I am very interested to know how many bus trips will be generated by the thousands of Curtin Uni students, the route of these buses between Curtin and Canning Bridge station, and how residents along that route will be affected.
The proposed dogbone is to be located on our river foreshore land! How environmentally sound is this! We have constructed a bus ramp onto the freeway (mega cost) and then moved it when the train was introduced (more mega costs) and now we are proposing to demolish it to built a new ramp/bus terminus/dogbone - more like a dog's breakfast!
Let's forget the bandaids, let's actually plan for the future - bus technology is old hat!
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