Belconnen Redevelopment-Update September 2010

[Bus 400]

Below we have the ABS Bus Station, what people will note is the bigger bus waiting shelters & a fence down the middle of the road. Work is nearly complete with the installation of the traffic lights at the Emu Bank end & the completion of paving, cementing & bollard installation. The Westfield Belconnen has to be constructed, but since homes can be built in 30 days (day 1=pouring of the slab) in Canberra that shouldn't be too hard.

[ajw373]

Industrial vandalism of the highest order. Just cannot see the point to go from a purpose built facility that needed a face lift to what we have now and have coming.

[Bidgee]

At least the old interchange had a roof!

[ajw373]

At least the old interchange had a roof!

And plenty of lighting and other people. Indeed I even recall when it used to have indoor waiting area's with heaters! This new thing is just a wasteland that no one will use. So a great way to encourage public transport use. I doubt the new mall stop will be any better or more attractive to users either.

[Sir Pompously]

To give the old interchange a facelift would have required it to be knocked down and rebuilt, probably in the same fashion as we currently see in the above pictures. The ACT Government seem to not want proper infrastructure at their stations, otherwise we would see something along the lines of Brisbane's busway stations. I agree that it may not have the same shelter/protection as the previous Interchange, however that 1970's eyesore needed to be torn down and replaced (The Town Centre needed a refresh, and they are doing just that by removing all the ugly out of it). The Bus Station system is a great idea, allowing passengers to spread out around Belconnen instead of being centered in one place and having to interchange for a bus to get to the top of the town centre. The Mall Stop will be right outside the mall, so yes it will be attractive to users. I don't think they will have AdShel's either, but proper shelters from what I could see when I last went by. There will be alot of other people at the stop, CCTV, plenty of lighting and Westfield Security.

[ALBION1881]

With the new Belconnen interchange being that wide you could nearly run a set of tram tracks in the middle all the way into the city.

[ajw373]

With the new Belconnen interchange being that wide you could nearly run a set of tram tracks in the middle all the way into the city.

Thats not the interchange, there is none in Belconnen anymore. That is simply a bus stop.

[ajw373]

To give the old interchange a facelift would have required it to be knocked down and rebuilt, probably in the same fashion as we currently see in the above pictures. The ACT Government seem to not want proper infrastructure at their stations, otherwise we would see something along the lines of Brisbane's busway stations. I agree that it may not have the same shelter/protection as the previous Interchange, however that 1970's eyesore needed to be torn down and replaced (The Town Centre needed a refresh, and they are doing just that by removing all the ugly out of it). The Bus Station system is a great idea, allowing passengers to spread out around Belconnen instead of being centered in one place and having to interchange for a bus to get to the top of the town centre. The Mall Stop will be right outside the mall, so yes it will be attractive to users. I don't think they will have AdShel's either, but proper shelters from what I could see when I last went by. There will be alot of other people at the stop, CCTV, plenty of lighting and Westfield Security.

As a resident of Belconnen since 1978, which incidentally is about when the interchange opened (even as a young boy I remember using Higgins Interchange for a short time) I disagree 100% with what you are saying and what the ACT government has done. As I said it is industrial vandalism of the highest order.

Firstly the interchange was far from an eyesore but yes needed some TLC. The basic structure was fine, so wouldn't have needed to be ripped down, just modernised. As for the bus station idea, totally stupid, for one very important reason, which is security. Passengers feel safe waiting in numbers, but spreading out these bus stations you are spreading out the people, this may well lead to people now looking at alternatives such as car travel. By having several stations over the place it is now impossible to provide any decent form of security; lights and CCTV do not count. But an upgrade at the old interchange with a security presence would have been possible and sensible.

The one good thing about the new arrangement though is the through running of buses to serve other parts of Belconnen, however this could have been achieved in conjunction with a proper interchange in it's current location.

[Sir Pompously]

As a resident of the ACT since 1988, I am sorry to say the Interchange was an eyesore (1970's concrete structure, rounded Perspex covers over bridges which fade easily, a design which dated before it was built and the last paintjob of orange and green was sickening) and poorly placed in the town centre which was the reason for its demise. Too bad safety in numbers does not work when the rest of those numbers are built up of people who want to steal your wallet or your phone. It was a hangout at all times, and I feel a lot safer standing at one of the three stations at night (Especially Lathlain which is right next to the Police Station). You will find that at night not many people use Cohen and Cameron (They still get numbers, but not many) and most will use Lathlain. I can see this being the same that most will use Westfield Belconnen when Lathlain closes. Westfield Belconnen will have a security presence, will have better lighting and CCTV as well as (From what I understand) ACTION staff. It will be the new Belconnen Bus Interchange, just much closer to the mall. With the addition of Westfield Belconnen Bus Station, the Interchange would have been useless (As the site for Westfield Belconnen Bus station is in a more suitable location). So it is better to redevelop the land and make it more accessible, dare I say more beautiful (When landscaped) than the previous structure. It either goes to Transport or buildings, be glad it went to transport.

[Bidgee]

Last time I used the Lathlain bus station at night, I felt unsafe even with the lighting and the police station near by since the CCTV camera's were out of order and no security were patrolling the area (It doesn't take very long for a crime to be committed).

I still believe the old interchange could have been modernised (at a less cost then the current project). I guess we all have different opinions.

[ajw373]

Last time I used the Lathlain bus station at night, I felt unsafe even with the lighting and the police station near by since the CCTV camera's were out of order and no security were patrolling the area (It doesn't take very long for a crime to be committed).

I still believe the old interchange could have been modernised (at a less cost then the current project). I guess we all have different opinions.

True and having the police station next door means nothing. I bet you there would be no coppers in there that could come out to help, so would have to call a patrol vehicle which no doubt would be miles away.