ACT Light Rail - is a community based, not for profit public transport lobby group comprised of members, (both individuals and representatives of other community groups) who share the common goal of promoting and achieving the ideal of Light Rail as the primary mode of mass public transit in the Capital Region.
The next public meeting of ACT Light Rail will be held Thursday 6th August 2009 (18:30-19:30). This meeting will be held at the Belconnen Community Centre, Swanson Court, Belconnen (view map).
The time for for implementing Light Rail for the ACT and Capital Region has come...
The Capital Region’s roads are increasingly congested, especially during peak hours and the entire road network is becoming increasingly unsuitable for the volume that is currently commuting every day just to get to work...
Light Rail will provide a transport system attractive enough to encourage a significant number of people out of their cars in all areas of the ACT and Capital Region. The ACT Government (with the assistance of Federal Government Infrastructure Australia development funding) needs to commit resources to undertake an comprehensive studies that will explore possible routes and establish accurate costing for a Light Rail network.
A proposed Light Rail network could potentially leverage the existing Tuggeranong, Kingston, Queanbeyan/ Bungendore rail lines as as the network is expanded in a phased manner service all ACT town centres and significant areas of employment.
This map illustrates only one of many options for a possible staged implementation of a light rail network for the Capital region. The initial line would be decided by appropriate feasibility study and could even leverage the existing rail track running down the ACT/NSW border. It is anticipated that the network then could be expanded in a phased and staged manner.
Park and Ride facilities need to be strategically placed around the network to minimise reliance on the car as a primary transport mode and special care would need to be taken to ensure that a properly integrated transport network is created leveraging buses to feed in to the light rail network.
Note that this concept map has been designed to promote interest and discussion only - the actual phased implementation should be determined by proper unbiased feasibility studies and cost benefit analysis.
ACT Light Rail has made a submission in response to the Canberra Airport Preliminary Master Plan. The submission has requested the Airport make proper provision for future Light Rail services and emphasised the importance of transport linkages with Civic, Fyshwick and Queanbeyan.
“Light Rail is one of the ACT Government key infrastructure objectives, thus it is important that significant master planning arrangements make appropriate long term provision for eventual deployment of a light rail network”, stated Mr. Reynolds - Deputy Convener ACT Light Rail.
In its submission ACT Light Rail articulated the critical need to ensure that the Airport reserves land at and inside the airport boundaries so that a light rail system can connect to the Airport Terminal, Majura Park, Brindabella Business Park and the Fairbairn Commercial areas. The submission has also indicated that the Airport will play an important part in the overall success of a light rail network as it will act as a potential transport hub between Civic, Fyshwick and Queanbeyan.
“Proper planning and integration of air, road and light rail services at the Airport will ultimately reduce the current reliance on private motor vehicle use, reduce congestion on the roads around the airport and is a long-term environmentally sustainable option.”, concluded Mr. Reynolds.
The submission is available for viewing or download from the ACT Light Rail web-site: www.ACTLightRail.info
An independent business case for light rail in Canberra commissioned by the ACT Government to support its application for Commonwealth funding through Infrastructure Australia (IA) was released on the 9th April 2009 by the ACT Govenrment.
Prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the business case was requested by the Commonwealth after the ACT Government listed light rail as one of nine projects it believed worthy of co-funding through the Commonwealth's Building Australia Fund.
The business case was originally submitted in draft form in November 2008 because the ACT Government was in caretaker mode. The document was later finalised and re-submitted in early 2009.
"The analysis of light rail undertaken by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the ACT Government indicates that a light rail system in Canberra could maximise transport accessibility, improve the efficiency of the ACT’s transport system, and minimise the social and environmental impacts of transport. Light rail would provide opportunities to make Canberra more sustainable by increasing greener transport choices, reducing car reliance and encouraging a more sustainable urban form built around transit corridors."
The business case documentation is available online from http://www.tams.act.gov.au/move/light_rail or alternatively the core documents can be downloaded directly from this website:
Important: The following document should be referred to in context when interpreting the assumptions and outcomes as made in the PWC study/bid document:
ACT Light Rail - is a community based, not for profit public transport lobby group comprised of members, (both individuals and representatives of other community groups) who share the common goal of promoting and achieving the ideal of Light Rail as the primary mode of mass public transit in the Capital Region.
