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"HOW WE MOVE" Transport study team.

IMPACT OF PROPOSED TRAM EXTENSION & M1 UPGRADE Burleigh & Tallebudgera Area (only)

Priority Issues.

Permanent changes to the M1 and the Gold Coast Highway to accommodate 2 Tram lanes will require URGENT actions to mediate the effects from traffic seeking alternative routes.

Any belief that the Tram will take sufficient cars off the road to elevate such impacts is either ignorant or dishonest and not covered in studies or assessed as a cost to community productivity.

The two main change factors are

1. Restricted flow on Gold Coast Highway (Boulevard) due to additional sets of traffic lights and reduction to 2 lanes. (Note the 2 lanes removed from GC Highway will be added to the M1 resulting in nett zero increase in north / south through lanes.

2. The predicted increase from the under construction M1 Western Service Road that will funnel Elenora / Palm Beach / Currumbin traffic onto an alternative north south route using Tspura Drive into the already over capacity 2 lane 50Km undulated (Fauna Sensitive) West Burleigh Road.

Discussion and actions towards REAL SOLUTIONS are urgently requited noting these factors are now either under construction or final planning.

PROPOSED SOLUTIONS

BERMUDA STREET Extension – Needed to absorb an increased portion of the North South traffic west of the M1.

This is URGENTLY needed from the M1 double diamond intersection overpass under construction, connecting with the upgraded section of Old Coach Road. It should then extend South on a new straighter western alignment bordering the proposed Boral site intersecting with Tallebudgera Creek Road and continuing to the Man on a Bike roundabout.

Any continuation of Bermuda Street should NOT follow the steep twisted dangerous goat track that is the current Old Coach Rd.

Do it once, do it properly.

WEST BURLEIGH ROAD - To maintain productive traffic flows with the addition of a Tram, a minimum single lane southbound overpass lane from Gold Coast Highway onto West Burleigh Road MUST be created. Logically, the overpass should extend far enough to incorporate a james street link under providing a free flow of traffic southbound and greater flexibility of traffic light sequence for the remaining northbound traffic with a turn left anytime additional lane northbound on the GC highway.

KORTUM DRIVE / WEST BURLEIGH ROAD – Regrettably traffic lights will be required at this intersection to avoid accidents and allow the few residents breaks in traffic to access residential driveways on West Burleigh Rd.

These 3 areas are the tip of the iceberg to begin discussion

Did you know TMR calculate and factor a dollar value of a believed heath benefit of passengers walking to a Tram station in their economic justification for the TRAM. BUT they do not calculate a $$ value the lost productivity of time wasted in everyday road congestion.

MORE EFFECTIVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Rail, not Tram should be the priority

Rail should be extended as per the 2003 TMR planning doc (was once due to be completed by 2015) in preference to spending on Light Rail (Tram) .

It would seem the vast majority of those supporting tram extension do so based solely on increase in property value with no plan to use it.

Where is the Study or Data that elevated the urgency for Tram over Rail ? Why does TMR not publish it?

Faster Heavy Rail with Interconnection hubs is key.

Sizable railway station park and ride facilities should be constructed incorporated into the Tallebudgera Station along with a bus hub noting the proximity and access this station has to the coastline and a near direct M1 connection. If built correctly will take more cars off the M1 than any other TMR Plan.

BOOST PUBLIC TRANSPORT USAGE

The current concept of forcing public transport by restricting road use and parking will NOT be effective. Its attempts will come at a huge cost to lifestyle and economic productivity.

Want to encourage public transport?? Then make the tram and buses near free ,,, lets say a 50 cent per ride flat fee tap card entry. Our public transport runs at a huge loss already and is vastly under utilised,, lets make it easier to use.

Australia has the most expensive pubic transport use cost per km in Asia. Yes, higher than Japan and Singapore.

Provide buses with a dedicated (bus lane using GPS based live timetable at each stop (the Singapore model) ..

All the suggestions on improving productivity and public transport use could ALL be achieved for less than the estimated Stage 4 cost of $3 billion to replace the 777 bus by extending a 19^th century Tram technology to the Gold Coast Airport.

BURLEIGH CONNECTION ROAD - Build an 4 lane Burleigh Connection Road overpass of Bermuda Street extending a further 150m west to incorporate an under overpass service road network intersection with Taree Street / Tree Tops complex and realignment of northern service road west to Mattocks Road .

This would effectively take 3 sets of traffic lights out from this dominate busy route and make the biggest productivity road improve on the southern GC.

Its not easy but you can calculate the lost hours and wasted energy of the vehicles stopped between these 3 intersection in both direction for a day.

ENTRANCE TO - Burleigh Gardens Industrial Estate

If great ideas were appreciated then a repositioning of the (steep grade) entrance to Burleigh Garden Industrial Estate and Casua Drive could be incorporated along with the Scottsdale drive intersection with an extension of the existing northern Reedy Creek Road overpass onramp onto the M1. Worth noting that the current 2 to one lane merger never works effectively due to the close proximity of traffic lights.

–Author: Colin May/Engineer

Additional articles and letters ....

"How I see it!" A heavy rail story by - author Rex Huntley

"Can we afford it" - author Wayne Purcell/Town Planner