If you would like to see the Parliamentary Triangle, Manuka and Kingston appropriately serviced without compromising the back bone, please sign the WVCC petition at https://epetitions.act.gov.au/CurrentEPetitions.aspx
The new bus network provides more rapid routes (now 10) with the intent of getting everyone to the rapids for intercity trips. Unfortunately there are too many changes of buses required and suburban buses are performing two roles, access to the rapids and the school bus and local shops routes, which are meandering and slow.
The Parliamentary Triangle is significant and its public transport should be commensurate with its importance. It is not clear why there has been a change from Transport Canberra’s previous Light Rail Network that provided the Parliamentary Triangle with a separate alignment through to Manuka, Kingston and Fyshwick. What are the trade-offs from merging the alignments?
Travel times are important and with higher education consolidated in the north, people from Tuggeranong will have to catch a suburban bus to the rapid, wait for the rapid to Woden, wait for the tram to Civic then wait for a bus to UC or Bruce CIT, with every additional 15 minutes adding an additional 120 hours to your annual commute.
It is important to maintain the objective of the backbone, fast, reliable trips between the town centres and work out how to get people to the rapids (and Xpressos). More Park n Rides?
You can read more on the RiotAct!
If you want to circulate and lodge a hardcopy of the petition click here
I’m afraid I disagree.
The light rail is not an inter-town direct transport. The light rail carriages are designed for moving people quickly on and off, with smoother and swifter acceleration/deceleration between stops, and a top speed that is too slow for direct intertown. The LR would be wasted if significant stops were missed out. Yes it is a spine, but not only from the brain to the big toe – it services all significant places along its route where people work and reside. It’s pointless to miss a major business district on the way through – some people from all ends will want to go there. I would, instead, focus your efforts on lobbying to improve express-only intertown bus routes to better service long-haul travellers. Buses are better suited to that purpose because they can go faster. Eg a cyclical express Tuggeranong-Belconnen-Gungahlin-Fyshwick-Tuggeranong express route (and one the other way), and let the light rail more fully service the inter-district corridors as it’s designed and best suited.