News & Discussion: Other Transport Projects

[warpspeed]

And whats with those lights at Gray Street at the western end of Currie Street. I reckon 90% of time i travel through there they are red for Currie Street.

Again, I've lost count of the number of times I've driven West, hit the Grey street lights on Red, then, whilst I'm sitting there waiting, I watch the lights on West Terrace go green, the lights on Grey Street go Green, and before I even get to the other side of the Grey Street intersection, the West Terrace lights go Red. Absolutely ridiculous sequencing. That one is a very very regular occurrence and incredibly stupid and frustrating. The same thing happens going the other way too. Lights go green for Glover Avenue into Currie Street, drive off. Lights go red at Grey Street. FAIL.

[neoballmon]

Sorry if this is the wrong place, but there doesn't seem to be a Gallipoli Underpass thread and I don't want to put it in the Superway discussion on South Road's thread.
But it seems some new work as gone on the underpass in the last few days.
I like it, especially considering the underpass's name was to remember those who fought in Gallipoli, but then there was no mention of this anywhere for those going under it. It also stands out very well (but possibly only because I'm used to seeing the grey wall) and looks stylish and modern.


There is one on each side of the bridge, this is on the northern side.

[Nathan]

There's no better way of remembering those that fought for us than by building an underpass.

[[Shuz]]

There's no better way of remembering those that fought for us than by building an underpass.

An underpass is very much like a trench. Maybe that's the connection they were going for?

[vikashshinge]

I think this project has been prove beneficial in someway, bus lane has certainly provided good route for some people from east. But still i would say that few thinks are over build which was not needed, road bridge project cost must have been low if those structure wasn't constructed.

[Wayno]

Bus lanes being extended. where else can they easily be introduced?

CARS will be banned from driving along sections of Anzac Highway and West Tce as the State Government extends bus-priority lanes.

The express lanes will be installed in both directions along the section of Anzac Hwy from Greenhill Rd to South Tce, and northbound only along the section of West Tce from South Tce to Gouger Street.

Motorists driving in the lanes between 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday risk a $225 fine.

Transport Services Minister Chloe Fox said the new lanes are expected to be operating by the end of November.

"We want to build on the success of the priority-bus lanes implemented in Currie and Grenfell streets in July, which benefited more than 40,000 bus commuters," she said.

"Preliminary data shows that the on-time running of bus services travelling to and from the eastern and western suburbs, the Hills and the O-Bahn, has improved since the lanes were introduced."

more...

[Norman]

Great news, this will make a big difference to the southern commuters.

In other news, the new Adelaide Metro site, with associated mobile site, has been launched.

[Nathan]

I like how to access the mobile site, it loads the full site. You then have to zoom right in and tap on the tiny close button on the pop-up video. And then hunt around the page until you see a non-descript "mobile site" listed in the footer.

[Norman]

Or just go to m.adelaidemetro.com.au

[Nathan]

Or just go to m.adelaidemetro.com.au

That's bad practice. There's absolutely no reason why there should be two separate sites. A good single responsive site, ideally aimed at mobile first (given the nature of the information) with progressive enhancement as you increase screen size.

Telling someone to go direct to m.adelaidemetro.com.au is all well and good if you know the address. But someone guessing, searching, or reading the address off an ad, is likely going to hit adelaidemetro.com.au - and they're unlikely to know there even is a mobile site to go pecking around for.

Plus if you're sending a link a page (other than the home page) from your desktop to someones phone (or your phone. Say you look up a timetable, and then send the link to your phone to reference while you're out and about) - then the whole thing breaks down. You still get the desktop site for that page, and the mobile link at the bottom takes you back to the mobile home page.

[Omicron]

My bus driver today must have had a little rush of blood to the head, assuming that the new Anzac Highway bus lane was already in effect and driving down at top speed, blasting the horn at every opportunity.

Wonderfully speedy trip, mind.

[PeFe]

