Gold Coast update

GeoffreyHansen · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 2:33 pm

colinw_mk2 · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:43 pm

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2007/10/04/3444_gold-coast-top-story.html

tonyp · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 7:29 pm

``Unlike the Marine Parade option it will not hamper the considerable traffic flow from Australia Fair's car parks.''

Does that mean it won't serve Australia's Fair? That's the very sort of thing it should be doing. Eventually people won't be able to afford the fuel to drive to these places. The light rail system should be place ready for this.

BMTA511 · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 7:45 pm

Is this the BRT system idea for the gold coast?

I.e something similar to this shown below.

These are pictures from a currently under construction BRT route in inner bangkok thailand. this will have 100% off bus ticketing and operate very similar to a railway system.

Is this what the gold coast area will get? If so it might actually be quite good and very different.

BMTA 511: Thai Mass Transport Systems http://thaitransit.blogspot.com/ Check it out now.

Hendo · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 8:03 pm

Draffa · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 3:07 am

Hendo · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 9:39 pm

Yes everyone forgets the number of bus drivers required and that buses have a (often much) shorter life.

SM247 · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 8:09 pm

There is now a detailed set of planning docs, including the full CDIMP, available for viewing on the site. There is a lot to digest, so I will leave it for everybody to have a read (including me) before posting more. Generally it seems a dead cert the BRT argument has been squashed now, which is a big relief and more than half the battle. The questions now seem to be one of timeframes and which leg (Burleigh or Helensvale) should have priority as the next stage of the system. For my money I prefer Helensvale - there's no point in not having a heavy rail connection from the early days.

GeoffreyHansen · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 3:27 am

I'm surprised to notice that the first stage of the project will only go from Griffith University to Southport ie not connecting with the heavy rail at Parkwood/Helensvale. I would have thought that the connection would have been one of the most important aspects.

I suppose a decision probably hasn't yet been made about whether to go through Harbour Town or through Parkwood.

Bring the 3900s back to Brisbane
Bring Karlsruhe Tramtrains to Australian cities
Extend the proposed Metro to Taylor Square
Extend the Gold Coast line to the Tweed

SM247 · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 12:12 pm

colinw_mk2 · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:29 pm

I would prefer the more direct, and faster route straight to Parkwood.

If Harbour Town needs a service, what's wrong with building a branch?

Ultimately the goal should be to build a network, with more destinations, not just a single route.

IMHO the priorities should be :-

1. Link the heavy rail to Southport, Surfers & Broadbeach a direct & fast route.
2. Extend to Burleigh
4. Extend to Coolangatta/Tweed
4. A branch to Robina Town Centre / Bond Uni / Station.
5. Further branches to , eg. Harbour Town, Nerang - anywhere that is a significant traffic generator AND the numbers stack up.

Obviously right now the priority is the core system, and any larger vision will be 15-20 years in the making.

I'll be happy once the first rails are laid, driving the final stake through the heart of the BRT vampires.

Dummy spit completed. Normal service has been resumed.

GeoffreyHansen · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 2:49 pm

I apologise if I've asked this before but is the Light Rail still going to use a bit of the former Southport Railway alignment?

I do like the idea of having a branch to Harbour Town.

Bring the 3900s back to Brisbane
Bring Karlsruhe Tramtrains to Australian cities
Extend the proposed Metro to Taylor Square
Extend the Gold Coast line to the Tweed

colinw_mk2 · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 5:16 pm

Here's the map:
http://www.translink.com.au/qt/translin.nsf/ReferenceLookup/071121_map_stage1.pdf/$file/071121_map_stage1.pdf

Not sure how it relates to the old Southport branch.

Dummy spit completed. Normal service has been resumed.

drwaddles · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 5:22 pm

It crosses it just south of Griffith Uni Station but otherwise there's no interaction.

That said, the Parkwood option basically does what the Gold Coast Line did to the former Southport Line.

People who talk out their asre usually have bad breath.

bramt · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:25 pm

Wow there is a lot of information provided in the CDIMP plans.
http://www.translink.com.au/qt/translin.nsf/index/gc_rapidtransit_cdimp

The project is split into 5 sections, with sections 2 and 3, University->Southport->Surfer's->Broadbeach, the top priority, with construction to start in 2009, opening 2011. The other stages will then follow from 2021-2026.

The tram depot will be at the GC City Council depot. One interesting feature is that the track will have a large number of turnbacks, all being scissor crossovers. This is to enable any section containing a broken down tram to assume bi-directional running on the clear line, to minimise any delays while the disabled tram is worked on. (see vol2 ch7-29).

The system will operate 24/7, with a minimum hourly service in the middle of the night, and a minimum possible headway in peak times of 2 mins.

They predict a daily peak hour one way passenger demand of 950 from University-Broadbeach section in 2011, rising to 1,500 by 2016. Thus they recommend an initial purchase of 15 35m trams, with more to come when the later stages open.