Page 2913 - Week 13 - Thursday, 23 November 1989
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operations. A decision is required soon though some limited expansion of the current interchange is possible as an interim measure.
The long-term future for public transport is not being ignored. Work is now being undertaken to clearly identify and reserve a rapid public transport route between town centres and to re-examine the economic threshold of such a service. Short sections of the route could become bus-ways in the first instance. The route through Civic is important to the bus interchange.
The management of traffic is also an important aspect of the Government's strategy. Planning has already commenced to provide alternative routes for traffic travelling through Civic. Whilst options for diverting such traffic are not numerous, there are alternatives that are being actively pursued. Indeed, expenditure in a number of locations this year has been made with an eye to future possibilities. This area also involves some difficult decisions. (Extension of time granted)
Bypass routes are longer but ultimately quicker. Traffic lights in the city and elsewhere will, where possible, be phased to favour pedestrians, buses and cyclists. Indeed, cyclists will be favoured in a number of ways. The Government has committed $1m in 1989-90 to cycle path construction. Some of this money is to improve access through town centres. Further, I have already announced that I will be releasing in the near future a public discussion paper which will form the basis of a cycle policy. The Government will maintain its commitment to cycling as a viable, safe and economic commuting alternative.
It is also important in a car commuter based city such as ours to pay particular attention to parking issues. The most vexed issue in this area, of course, is that of commuter parking in residential areas. Ideally, residents in areas close to any of the town centres should not have their residential amenity compromised by commuter parking, but neither should the residents of outer suburban areas have their ability to access town centres substantially reduced. Some people need cars to get to work; they may have daytime study commitments. They may have children to drop off at school; or they may have after work commitments of various kinds. Some parking flexibility is needed for these people.
Streets in suburban areas are a public resource well able in many cases to take parked cars safely. Any short-term surplus of car parking spaces in Civic will be accounted for by current building refurbishment or developments under way or approved, such as building 6 in the White Industries complex or the office building in section 38.
Replacing parking spaces in Civic would mean building a car parking structure at some $10,000 per space. The ACT
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