From Adelaide Now

Turn Grote St into city gateway, Integrated Design Commission says

Bill Marles on Grote St. Picture: Luke Hemer Source: adelaidenow
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GROTE St should become a cultural and culinary boulevard combining the best of North Tce and Gouger St, a report says.
The Integrated Design Commission's draft Place Shaping Framework says the city's main east-west thoroughfare has the potential to become a grand gateway into the CBD.
The report follows years of calls from the Grote Business Precinct traders' group for an upgrade of the western end of the street.
"Grote St is significant because it is the only 40m wide grand boulevard of (Colonel William) Light's plan," the report says.
"Grote St could potentially rival North Tce's cultural boulevard, as well as replicate the restaurant precinct along Gouger St, but with a greater mix of land uses including commercial interspersed with residential."
A mix of new buildings with renovated historic ones would allow Grote St "to grow into the grand boulevard it was planned to be", the report says.
"This would make it an appropriate gateway for the main vehicle access into the city for residents arriving from the western suburbs, and for visitors arriving from Adelaide Airport and interstate rail (from Keswick)."
Integrated Design Commissioner Tim Horton said Grote St could, over time, become home to university buildings, libraries, small theatres and a swimming pool to cater for a growing city population.
"We have the potential to create a new magnet, a new anchor for the city," he said.
The report says the large Australia Post building at the western end of the street, which is still in use, would be an ideal site for a "landmark development to help define the western gateway to the city", including housing for city workers and students.
Grote Business Precinct former president Bill Marles said an upgrade of the western half of the street, including new footpaths and lighting, was needed to attract investment from businesses.
"If people want to invest in an area they like to go where they feel welcomed, where they feel they can make a difference," he said.
The eastern end of Grote St, from Victoria Square to the Central Market, was upgraded in 2007 with new footpaths and median strip.
A $1.1 million upgrade extended the streetscaping to Morphett St in 2009/10, but only after lobbying from traders when the City Council wanted to shift the funding to Rundle Mall.
The western half of the street has remained largely unchanged since the 1980s.
Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood hoped the council would fund a street upgrade to West Tce within five years.
"Clearly as the prime entrance from what is now an excellent airport where we're getting increasing international connections, it's very important," he said. "It's really just a matter of money."

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 6533531324

[Ho Really]

From Adelaide Now

Turn Grote St into city gateway, Integrated Design Commission says

[...]

Yes, all nice, but please don't come up with ideas to strangle the road more than it already is. This is one of the few East-West/West-East thoroughfares we still have that is wide enough to handle car traffic. What the council did a few years ago along parts of Grote Street was a complete shambles. They widened the footpath at the Hilton International and at the Pitt Street intersection. This reduced the three lanes coming from Victoria Square to two.

The flow of traffic there was then compromised. With issues happening mostly on market days when people use the Central Market car park. The left lane is congested by traffic wanting to enter the car park. To make things worse the entrance of the car park is on the wrong side of the Pitt Street traffic lights. The width of the footpath here obstructed a slip lane (which is still there) that could have solved the issue. Should the footpath (or pedestrian island, if you want to call it that) be returned to its original design or be reduced, it would allow this lane to take traffic to the car park entrance without obstructing any traffic in the other two lanes.

In its old configuration, when it was wider, Grote Street could easily take a tram service. Currently, with certain sections of widened footpath, wide median strip, etc., it would be difficult. There would be bottlenecks. Tram lines, cycling lanes and bus traffic would reduce car traffic to one good lane. The 40 metre grand boulevard has then turned into an alleyway.

I'm all for trams, but the road needs to be wider. It has to have at least two lanes on each side where traffic can run smoothly without being hindered by turning traffic, buses, cyclists and pedestrian islands. The median strip, great for the flagpoles and turning lanes, would have to go or it would only narrow the road more. The wide median strip has a further downside, it encourages people to avoid pedestrian crossings.

Some people (in council, etc.,) need to realise that not all the city's streets can be a Rundle Street or Gouger Street. It is that's simple. My

Cheers

[claybro]

We need to understand that the days of the city as a destination for private cars is coming to an end. The vision for Adelaide, as with most modern CBD is to a self sufficient entity with enough residents to support employment and business within its boundaries. As a destination from outer areas, it will only be feasble by public transport, at least from the near city areas with park and ride etc. Narrowing of roads and calming of traffic (lowering speed limits to a crawl) is a deliberate means to promote this. If this does not work then more draconian measures are introduced such as conjestion fees, and exorbitant parking fees to discourage private car use. Cars will be largely for us suburban dwellers

[Ho Really]

We need to understand that the days of the city as a destination for private cars is coming to an end.
[...]

Draconian measures? Surely you're not advocating the total closure of the city to cars and turning Adelaide into one huge pedestrian mall? Adelaide is not Rome, Paris, Madrid, etc., where families have lived in apartment buildings for centuries, walk to many places or travel on good public transport. Adelaide should not be turned into one of those cities. Here in Australia city living (in apartments) is best suited to singles and childless couples (whether they work in the city or not). The grand majority still want their detached homes, or at worst live in sets of townhouses. They also want their freedom to drive to places if they wish, park their car there or drive through to the other side in minimal fuss. Some of those in the city will also have their own car. Where will they drive to if you don't leave some thoroughfares open? Or are your intentions that of taxing anyone driving through?

The Adelaide square mile has plenty of room for residential, mixed use, retail, offices, etc., and still have several thoroughfares to let people move around and go across town in their cars. What we should be looking at is not narrowing all the streets, but improving the public transport system and giving people freedom of choice. Sending people from across town onto a ring route is not a solution. That won't help reduce our CO2 emissions, at least not until everyone runs their car on hydrogen or electricity. Direct routes for now are best. The more options you have the better in this regard. The ACC has to also find a way of covering its losses from less city parking, this without imposing taxes somewhere else (on the locals or on through traffic). This is why a proper balance has to be struck between the pedestrian and the car in any grand city plan, and of course without the draconian measures.

Cheers