How tragic that the State Government removed Sydney's network entirely by 1961.
The light rail system reintroduced into Sydney in 1997 is being extended and plans have been announced for an extension that will run from Central Railway to Kingsford via the Cricket Ground and Football Stadium, Randwick Racecourse and the University of NSW. All at times are destinations for peak transport. That's fine.
The latest announcements include plans to remove hundreds of trees, albeit with the promise that replacement trees will be planted elsewhere along the route, the loss of hundreds of parking spaces at various points and even the destruction of an entire apartment block in Devonshire Street, Surry Hills.
This last point has perplexed me from the outset. Why are they routing the light rail via Devonshire Street? A narrower street for light rail could scarcely exist anywhere in Sydney. Why not use Oxford Street between Elizabeth Street and Taylors Square as did the original network so successfully? If Oxford Street does not suit nowadays then why not take the middle option and use Foveaux Street?
Additional plans are that existing bus routes from the south-eastern suburbs to the city will be curtailed or adjusted forcing passengers to change over to the light rail at some point. Included in those plans is a current service from Coogee to Circular Quay via Taylors Square. That service will instead divert at Taylors Square to Edgecliff.
Hello! Edgecliff? My ears prick up.
I live at Edgecliff. I live just one block from the bus and train stations in Edgecliff. That announcement will link my home through public transport to St Vincents Hospital, where I am volunteer; to Darlinghurst where my GP is located and to Randwick where I go to the movies so often. There is no direct public transport link between Edgecliff and those locations at present.
So amongst all those plans which upset so many people is one seemingly insignificant announcement which is music to my ears.
It is an ill wind.........
Don't forget along George Street to the Quay, or do you have some doubt that it will happen? Many more expert than your good self have speculated on alternative routes. Indeed, why not down Oxford Street and then the busway in Anzac Parade. The suggestion for it to run through the side of Randwick Racecourse seems sensible. Loading forecasts already have it almost loaded to capacity as soon as it opens. Maybe adding passengers in Oxford Street might be the back breaking straw for the camel.
ReplyDeleteYour Glad has shown that she is flexible and open to ideas. Pity though about the North West Metro tunnels only being large enough for single deck trains. Never mind the change at Chatswood.
The George Street/Quay extension is still going ahead as far as I know. I only referred to the Kingsford extension here because this is the one for which more detailed plans - to which I referred - were in the news this week.
DeleteThen of course there is the Dulwich Hill extension about which we are not hearing much but it seems to be taking a very long time. I believe a very lengthy time frame was put in place by Gladys after she came into Government as a way of stretching the costs and reducing the immediate budget impact. The previous Government had promised an earlier completion date which the new Government put back to just before the next election. Funny about that.