ACT Strategic Public Transport Network Plan released

[Zephyr71]

From the Canberra Times:
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Expert puts our future on the buses
BY VICTOR VIOLANTE, CHIEF ASSEMBLY REPORTER
28/07/2009 7:02:00 AM

The ACT Government must increase the number of frequent bus services in Canberra and re-draw its public transport corridors if it is to significantly increase ACTION buses patronage in the next 22 years, according to a leading transport consultant.

The ACT Government engaged one of the world's most eminent public transport planners, Jarrett Walker, from McCormick Rankin Cagney, to develop a discussion paper on public transport towards 2031. The 152-page ACT Strategic Public Transport Network Plan recommends the ACT Government urgently make Erindale the site for the Tuggeranong Valley's main bus interchange, replacing the existing Tuggeranong bus interchange adjoining the Hyperdome.

It also recommends establishing new bus interchanges in Dickson, Gungahlin, City West and Barton within five years.

''These interchanges are at strategic connection points in the network, and the efficiency of the network would be reduced without them,'' the report said.

Mr Walker said the first step was to establish where the frequent bus services those that ran every 15 minutes or better would operate, which would facilitate urban planning.

''The most important single idea in the plan is that we need to be very explicit 20 years in advance about where the best transit services are going to be,'' MrWalker said.

''We've drawn lines on the map. Once we have the lines on the map land use can proceed with the knowledge that there's going to be good public transport on those lines,'' Mr Walker said.

The proposed routes build on the existing express services that operate from Tuggeranong, Woden, Civic and Belconnen, but the report recommends they stop at Erindale instead of Tuggeranong.

The plan suggests similar frequent services operate between Gungahlin, Manuka, Kingston, Fyshwick, Mawson, Erindale, Dickson, Queanbeyan, Kippax, Russell, Barton, and the planned new residential hubs of Molonglo and Weston.

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Further information is available: http://www.tams.act.gov.au/move/sustain ... _transport